He was quite clear bbbbmer. He said, "You’ll hear a lot of talk about ..."

I noticed that too Marion. I didn't see the part where he was going to do something though.

Heather Fargo talked green, but it was all talk. It was her reign that we built 8 lane "streets" in a flood zone, ie Natomas. What we need is action, not wistful think about Heather Fargo's "ideas" that along with Ray Kerridge's actions set the city on the absolute wrong track.

bbbbmer's post refers to the most recent mayoral election. You are referring to the acts of Kerridge, the Council, the City, Tsoukapalous, Angelides and the others who promised the future and delivered the samo samo.

Cheesy, what wrong track are you referring to??? You mean the sustainability ordinance, or the maintenance of our tree canopy??? What the hell are you talking about???

It sounds like you're one of AA's 'action oriented' (but thoughtless) lackies in waiting, kvetching about issues that Fargo had absolutely nothing to do with -- and just like KJ did, you seek to blame HER for everything from the mortgage meltdown to world hunger... Your assertions are ridiculous...

Developers dictated the layout of Natomas, and ALL of them have supported KJ... including the Greeks, Ose, Hovankanian (sp? whatever), Buzzy Oates, et al., and a host of others... NOT Heather Fargo....

In fact, because Fargo intervened with regard to flood protection issues in Natomas, Angelo T. nearly swore a vendetta against her -- I was at that meeting, and AKT came unglued because he was blocked from pursuing the build of more gray boxes in your area....

Angelo and Oates, along with the younger Mark & Mike, and a host of others from the local GOP tribe, are responsible for KJ's rise to an office he is unfit to serve.

You might consider placing blame where it belongs -- but it is decidedly NOT with Heather Fargo....

bbbbmer, it's easier for them to support KJ, because Fargo is a Democrat.

To which I'm sure KJ's GOP supporters would respond that he's a 'registered' Dem...

By that logic, Sarah Palin could be one as well....

Oh, I don't know... A good streetfight is necessary now and then... by citizens -- not political consultants....

This city was founded by real estate speculators and businessmen who certainly had guts (they braved a trip across a continent to an unknown land for a chance to strike it rich) but they were also very capable of manipulating politics, economics and public sentiment to their advantage: we're a city largely because Sam Brannan ran all over San Francisco shouting about gold on the American River--after he had purchased every shovel in the city!

Our founders were absolutely vicious political streetfighters...in fact, our first mayor got shot in a street fight! He wasn't killed, but died in the hospital of cholera while recovering from the wounds. A debate between two early California legislators (Terry and Broderick) ended in gunfire and death. Early state battles between foes and proponents of slavery were part of the national political and social rift that resulted in the Civil War. In California, the Union/anti-slavery side won the day (in the form of the early Republican Party) but California (and Sacramento) was an active player in the debate over slavery and union.

A group of Sacramento businessmen got the Transcontinental Railroad because they were willing to stab other western cities vying for the contract in the back--and having a board member who was also governor of California, and partially responsible for getting the President elected, didn't hurt either. The same folks were able to make a profit by using cooked books and inaccurate information to essentially defraud the United States taxpayers. Their counterparts got caught later (the Union Pacific "Credit Mobiler" scandal) but the CP's records burnt in an, ahem, tragic, fire.

This isn't to say that their accomplishments weren't pretty astounding and inspiring, or that these weren't smart, savvy guys. But the politics then (not to mention the business world) were quite corrosive, combative and underhanded; to some extent, we're a lot more civil now...at least our state senators don't shoot at each other anymore!

Wow -- just like 'Dallas' without the shoulder pads...

Always interesting, Mr. Burg....

"... we're a city largely because Sam Brannan ran all over San Francisco shouting about gold on the American River--after he had purchased every shovel in the city! "

... and we've had a nose for what's being shoveled ever since.

Thanks for the lesson, Mr. Burg.

GREAT post Bill.

Dale, I had never heard that about the Tea party, so I looked around for a definition, and I found this one *. It may not be correct by Tea Party official standards, but it is pretty much in line with the perception I have gotten from the media. (I do not waste my time with news opinion shows, so there may be much more hate added to this group by them)
* The TEA Party Movement (TEA an acronym for Taxed Enough Already) is an ongoing, nationwide effort by grassroots protesters, a collection of individuals and self-organizing groups, all united in accomplishing a single goal: returning fiscal responsibility and limited government to the United States through the exercise of political activism.[1] The main focus of the TEA Party Movement is a rebuke of outrageous mandates, overreaching and out of control spending by an out of touch federal government.

