SACRAMENTO, Calif. – When a person goes missing, every second counts.  As the statewide coordinator for the AMBER, Silver, and Blue Alert programs, the California Highway Patrol (CHP) understands that time is of the essence and is using technology to help expedite the recovery process. 
 
“Whether a child or at-risk adult has gone missing or a dangerous suspect is on the run, time and details are vital,” said CHP Commissioner Warren Stanley.  “Using technology gives everyone involved in the process another tool to reach the appropriate audience with the information.”
 
As part of the various notification procedures when an alert occurs, the CHP’s Emergency Notification and Tactical Alert Center (ENTAC) will distribute the critical information to cell phones in the affected geographic area through the Wireless Emergency Alerts (WEA) program.  As a result, millions of consumers with WEA-capable devices and services are armed with potentially lifesaving information.
 
Due to the limited number of characters available through the WEA, the CHP is now embedding a link in each message that will direct the user to the public-facing Web site at https://www.chp.ca.gov/news-alerts.  Once there, the user will find all active alerts, along with access to related flyers that can be downloaded and distributed.
 
Social media is also being used to help expedite and grow the audience for alerts distributed by the CHP.  The public, media, and law enforcement are encouraged to follow a new Twitter account managed by ENTAC - @CHPAlerts.  Posts from this account will be limited to active AMBER, Silver, and Blue Alerts.
 
Since July 2002, the CHP has issued nearly 300 AMBER Alerts for abducted children.  Less than a decade later, in January 2011, California enacted the Blue Alert system to apprehend individuals wanted following the violent attack of a law enforcement officer; eight Blue Alerts have been issued to date.  Two years later, the Silver Alert system went online in California and there have been nearly 1,400 alerts issued for missing, at-risk adults since January 2013.
 
The mission of the CHP is to provide the highest level of Safety, Service, and Security.

• ​November 29, 2018/by Ken ChurchillIn December of 2018, the California Supreme Court will hear arguments in what is generally referred to as the Cal Fire pension case. The ruling could potentially overturn what is commonly referred to as the “California Rule.” The current interpretation of the rule is that pension benefits, once increased, cannot be reduced for existing employees even for future years of service without the agency providing a benefit of equal value to the employee.

What reforms would become possible if the Supreme Court rules that changes for future years of service are not protected by the California Rule?
To demonstrate how this ruling could be a game changer and open the door to pension reform for nearly every city and county in California, this article uses the potential savings for various reform options for the County of Sonoma.
It should be noted that any changes to the pension system if there is a favorable ruling by the court would need to be made by the governing body of each agency and if they refuse to act, could also be made by the taxpayers through the voter initiative process.
Current Situation in Sonoma County
The pension system for Sonoma County employees was founded in 1945 and up until 1993 was a sustainable and affordable system that paid career employees 2% per year of service. This would mean, for example, that after a 35 year career a retiree would collect a pension equal to 70% of their final base salary. Sonoma County employees are also eligible to receive Social Security benefits. Over the first 48 years until 1993, the pension system had accrued $355 million in total pension liabilities (money owed to retirees and earned to date by current employees).
But then, due to a series of illegal pension increases back to the date people were hired in 1998, 2003, 2004 and 2006, pensions for employees with only 30 years of employment jumped (including “spiking”) to 96% of their gross pay. After the first increase, the liability had doubled from the 1993 $355 million amount to $793 million in 1999. The liability doubled again in 9 years and hit $1.9 billion in 2009. Last year, in 2017 the pension liability reached $3.34 billion, a staggering 941% growth over 24 years.
The Growth of Sonoma County’s Pension Liability
$=Billions
To pay off the soaring liability, Sonoma County issued pension obligation bonds in 1994, 2003 and 2010 totaling $597 million dollars of principal. Paying off the bonds with interest will cost taxpayers $1.2 billion on top of their normal pension contributions. Currently, the County owes $650 million in principal and interest on the bonds that will cost them an average of $43 million per year until 2030.
In addition, the County’s contribution to the pension system (including debt service on the pension obligation bonds) has grown from $8 million in 1998 to $117 million in 2017. In other words, we have a serious math problem on our hands. While tax revenues have been growing at 3% per year, pension and healthcare costs have grown by 19%. Something has to give. In Sonoma County we have two choices, do nothing and pay higher taxes for fewer services, or, if possible (depending on the outcome of the Supreme Court case), reform our pension system to make it more equitable for taxpayers and more secure for employees and retirees.
So far, money has been taken from our roads and infrastructure maintenance budgets and the County has borrowed $597 million to pay for pensions. Soon, more and more money is going to come from cuts to fire and police protection, and services for those to in need. The retroactive pension increases not properly funded have essentially created a debt generation engine that sticks our children and grandchildren with enormous debt for services received in the past.
The Pension Increases May Have Been Illegal
In 2012 responding to a complaint I filed, the Sonoma County Civil Grand Jury could not find any evidence that the County followed the law when pensions were increased. The California Government Code in Section 7507 requires that the public be notified of the future annual cost of the increase. However, records show that all of the retroactive pension increases were enacted without determining the future annual costs and the public was never notified. This is a serious issue since public notification is the only protection taxpayers have. In addition, documents uncovered by New Sonoma indicate that the agreement was for the General employees to pay 100% of the past and future cost of the increase and Safety employees to pay 50% of the cost. This requirement was never enforced by the Sonoma County Retirement Association as it should have, so the vast majority of the costs for the benefit increases have been illegally borne by the County’s taxpayers.
These same increases were enacted at the state and local level from 1999 to 2008 for almost every public agency throughout the state. Cursory investigations of other cities conducted by the California Policy Center and Civil Grand Jury’s in Marin and Sutter county found similar violations at every agency investigated. A lawsuit is currently under appeal that would void illegal increases back to the date they were enacted which would in Sonoma County’s case save taxpayers $1.2 billion over the years ahead. But even if this case fails, other reform options may be available soon as a result of a favorable supreme court ruling. Here they are:
1. Cap the Employer Contribution
A lot of problems could be fixed at the governance level if employees felt the impact of growing unfunded liabilities. As long as the current situation of the employer/taxpayer covering 100% of the unfunded liability and debt service on the bonds exists, the problem will continue to grow and reforms will be minimal because all actuarial losses fall on the taxpayer.
Capping the employer contribution at 15% of salary (still 5 times what private sector employers contribute to retirement funds for their employees) would cut pension costs in Sonoma County from $117 million to $55.4 million, a savings to the county of $61.6 million per year. And as pension costs increase over the years ahead, the employees will pay all the costs associated with the growth.
2. Split All Pension Costs 50/50 Between the County and Employees
Currently the employer contribution is 19% of payroll. The current pension bond debt service, all paid for by the employer, is 11.3% of payroll. The current employee contribution is 11.6% of payroll. Therefore Sonoma County’s total pension costs in 2017 were 42% of payroll.
Capping employer contributions at 50% of pension costs or 21% of payroll would save the county $50 million per year, a cost that would be borne by employees in additional pension contributions.
3. Provide an Opt Out for Employees to a 401k Plan
Instead of forcing employees to contribute 21% of their take-home pay to their pension, a 401k option could be created.
Existing employees could be provided with the option of moving the present value of their future pension benefit into a 401k account and opting out of the defined benefit pension system. Going forward, the County could provide them with a 10% of base salary 401k contribution which the employee could match for a 20% contribution. Then, if the employee wanted to turn their account balance into a defined benefit for life, they could purchase an annuity upon retirement using their 401k funds.
Studies show young people entering the workforce prefer the portability of a 401k plan because they don’t see themselves in the same career their entire lives. Defined benefit pension funds also punish folks who leave the system early and highly reward those that stay because they are back loaded by design.
A lot of folks might also choose this option because they may be worried about the soundness of their pension plan, which in Sonoma County’s case, they should be.
4. Improve Pension Board Governance
Require a majority of non pension fund members on the Sonoma County Employee Retirement Association (SCERA) board or move the servicing of the fund, if possible to a private entity because of the conflicts of interest that exist when board members are also part of the pension system.
5. Establish Greater Transparency
Establish a COIN Ordinance to require the County Supervisors to hire an outside negotiator during contract negotiations and to provide the public with the cost impact of any changes to the citizens ahead of approval.
6. Mandate Public/Private Pay Equity
Require the County to perform a prevailing wage study and offer new County hires salaries that are similar to what Sonoma County residents earn in the private sector for work requiring comparable education and skills.
7. Return Spending Authority to Voters 
Require voter approval of any pension obligation bonds, and require voter approval of any increases to pension formulas or increases to salaries in excess of inflation.
6. Eliminate Conflicts of Interest
Do not allow elected officials to be members of the pension system due to the obvious conflict of interest.
7. Improve Public Oversight
Create a permanent Citizens Advisory Committee on Pensions that would provide an annual study of the pension system and track the success of pension reform efforts and provide recommendations to the Board of Supervisors. All reports prepared by the committee will be posted on the Committee’s webpage on the County’s website. The committee would have the power to perform accounting and regulatory compliance audits of the Sonoma County Retirement Association, investigate any evidence of illegal acts, and recommend appropriate remedies to the Board of Supervisors. A description of any violations and any committee recommendations will be posted on the Committee’s webpage on the County’s website.
 *   *   *
Ken Churchill has over 40 years of business and financial management experience as founder, CEO and CFO of a solar energy company and environmental consulting firm. In 2012 after discovering the county illegally increased pensions without the required public notification of the cost he founded New Sonoma, and organization of financial experts and citizens to investigate the increase and inform the public. Information on New Sonoma and their findings and court case can be found at www.newsonoma.org.

