When Florez is on a mission, get out of his way

Anyone who has watched state Sen. Dean Florez in action very long knows that he's a headline-grabber. That's not a term of affection. It's offered by critics, who are suggesting that the Kern County Democrat would rather play to the media than represent his constituents. Let me tell you why I think his critics have it wrong about Florez, at least the part about representing his constituents. He definitely responds to newspaper headlines, and is quick to call a legislative hearing or author a bill to fix a problem highlighted in one of the newspapers in his San Joaquin Valley district. But he almost always gets results, and that should be cheered in a Legislature beset by gridlock. Does he ruffle feathers and upset the establishment? Sure, and he probably could be a bit more diplomatic in his approach. Now he's looking to run for lieutenant governor, and he thinks his style is just fine with California voters. We'll have to wait for the 2010 election to see if that's accurate. Please click on the headline to read the whole article. This one is worth the read. Trackback [0] Posted on 7/20/08; 8:56:37 AM to the California Politics Department Send email to Yellow Dog- Discuss

Republicans Trying to Kill High Speed Rail

AB 3034, a bill which would have made improvements to Proposition 1 (the high speed rail bond), is being held up by Senate Republicans who are using last-minute objections to cover their opposition to the entire project. Just as Republicans are using the 2/3 rule to hold the state budget hostage they are doing the same with AB 3034, which requires a 2/3 vote to pass. But whereas we have to have a budget sometime, there is no commitment from Republicans to build high speed rail. They still believe, against all available evidence, that an oil-based transportation system is workable. Their real solution to gas prices and the airline crisis is more drilling, not more rail. They continue to believe global warming is a hoax and are willfully blind to the positive economic impact of high speed rail. Their objections are transparently ridiculous. They're last-minute concerns that serve as the ostensible purpose fronting their real desire - killing high speed rail. The Riverside Press-Enterprise reports that TODAY is the printing deadline for the November ballot and that there might be some sort of "supplemental ballot" with a revised Prop 1 while the original Prop 1 would remain on the ballot. Sorry folks, that's not remotely workable. Trackback [0] Posted on 7/15/08; 3:41:56 PM to the Narrow Minded Nit-Wits Department Send email to Yellow Dog- Discuss

Church Cancels Teen Gun Giveaway

An Oklahoma church canceled a controversial gun giveaway for teenagers at a weekend youth conference. Windsor Hills Baptist had planned to give away a semiautomatic assault rifle until one of the event’s organizers was unable to attend. The church’s youth pastor, Bob Ross, said it’s a way of trying to encourage young people to attend the event. The church expected hundreds of teenagers from as far away as Canada. “We have 21 hours of preaching and teaching throughout the week,” Ross said.[..] “I don’t want people thinking ‘My goodness, we’re putting a weapon in the hand of somebody that doesn’t respect it who are then going to go out and kill,’” said Ross. “That’s not at all what we’re trying to do.” Ross said the conference isn’t all about guns, but rather about teens finding faith. What Would Jesus Do? Give a semi-automatic weapon to a teenager, naturally. Makes perfect sense to me. (/sarcasm) Trackback [0] Posted on 7/14/08; 8:56:40 AM to the Narrow Minded Nit-Wits Department Send email to Yellow Dog- Discuss

Speier seeks national speed limit to save gas

Congress is searching for ways to address rising gas prices, and one Bay Area lawmaker thinks she's found one: Lower the speed limit on highways. Rep. Jackie Speier, D-Hillsborough, in her first bill as a member of Congress, is proposing a national speed limit of 60 mph for freeways in urban areas and 65 mph in less populated areas. It's a throwback to the 1970s, when Congress and President Richard Nixon imposed a 55 mph national speed limit in response to the Arab oil embargo. While supporters say the law saved lives and fuel, it was unpopular with many drivers and some states balked at enforcing it. Congress repealed it in 1995. But with the average price of gas at $4.10 per gallon nationwide and $4.60 in San Francisco, Speier said, reducing driving speeds could save families hundreds of dollars a year. Trackback [0] Posted on 7/11/08; 9:04:01 AM to the National Leaders Department Send email to Yellow Dog- Discuss

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