The Phoenix lander, currently sitting in the northern polar region of Mars, has found water on what is otherwise a very dry planet.

The difficulty Phoenix has had getting to this point reminds me of my Uncle using a divining rod to locate a good spot to drill a water well for his home in rural western Pennsylvania.

You know, now that we’ve found water on Mars, I think we’ve found a new location for Alaska Senator Ted Stevens’ “Bridge to Nowhere.” Although, I do think it will cost more than the original location.

Filed under: California, National-US | No Comments »

Hey, everyone! I just wanted to let you all know about an important event this weekend. Check out what’s just in from OCYD.

Dear TheLiberalOC.com Reader,

Disney Town Hall Forum

UNITE HERE Local 681 will host a Disney Town Hall Forum this Saturday, August 2nd from 10:00 AM to 12:00 PM. The town hall will be held to discuss the unfair contract that Disney has proposed to its hotel workers. The town hall will be held at 13252 Garden Grove Blvd, Suite 200, Garden Grove, CA 92843. For more information about the town hall please call 714-750-4373.

For more information please visit us online at OCYD.net.

Democratically yours,
Chris Roa, Communications Director
Orange County Young Democrats

Filed under: Orange County - Local | 2 Comments »

UPDATED

We’ve got a showdown coming between the Governator Arnold Schwarzenegger and the Controllernator John Chiang. Here is Chiang’s letter to Schwarzenegger.

Today Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger made good on his promse to issue an Executive Order cutting state worker pay to the federal minimum wage of $6.55 an hour until the state budget is passed.

State Controller John Chiang has said Hell No! to Arnold’s plan indicating that doing so would place the State in violation of wage and hour law and subject the state to trebble damages for violating those laws.

I hear the pitter-patter of lttle attorney feet running over to the State Courthouse in Sacramento to file and respond to lawsuits.

The only thing for sure here is the lawyers will be making more than minimum wage.

I’ve got two questions.

1. Why should State workers pay the price for the legislature and governor not doing their jobs?

2. Is there anyone reading this blog who could pay their basic living expenses on $6.55 an hour?

Filed under: California | No Comments »

A Liberal OC source spoke to Senator Perata yesterday about the budget.  Contrary to some of what has been printed in the media, he is not optimistic about reaching any kind of a budget deal any time soon. 

At this time, he does not see how the final budget will come together.  Perata said that the other side appears to be in disarray at to what they “really” want…  

The Governor has scheduled a press conference on the Budget for 11:15 this morning. It will be webcast on the Governor’s website at http://gov.ca.govThe following went out from Perata yesterday.  (more…)

Filed under: California | No Comments »

I would write moe on this but I’m on the way out the door to  work.

Any thoughts?

Consultant: toll road completion will have no effect on Trestles
Scripps scientist calls activists’ assertions ‘bogus.’
By PAT BRENNAN
THE ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER

Building the Foothill South toll road will have no effect whatever on surfing conditions at the famous Trestles beach, according a noted oceanographer, whose scathing criticism of assertions by environmental activists was released this week.

Richard Seymour, a research engineer at the Scripps Institution of Oceanography and an oceanographic consultant, was hired by the Foothill/Eastern Transportation Corridor Agency to examine a series of studies of the road’s potential effects on surfing. The studies were conducted by the toll road agency and by the environmental group Surfrider Foundation.

Seymour, who was paid $6,000 for the review conducted in May, said he largely agreed with the toll road agency consultants who studied the matter - and found the Surfrider studies to be filled with scientific mistakes READ MORE.

Filed under: Orange County - Local | 15 Comments »

 
Do You Read Political Blogs?

Join Research about Political Blog Readers

Requirements:

• A regular reader of political blogs - 4 or more different blogs in a week.


• Lives in or around Orange County, CA


• Owns a personal computer.


• Age of 18 or over.

(more…)

Filed under: Orange County - Local | No Comments »

This blog post by Steven Greenhut is probably one of his best ever at Orange Punch.  Please read it.

Filed under: California, Orange County - Local | 3 Comments »

Interesting post over at Total Buzz by Register writer Jennifer Muir.

Guess what emergency managers from across the county were doing yesterday when the ground started shaking? Discussing how to promote countywide earthquake drills.