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-Open houses re-scheduled-
 
Quincy, CA – Plumas National Forest officials are exploring options to extend the comment period for the Over-snow Vehicle (OSV) Use Designation Draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS). The period will be extended a minimum of two weeks.Open houses set for November 29 in Quincy and December 1 in La Porte are also being rescheduled.
“Due to the Camp Fire, we’ve decided it would be best to provide everyone more time to participate in the planning process,” according to Daniel Lovato, PNF Supervisor.The comment period extension and open house schedule will be announced within the next several days and will be publicized via the project website noted below, news release, and on social media.The DEIS discloses the comparative analysis of options being considered in designating snow areas and trails, and snow trails where grooming would occur, for public OSV use on the Plumas National Forest.A decision on the project will be made following the completion of a final EIS, expected in April 2019.  Information, including the DEIS, maps and opportunities for comment, is available on the project website at:  http://www.fs.usda.gov/project/?project=47124 .
For additional information regarding this project, contact Katherine Carpenter, Forest Environmental Coordinator at the Plumas National Forest address above or at (530) 283-7742; or kacarpenter@fs.fed.us.

By Harold Pease, Ph. D


Civil war first begins with words.  There is now little decorum or civility on the medias of both political parties who now openly call opponents liars and traitors; hostile words not previously used in respected media outlets.  Is a second civil war coming?  A July 2018, Rasmussen Reports survey poll reported most voters fear that political violence is coming, with 31% believing that a civil war will ensue within the next five years.


Ironically both major parties share this fear; 37% of Democrats and 32% of Republicans.  This is stunning but even more stunning is the poll finding that  “59% of all voters are concerned that those opposed to President Trump’s policies will resort to violence, with 33% who are Very Concerned.”  Not said, but implied in this statement, is that the Democrats, those most opposed to Trump policies, will start the violence that results in the civil war.  Rarely does a Democrat senator vote for anything supported by Trump so hostile are they to his policies.  The divide in Congress is almost total.


Many years ago at a county fair I saw a fist fight between adult males.  It did not start with punches but words.  Each referred to the other in derogative terms, followed by name calling, followed by arms to the side chests expanded almost touching, like roosters in a barn yard, this followed by descriptive phrases regarding the other’s mother, then by flung fists.  Each “upped the anti” by succumbing to the next level of angered expression.


I see the same thing in the media and todays political world.  In the 1980’s Tom Brokaw, Peter Jennings, and Dan Rather pretended to be objective but never were; careful viewers still knew, but civility was honored.   No one openly described their opponents as liars, traitors or murderers as they do now.  Then followed the segmentation of news into Republican (mostly Fox and talk radio) and Democrat news (MSNBC, NBC, ABC, CBS and NBC), each with clear bias and no pretense of both sides or even of a middle.  Viewers now choose networks that support their opinion and seek no other side.


Unfortunately Democratic politicians have been encouraging violence in their words.  Former Vice President Joe Biden wants to beat up Donald Trump “behind the bleachers.”  Senator Cory Booker wants his followers to “please get in the face of their congressmen” with their issues.  Maxine Waters’ words suggest the same with mobs.  “If you see anybody from that cabinet in a restaurant, in a department store, at a gasoline station, you get out and you create a crowd and you push back on them, and you tell them they’re not welcome anymore, anywhere,” she yelled.  Adding later, that Trump and his team should be “absolutely harassed until they decide” to change their minds.”  The Democratic Party chorus for the last two years has been to resist and obstruct any thing that Trump did and to impeach him.  There was no other real message.


Several, presumably Democratic, movie stars, playwrights rappers and rockers too are promoting violence with their words and images, and thus a civil war, some seemingly inviting the assassination of President Trump.  Rosie O’Donnell promotes a “Push Trump Off a Cliff” game.  Madonna told a crowd that she had “thought an awful lot about blowing up the White House." Robert De Niro wants to “punch him in the face.”  Comedian Kathy Griffin produced photos of her holding a fake bloody, decapitated Trump head.  The NYC Public Theater modernized their play “Julius Caesar” with a Trump-like figure playing the title role being stabbed to death by a band of angry Senators.  


Johnny Depp to an overseas crowd in the UK made an ill-considered joke: “When was the last time an actor assassinated a president?” An obvious reference to actor John Wilkes Booth’s assassination of Abraham Lincoln in the last Civil War.  Rapper Big Sean in his new album “I Decided” rapped “And I might just kill ISIS with the same icepick/That I murder Donald Trump in the same night with.”  Finally, Pearl Jam of the Seattle-based rockers released a cartoon poster “that featured a bald eagle picking at the rotting corpse of President Trump on the White House lawn” (“15 Stars Who Imagined Violence Against Donald Trump, From Kathy Griffin to Pearl Jam (Photos)” The Wrap, Aug. 15, 2018).


Unfortunately the nation has now moved beyond insulting words to aggression, incited by Democratic networks, politicians and stars, and many citizens have good reason to believe that things are escalating to a point of no return.  In 2017 Senator Rand Paul, while mowing his lawn, was attacked and beat up by his neighbor over his conservative ideology.  -James Hodgkinson opened fire on a congressional GOP baseball practice, injuring five, almost killing House Majority Whip Steve Scalise.  Numerous members of congress have been accosted or received death threats for their support of Trump.  These include: Tom McClintock, Dana Rohrabacher, Tom Garrett, Martha McSally, David Kustoff, Kevin Cramer, and Claudia Tenney.


Breitbart has compiled a site called "The list is now up to 258" which documents ongoing "acts of media-approved violence and harassment against Trump supporters."  As of November 5, 2018 it was 639 and climbing fast.  For these victims the anticipated civil war has already begun having moved from words to violence and injury.


 
Dr. Harold Pease is a syndicated columnist and an expert on the United States Constitution. He has dedicated his career to studying the writings of the Founding Fathers and applying that knowledge to current events. He taught history and political science from this perspective for over 30 years at Taft College.  Newspapers have permission to publish this column. To read more of his weekly articles, please visit www.LibertyUnderFire.org.

