Deep Politics: Environment, Democracy, Health, Privacy — and a Bit of Fun

Carmel lost a great character this morning.

Priscilla Nesbitt passed away quietly after leading a life of vibrant curiosity and deeply held passion for trees and wildlife, for caring people and knowledge.

You get an insight into Priscilla’s spirit with how she described her doctor to me. “Dr Kennedy is a tree hugger. I adore him.” I’m not sure she ever knew how much that endeared her to me.

I knew her as a lover of animals, trees and forests, and wild places topped off with a gentle but firm courteous demeanor.

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Who is More Wrong-Wing — Bush or Obama ?
(c) Copyright 2012 David Dilworth

If George W. Bush was “the worst US President” – Why is Barack Obama continuing, and even increasing, many of Bush’s most repulsive actions of Preemptive War, Secrecy, and attacks on Civil Rights, Human Rights, Personal Privacy and our Environment ?

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Pacific Grove newspaper Cedar Street Times’ Publisher Marge Jameson Censors all letters from a reasonable middle of the road citizen. Sends him two emails refusing to publish any of his letters to the editor.

Censor Kitty Denies Access

Growing up here, I blindly trusted local newspapers. It never once crossed my mind whether they would do anything other than give us the whole story. And of course if they overlooked an important fact or useful way of looking at our local issues – a simple letter to the editor could easily correct it.

Sounds good right ?

Well that was my unarticulated understanding – until I got into politics.

“Well, the difference between theory and practice
is a lot bigger in practice than in theory.”

Its been an eye-opening and hard won lesson that leading Monterey Peninsula newspapers viscerally detest some opinions that oppose theirs. So they flat out censor those letters with views held by lots of local folks and the unarguable facts that support them. They employ all kinds of bogus excuses that are far more creative than “the dog ate it” – but just as counterfeit.

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A Giant Snowball has finally left the Building and is gathering speed.

(c) Copyright 2012 David Dilworth

Last evening Pacific Grove’s City Council unanimously took a strong step forward to correcting a great wrong — which is currently costing the city tens of millions of dollars and pushing it towards bankruptcy.

In 2002, the former City Manager Ross Hubbard put a raise for the police and firemen on the City Council’s consent Agenda – meaning there is no Council discussion and no public comment on the topic. It dramatically increased police and fire department retirement benefits. But Hubbard assured the Council that it would only cost the city some 51 thousand dollars.

In fact City Manager Hubbard knew it would cost some 15 times more, some 800 thousand dollars that first year alone, because Hubbard had the legally required report from an Actuary, but he hid it from the Council – who merrily adopted the retirement raise (called “3 at 50”) without any discussion.

Of course it is horrible that Hubbard hid the actual cost, but it turns out he and the City Council seriously violated a state law in approving it.

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(c) Copyright 2012 David Dilworth
This is an article about an Analysis(1) of a web article (“The anti-GMO campaign’s dangerous war on science”). The web article by Michael Eisen is a hypocrisy drenched assault on Informed Consent, Food Safety proponents, and the possibility of harm from Genetically Modified (GMO) food.

It shows admittedly “mad scientist” and genetic researcher Michael Eisen’s impressive wholesale use of fallacious reasoning(2) while ironically brandishing the banner of “Science.” (And No, contrary to his claims, Eisen failed to provide any evidence of a war or attack on science by Food Safety proponents; nor did he show GMOs can be proven harmless.)

______________________________________“Well I’m angry, making sense gets in the way.“(3)“Coupling” British TV comedy series

An article on Genetically modified (GMO) food entitled “The anti-GMO campaign’s dangerous war on science“(4) is written by an admittedly “infuriated” genetic researcher in California named Michael Eisen claiming to support Open Science.

Eisen’s article initially attracted me because I’ve been helping to inspire people with the wonders of science and promote science-based governmental decisions for a few decades, I am concerned about attacks on science philosophy and its credibility, and I’m a bit familiar with environmental impacts — so sounds good right ?

Wow, was I ever in for a disturbing surprise. With deeply profound irony the admittedly angry Eisen claims he’s fighting to defend science (“My vested interest here is science, and what I write here, I write to defend it”).

