Page 3 - Sanger Herald 6-7-18 E-edition

Random thoughts Jerry has apparently decided consumers, not politicians are responsible for the water problem.
Melissa received almost 23 percent of
the total votes counted so far and more than doubled the vote count for her two Democrat challengers Abigail Solis and Ruben Macareno.
"I’d like to thank the voters for their sup- port and look forward to running a full and robust campaign on the issues that are impor- tant to the people in the Valley, including education, healthcare, and job creation," said Melissa.
When all the votes cast for Melissa, Solis and Macareno are added up they total 19,638 to Vidak's primary total of 24,404.
That seems to indicate it could be closer than most people expect in November.
•••
Even though the vote counting sites are
saying all the precincts have reported, that doesn't mean all the votes have been counted.
Mail-in ballots that were postmarked on Tuesday or were handed in at a polling place have not yet been counted. Neither have pro- visional ballots that were issued at the polls.
That's causing some hesitation to declare a winner in some of the close races. But it
In my OPINION
California's illegal immigrant situation
is being significantly misrepresented
SANGER HERALD 3A THURSDAY, JUNE 7, 2018 EDITORIAL & OPINION
By Dick Sheppard
A big waytogo to Sanger's Melissa Hurtado for thriving in California's "Jungle Primary" and win- ning the right to challenge Republican Andy Vidak for the 14th State Senate seat in November.
Dick Sheppard
shouldn't make a difference in the 14th State Senate race because Vidak and Hurtado have such large leads over the other candidates.
•••
I discovered last evening while eating
pizza and hanging out at Melissa's watch party at the Me-n-Ed's on Jensen that even
a few experienced election watchers are confused by California's "top-two" or "jungle primary" process. All candidates for the same office, regardless political party, run against each other and the two receiving the most votes get to duke it out in the general elec- tion.
Still confused? You're not alone. •••
I doubt the confusion over California's jungle primary is even close to what will probably be experienced this evening at city hall during a workshop intended to clarify a 67 page summary of proposed city budgets for fiscal years 2018-2019 and 2019-2020.
I won't be there.
I decided to go to the WAMS promotion ceremony instead.
More than likely the workshop will just be another smoke and mirrors production that will have councilmembers baffled, but afraid to ask questions because, "We're not accoun- tants or budget experts," they keep telling me.
You can read an opinion by Measure S committee member James Miser - who is a budget expert - in today's Guest Commentary.
Why is the workshop being held on the same evening as the WAMS and Fairmont
promotions?
Maybe it's because there is only one more
scheduled council meeting before the new fiscal year begins on July 1. Previous admin- istrations used to have an approved budget in place before the start of the fiscal year. Last year, this administration didn't get the budget okayed until more than a month into the fis- cal year.
Maybe it's because it's on the same eve- ning as the WAMS and Fairmont promotions and that may cut down on those annoying and critical comments from the public.
•••
I noticed the tired and faded small flag fly-
ing in front of the Sanger Bible Church still hasn't been retired.
It's one of the flags posted by the city and the city should remove it, retire it properly and replace it with a new one. It's a shame to show such a lack of respect for the flag, espe- cially in the home town of the state headquar- ters of the American Legion.
•••
Jerry Brown's legacy is going to be more
than the train to nowhere.
Have you heard about Assembly Bill 1668
the gov signed into law?
The bill, until January 1, 2025, would
establish 55 gallons per capita daily as the
standard for indoor residential water use. The total amount we would be able to use goes down over the years until 2030 when it
would only be 50 gallons per capita daily. You wouldn't be able to take a shower and wash a load of clothes on the same day with-
out incurring a penalty.
If you’re wondering how the government
would know how much water your family is using, according to a column by Mary Greeley, "The utility providers will be obli- gated to rat you out or face massive fines. And they’re encouraged to spy in all sorts of creative ways. They 'shall use satellite imagery, site visits, or other best available technology to develop an accurate estimate of landscaped areas.'”
Apparently Jerry and his minions have decided that consumers, not politicians are to blame for California's water shortage.
What about a lack of water storage loca- tions? How many water bonds have we passed to solve that problem. Can't help won- der where all that money has gone - maybe to the train to nowhere?
Comments, complaints and sugges- tions may be emailed to sangerherald@gmail. com or may be made by calling 875-2511.
GUEST local commentary
It's déjà vu all over again
By Fred Hall
By James Miser
I have just done a brief review of the proposed 2018-2019 and 2019-2020 budgets.