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 November 18, 2018/by Marc Joffe
​Political leaders and pundits have been quick to link this month’s horrific wildfires to climate change, leading to the conclusion that California should continue and even double down on its carbon reduction policies. But the evidence suggests that these policies will make little difference in the frequency and severity of these disasters, and our scarce resources would be better spent elsewhere.
While lack of rainfall is clearly the major cause of the wildfire crisis, it is less clear that dry weather conditions can be attributed to global warming.  According to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, there is “low confidence” in the relationship between global warming and droughts.
Further, historical records show that California has experienced repeated droughts before anthropogenic climate change became a factor. San Francisco climate records show two years in the nineteenth century with less than 10 inches of rainfall, but no year in the 21st century with so little precipitation.  The state experienced a severe drought between 1929 and 1934, with runoff falling to levels below those seen in this decade’s water crisis.
So even if we were able to stop global warming, there is no guarantee that steady rainfall would ensue. Further, we in California, cannot stop global warming by ourselves. Since California only produces about 1% of global greenhouse gas emissions even an outright ban on fossil fuel use within our state would have minimal impact on future warming – and, of course, no impact on the warming that has already occurred.
Further, our policies come nowhere near a total ban (which would cause an economic disaster). Instead, our approaches to climate change often amount to costly tinkering around the edges. Most notably, we’re spending billions of dollars on mass transit projects in hopes of getting people to do less driving – but these efforts are producing dubious results.
Consider, for example, high-speed rail. Ideally, a bullet train linking northern and southern California would eliminate millions of automobile and airplane trips, greatly reducing carbon emissions. But the reality is that the project is way behind schedule and ridership may never reach the lofty heights projected in High Speed Rail Authority business plans.
Worse, construction in the rail corridor is producing greenhouse gas emissions now, which may not be offset for decades – if ever. The High Speed Rail Authority reported that contactor vehicles generated 1400 metric tons of CO2 in 2015 alone. But that is only a small fraction of the impact, which includes energy used to produce concrete and steel. The Authority’s stated intention is to offset these carbon impacts by planting trees, but that could be done without building a new rail system.
With the date of initial service falling back and plans for blended service impacting travel times and train frequency, it is evident that HSR will take fewer travelers off the roads much later than originally planned. Indeed, it appears that California’s passenger vehicle fleet will be primarily electric by the time HSR is ready to transport large passenger loads.
Given the project mismanagement recently identified by the State Auditor, the time seems ripe to truncate the high-speed rail effort. Money saved by downsizing the project could instead be reallocated to two projects that would immediately reduce wildfire risk:  separating trees from powerlines and thinning our overgrown forests. Reducing the likelihood of ignitions and cutting the amount of fuel available to forest fires are obvious solutions to the current crisis. By contrast, spending billions on mass transit projects whose carbon savings may not offset construction phase emissions, and which are an infinitesimal fraction of global greenhouse gas emissions, which, in turn, may not even be responsible for current and future droughts, seems like a very inefficient way of saving us from forest fires.
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The California Policy Center is a 501c3 non-profit public charity. CA Corp. # 3295222. Federal EIN 27-2870463.

Those train buff volunteers at the museum, Gary Nelson, Tony Tucker, Kenton and Barbara McHenry,  have created a quaint early Loyalton - all dressed up for the holidays with historic building replicas, automobiles and Christmas scenes all lit.

The replica of Loyalton is well lit with realistic mill, ranch and downtown scenes.

The museum will be open December 1st and will show the movie, "Polar Express." Bring the family and enjoy Loyalton's history!

Debris and Hazardous Waste

 Fire damage can create significant health and safety hazards that may be present at individual
properties. It is recommended that structure ash is not disturbed by sorting or sifting due to potential exposure to toxic materials. If you choose to visit your property, please consider the following:
o Wear sturdy shoes (steel toes and shanks are recommended) and clothing
o Hazardous chemicals and conditions may be present
o Inspect propane tanks for visible damage before turning on
o Cover all clothing when in proximity to ash. Wear gloves, long-sleeved shirts, and
long pants to avoid skin contact, whenever possible. Goggles should be worn. Contact with wet ash may cause chemical burns or irritation on skin. Change your shoes and clothing prior to leaving the decontamination site, to avoid tracking ash into your car, home, etc.
o Anything in contact with ash should be cleaned and sanitized. Sorting through/cleaning burn debris is not recommended.
o Be aware of slip, trip, fall, puncture and overhead hazards.
o Do not use leaf blowers or do any activities that will put ash into the air.
o Wear a close fitting respirator mask that is rated N-95 or P-100 to block particles
from ash or smoke from being inhaled. N-95 respirators are well-fitted when they do not come into contact with facial hair; strap tension is adequate, not overly tightened; and masks fit across the nose bridge. A tight seal would not be possible for most children, even with a small adult-size model. People with heart or lung disease should consult their physician before using a respirator.
o The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) is the only agency that certifies respirators to determine that they adequately protect people. Look for NIOSH approval on the package or label.
Do not remove ash and debris without approval from the Environmental Health Division  The county is working with various state and federal partners who will assess each property for
household hazardous waste and asbestos and remove those materials from each property. After the property has been cleared of hazardous waste, the property owner can either sign up for a state debris removal program or perform their own cleanup under oversight of the Environmental Health Department. The hazardous waste and debris removal program through the state and federal programs will not have any out of pocket costs for the property owner. The cleanup requirements for property owner cleanup are under development.
Health and Safety Precautions for Re-entry and Clean-up after Fire Page 2
Food Safety

•   Perishable food items that have not been properly stored (at or below 41 °F) for more than four
  hours is not considered safe and must be thrown out.
  
•   If your home has been damaged and you find non-perishable food items we recommend that
  you DO NOT use them. The containers may appear to be intact but high temperatures may have
  caused the seams to fail, resulting in the contents being exposed to potential contamination.
  
•   When In Doubt, Throw It Out!!
  Water Safety
  At this point, water available from your tap should be considered unsafe until the proper water tests can be completed. Boil water notices are in place for all public water systems and will be lifted at some time in the future when water is determined to be safe. If you have a private well, see handout entitled “Well Disinfection & Sampling Information”.
  

 If your well has been damaged, it may have been exposed to potential contamination and can contaminate surrounding groundwater if not repaired properly. Fire can damage the well casing, electrical conduits and piping. DO NOT use the water for consumption which includes drinking, cooking, dishwashing, oral hygiene, hand washing, bathing and pets.
o The well must be repaired by a qualified professional, properly disinfected as per Butte County Environmental Health’s (BCEH) requirements and then tested to determine the water is safe for consumption.
o Qualified professionals include licensed well drillers, pump contractors and/or certified distribution operators. Water sampling may be conducted by the Butte County Public Health (BCPH) laboratory or by a local state certified laboratory (FGL and Basic Laboratory in Chico, CA).
Septic Systems
 Fire could have damaged your septic system. The damage would have most likely occurred to
the piping between the house and the septic tank, or from the septic tank to the leach field. Damage sometimes occurs from heavy equipment such as backhoes and bulldozers used to fight the fire or to clean up debris. The repairs to the system must be done by qualified professionals as per BCEH’s requirements. 

​

Butte County- Two suspects have been arrested in conjunction with the burglary of a CAL FIRE
station during the Camp Fire.
Robert DePalma and William Erlbacher, both of Concow, have been arrested on five felony counts ranging from alleged vehicle theft to looting during an emergency and possession of stolen property.
DePalma’s and Erlbacher’s bail is set at $250,000 each. 

​

-Fire area within the national forest temporarily closed for public safety-
 
Quincy, CA – In order to ensure the safety of the public and response personnel, a portion of the Plumas National Forest within the Camp Fire area is temporarily closed now through December 5, 2018.
Generally, the closure area lies between CA Hwy 70 on the west and the Oro-Quincy Hwy on the east.
Specifically, the closure area includes: Forest Road 119 (Oro-Quincy Highway) from its closure at the intersection with the Southern forest boundary (T21N, R5E, Sec. 22 and 27) to its northern closure at its intersection with Forest Service Road 24n36 (Forest Road 36), all roads west of Forest Road 119 (Oro-Quincy Highway) to Highway 70, between its closure to the North and its closure to the South, Forest Road 36 ( 24N36) or any spur roads of Forest Road 36 from its closure at the intersection of Forest Service Road 119 to the intersection of Forest Road 36 (24N36) and Forest Road 34 (24N34), Forest Road 34 (24N34) from its intersection with Forest Service Road 36 (24N36) to its termination in T24N R6E S28. 
Some people are exempt from this closure including those with permits or contracts allowing them in the area, in addition to any federal, state, or local officer, or member of an organized rescue or firefighting force in the performance of official duty.
Questions about the temporary closure may be directed to the Feather River Ranger District at (530) 534-6500.
A copy of Forest Order No. 05-11-03-18-15, including a map of the closure area, may be found under “Alerts and Notices” on the Forest webpage at: http://www.fs.usda.gov/plumas .
For other information about the Plumas National Forest visit the Forest webpage and www.Facebook.com/usfsplumas .             