Instead his article pummels and batters science reasoning and logic so relentlessly I had to set it aside for a few days to recover from my shocked dismay.

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Controversial Developer Nader Agha wants to turn Holmans into a 420 room hotel; a giant hotel that goes from Holmans massive front on Lighthouse Avenue to our Library – street to street / block to block – and 85 feet high.

This would make it the largest building in Pacific Grove, possibly even larger than Monterey’s Hotel Pacific, or Seaside’s Embassy Suites – the largest on the Peninsula.

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Here’s a few new and useful words and terms I’ve created out of my seemingly inexhaustible mental bookcase of ideas (out of thin air).

While another stunningly creative person may have used one of these words or terms previously to me, I made these up independently (as far as I know) and by employing studiously superficial research could find no earlier use. In a few cases the word was already in use – but mine is a new (meaning better) definition. So here (in no particular order) we go.

“Detrampulated‘ – the unbouncy, grounded feeling one gets upon returning to solid land after trampolining. It is a self-motion illusion, similar to the feeling of returning to ground after flying or doing gymnastics. Distinct from, but related to, Sea-legs the dizzy feeling of returning to land from a boat passage. (2015)

“Fundalism” – Altering or responding to a public sign with humor – in a graffiti manner. (2015)

“Ear-resistable” – Carefully prepared but repulsive sound.

The song “Horse with no name” is earresistable (May 2009)

“Respectful Disagreement” (1990) – self explanatory, but seldom practiced – especially in politics. (I gave Leon Panetta a “Respectful Disagreement” button in 1994 when he accepted the employ as Bill Clinton’s Chief of Staff. He thought it should be useful and appropriate in DC.)

“Conflict Escalation” – Amplifying a disagreement, the effect police and military often have on a minor disputes. A near opposite to respectful disagreement.

“Denaissance” – Dumbing of a culture. While Renaissance indicates an enlightening age, Denaissance is when a culture loses wisdom. Created December 8, 2009. Synonyms: DeEnlightenment, Dunlightnment (duh-enlightenment) or Un-naissance (created at the same time).

Example: “Around turn of the century, 2000, the United States denaissance began and is now spreading with the rapidity of a pandemic.”

“Charmel” the town I call home. The term fits so well due to its human inhabitants general attitude. (I’ve been using this since the early 1990’s and, while my friends are helping, I still await its wide spread adoption . . .)

“Numerature” – communication or art primarily employing numbers.

“Godomobile” – the almost unconscious acceptance that the car is God, taking cultural priority over all other values. Particularly prevalent in Los Angeles with its 24 lane freeways.

Example: “The Godomobile is responsible for LA’s abominable freeways.” (Jan 5, 2007)

“DREGs” – noun, a word and an acronym meaning “Developers, Resource Extractors and Governments” adds concision to identifying those who harm our environment for money, greed or power. (2002)

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An English Agricultural Research Station called Rothamsted Research is preparing to harvest some Genetically Modified Wheat seeds in Spring 2012.

A food protection group (Take the Flour Back) is planning a rally for natural food on May 27th.

John A. Pickett is the spokesman for Rothamsted Research who penned a letter in NewScientist appealing to Food Protection activists not to harm his GMO project.

The Food protection group has appealed to the researchers not to harm our planet’s food system.

Here’s my response letter to Mr. Pickett —
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Since a “Mad Cow” was found at a Hanford, California slaughterhouse last week – people are again raising concerns about dying from eating beef. (Hanford County shares a fence with Monterey County.)

This is an overview of the science of alarming Mad Cow Disease in plain English – and what you can do to prevent you and your loved ones from getting it.

“Millions of British television viewers watched the harrowing final days of 14-year-old Zoe Jeffries in October 2000. The ordeal of the young girl from Manchester, England, began more than two years earlier. First she cried for two weeks, then came the hallucinations and continuous screaming.