“We were at the point when we were talking about ways to get the public involved, and then the earthquake hit,” said Brooke De Baca, spokeswoman for county CEO Tom Mauk. “And we all ducked. All of us. … We’re very responsible. We all got under the table and waited for the swaying to stop.”

The group of about 10 - county and city emergency managers and some earthquake experts - was on the second floor of the American Red Cross building in Santa Ana to discuss “Operation Shake Out,” a public awareness campaign to encourage businesses to practice how they’d react in an earthquake.

The shaking, um, shook up their planning.

“Everyone was instantly on the phone,” and quickly left the meeting to deal with the aftermath of the REAL earthquake, De Baca, said. “It was really ironic. Part of me thought, ‘Is this a drill?’”

Funny, we had ten county managers planning a PR campaign for earthquake safety, yet there are no procedures in place, at least in the building I work in, on what to do in the event of an earthquake. 

The Designated Safety Representatives in my office decided to have everyone evacuate. But on the third floor where I was, nobody knew what to do. We all went out to the cafeteria patio and hung out for a while. There was no fire alarm; no order to evacuate; nothing at all. (more…)

Filed under: Orange County - Local | No Comments »

Hmmm. I wonder who the mysterious Matt Cunninghamon is who blogs for the new Red County property “Guns & Rosaries.” 

You have to love the tagline: “Bitterly Clinging to Our Conservative Principles.”      (more…)

Filed under: Orange County - Local | No Comments »

I received this from Wendy Bokota, a legislative action leader in Irvine.  Consider this an open letter to our state assembly members and state senators in Orange County. I know you read this blog Chuck DeVore; please read this post.

As a concerned citizen and child advocate, I ask that you Support the Legislative Conference Committee Budget to Avoid Deeper Cuts to Education and Other Children’s Services.  The final adopted package must include revenue enhancements.  Please consider that:

• Time is running out for our students and schools. With the new school year approaching, our students and their education can’t afford to wait any longer. In order to open the door to learning, schools need the funding and resources to start the school year. It’s time for lawmakers to put partisan politics aside and support a budget plan that closes tax loopholes and increases revenues to protect public education and other vital services.


• In the midst of California’s $15.2 billion budget deficit, the Education Coalition supports a balanced approach to solving our state’s budget problems in order to protect our schools and safeguard our students’ futures.


• With the revenues generated in the Legislature’s Conference Committee budget plan, $2.4 billion of the Governor’s proposed $4.3 billion in cuts would be restored. This plan reinstates funding for important student programs such as Class Size Reduction and provides a partial cost-of-living-increase to help attract and retain quality teachers and offset rising gasoline and transportation costs.
  
  (more…)

  Filed under: California | No Comments »

I got this release on Monday from OC Treasurer Chriss Street’s office. It seems that the National Association of Counties has given Street a National Award for Innovation and Government Solutions.

(Santa Ana, CA) - The National of Association Counties (NACo) has announced that the Orange County Treasurer’s Office has been awarded a 2008 National Achievement Award for its efforts to modernize and streamline county government services. Created as part of NACo’s New County, USA campaign, the Achievement Awards Program gives national recognition to inventive government solutions and county accomplishments. The Treasurer’s Office is the only department in Orange County to receive this special commendation. 

The “County Model Program” initiated by the Treasurer’s Office found new uses for its state-of the-art remittance processing equipment which handles the $5 billion dollars of taxes received annually. The equipment processes over one million tax bills over a three week period biannually but had excess capacity during much of the year. Chriss Street, Orange County Treasurer, partnered with other Departments around the County to leverage the underutilized capacity and assist them in their monthly billing and collecting for County Services.

This is of course, a reversal of fortune for Street, who has been criticized for his risky investment policies.

At any rate, congrats to the Treasurer and his staff on the recognition. I guess it is better than more bad news about the performance of SIV’s.

Filed under: Orange County - Local | No Comments »

(Proudly cross-posted at Clintonistas for Obama)

How many of you attended your local Platform for Change event(s)? I did… As well as a reporter from my own local paper and several dozen local Democrats. Oh yes, and so did one of our terrific local Democrats running for Congress.

But despite what you may think, there were no signs of “elitism” or “talking down”. If anything, we were all contributing our thoughts and ideas to our final proposed platform that will be presented to the DNC. Want to take a look?

Follow me after the flip for more…

(more…)

Filed under: Orange County - Local | No Comments »