-Draft project alternatives displayed-
Quincy, CA – Two open houses have been planned regarding the Plumas National Forest Over-snow Vehicle (OSV) Use Designation Draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS). The DEIS discloses the comparative analysis of options being considered in designating snow areas and trails, and snow trails where grooming would occur, for public OSV use on the Plumas National Forest.
The comment period for the DEIS began on October 26 with comments accepted for 45 days thereafter. Comments will be considered in the development of the Final Environmental Impact Statement.  A decision on the project will be made following the completion of a final EIS, expected in April 2019. 
Plumas National Forest staff will be available to discuss the difference in alternatives displayed in the DEIS at the following times:
 

• November 29 – Plumas-Sierra County Fairgrounds/Tulsa Scott Pavilion, 204 Fairground Road, Quincy, CA - 5:00 p.m. to 7: 00 p.m.

 

• December 1 – La Porte Fire Hall, La Porte, CA - 10:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m.

 
More information, including the DEIS, maps and opportunities for comment, is available at:  http://www.fs.usda.gov/project/?project=47124 .
 
For additional information regarding this project, contact Katherine Carpenter, Forest Environmental Coordinator at the Plumas National Forest address above or at (530) 283-7742; or kacarpenter@fs.fed.us.

AIR QUALITY HEALTH ADVISORY -- SMOKE
Friday, November 16 through Tuesday, November 20, 2018
Plumas, Sierra and Nevada County
 
Public Health Officials and the Northern Sierra Air Quality Management District are extending an air quality health advisory to notify the public of potentially poor air quality conditions in Plumas, Sierra and Nevada County through Tuesday resulting from the Camp Fire in Butte County. Conditions are expected to vary from Good to Very Unhealthy in some areas, depending on fire behavior and weather.  Periodic clearing is forecast Sunday, with a return to generally smoky conditions on Monday, especially in the western portions of the three counties.
 
Exposure to elevated PM2.5 (fine particulate matter in smoke) concentrations can result in eye and throat irritation, headaches, nausea, shortness of breath, congestion, coughing, impaired lung function and chest pain, especially among sensitive individuals such as the elderly, children, people with asthma, people with heart or lung conditions, pregnant women and anyone who is exercising or working hard outdoors.
 
If you smell or see smoke around you, the following actions are recommended:

• Minimize outdoor activities even if you are healthy;
• Stay indoors with doors and windows closed to reduce your exposure; if you use an air conditioner or forced air heater/furnace, choose the “recirculate” setting if that is an option;
• People with asthma should follow their asthma management plan;
• People with heart disease, respiratory or chronic health issues should stay indoors;
• Contact your doctor if you have symptoms of cough, shortness of breath, chest pain, or severe fatigue;
• Keep airways moist and stay hydrated by drinking plenty of water;
• Avoid breathing additional smoke, such as from cigarettes or barbecues.

 
Near real-time air quality conditions may be found at www.sparetheair.com/wildfire.cfm or at www.myairdistrict.com (click on “Local Air Quality” in the lower middle portion).  As you view the most recent data, take into consideration that conditions can change rapidly due to wind shifts; it is wise to monitor the smoke throughout the day and make plans accordingly.
 

According to NHTSA, the Thanksgiving holiday, traditionally the start of the busy holiday travel season, sees an increase in crashes and fatalities. In 2017, 528 people were killed in crashes across the country during the holiday weekend (6pm November 22nd – 5:59am November 27th); about half of the passenger vehicle occupants who died weren’t wearing seat belts.​ To help everyone stay safe on U.S. roads this holiday, NHTSA is reminding the public to take the following precautions:

• Travel at a safe speed. Speed affects your safety even when you are driving at the speed limit but too fast for road conditions, such as during bad weather, when a road is under repair, or in an area at night that isn’t well lit. For more than two decades, speeding has been involved in approximately one-third of all motor vehicle fatalities.
• Don’t drive distracted. Pay attention to the road. Texting is the most alarming distraction. Sending or reading a text takes your eyes off the road for 5 seconds. At 55 mph, that's like driving the length of an entire football field with your eyes closed. Teens are the largest age group reported as distracted at the time of fatal crashes. 
• Wear a seat belt and wear it properly. The simple act of buckling your seat belt increases your chance of surviving a crash. In 2017 alone, seat belts saved 14,955 lives. But if everyone had worn seat belts on every trip that year, 2,549 more lives could have been saved.
• Make sure children are buckled in the right seat for them. Since 1975, 11,606 children ages 4 and under have been saved by child restraints, 325 children saved in 2017 alone.
• Drive Sober. Designate a sober driver if you plan to drink.  In 2017 there were 10,874 fatalities in motor vehicle traffic crashes involving drivers legally drunk. These deaths are 100 percent preventable.

 
NHTSA Advises Motorists to Drive Safely This Thanksgiving
Buckle up, drive sober, and pay attention
 
 
WASHINGTON – With tens of millions of Americans expected to spend some portion of the Thanksgiving holiday on the road, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) reminds motorists to plan ahead to make sure everyone makes it to the table safely.
 
NHTSA Deputy Administrator Heidi R. King released a video message urging holiday travelers to drive at a safe speed, avoid texting and driving, wear seat belts properly, ensure children are buckled in the right seat for them, and to drive sober. Last year in California, 73 lives were lost in driving fatalities during the Thanksgiving holiday.
 
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According to NHTSA, the Thanksgiving holiday, traditionally the start of the busy holiday travel season, sees an increase in crashes and fatalities. In 2017, 528 people were killed in crashes across the country during the holiday weekend (6pm November 22nd – 5:59am November 27th); about half of the passenger vehicle occupants who died weren’t wearing seat belts. 
To help everyone stay safe on U.S. roads this holiday, NHTSA is reminding the public to take the following precautions:

• Travel at a safe speed. Speed affects your safety even when you are driving at the speed limit but too fast for road conditions, such as during bad weather, when a road is under repair, or in an area at night that isn’t well lit. For more than two decades, speeding has been involved in approximately one-third of all motor vehicle fatalities.
• Don’t drive distracted. Pay attention to the road. Texting is the most alarming distraction. Sending or reading a text takes your eyes off the road for 5 seconds. At 55 mph, that's like driving the length of an entire football field with your eyes closed. Teens are the largest age group reported as distracted at the time of fatal crashes. 
• Wear a seat belt and wear it properly. The simple act of buckling your seat belt increases your chance of surviving a crash. In 2017 alone, seat belts saved 14,955 lives. But if everyone had worn seat belts on every trip that year, 2,549 more lives could have been saved.
• Make sure children are buckled in the right seat for them. Since 1975, 11,606 children ages 4 and under have been saved by child restraints, 325 children saved in 2017 alone.
• Drive Sober. Designate a sober driver if you plan to drink.  In 2017 there were 10,874 fatalities in motor vehicle traffic crashes involving drivers legally drunk. These deaths are 100 percent preventable.

 
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THE PUBLIC HEARING ON THE SIERRA BROOKS WATER SYSTEM PROPOSED ASSESSMENT was held Thursday, November 15th at the Sierra Brooks Lodge. Sierra County Board of Supervisors led the hearing to the audience of residents. Board Chair Scott Schlefstein told the group that no ballots would be counted after the hearing closed and welcomed questions. Resident, Bob Bayly asked about the amount of pipe. Sierra County Planning Director Tim Beals said the amount of pipe was to primarily serve the existing lots that are not on the system. Bayly was concerned that the existing pipe is where the breaks have been occurring and wanted to know if that would be replaced. Beals stated the system would use the existing pipe and have two loops that would equalize the pressure, adding the breaks were occurring in the area where the pressure was very high. He said with this new system, residents would get another tank, another well, pump station, independent generators, new fire hydrants, new section of main, loop system, meters, booster system and host of other smaller items. Bayly questioned no improvements on the current system, just a lot of “new stuff.” Beals said it would be a modernization of the system, new facilities to provide increased water storage and supply, provide additional fire protection storage and would comply with regulatory framework, adding it was a great opportunity.
Resident, Sue Camara questioned if the system was approved and there were change orders to the project, where did the money come from if expenses go up. Beals said they should be able to accommodate any change orders through a sizeable contingency available. Other options would be to change the scope of the project, ask USDA for more funding and could ask the Board of Supervisors for a higher portion of tax proceeds to help offset extra costs. Supervisor Paul Roen said they couldn’t change fees without a process. Beals added fees couldn’t be increased or decreased without a vote of the people.
Resident, Katherine Puckett questioned the lots that aren’t connected. Beals stated there are lots that have no access to the system along Smithneck Road. Puckett asked if there were vacant lots on the system. Beals said to his knowledge there were no vacant lots hooked up to the system right now. Before the close of the hearing Beals told the audience to feel free to call him and he would answer any questions they had affecting the water system.
With no additional questions, Schlefstein closed the hearing and adjourned until votes were tallied. He stated they needed 50%+1 to pass.
Clerk Recorder, Heather Foster, and staff Melissa Kinneer and Michelle Burr tallied the votes and reported the proposed assessment passed: 157 votes in favor to 82 votes against. Many audience members applauded the outcome.