As the disease progressed, the pain in her legs worsened until she couldn’t walk. Bedridden, her brain wasting away, she was reduced to communicating through moans and grunts.” -FDA Magazine

The first government recognized death of a North American from Mad-Cow disease was on June 20, 2004 in Meridian, Florida. Some believe she contracted it by eating beef in England.

Transmissible
Spongiform Encephalopathy (TSE) Overview

Mad Cow Disease is only one of a deadly family of diseases called Transmissible Spongiform Encephalopathy or TSEs (seemingly caused by Prions). TSEs are arguably more deadly than cancer, AIDs or biological or chemical weapons.

TSEs are 100% percent fatal to humans, are undetectable, untreatable, incurable, cannot be killed by cooking or even by burning and can live in your body for 40 years before acting.

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A former UC (agricultural) Field Station manager wrote a commentary in the Herald about Methyl Iodide that contradicts all environmental science about the nerve gas. (Janet Fulton: Methyl iodide a casualty of junk science)

Sorry Ms. Fulton —

1. Methyl iodide is recognized by all government agencies as a highly toxic nerve gas.

2. Methyl iodide is listed as a Known Carcinogen under California Prop 65. It is extremely difficult to get a chemical on this list.

3. U.S. EPA lists it as a Hazardous Air Pollutant.

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Here is a graph of the debt Pacific Grove residents are accumulating as a result of staying in CalPERs – contrary to the will of the voters.

The numbers from 2011 to 2015 are projections based on at least a 7.5 percent return on CalPERS investments.

If CalPERS fails to achieve 7.5 percent return (breathtakingly high these days) the debt will get even larger.

The data and notations are from Councilman Dan Davis who cites his references below (I just put it in a graph so you could see it easier.)

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Tom Frutchey does not like criticism of his many failings as City Manager of Pacific Grove.

Recently, to intimidate a resident who told the City Council about her strong concerns about City staff insubordination – the City Manager hired a lawyer to write her a strong letter of reproach.
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(c) Copyright 2000-2012 David Dilworth

“Smart Growth” is Doublespeak and an Oxymoron.

Along with “Postal Service“, “Jumbo Shrimp” and “Congressional Ethics” – “Sustainable Development” is a self canceling or contradictory phrase along with its new disguise called “Smart Growth.”

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Copyright 2000 David Dilworth

As sudden as a meteor streak – flashing into my headlights trots a large dog with a nice smile – in the middle of my lane!

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“Things were much better [for developers] in the old days, in large part because staff didn’t follow the law.”

– Pacific Grove City Manager Tom Frutchey, April 2011

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Attempted Murder of a Good Law: Two people tried to kill Pacific Grove’s law banning Fast Food. Councilman (and Carpetbagger) Bill Kampe¹ along with Commerce Chamber head Moe “Strip Mall” Ammar wielded the weapons of mass deception.

Kampe put it on the Council Agenda arguing the City should welcome Fast Foods and “streamline the ordinance².”
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Apparently skepticism of strangers is a long tradition; an ongoing theme in California.

“What are we to do then? Shall we remain supine, while these daring strangers are overrunning our fertile plains, and gradually outnumbering and displacing us? Shall these incursions go on unchecked, until we shall become strangers in our own land?”

Who said that?

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Here’s an example of how a lone voice can halt big mistakes.

“It wasn’t a bad catch,” said George Haines, state unit fire chief in Monterey and San Benito counties.

When I spoke out on this issue, all the Fire “experts” and lawyers said I was wrong. They said that the County’s best fire experts had met many times over the course of a year – and that there was no problem.

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The Best (and worst) Monterey Peninsula Businesses

A business only gets on this list if —

1. I have had direct personal experience with them, and
2. They have provided exceptional service, reliably – with no bad experiences.

These local businesses prove that there are solid reasons for buying some services and products locally and not over the internet / web. It is notable that several of these excellent businesses are large corporations – both privately and publicly owned.
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I lived in Europe for a while teaching several subjects including English and French. In my experience listening to people with languages from different cultures – the “R” is the most difficult sound to get right – in many languages.

Scots roll a long “Arrrr” almost like a pirate. The French pronounce it more like whispering “air”, while Asians often mysteriously switch “R” and “L” sounds.
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