Posted on 07/02/2012 9:44:24 PM PDT by Cronos
AFTER weeks of squabbling, California’s politicians managed to get a budget approved this week. Their dispute had followed a familiar pattern. One side, spooked by yawning budget deficits, wanted to make deeper cuts to welfare payments. The other, fearful of the effects on California’s army of unemployed, sought to find savings elsewhere. It sounds like a classic Republican-Democrat ding-dong. In fact, the row pitted one Democratic force (the governor, Jerry Brown) against another (the state legislature). Shut out of the talks, the state’s opposition Republican legislators were reduced to boycotting budget hearings and issuing sulky statements.
..California gave America two of its five most recent Republican presidents. But the state party has fallen on hard times since the days of Nixon and Reagan. After having fallen for decades, the number of registered Republican voters in California now stands at just 30%
...The picture is no prettier when it comes to elections for national offices. Republicans have not won a Senate election in California since 1988. The party now accounts for just 19 of the state’s 53 congressmen. The last Republican presidential candidate to take California was George Bush senior. As the most populous state, California holds over one in ten electoral-college votes. But neither Mitt Romney, the presumptive Republican nominee, nor Barack Obama will bother to campaign here—although both regularly drop by to raise funds.
..What seems clearer is that the array of fiscal problems California faces is forcing at least some Democratic officials to tilt in a Republican direction. Voters in San Jose, recently approved cuts to pension benefits for city workers by 70% to 30% . Last year liberal eyebrows were raised when Gavin Newsom, the Democratic lieutenant-governor, journeyed to deeply Republican Texas, along with several Republicans, to uncover the secret of the Lone Star state’s job-creation record.
(Excerpt) Read more at economist.com ...
ADM?
Although I regret it now, I completely avoided military service by joining the Air Force. When my children ask me, "What did you do in the War, Daddy?" I am forced to tell them I was in combat with ferocious Germans almost every weekend.
Those Wiesbaden bierstubes attracted a very tough crowd. The men were even worse.
I tried that ..... Then they sent me to navy schools. Then army got me for a year of schools and then and only then did uncle sugars wind force get me back... Then I was awarded three more holes in me than I was born with..... 21 years later they broke me beyond repair and I retired after a thin air PLF.
I laugh yet limp when I do such these days.....
Stay safe KB........
That's exactly what he did at Camp Pendleton...He always lamented the fact that he didn't have "them" very long. I always thought he was a D.I. never heard the term PMI....
My mom and him lived in an Apt. right on the cliffs at Laguna Beach.
“My mom and him lived in an Apt. right on the cliffs at Laguna Beach.”
Laguna Beach is a little bit of a drive to Edson Range but doable. One of my favorite places on earth even though I almost drowned there body surfing mosterous waves that were breaking on a south swell generated by a hurrican in Mexico. I was 15, but learned to swim at 4 years old and was an accomplished body surfer. Still it was a very close thing. The beauty of the place is awesome and no wonder your parents loved it there.
Back on topic, I’ll never forget my PMI, he taught me techniques that allowed me to shoot top scores. He was missing a finger and parts of others on his right hand. One of the first Vietnam returnees. Great guy. PMIs do not attend DI school, are mostly Infantry MOS, though I’m not real clear how they are selected or trained before they are unleashed on recruits. As they were surrounded by armed recruits they were a lot nicer to the privates than the DI’s....lololol.
I lived in SoCal for years.....I know the area. My pop loved the ocean.....He caught lobster and halibut right off the surf there...Can't do that anymore.
I used to surf up and down the coast. Never surfed Laguna...never was known as a surfing spot. Although did body surf there when I was a little kid.
My pop was a WW2 vet...in the So Pacific. And got called back for the Korean War...and ended up at Camp Pendleton...as he was living in SoCal. I guess..as you have educated me...that he was a PMI..as it rings true..from some of his comments, and where he was.
My dad was a tough guy, but fair. I'm sure he treated his men well.
“Never surfed Laguna...never was known as a surfing spot. Although did body surf there when I was a little kid.”
Yep Luguna was usually shore break of 1-2 feet, but given a south swell it could get real big, real fast. I always headed there when the right conditions arose. One of my mothers aunts lived there all her life. Clean beaches with clear, warm water.....It would be no surprise that Pop chose to suffer the daily commute down US 101.....
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