 
 
As environmental protection becomes a bigger concern, more businesses are looking for ways to turn waste into a resource, or making expired products useful in different forms.
 
Recycling anchored the environmental awareness movement in the 1960s and ‘70s, and companies climbed on board, repurposing materials as a way to showcase environmentally-friendly practices. For example, the shoe company Nike, using recycled polyester, says it has preserved 3 billion plastic bottles since 2010. European furniture producer Pentatonic makes chairs by recycling its own products into new ones.
 
With “sustainability” and “going green” the modern environmental buzzwords, newer technology is bringing innovations for more disposal/reusable options. Companies, therefore, are better able to meet increased governmental regulations, help the community and perhaps boost their bottom line.
 
“Engaging with sustainability has become unavoidable for most companies,” says Barry Breede (www.koppersuip.com), author of Transforming the Utility Pole and chief innovation officer at Koppers Utility & Industrial Products.
 
“Some are looking at more aggressive approaches because government regulations start to take effect. Others are driven by their own internal goals to manage their waste stream in a more environmentally-friendly and cost-effective manner.”
 
Throw in the fact that landfills are quickly filling up across America, Breede says, and disposing of company waste in a responsible and forward-thinking way has never been more important.
 
At Walt Disney World, for example, food waste is turned into energy. In a nearby anaerobic digestion facility, the organic waste is converted into renewable biogas to generate electricity – enough to help power central Florida, including Disney’s hotels and theme parks. The remaining solid material is processed into fertilizer.
 
Breede says today’s primary disposal options that are environmental-friendly include:  

• Landfill-to-gas. As landfill operators have less space to offer, many have converted their landfills into energy-producing plants. As the material decomposes, it produces methane, which powers turbines. Over 400 such facilities are in operation in the U.S. and more are in development. “The Environmental Protection Agency has thrown its weight behind this option, since it turns already-existing landfill into a source of at least some value and reduces the greenhouse gas emissions,” Breede says. “It’s attractive to some utilities that are trying to comply with alternative energy mandates.”

• Waste-to-energy. This type of facility takes raw material waste and converts it to energy by incinerating it at a high temperature. Most of the raw material comes in garbage collections. “A facility will contract with a municipality to collect its garbage to fuel the plant,” Breede says. “This process either generates heat or electricity or provides boiler fuel to generate steam or gas energy.”

• Biomass. “This way is more desirable to a utility, such as one getting rid of wooden poles,” Breede says. “Biomass facilities are reliant on this type of feedstock as a fuel source, thus they’ll pay for the material. A cement company may use this waste stream as its primary energy source.”
• Circular model. “Rather than just treat the remaining raw material as waste to be gotten rid of, companies can innovate by turning that material into input for a new product,” Breede says. “The circular economy has emerged as a value generator from both the business and environmental point of view.”

“Most options involve a trade-off between affordability and a level of environmental stewardship,” Breede says. “But thanks to innovation and collaboration, these are ways for companies to be much kinder to the environment.”
About Barry Breede
Barry Breede (barrybreede.com), author of Transforming the Utility Pole, is the chief innovation and marketing officer at Koppers Utility & Industrial Products―a national leader in the sale of wood utility poles. He leads the company’s efforts in commercializing new business ventures, products, and services. Breede also assists Cox Recovery, a Koppers subsidiary providing utilities with environmentally-friendly methods of disposing of wood waste. A graduate of the University of Oregon, Barry has also worked extensively in the innovation area with several global companies including Electrolux AB, Umbro International, and Specialized Bicycles. Barry currently resides in Greenville, South Carolina.


 


Wednesday, November 14, 2018

Over 9,300 firefighters covering 1,179 fire engines, 121 dozers, 161 hand crews, 123 water tenders, 45 helicopters and numerous firefighting air tankers from throughout the state, along with numerous out-of-state resources, are battling three large wildfires in California. These wind-driven fires have burned more than 237,151 acres and destroyed thousands of structures.

In the Northern Region, other than occasional breezy conditions, winds should be lighter through the rest of this week; however, conditions will remain very dry with above normal temperatures, so elevated fire weather conditions will persist through the week. Widespread poor air quality due to smoke will likely continue. In the Southern Region, strong Santa Ana winds will continue today with sustained winds at 20-35 mph with gusts 45-55 mph expected. Higher gusts are possible in the mountains and other prone locations. Relative humidity will remain low with extremely dry conditions ranging from 3-10 percent, with poor overnight recoveries. Critical fire weather conditions will persist today. After winds decrease later today, elevated fire weather will linger throughout the week.

With these current extreme fire conditions throughout the state, don’t wait to evacuate! You should already be PREPARED and GO! early. If you see fire approaching, don’t wait to be told to leave. To learn more on preparing to evacuate, click here. En Español, clic aqui. 

Fires of Interest:

Camp Fire, Butte County (more info…)
Paradise, Pulga, Concow and Magalia
• 135,000 acres, 35% contained
• Evacuations and road closures remain in effect
• Estimated 6,867 structures destroyed. Most destructive and deadliest fire in California recorded history
• CAL FIRE Incident Management Team 4 (Derum) assigned

Hill Fire, Ventura County (more info…)
Santa Rosa Valley
• 4,531 acres, 94% contained
• CAL FIRE Incident Management Team 5 (Parkes) assigned. IMT#5 managing both Hill 
 and Woolsey fires
 
Woolsey Fire, Ventura County (more info…)
South of Simi Valley
• 97,620 acres, 47% contained
• Evacuations and road closures remain in effect
• CAL FIRE Incident Management Team 5 (Parkes) assigned. IMT#5 managing both Hill 
  and Woolsey fires
​

 
WASHINGTON, DC — For millions of people, Thanksgiving starts in the kitchen. Unfortunately, so do many safety risks, such as cooking fires. Emergency physicians offer a few health and safety tips to help you avoid a trip to the ER this holiday season.   
 
Research from the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) reveals that in 2017, on average, U.S. fire departments responded to a home fire every 88 seconds. And, Thanksgiving is the busiest day of the year for cooking fires.
 
“A few simple steps can ensure that you spend Thanksgiving with your family and loved ones, not in the emergency department,” said Vidor Friedman, MD, FACEP, president of ACEP. “Try to avoid doing too many things at once; burns, fires or lacerations happen when you lose concentration, get careless with hot liquids or oils, or try to slice things too quickly.” 
 
DO:

• Make sure you have smoke alarms installed near the kitchen, bedrooms and on each level of the home. Test batteries and make sure that the devices are fully operational.
• Keep a fire extinguisher in your kitchen. Contact your local EMS department for tips on proper training and storage.
• Avoid loose clothing or wearing anything that dangles while cooking.
• Keep an eye on simmering pots as well as items baking in the oven.
• Keep kids and pets away from cooking areas.
• Clean cooking areas regularly. Grease build up is a health and safety hazard.
• Double check when you are done cooking that you have turned off the stove, oven or any appliances.

DO NOT

• Do not throw water on a grease fire. The safest and fastest way to extinguish a grease fire is to remove oxygen from the flame. The best ways to do that are to smother it with a lid, another pot or a blanket. If the fire is not severe, you can cover it with baking soda.
• Do not put a frozen turkey in the oven. Thaw and dry it first.
• Never deep fry a frozen turkey, it should be completely thawed out first. And, frying a turkey should be done outside on a flat, non-flammable structure.

