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By George Runner — Wednesday, April 1st, 2009
California will face huge operating deficits in future years
 Senator George Runner Serving the 17th District which incorporates portions of the Los Angeles, San Bernardino, Ventura and Kern counties. Introduction On February 20, 2009 the Governor signed a new budget package that projected a $5.6 billion operating surplus and a $2 billion reserve for the General Fund at the end of 2009-10. On Friday the Legislative Analyst's Office (LAO) updated its revenue forecasts, identifying a new $8 billion shortfall of estimated revenues for 2009-10. Absent any corrective actions, the LAO now projects that the state will face a $2.3 billion operating deficit and the General Fund will end the 2009-10 fiscal year $6 billion in the hole (with no reserve). And, the LAO estimates that the state will face huge operating deficits that will grow to $26.4 billion in 2013-14. The following table reflects the LAO's projections for operating deficits over the next five years. Additional Budget Risks Also note that these projections assume that California voters will approve all of the ballot measures on the May 19, 2009 Special Election ballot. As such, there are very major risks associated with the existing budget plan. If the measures related to the lottery ($5 billion), Proposition 10 ($600 million), and Proposition 63 ($230 million) are defeated, the state will need to solve for an additional $5.8 billion hole in 2009-10. Deficit Drivers CONTINUED » |
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By Anonymous — Monday, March 30th, 2009
FILLMORE CITY COUNCIL AND FILLMORE UNIFIED SCHOOL DISTRICT BOARD OF EDUCATION TUESDAY, MARCH 31, 2009 FILLMORE UNIFIED – BOARD ROOM (A Social will be held at 6:00 p.m. with a meeting to follow at approximately 6:30 p.m.) AGENDA ITEM REFERENCE** 1. CALL TO ORDER & PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE Oral 2. ROLL CALL Oral 3. ORAL COMMUNICATIONS Oral 4. APPROVAL OF AGENDA AND TIME ALLOCATIONS FOR DISCUSSION ITEMS 5. INFORMATION / DISCUSSION ITEMS 5A. Relationship with the City of Fillmore and Common Goals between the City and Fillmore 5B. Update on Military Banners Located on Central Avenue. CONTINUED » |
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By Anonymous — Wednesday, March 25th, 2009
Story Courtesy Reuters Czech Prime Minister Mirek Topolanek addresses the European Parliament in Strasbourg. STRASBOURG, France — A top European Union politician on Wednesday slammed U.S. plans to spend its way out of recession as "a way to hell." Czech Prime Minister Mirek Topolanek, whose country currently holds the EU presidency, told the European Parliament that President Barack Obama's massive stimulus package and banking bailout "will undermine the stability of the global financial market." A day after his government collapsed because of a parliamentary vote of no-confidence, Topolanek took the EU presidency on a collision course with Washington over how to deal with the global economic recession. Most European leaders favor tighter financial regulation, while the U.S. has been pushing for larger economic stimulus plans. Topolanek's comments are the strongest criticism so far from a European leader as the 27-nation bloc bristles from recent U.S. criticism that it is not spending enough to stimulate demand. CONTINUED » |
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By Anonymous — Tuesday, March 24th, 2009
On March 2, 2009, the Santa Paula City Council approved the creation of a Toland Landfill Oversight Committee. The purpose of the Committee is to review current and proposed activities of the Toland Landfill, which is operated by the Ventura Regional Sanitation District. Based on public input and discussion, the Committee will make a recommendation to the City Council as it relates to the activities of the Toland Landfill. The Toland Landfill Oversight Committee will consist of two Santa Paula Councilmembers, two City of Fillmore Councilmembers, Supervisor Kathy Long and four residents from Santa Paula and Fillmore. Interested members of the public are invited to contact the Santa Paula City Clerk’s office by phone at (805) 933-4208 or by visiting City Hall at 970 Ventura Street, no later than Friday, April 10, 2009. |
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By Anonymous — Tuesday, March 24th, 2009
Courtesy The Heritage Foundation
Maybe Jay Leno should host Meet the Press. Bowling and canine questions aside, Leno pressed President Barack Obama hard on the House’s vote to strip AIG employees of their retention bonuses via the tax code: Well, here’s something that kind of scared me. Today they passed this thing that says we’re going to tax 90 percent of these bonuses. And the part that scares me is, I mean, you’re a good guy — if the government decides they don’t like a guy, all of a sudden, hey, we’re going to tax you and then, boom, and it passes. I mean, that seems a little scary as a taxpayer. And taxpayers should be scared by this Administration. Especially considering Obama’s answer: I think that the best way to handle this is to make sure that you’ve closed the door before the horse gets out of the barn. … The change I’d like to see in terms of tax policy is that we have a system, going back to where we were back in the 1990s, where you and I who are doing pretty well pay a little bit more to pay for health care, to pay for energy, to make sure that kids can go to college who aren’t as fortunate as our — as my kids might be. Those are the kinds of measured steps that we can take. CONTINUED » |
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By Anonymous — Monday, March 23rd, 2009
 City of Fillmore FILLMORE CITY COUNCIL TOWNE THEATRE WALK THROUGH Council will then adjourn to: REGULAR MEETING FILLMORE CITY HALL AGENDA ITEM REFERENCE** 1. CALL TO ORDER & PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE Oral 2. APPROVAL OF AGENDA Oral 3. ORAL COMMUNICATIONS Oral 4. CITY COUNCIL CONSENT CALENDAR (6:50p) |
