Eighteen months ago I wrote about my demographic, the Ballet Dad demographic—less noticed that Soccer Mom (or the new demographic of hockey mom) but almost as prevalent.  Hanging out during “Nutcracker” rehearsal this weekend I heard a gaggle playing what is the new game of one ups(wo)manship: how many activities do you have to take your kids to on Saturday.  Silently ticking off my list of home to ballet to birthday party for drop-off to soccer to birthday party for pickup to store to home to make dinner I chuckled, at myself for playing the game.  

 

Friday night at the Seal Beach Center For Spiritual Living (500 Marina Drive—in back of Patty’s Place, Finbars, Koi and Yucatan Grill) at 7:00 there will be a wonderful concert title “From Mozart to Porgy” performed by incredible soprano Yolanda Mitchell West and baritone Michael Paul Smith whose deep rich voice begs to sing the Gershwin lyrics of Porgy.  Accompanied by jazz pianist Byron J. Smith the duet will sing an array of songs from Man of La Mancha, Sound of Music, Don Giovanni, Showboat and of course Porgy and Bess.  Only $20 in advance (562-598-3325) and $25 at the door this concert is a bargain.  Hit one of the quality restaurants across the street before and then listen to some incredible music on Friday.

 

In the past several weeks in many different social settings, not business but social, one comment I have had repeated to me again and again is that many of the people losing their homes or potentially eligible for “rescue money” never should have owned in the first place.  I agree.  Too many of the people who are now being dragged out by politicians as the poster families for foreclosure and the economy—caused in large part by these same families or those with similar situations—have nothing invested in the homes they are losing.  Purchased with no money down, paying on (or not paying on) interest only mortgages, and making no reduction in the mortgage many of these families have been essentially renters with tax breaks for interest and taxes.  They gambled in the market to buy a home with no money down with a mortgage that would adjust that they could not afford with the hopes of cashing in on a soaring real estate market.  They lost, the market went down, the mortgage rates adjusted and now they are facing foreclosure on an asset they never should have owned.  Once again our government leaders are looking how to save people from making poor decisions and abdicating responsibility and accountability.

 

The group ACORN (Association of Community Organization for Reform Now) has been in some of the news lately because of voter registration fraud in at least five states affecting perhaps hundreds of thousands of illegal or fraudulent voter registration forms.  I wondered if ACORN had a presence in Long Beach and through Google found there is indeed an office in Lakewood.  I called and left a message to speak with someone about ACORN’s voter registration activity in the Long Beach area. 

 

Marina Delgado, ACORN spokersperson called me back was very straightforward in answering my questions.  First, ACORN does not have an active voter registration program in the State of California, much less the Long Beach area, because there is no funding in the state for voter registration.  Not long ago ACORN did conduct a voter registration drive at Lynwood High School with an assembly, but it was with volunteers and not funded by ACORN.

 

I asked why there was no budget for voter registration in California and Ms. Delgado answered she felt it was because California is not a swing state.  It appears that ACORN’s business plan is to go into swing states and conduct massive voter registration drives in an effort to impact the outcome.  Receiving significant funding from a Democratically controlled Congress, and from a Democratic Presidential campaign, it is not shocking to learn of the tactic of registering voters in states where a few thousand votes can swing electoral votes into the blue column in two weeks.  By the way ACORN is supposed to be “non-partisan” given the Federal funding—a quick surf of YouTube shows otherwise.  Tax exempt and recipient of tax payers money ACORN is the most under-reported story of this election.  Given the mainstream media’s push to get “their guy” elected this is no surprise.

 

Ms. Delgado stated that one of the primary purposes of the Long Beach ACORN office is assistance to homeowners facing foreclosure or default.  Their counselors will assist those needed assistance communicating or negotiating with their lenders.  I asked how many homeowners a week were contacting them and she said five to ten a week—I was expecting a higher number.  If you feel ACORN can assist you contact them at 562-429-9540.

 

Mayor Foster has been busy on the Living Room Circuit talking one on one with residents about Measure I and the infrastructure needs of our city.  I was able to attend a function in the yard not the living room of our friends the Powers on Sunday.  Foster knows his numbers and facts on the issue and is very comfortable relating them to his small audiences.  During the question and answer period following his presentation my jaw dropped when one of the attendees was asking if there was anything in the $500 million plan for the homeless.  I should not be surprised, it seems whenever there is a chunk of money available, or potentially available, it quickly becomes the target for every group and issue.  The purpose of this measure is to fix and replace our infrastructure, not build housing for the homeless.  See members of council pushing for yet more funding for low income housing about that topic.

 

In the coming days the Long Beach Post will have all of our positions on the propositions and measures on your ballots, I am interested to see where the agreements and disagreements are with my colleagues.