Other steps you can take to ensure a safe Thanksgiving feast include:

• Wash your hands thoroughly when handling uncooked meat and keep it separate from other foods.
• Sanitize any surface that touches raw food. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends that oven temperatures should be no lower than 325 degrees.
• If you have allergies and you did not cook the meal yourself, remember to ask about the ingredients and how food was prepared. Refrigerate all leftovers within 2 hours. 
• Pace yourself when a big meal is involved, whether you are preparing, eating or cleaning up afterward. Chew slowly and carefully to avoid choking. Cut food into small pieces and make sure children are sitting calmly while eating.
• If food gets stuck, don’t panic. Relax and take a drink of water. If you can’t breathe, bang on something, or do anything you can to get attention and get help. Have somebody call 911 while somebody else, preferably a person who is trained in emergency first aid such as the Heimlich maneuver, tries to dislodge the food. 
• If your gathering includes alcoholic beverages, drink in moderation. And of course, do not drink and drive.

More health and safety tips can be found at www.emergencycareforyou.org.
 
ACEP is the national medical specialty society representing emergency medicine. ACEP is committed to advancing emergency care through continuing education, research and public education. Headquartered in Dallas, Texas, ACEP has 53 chapters representing each state, as well as Puerto Rico and the District of Columbia. A Government Services Chapter represents emergency physicians employed by military branches and other government agencies.
 
 
 

By Harold Pease, Ph. D

The pilgrims realized that some kind of governing document was needed for the new colony, “as human nature is prone to disunity and differences that could be disruptive of peace.”  Governor William Bradford thus described the circumstances under which the agreement came about.
“This day,[November 11, 1620] before we came to harbour, observing some not well affected to unity and concord, but gave some appearance of faction, it was thought good there should be an association and agreement, that we should combine together in one body, and to submit to such government and governors as we should by common consent agree to make and choose, and set our hands to this that follows, word for word…”  
In other words, we agree to remain one body and to abide to common consent in deciding what is best for our community--even “word for word.”  A democracy, if you will.  That was a giant step for the time and a prelude for what would follow—eventually a republic.  The idea that the peoples’ vote even mattered was revolutionary.  
The Mayflower Compact contained just three sentences, the middle sentence is the heart of the document.  It established a pure democracy.  All have a common voice.  All must obey the will of the majority.  None can go their separate way if disaffected.  
It read: “We whose names are underwritten, the loyal subjects of our dread sovereign Lord, King James, by the grace of God, of Great Britain, France and Ireland king, defender of the faith, etc., having undertaken, for the glory of God, and advancement of the Christian faith, and honor of our king and country, a voyage to plant the first colony in the Northern parts of Virginia, do by these presents solemnly and mutually in the presence of God, and one of another, covenant and combine ourselves together into a civil body politic, for our better ordering and preservation and furtherance of the ends aforesaid: and by virtue hereof to enact, constitute, and frame such just and equal laws, ordinances, acts, constitutions, and offices, from time to time, as shall be thought most meet and convenient for the general good of the colony, unto which we promise all due submission and obedience.”  
The actual landing of the Pilgrims occurred December 21 and work began on building houses two days before Christmas in the harsh New England winter.  Women, children and the infirm remained on the Mayflower for another two weeks.  Starvation, scurvy and lack of adequate shelter took 45 of the 102 emigrants the first winter.  Of the 18 adult women 13 died the first winter, another the following May leaving only four alive for the 1st Thanksgiving the following Fall.  Moreover the starving times lasted two additional years. Why?
What is not said, but resulted none the less, was the end of private property, and the free market system.  No reason to excel if excellence is disincentivized.  All were forced to accept the collective will with no opportunity, if disaffected, to take themselves out of it.  The result, the colony almost starved to death.  The Compact might well have said “Each will produce according to his ability and each will receive according to his need,” which phrase is the heart of socialism.  Pure democracy (the collective will) tends to degenerated into socialism, which reduces or destroys incentive to produce or excel, which leads to shortages, which leads to the masses demanding an equal share of the less that is produced, which leads to an impoverished society. 
This Thanksgiving Day we think of the Pilgrims enjoying abundant food, but this was not their real reality.  Few focus on the starving times the first year in 1620 when nearly half died.  Harvests were not bountiful in that year and the next two.  Plymouth was beset by laziness and thievery.  Governor William Bradford, in his History of Plymouth Plantation, reported that “much was stolen both by night and day” to alleviate the prevailing condition of hunger.  The mythical “feast” of the first Thanksgiving did fill their bellies briefly, he reported, and they were grateful, but abundance was anything but common.  Why did this happen?  Because they had fallen victim to collective will and the socialistic philosophy of mandated “share the wealth.”  This dis-incentivized the productive base of society.  
Then suddenly, as though night changed to day, the crop of 1623 was bounteous, and those thereafter as well, and it had nothing to do with the weather.  Bradford wrote, “Instead of famine now God gave them plenty and the face of things was changed, to the rejoicing of the hearts of many, for which they blessed God.”  He concluded later, “any general want or famine hath not been amongst them since to this day.”  
One variable alone made the difference and ended the three-year famine.  They abandoned the notion of government (or corporation) owning the means of production and distribution in favor of the individual having property and being responsible to take care of himself.  Before, no one benefited by working because he received the same compensation as those who did not.  After the change everyone kept the benefits of his labor.  Those who chose not to work basically chose also to be poor and the government (corporation) no longer confiscated from those who produced to give to those who did not.  No government food stamps here.




 
Dr. Harold Pe

 
Sacramento – The California Department of Tax and Fee Administration (CDTFA) reported increased revenue numbers today for cannabis sales for the 3rd quarter of 2018. Tax revenue reported by the cannabis industry totaled $93.1 million for 3rd quarter returns received through October 31, 2018, which includes state cultivation, excise and sales taxes. It does not include tax revenue collected by each jurisdiction.
 
California’s cannabis excise tax generated $52.4 million in revenue reported on 3rd quarter returns received through October 31, 2018. The cultivation tax generated $12 million, and the sales tax generated $28.7 million in reported revenue. Retail sales of medicinal cannabis and medicinal cannabis products are exempt from sales and use taxes if the purchaser provides a valid Medical Marijuana Identification card and valid government-issued identification card.
 
Previously reported revenue for 2nd quarter returns was revised to $80.2 million, which included $42.3 million in excise tax, $4.7 million in cultivation tax, and $33.2 million in sales tax. Revisions to quarterly data in prior periods are the result of amended and late returns, and other tax return adjustments.
 
In November 2016, California voters approved Proposition 64, the Control, Regulate and Tax Adult Use of Marijuana Act. Beginning on January 1, 2018, two new cannabis taxes went into effect: a cultivation tax on all harvested cannabis that enters the commercial market and a 15 percent excise tax upon purchasers of cannabis and cannabis products. In addition, retail sales of cannabis and cannabis products are subject to state and local sales tax.

Susanville – This morning, the Lassen-Modoc Unit sent firefighting resources to the CALFIRE Butte Unit to aid in the fight against the “Camp” Fire currently burning near Paradise. Due to this commitment of resources and the lack of rain in our own area, it has become necessary to suspend all burn permits. “We appreciate the desire to burn yard debris in the short window of time we have between late autumn and snowfall,” said Scott Packwood, CALFIRE Lassen-Modoc Unit Chief. “However, the commitment of local resources, lack of precipitation, critical fire weather, and acute dryness of vegetation throughout the state, makes it necessary to suspend all burning on state responsibility area lands within the counties of Lassen, Modoc and Plumas. We will lift the suspension when it is safe to do so.”

This suspension takes effect November 8, 2018 at midnight and prohibits all residential outdoor burning of landscape debris such as branches and leaves until the suspension is formally rescinded. To keep informed about burn permits and other important fire information, please like us on Facebook, follow us on Twitter, or signup at Constant Contact to receive emails.
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​Because of the loss of our main transmission feed due to the Camp Fire in the Feather River Canyon, PSREC is on backup power and we need members to conserve as much energy as possible until we are able to return to our normal power feed. We do not yet know when we will be able to return the system to normal, and conservation will help us avoid rolling blackouts when loads increase in the evenings and early mornings when our load is the highest. Thank you for your cooperation in keeping everyone’s power on. If you have any questions, please call us at 800-555-2207 or visit our website at www.psrec.coop, you can also follow us on Facebook and Twitter.
 