It just continues the same process as prior years.Auditorcomments and the city council resolu- tion 4122 have been ignored.
and Lighting and Area Agency on Aging)
are supposed to be used for roads, street improvements and senior needs $850,000 from these three funds is being used to make bond payments on the City Administration Complex and Community Center; law en- forcement; risk management; and, mostly, to go into the general fund. These uses may not berelatedtothepurposeofthefunds. Measure S supplement vs supplant guidelines were established in City Council Resolution 4122. This resolution was found by the current City Administration which has chosen to ignore it.
Over the next two years, $1 million of required general fund expenditures will be paid out of Measure S. The administration did not tell the Citizens Oversight Committee about the $1million. They also refused to give the Committee the information needed to cal- culate the amount until after the budget was presentedtotheCityCouncil. Consequently, the Citizens Oversight Committee did not ap- prove the Measure S funding for the second year in a row.
The Citizens Oversight Committee has been bypassed by the City Administration for the second year in a row. The City Budget for Measure S is again unapproved by the Citizens Oversight Committee.
As I said before, so it goes.
James Miser CPA CFE is a member of the Measure S Citizens Oversight Committee. He can be contacted by email at james.l.miser@ gmail.com
Today we offer for your
consideration what is per-
haps the most fallacious
statement ever written or
uttered by the media, poli-
ticians or special interest
groups, “Diversity makes
us stronger and immigra-
tion makes us more pros-
perous. It'simpossibletoimaginehowone could string together 10 words that could be so demonstrably false when the real subject is illegal immigration!
There is no real argument here about true immigration but don't try to frame your argu- ment to cover those who sneaked in by using such an expansive lie.
Truth is, according to a survey recently released by the Federation for American Immigration Reform (FAIR), that providing healthcare,education, lawenforcementas well as social and government services to illegals and their dependents cost the State of California (taxpayers) almost $26 billion annually RoughlyoneinsixCaliforniansis illegallyinthiscountry. Westillcon'tsee how immigration is a net plus as special interest groups and politicians indicate.
Roughly 12 percent of all American citi- zens live in California, yet it accounts for
33 percent of this country's welfare checks. California is also No. 1 in the United States forfoodstampusage. Somehowwemanage to have more people on welfare than most countriesaroundtheworld. But,whathap- pened to the idea that immigration would make us more prosperous?
Beginning to feel proud of our accomplish- ments? It'sagoodtimetotakenoteofthe fact that almost one-fourth of the nation's homeless population consider the golden state their residence and 25 percent of them are without a place to live and living on our streets. Rememberthatweonlyhave12 percentofthepopulationintotal. Areyou beginning to reconsider the sanity of having uncontrolled borders?
State and local debt has swollen to $1.5 trillion. Combiningourstatedebtwith California's share of the national debt pro- duces a debt-to-GDP ratio that is higher than Portugal,Italy,GreeceandSpain. Allof those countries are facing economic collapse and ruin.
Agricultureneedsworkers. Thereseems
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Since the current administration has come into office, the general fund balance has increased 62 percent ($1,800,000), while more and more money is being taken from special funds and utility payments.
The 2017 audit finding 2017-002 refer- enced $1,671,880 in undocumented charges to the utilities. The proposed budgets project it to be $2,021,130 in 2020 In addition, $150,000 in staff base salaries are being allocated to the utilities. Salaries are supposed to be part of overhead expenses which are the undocu- mented charges. These costs are picked up by the utility rate payers.
The auditor wanted there to be proper allocations based upon the relative benefits received from each utility. The City agreed and promised it would develop, document and use such an allocation. Without proper allocations, there is no reason for the amount being taken out. This has happened for the last three years. Some of the utility payments are being used in the general fund.
There is another possible problem. Three restricted revenues (Gas Tax, Landscaping
to be no doubt about the veracity of that statement as well as the one which asserts that Californians won't do that work. Perhaps that's because the government of this state has become so liberal that many people are figuratively encouraged to not work. How about a “bracero” type program for Central Valley growers and others who need that spe- cific labor?
I was not a resident of California when that program was in full force, but have yet to encounter anyone who found fault with it—except the labor unions. From everything that I have been told, it provided a depend- able source of labor with sufficient oversight that the necessary controls were in place.
One would find it difficult to argue that immigration has been an important part of the growth and development of this country, but that immigration had always been con- trolled and every effort was made for those coming to our shores to assimilate. “Out of many, one.” If that is not to be the case, one has simply to read the events at The Tower of Babel. A single, unifying purpose is neces- sary for any country to be truly great. The idea of America being divided into a large number of “tribes” is unworkable and unac- ceptable.
Becoming an “American” brings great responsibility to all those who aspire to live in this great land. One of the greatest is to not be a burden to one's neighbors in terms of financial support.
But, as always, that's only one man's opin- ion.
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