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By Anonymous — Wednesday, March 18th, 2009
Agenda Item 9A regarding Fillmore City Council Business Item, Implementation of Measure I. See file attachment below. |
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By Anonymous — Tuesday, March 17th, 2009
City of Fillmore FILLMORE CITY COUNCIL SPECIAL MEETING CITY HALL AGENDA NO NEW BUSINESS WILL BE CONSIDERED BY THE CITY COUNCIL AFTER THE HOUR OF 11:30 P.M. UNLESS A MAJORITY OF THE CITY COUNCIL DETERMINES TO CONTINUE BEYOND THAT HOUR. ITEM REFERENCE** 4. CITY COUNCIL CONSENT CALENDAR – None. 5. CITY COUNCIL BUSINESS ITEMS |
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By Anonymous — Thursday, March 12th, 2009
January 20, 2009: Eight years ago yesterday: Yesterday: Eight years ago yesterday: Yesterday: Eight years ago Yesterday: Headlines On This Date 4 Years Ago: "Bush extravagance exceeds any reason during tough economic times" "Fat cats get their $42 million inauguration party, Ordinary Americans get the shaft" Headlines Today: "Obama Spends $170 million on inauguration; America Needs A Big Party" "Everyman Obama shows America how to celebrate" "Citibank executives contribute $8 million to Obama Inauguration" |
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By Anonymous — Thursday, March 12th, 2009
Story courtesy The Heritage Foundation In the first two months of 2009, there were about 200 fatalities in Afghanistan including 29 U.S. troops. But in January alone, over 1,000 people have died in Mexico’s escalating drug war. Fueled by a $25 billion a year industry, Mexico’s two largest drug cartels have an estimated combined 100,000 foot soldiers battling each other and Mexico’s own 130,000 strong army. The increased violence has not been confined to Mexico. Phoenix, Arizona, has seen a spike in Mexican drug-smuggling related kidnappings and Atlanta, Georgia, has become the principal distribution center for the entire eastern United States. And in Northern California, firefighters battling blazes have had confrontations with Mexican drug gangs over their marijuana cultivation on public lands. The first duty of any state is to protect its citizens. We must stem the flow of drug violence into this country. Speaking to regional newspapers yesterday, President Barack Obama said: “We’re going to examine whether and if National Guard deployments would make sense and under what circumstances they would make sense.” They don’t make sense. At least not right now. President George Bush did send 6,000 National Guard troops to the border in 2006 as part of Operation Jump Start. But those forces were meant to supplement Department of Homeland Security officers until more permanent numbers of border forces could be hired and trained. Since that time the feds have successfully doubled their border manpower to over 18,000. If there is a true border “crisis” the federal government already has contingency plans in place that include the National Guard. We are not there yet. CONTINUED » |
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By Anonymous — Wednesday, March 11th, 2009
Story Courtesy The Heritage Foundation Outlining his educational policy yesterday, President Barack Obama said: “And I want every child in this country to have the same chance that my mother gave me, that my teachers gave me, that my college professors gave me, that America gave me.” These are wonderful words, but unless President Obama vetoes the $410 billion omnibus spending bill heading towards his desk, he will fall far short of living up to them. Inserted into the omnibus’ 1,132 pages is language dictated to Congress by teachers’ unions killing 1,700 scholarships that enable kindergarten through 12th grade students from low-income families in the District of Columbia to attend private schools. Conservatives in the Senate fought to strip the provision from the bill last night, but were defeated by the liberal majority. CONTINUED » |
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By Anonymous — Tuesday, March 10th, 2009
Written by Heidi Swander I read an article recently that began with these chilling words, "The Institute for Health Freedom (IHF) warns that the economic stimulus bill mandates electronic health records for every citizen without providing for opt-out or patient consent provisions." By now you most likely know this. (If not, I refer you to Jan's Feb. 21st program where she spoke about this topic with Twila Brase of the Citizens' Council on Healthcare.) Think the mandated inclusion of electronic health records is a creation of the currently-officiating members of our executive and legislative branches? Think again. From a careful reading of chapter 8 in the book, It Could Happen Tomorrow, by Gary Frazier, I discovered that this is a well-orchestrated plan that has been in the works for some time. What you may not know is that in 2007 President Bush signed an agreement that commits the U.S. to economic integration with Europe, and that one of the provisions of the agreement was creating regulatory convergence between the U.S. and the E.U., including integrating health records electronically! CONTINUED » |
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By Anonymous — Monday, March 9th, 2009
City of Fillmore FILLMORE CITY COUNCIL SPECIAL MEETING 250 CENTRAL AV. 5:00 P.M. AGENDA ITEM REFERENCE** 2. PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE 3. ORAL COMMUNICA TIONS - This is time for citizen presentations or comments not related to items appearing on the agenda, but within 4. CITY COUNCIL CONSENT CALENDAR - None. CONTINUED » |
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By Anonymous — Thursday, March 5th, 2009
City of Fillmore FILLMORE CITY COUNCIL REGULAR MEETING FILLMORE CITY HALL AGENDA ITEM REFERENCE** 1. CALL TO ORDER & PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE Oral 2. APPROVAL OF AGENDA Oral 3. ORAL COMMUNICATIONS Oral CONTINUED » |
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By Bert Rapp — Thursday, March 5th, 2009
What is happening with the FEMA flood insurance program?
