Category: Politics

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The Mount Wilson Toll Road Is Still Closed

This sign is posted at the lower end of the Mount Wilson Toll Road:

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It says below the graffitti “Closed Due To Landslide” which is no longer true. What it should say is: The Toll Road is closed due to the County Board of Supervisors Failure to Clear the Landslide.

If this slide had closed an important trail into the Santa Monica Mountains where the rich people live would it have taken more than two years to reopen?

Eaton Canyon

Cut a safe hiking trail through the slide area before someone dies.

I wrote these Four reason why the trail should be reopened in January of 2006 and sent them to the Board of Supervisors. The reasons are still valid and nothing has been done.

Write an email to Mike Antonovich at fifthdistrict@bos.co.la.ca.us and let him know that you want the trail reopened. Or click on comments below and I will forward your comments to him.

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The slide is in county administered land

Help me put some pressure on Mike Antonovich to reopen this important hiking trail.

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Global Warming Data

It is rare that the global warming debate is influenced by data so I hope that I am not commiting a major faux paus by doing this.

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Bonaire Ocean 2006 + 2mm

While speaking to my friend Phil C. at PJTC the other night the subject of the new UN Climate change report came up. Phil mentioned that he works on a JPL project that has been using satellites to measure the height of the oceans since 1992. There data shows that the oceans have been rising steadily since they started measuring at about 2mm per year. This means about 200mm per century or about 8 inches. Slightly less than the 20 feet plus that Al Gore used in his fake science documentary to scare us.

Here is the link to the graph:

http://www.aviso.oceanobs.com/html/actualites/applis/niveau_moyen_uk.html

Why data like this is not a the center of the debate is a question worth addressing.

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International ID Card

There has been more talk lately in the US about creating a national ID card.  The congress has passed a bill that will over the next few years make the States issue drivers licenses that are more uniform and are harder to replicate.  It seems to me that this is another instance where the governments are again behind private industry.  We already have multiple choices of Internatonal ID Cards.  Here are a couple:

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And of course Mastercard.  Giant corporations carefully collect data on who is credit worthy and make very few mistakes.  A nation that wanted to securely ID all of its citizens could pay the credit card issuers to issue cards to all of the people who don’t already have one.

  • For those who don’t want or don’t deserve credit the card could be for ID purposes only
  • Private ID cards would solve the civil liberties questions because the governments would only have access to the data on a need to know basis, just like a merchant.
  • The cost would be low because the infrastructure is in place.
  • It would help to move us toward a cash free economy.
  • The various issuers would compete to provide the service and drive prices down.

Another win win idea.

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Perspective on Education

“The most popular nonfiction book of 1957 was an attack on American education standards called Why Johnny Can’t Read, warning us that we were falling dangerously behind the rest of the world..”

From The Life and Times of the Thunderbolt Kid by Bill Bryson

From this data point we can either deduce that the crisis in American education is continuing or that the perception that there is a crisis in American education is continuing.  Since America did quite well in the last fifty years I have to conclude that the issue is one of perception.  Which leads me to believe that the current set of worries about education are at best overstated.

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Global Warming

I know almost everybody wants to believe that global warming is:

  • A Fact
  • Caused by Humans
  • An Impending Disaster
  • “An Inconvenient Truth”

Now along comes a web site that shows some other evidence.

If you are the least bit skeptical check out CO2facts

Remember Scientific American was wrong 100 years ago about Eugenics.

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Maybe if global warming happens we will all live in lush beautiful rain forests like this one in Thailand.

My friend Howard Rotter had an epiphany in which he saw that Man’s Holy Purpose is to release the sequestered Carbon in the earth in order to restore the naturally higher CO2 levels and end the 75 million year period of desertification.

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To read my other entries on Global Warming click here

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710 Now

I’d calmed down for a few years about the way that South Pasadena had been able to keep the 710 freeway from being built. But the shock of learning that they were permanently narrowing Orange Grove Avenue has spurred me back to action.

Orange Grove Ave

Here are some things that individuals can do to express their anger at South Pasadena for their selfish behavior:
1. Avoid shopping, dining or doing business in South Pasadena.
2. Tell other why you avoid doing business there.
3. If you are frustrated by the traffic on Fremont Street or Mission Blvd. honk your horn let them know.
4. July 10th is 7/10 is South Pasadena action day. We may need to have a stall-in or a car horn orchestra practice. Check my web site for updates.
5. Visit http://www.710gap.com/overview/204.htm and let them know you support them.
6. Forward this link to other people who have to commute through this area.
7. Email your city council person or county supervisor and let them know of your outrage.

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Pasadena Politics, the 710 Freeway and 110 Freeway Access

A few years ago after the Pasadena City Council supported South Pasadena in their efforts to block construction of the 710 Freeway a ballot initiative was passed in Pasadena telling our the council to be quiet. Since then they have been quiet. Now it is time for Pasadena to take the next step and be vocal in favor of finishing the 710 freeway.

Orange Grove Ave

Orange Grove Ave in Pasadena, 4 lanes

If you live in Pasadena and feel the way I do please email your councilperson, be vocal and firm. We can push back against South Pasadena and keep access to the 110 freeway open. Orange Grove Ave. should be 4 lanes to the 110 Freeway. The 710 Freeway should be completed and the Gold Line should operate at the originally specified speed. Tell the Pasadena City Council to stand up for Pasadena and force South Pasadena be a better neighbor. Visit Close the Gap for more information.

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Freeway Politics

Is it okay if a million people have to suffer a little bit so that a few thousand can keep thing the way they are? This is the situation with the 710 Freeway. The people of South Pasadena have successfully blocked completing the freeway for more than 40 years. The people of Alhambra have had to bare the brunt of the burden. But the residents of Pasadena, Arcadia, Monrovia, La Canada and many other cities in the San Gabriel Valley have had their commutes lengthened and the traffic increased a little in their neighborhoods so that South Pasadena can keep thing the way they were.

Orange Grove Ave
Two lanes become one.

A special interest group with a lot to gain or lose can concentrate its effort on influencing the media and the politicians while a million people who suffer in the margin are not heard. A picture of a family who will “lose there house” makes good media but it is hard to picture the suffering of the million people whose daily commute is 5 minutes longer because the 710 freeway was never completed. This is one of the flaws of our democracy.