• ISSUES
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
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October 31, 2018/by Edward RingThere are obvious reasons the median home price in California is $544,900, whereas in the United States it is only $220,100. In California, demand exceeds supply. And supply is constrained because of unwarranted environmental laws such as SB 375 that have made it nearly impossible to build housing outside the “urban service boundary.” These laws have made the value of land inside existing urban areas artificially expensive. Very expensive. Other overreaching environmentalist laws such as CEQA have made it nearly impossible to build housing anywhere.
Then there are the government fees attendant to construction, along with the ubiquitous and lengthy permitting delays caused by myriad, indifferent bureaucracies with overlapping and often conflicting requirements. There is a separate fee and a separate permit seemingly for everything: planning, building, impact, schools, parks, transportation, capital improvement, housing, etc. Government fees per home in California often are well over $100,000; in the City of Fremont in 2017, they totaled nearly $160,000 on the $850,000 median value of a single family home.
This is a shakedown. It has caused a politically engineered housing shortage in California that enriches billionaire property developers that have the financial strength to withstand decades of delays and millions in fees, because they reap the extreme profits when they sell these homes at inflated prices. Also enriched are the public servants whose pay and pensions depend on all taxes – definitely including property taxes – and all fees being as stratospheric as humanly possible. Public employee pension funds also benefit from housing scarcity, as their real estate investment valuations soar into bubbleland.
When litigious environmentalists, insatiable public sector unions, and an elitist handful of left-wing oligarchs control a state, artificial scarcity is the consequence. Welcome to California.
REJECTED POLICY – REAL SOLUTIONS TO THE HOUSING CRISIS
To decisively solve California’s housing shortage, some of California’s more than 25,000 square miles of rangeland, currently occupied by cattle, would have to be approved for suburban development. California is only 5 percent urbanized, although if you listen to environmentalists, you might get the impression it only had 5 percent remaining open space. You could fit ten million people onto half acre lots in four person households and you would only use up 2,000 square miles – that’s only 1.1 percent of California’s land area. Why aren’t massive new housing developments spreading out along California’s 101, I-5 and 99 corridors?
Real solutions to California’s housing crisis would also require increasing the capacity of California’s water infrastructure and transportation infrastructure. In both cases, investment would be cheaper if this expansion was done on raw land. Real solutions to California’s housing crisis would mean rescinding the mandatory rooftop solar requirement on new home construction, and instead recommissioning and expanding the nuclear power complexes at Diablo Canyon and San Onofre, and embracing development of additional nuclear power and natural gas power plants. In a less confiscatory regulatory environment, the private sector could fund all of this while lowering costs to consumers.
Reforming environmental restrictions and unleashing private sector development of homes and infrastructure is the fastest, easiest way for home prices in California to return to near the national average. In turn, that would solve nearly every problem associated with a shortage of housing. California’s families would be able to afford to buy homes, or pay affordable rent. California’s employers, most definitely including government agencies, would be able to attract workers at prices that would not break their profits or their budgets, which would benefit the economy. And far fewer people would be rendered homeless.
APPROVED POLICY – COMPLETELY USELESS “SOLUTIONS” TO THE HOUSING CRISIS
As long as environmentalist litigators, public sector unions, and left-wing oligarchs run California, none of these real solutions will ever happen. What are they proposing instead?
To summarize, all politically viable housing solutions in California involve densification, i.e., cramming ten million more people into existing urban areas, and, predictably, more taxes, bonds, fees, subsidies and government programs.
Rent Control, Government Subsidized “Affordable Housing” and Government Funded Homeless Shelters
California is the epicenter of America’s “progressive” power structure. In California, in addition to controlling the public bureaucracy through their unions, progressive ideologues control the press, social media, search media, K-12 public education, academia, most corporations, the entertainment industry, and virtually all serious political campaign spending. As a result, California’s progressives can use ballot initiatives to con a brainwashed populace into approving their latest housing policy agenda. The common thread? Government control; government funding. For example, on the ballot this November are propositions to permit cities and counties to enact rent control, issue state bonds totaling $4 billion to build “affordable housing,” and use state tax revenues to build more government-run homeless shelters. It is possible all three of these measures will pass.
Already in progress is the implementation of California state laws that took effect Jan. 1 – AB 2299 and SB 1069 – which amend existing state laws governing “accessory dwelling units.” These new laws force California’s counties to streamline the process whereby homeowners can construct additional homes in their backyards. Does that sound good? Not so fast.
Doubling Suburban Population Densities ala Government Subsidized “Accessory Dwelling Units”
There’s a reason people work hard for decades to pay off their mortgages so they can own homes in spacious suburbs. It’s because they value the leafy, semi-rural atmosphere of an uncrowded suburban neighborhood. AB 2299 and SB 1069 will effectively double the housing density in these neighborhoods, violating the expectations of everyone living there who relied on the zoning rules that were in effect when they bought their homes.
If zoning laws in existing suburbs were relaxed at the same time as zoning restrictions were lifted on the urban periphery, the impact of these new rules might be mitigated. But every policy California’s elite and enlightened geniuses come up with is designed to maintain “urban containment.” And to add to the disruption these laws will inflict on quiet neighborhoods, California’s cities – starting with Los Angeles – are providing subsidies to homeowners to build these homes, then encouraging them to rent the properties to low income families wherein the government will pay the rent via Section 8 vouchers.
This is an expensive, utopian scheme that oozes with compassion but is fraught with problems. Doubling the density of suburbs is already problematic. But doubling the density of suburbs by subsidizing the settlement of people on government assistance into every backyard, invites social friction. It is forcible integration of people who, for whatever reason, require government assistance to support themselves, into communities of taxpayers, who, by and large, are working extra hard to pay the mortgages on overpriced homes in order to provide their children with safe neighborhoods.
As usual, when it comes to enlightening the public, neither the media, nor the urban planning experts in academia, ever offer much beyond pro-densification propaganda. A glowing New York Times article, entitled “A Novel Solution for the Homeless: House Them in Backyards,” raves about this entire scheme, already being tried in Los Angeles, Portland and Seattle. The article includes a quote from Vinit Mukhija, a professor of urban planning at UCLA, who says: “The value [of subsidized accessory dwelling units] goes beyond that, though, because it is finally somewhat of a departure of the purity of single-family housing in the region. It’s a good step to change what people here really consider a dogma of private housing.”
The “dogma of private housing.” That epitomizes California’s elitist hostility towards ordinary families owning detached homes with spacious yards.
The incentives created by such a project are perverse. California’s elite has made homes unaffordable. Then, to the people who sacrificed so much to buy these homes despite their punitively high prices, the government offers them subsidies and Section 8 payments, if they are willing subdivide their lots and turn over half their property to people supported by the government. Inevitably, many financially struggling homeowners will be forced to accept this cruel bargain if they want to keep their homes.
Finally, just like in 2008, there will eventually be another economic downturn, when many distressed homeowners will be forced to sell their properties. And when that happens, just like in 2008, investment banking speculators will move in and buy homes by the thousands. This next time, however, these institutional investors will be salivating at the prospect of collecting government subsidies so they can operate two rental units on a single piece of property.
Demolishing Homes to Build High Rises Near Transit Stations
Another way California’s elites – many of whom live in gated communities with homeowner covenants prohibiting nasty things like accessory dwelling units in backyards – propose to solve California’s housing crisis is to force demolition of single family dwellings in the vicinity of mass transit stations. They support this mass destruction of vintage neighborhoods in order to make room for high density apartments and condominiums up to five stories in height. While an attempt in 2018 to enact this draconian solution was beaten back, California’s coercive utopian lawmakers will bring it back in 2019. Some form of this law is likely to pass.
There’s nothing wrong with gradually increasing the population density in the core of large cities. That is a natural and organic process. But it is the job of legislators and local officials to moderate that process, protecting established neighborhoods. Instead, again, the policy consensus in California is to cram ten million new residents into existing urban areas.
Government Subsidized Homeless Shelters on some of the Most Expensive Real Estate on Earth
Perhaps the most misguided housing policies coming out of California concern the homeless. Despite years of bloviating by the compassionate elite, almost no good data is available on homeless populations, much less any good policies. Press coverage of the homeless centers on the family unit; small children, parents forced out of their home by high rents. These are gut wrenching stories. But accompanying the legitimate cases of families or individuals coping with undeserved hardship, there are the willfully indigent, along with criminals, drug dealers, sexual predators and perverts. Again, the City of Los Angeles offers a striking example of bad policy.
In Venice Beach, which is within Los Angeles city limits, along one of the most expensive, touristy stretches of coastline in the world, there are now permanent homeless encampments. To address the challenge, Los Angeles city officials are fast-tracking the permit process to build a homeless shelter on 3.2 acres of vacant city-owned property less than 500 feet from the beach. This property, nestled in the heart of Venice’s upscale residential and retail neighborhoods, if commercially developed, would be worth well over $200 million. Imagine what could be done with that much money if the goal was to truly help the homeless. And by the way, the proposed shelter will be a so-called “wet” shelter, meaning that drugs and alcohol will not be permitted inside the shelter, but intoxicated homeless individuals will be allowed inside. Go in, get a bed, go out, shoot up, come back in.
That a solution so scandalously inefficient could even be considered by the do-gooders running City Hall in Los Angeles offers additional insights into the minds of California’s progressive elite. Solving the homeless crisis isn’t their goal here. Rather the intent is to create additional government-owned properties, hire additional government bureaucrats, while preening in front of television cameras and pretending to solve a problem. Should the Venice Beach property be developed as currently proposed, well connected construction contractors will rake in government funds, so eventually “up to 100” homeless people will find shelter. Meanwhile, thousands will remain outdoors.
California’s housing is unaffordable because of restrictive laws such as CEQA, AB 32, SB 375, and countless others at both the state and local level. At the same time, California’s political elites are are inviting in the world’s poor en masse to come and live here. An estimated 2.6 million illegal aliens currently live in California. But the rhetorically unassailable compassion expressed by these sanctuary policies does nothing to alleviate hardship in the nations where these refugees originate, because for every thousand who arrive, millions are left behind.
The result? While California’s visionary rulers engineer a shortage of housing supplies, their welcoming sanctuary policies engineer a burgeoning housing demand. This is the deeply flawed agenda they have implemented in California and are actively exporting to the rest of America.
The biggest lie of all is the compassionate facade that overlays every housing solution California’s elite promote. Because their solutions, however viable they may be politically, will not work. They defy basic economic sense. They create additional drain on public funds while doing nothing to alleviate the high prices that are caused by scarcity. They are sustained by an impossible assumption, that urban densification, and all the destruction that densification will bring, will in itself be sufficient to restore a supply and demand equilibrium for housing. And they reject the obvious solution, suburban expansion to complement higher densities in the urban cores, based on environmentalist objections that are overwrought. In practice, the solutions being implemented to resolve California’s housing crisis are not compassionate. They are cruel.
Eventually, enough Californians are going to realize they’ve been conned. They will recognize that government subsidized densification is financially unsustainable and ruinous to their way of life. They will support politicians who are willing to stand up to environmentalist litigators, government unions, and the left-wing oligarchy that profits from scarcity. Hopefully that will happen before it’s too late.
The California Policy Center is a 501c3 non-profit public charity. CA Corp. # 3295222. Federal EIN 27-2870463.
Copyright © California Policy Center 2017. All rights reserved. Developed by The Liberty Lab, Inc.