 Bert Rapp City of Fillmore, Public Works Director New Flood Insurance Requirements Coming. Beginning in January 2010, approximately 1,500 homes and businesses in Fillmore will need to purchase flood insurance. The cost of the insurance will range from $50 to $100 per month per home or business. This new requirement is due to an update in the Flood Insurance Rate Map (FIRM) for Fillmore now being prepared by FEMA. The property owners affected are those whose property is encumbered by a federally backed loan. The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) will hold a community meeting in Fillmore to explain the new requirements on September 30, 2009 at the Memorial Building from 7:00 P.M. to 9:00 P.M. At this meeting, FEMA will explain why flood insurance will be necessary and how insurance may be purchased prior to January 2010 at a savings of approximately 50% on the insurance premium. The City areas affected are the southwest part of town bordered by Sespe Creek, Old Telegraph Road, A Street and the Santa Clara River; the El Dorado Mobile Home Park and the Sespe Industrial Park adjacent to El Dorado. CONTINUED » |
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By Anonymous — Wednesday, March 4th, 2009
Press the play button below for a Fillmore political cartoon...
Spooky Hall Episode #2
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By Anonymous — Wednesday, March 4th, 2009
Story courtesy The Heritage Foundation Describing Secretary of State Hillary Clinton’s message in a private meeting with the foreign minister of the United Arab Emirates Monday, a U.S. official told the Washington Post: “She said we are under no illusions about Iran and our eyes are wide open.” Well someone in the Obama Administration is under a huge illusion, because the Moscow newspaper Kommersant also reported yesterday that President Barack Obama sent a secret letter to Russian President Dmitri Medvedev weeks ago suggesting that he would halt development of the United States’ missile defense program in Eastern Europe if Russia helped resolve the threat posed by Iran’s nuclear program. Iran has strongly resisted international efforts to pressure it to abide by its legal commitments under the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty and halt its suspect nuclear activities. Iran’s President, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, defiantly proclaimed last year that “Iran has obtained the technology to produce nuclear fuel, and Iran’s move is like a train…which has no brake and no reverse gear.” But we must be careful not to personalize the problem. Iran’s nuclear program began under President Rafsanjani and flourished under President Khatami. Both were considered “moderates,” extolled by some observers as leaders with whom the West could do business, but both also practiced diplomacy by taqiyyah, which is a religiously sanctioned form of dissimulation or duplicity. Meanwhile, Russia has long been an enabler of Iran’s nuclear ambitions. Not only have they provided Iran with uranium, supposedly for peaceful purposes, but they have even supplied Iran with anti-aircraft missiles, presumably to be used to stop Israeli forces from attacking Iran’s nuclear facilities. CONTINUED » |
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By George Runner — Wednesday, March 4th, 2009
More of the Same from Sacramento Means More Budget Woes
Senator George Runner Serving the 17th District which incorporates portions of the Los Angeles, San Bernardino, Ventura and Kern counties. Imagine a family with a $50,000 per year income winning a $5,000 lottery prize. This same family then spends $55,000 a year, not only the year they won the prize, but every year thereafter. Not only is it unwise to spend all of the winnings at one time, but also imprudent to continue adding that $5,000 one-time prize to their annual budget despite the fact that their salary has not increased. This family might use credit cards or loans to temporarily offset the fact that they are spending more than they receive in income; but such irresponsible spending habits are not sustainable. If they fail to pay off the loans, the interest rates will ultimately cause the debt to balloon. Their credit rating will drop and they will soon find it difficult to afford even the most basic necessities. While the scenario above describes some California households, it clearly illustrates the budgeting practice of our state government. During the economic boom of 1998 to 2000, California’s revenues increased 23%. But like the lottery prize, these were only one-time revenue increases that would not continue flowing into state coffers. Yet the state government increased its spending as if it would continue to receive that money indefinitely. CONTINUED » |
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By Anonymous — Wednesday, March 4th, 2009
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