 

A child was kidnapped in Las Vegas last week.  So what does this have to do with Long Beach?  Very strongly suspected in the kidnapping is a Mexican drug gang taking the child as part of a drug dispute.  Evidently the distribution and sale of most street drugs (pot, meth, crack, coke, you name it) is controlled by gangs in Mexico who have turned Tijuana, Ciudad Juarez and other cities into battlegrounds.  Over four hundred have been killed in the first few weeks of October.  With the kidnapping of a child in Las Vegas we have the signal the war is spilling north of the border into the United States.  We have drug abuse and use issues in our city, they are distributed and sold locally by extensions of those warring Mexican gangs, when will their war become more of our city’s issue?

 

If you smoke pot, snort coke—do people still do that?—or use other illegal drugs you are fueling the drug wars and supporting the Mexican drug cartels.  Have a beer instead.

 

I read where on Saturday low cost “affordable” housing advocates were marching through the streets of Long Beach to call attention to what they feel is a lack of affordable housing in our city.  Our city budget has several million dollars in it for homeless needs, affordable/low-cost housing subsidies and assistance and other non-core service support of low income residents.  Evidently it is not enough and we need to pump more funds into assisting those families of four or more earning under $22,000 per year.  My empathy for those in this situation is not directed at the parents and head of household of the vast majority of these families but instead with the children.  Children who by no choice have been born into families by parents who have not the education or the skills to obtain jobs necessary to properly feed, clothe and house children they have brought in this world; and now expect the government to provide for them.  And they will—with little to no strings attached, no requirements for the assistance of education, accountability or personal responsibility.

 

Our entitlement mentality has deprived us of accountability or personal responsibility and in many cases shame or embarrassment at government assistance or support—instead it appears to be a right and a cause of indignation if it is not provided.  I go no further than hearing the tone of the questioner in an idyllic setting in California Heights yesterday wondering why the Measure I plan has no funding for the homeless.  I applaud Mayor Foster for not making apologies in his response but rather seeming somewhat frustrated to having to answer the question.

 

Increasing entitlement programs to me is buying votes with tax payer money.  “Vote for me and I will give you….”  The same can be said for promised tax cuts or other benefits—it is all a campaign telling voters how much more will be in their wallets and pocketbooks if so-and-so is elected; or how much less if not.  In the end the winner is the person who can offer the most to the most.  As the number of those not paying taxes grows and the number of those paying taxes shrink the math becomes titled to the entitlements to those not paying taxes and away from reduced taxes to those who do.  In the long run there will be no taxpayers and only recipients of government largesse. 

 

It is said that Democracy begins its path to failure when the electorate begins voting itself bigger and bigger benefits.  To many our democracy is, if not already on at least in sight of, this path.

 

So much for free speech.  A citizen asks a legitimate question of a political candidate and within forty eight hours the national media has descended on his town and background like the locusts they are and the smears begin.  Is the message here not to question our candidates, or not to ask certain questions of certain candidates?  I find it disgusting that “Joe the Plumber” has been subject to more scrutiny and national news and investigation than some candidate(s).

 

What a record of women’s rights and issues and protecting the “common blue collar worker.”  I guess if you have the right way of thinking and are in-line the Democratic machine and media will support women and common workers, but if you have the temerity to run for office as a Republican woman or ask questions of your candidates you get trashed and tarnished.  Next time I hear someone say “the Democratic Party is for…xxx demographic” I will stop listening.  Actions speak greater than words.  Ask Sarah Palin and Joe the Plumber and Clarence Thomas and Condeleeza Rice and….

 

“This is the most important election in our history.”  Oh brother, every time I hear this phrase I think, there is someone with either an exaggerated sense of their own place in history, or no knowledge of our history.  This election in its current context is not that historic; history will tell the importance in retrospect but in current context it pales by comparison of truly historic elections in our history.  George Washington’s first election—our country starting on the path of a republic using the Constitution as our guide was pretty historic.  The election of John Adams as second President, the first peaceful exchange of power following a heated election campaign, setting precedent for future elections and transfer of power was pretty historic.  Abraham Lincoln’s election with the threat of Southern secession looming as the backdrop, he was, they did and the Civil War commenced was pretty historic.  The election to a third term of Franklin Roosevelt breaking the tradition of two term presidencies and leading to the 22nd Amendment limiting terms of office was pretty historic.  But evidently these elections and others are minor compared to the vote we will see on November 4th.

 

I like the Yes On K signs with their bright colors, wish I had on in my front yard.

 

Check out Huell Howser’s  “California Gold” on Wednesday October 22nd, Leslie and I and the yard in front of The Front Porch are part of the show with our drought-tolerant landscape installed as part of a Long Beach Water Department Project.

 

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