I think the only gods some of our local founders saw were at the bottom of a very empty whiskey bottle..

And as far as the teabagger lot goes, they are very well organized and financed by well funded and organized faux-nonprofits like FREEDOMWORKS, which receives the bulk of its funding from KOCH INDUSTRIES, basically an oil company, among other right wing orgs, like COMCAST, AT&T, and a number of other wealthy corporations, with an operational PR arm in FOXNEWS... .

They're about as grass roots as KJ's 'SAG' group... which isn't....

I didn't do any real 'research' -- I just watch Rachel Maddow and Keith Olbermann every night.... with strong doses of Ellen Goodman....

It doesn't take an awful lot of work to be well informed when these amazing journalists, and all three are indeed JOURNALISTS, provide it all so cogently and cleverly.... and not one of glen beck's fake tears to boot....

As far as a teabagger slicing and dicing budgetary priorities, I think their recipe is best captured by one of their protesters bearing a sign "keep your hands off my Medicare"....

They're pissed off at the results of Reaganomics and calling for more Reagonomics.

Dale, I hear that Bush spending was out of control, and that Obama spending doubled that. When I read about all the needs we have that are being cut, and I know how our household income has been hit, It seems like a problem. SS is a Ponzi scheme, so it has to fail, I would have plenty of retirement income if so much of my income was not taxed, so it is a big circle of problems.
I agree that the Tea party Movement (agree or disagree with the name) needs to do a better job of laying it all out, problems, ideas and solutions. I am concerened with the idea that half of those filing taxes pay none, and an estimated 10% do not even file because they live in a cash economy so they pay none, and that just can't be considerered fair.

Fortunately for those concerned about tax fairness, those in the bottom 50% of incomes pay dramatically larger percentages of their income on things like sales taxes, gas taxes, and other consumption taxes than those in the top half. It all pretty much evens out. That includes those who live in a cash economy. If it makes you feel any better, those who live in a cash economy won't be eligible for Social Security if they don't pay into it, so their old age will probably be even more miserable and difficult than trying to get by on Social Security.

Patriots don't mind paying taxes.

Though the bottom 40% of earners pay no income tax to speak of, they pay nominal taxes that gouge into their basic sustenance. The top 4% of earners pay most of the naton's income tax revenue, but this doesn't even make a dent into their basic sustenance. The concept is called 'nominal propensity' -- to save, or to spend -- in economics. Further almost every other tax is regressive, including sales taxes, some property taxes, and most of all, the payroll tax, for which anyone earning greater than about $120k per year pays nothing on the excess amount. THIS is HOPEFULLY going to change -- with just this one incremental change, both SS and Medicare (and there are a LOT of teabaggers who receive these benefits) would be paid for into the indefinite future...AND it is the FAIR THING TO DO...

Regarding those who live in the cash economy -- people are struggling in every way to survive these days, to pay rent, for food, and other basics of survival. For most, it is not their fault that they have been dislocated by economic circumstances completely out of their control. True that while they survive on cash they do not pay taxes and will not be credited for benefits later in life, it is very likely that they have indeed held jobs and owned businesses before and will hold jobs and own business later, replacing these very hard times and the inability to contribute toward an already unfair tax burden.

What is it with *some* and their utter lack of understanding about how basic economics works, and their wholesale adoption of Foxnoise corporatist values that scapegoats already poor people for the problems brought to us by the very wealthy??? This seems a PRIME example of the effects of propaganda, where media blares people of modest means into believing that only OTHER people of modest means are to blame for our social, economic and political ills... keeping everybody at the bottom of the economic heap fighting with each other over crumbs, while the wealthy laugh at us and jet off to opulence at the expense of the poor....

Dale, I have never argued against the SS concept, but I have no confidence it will exist in the long term, we assume it will not and we plan that way. I want to pay my fair share of income tax, sorry I gave you that impression I was against paying my share of taxes, I am not. I just cannot see much fairness in the current system tax systems, (including the property tax inequality). I believe everyone should pay some income tax. Also, I am very concerned with the current increased spending.
If you have a friend who lost all their investments, they were not a smart inventor. You can lock down your money many different ways.(There will be those who do well, and there are the others).
I have not looked into those countries, but I will at your suggestion. As far as tax rates. I believe that if you add up all your tax fees, you will likely be over 50%. When I run the math I have our household over 50% when considering all taxes. Note that I consider taxes any money the government forces me to pay a tax.
WB-As far a "patriots do not mind paying taxes", what do you think the outcome would be for a voluntary tax submission?