By Robert Baker, Aaron Foster, Austin Foster, Dylan Martinelli, Jacob Rust
  
 On Tuesday, October 30th DHS students went to the South part of the Yuba River  and saw the spawning of the Chinook during their life cycle.
            They learned about how and where they laid eggs and how they finally complete their life cycle. The students had a swell time rowing in rafts going down the river and seeing everyday life of the salmon, trout and other animals in the area. On the rafting trip that day they saw a total of 8 salmon and redds.
            During the trip down stream all of our groups had different guides who specialized in different careers, like biology and some of them had river rafting expertise, they were very well rounded with all subjects. While in our rafts going down slow streams they would tell us interesting facts about the wildlife, or where the salmon were in the water, they would also point out the redds which are white patches of rocks where the salmon would lay there eggs.
The life cycle of a salmon has five stages in their life. The students learned about all of them. The 5 stages are called the Egg stage, the Alevin stage, the Fry stage, the Parr stage, and finally the Adult stage. There were two types of salmon in the area where the students were. There were Chinook Salmon and Steelhead Salmon. The Chinook Salmon can reproduce once and the Steelhead Salmon three times.
The guides pulled over our river rafts, and had  a talk with us about specimen. For example, stonefly, mayfly, and caddisfly. They showed the group that most of them are under rocks when the water is running fast. That provides bubbles which equals oxygen for them. They gave us five minutes to find as many flies as we could.
            Before the end of the trip downstream, the guides pulled the groups onto land and the students a very wide view of the area and how far the river spans out and they explained how this should be kept clean and how their efforts to preserve this part of the river will help the surrounding environment.
 Here some quotes of the trip from the students that went on the trip.  Ezra Acuna said, “during the trip l learned how salmon lay their eggs and saw how the taggers record all the fishes.” “I came here a few years  ago and this year was a lot more fun.” Another quote from Ms Bolle, “We had a great time and really enjoyed it and hope we can do it again.”   A huge thank you to the Sierra Schools Foundation for funding this amazing trip, every student had a blast. 

by Dan Weber, president, Association of Mature American Citizens

WASHINGTON, DC, Nov 2 – The nation has made great strides over the past two years and there’ll be more to come if the GOP keeps control of Congress for the next two years. It’s a good reason to muster the energy on Tuesday to go out and vote and to encourage family, friends and neighbors to cast their ballots in a responsible way. 

The economy is booming. Unemployment is at record lows. There are better jobs out there – for all Americans – and there are more of them than there have been in years. And, ADP Payroll Services, which keeps track of such things, says that 227,000 new private sector jobs were created in the month of October. Many economists were expecting only 178,000 new jobs. On top of all of that,  taxes are lower so workers are pocketing more take home pay. 

Seniors, in particular, are benefiting from the return of reasonable Social Security Cost of Living Adjustments. In the first year of the Trump administration in 2017 the Social Security recipients received a 2% COLA, in 2018 they received a 2.8% increase in benefits and in 2019 they will receive another 2.8% increase. And, the nation is safer than it has been in a long time.

The only things that increased under the previous administration were unemployment, the deficit and the National Debt. The jobless rate steadily approached double-digits. The deficit was nearly doubled and the National Debt soared. 

Under the previous administration, we saw the establishment of socialist policies that eroded trust, confidence and America’s standard of living. And, don’t forget the Great Recession.

But, in just two years we have seen the restoration of our economic confidence. And, we’ve seen the reaffirmation of the country’s commitment to protecting our core principles with the appointments of Justices Neil Gorsuch and Brett Kavanaugh to the Supreme Court.

Meanwhile, the political opposition has grown uglier over the past two years. Instead of offering hope for the future, the progressive movement threatens anarchy and a return to the bad old days of higher taxes, growing debt, high rates of unemployment and economic stagnation.

In just four days the fate of America’s renaissance will be decided at polling places across the country. There’s been a lot of speculation that the House of Representatives will wind up with a progressive majority bent on disrupting the status quo and the momentum we’ve gained over the past two years. 

They want to focus on scatter-brained ideas such as opening our borders to more illegal immigration. They want that not because they are compassionate but because they seek an increase in the numbers of voters to ensure a socialist future for the U.S.

They want to bankrupt the country by adopting a foolhardy system single-payer health insurance that would guarantee that more people will get sick and die. And, they want to waste the country’s time and energy by staging a mock impeachment of President Trump. 

This year’s local election battles may not have the excitement of a presidential election, but they certainly have a relevance that is worth the same level of attention. And, if enough of us in key Congressional districts put their minds to it, we can make the difference and we can ensure the preservation of our nation’s heritage and make strides toward ensuring the future for the next generations.

So, on November 6 get out and vote.

The Association of Mature American Citizens [AMAC] [https://www.amac.us]
is the nation’s largest conservative senior advocacy organization


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