We the iSheeple

June 2013
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We the iSheeple

04 June 2013

George Rebane

The RR category ‘We the Sheeple’ has been renamed ‘We the iSheeple’ in order to keep up with the times that require starting certain words with the lower case ‘i’. Except for some outrageous ideas wrangled in these pages, RR has been pretty staid in its approach to format and matters of eye candy. During the life of this commentary there has been a steady rise in the number of media reports that acknowledge, nay, confirm that we live in a land of the ill-informed, insouciant, inane, ignorant, insane, and idiotic – hence the real reason for adorning Sheeple with an i, for it gives meaning and therefore belongs there.

For the few that may care, the i that metaphorically broke this camel’s back was a couple of insane non-sequitors in the 3jun13 Union. It seems that a band of idiots gathered recently to deny elephant rides to children attending this year’s upcoming Nevada County Fair. These same people are the local representatives of known regional and national organizations that concern themselves with such things as ethical treatment of animals and children’s safety, and other matters that in their daily round iSheeple are not capable of handling themselves.

And then we come to a local moving & storage company that now has to get rid of its perfectly good trucks and replace them with new ones prescribed by CARB, the enforcer of our state’s mega-albatross job killer AB32. To the tune of $1.3M they will comply with this certifiably insane legislation and accede to the mandated purchase of fourteen new vehicles that purportedly will sport cleaner engines. The result of the costly exercise will have absolutely no measurable effect on any clean air metric you care to dredge up, let alone any effect on providing a better quality of life to earth’s inhabitants.

Of course I could go on, and perusing my past posts shows that I have done so in abundance. More than ever, and with each passing day it is beyond any lingering reasonable doubt that we have become a nation of iSheeple – the ill-informed, insouciant, inane, ignorant, insane, and idiotic.

Posted in Agenda 21, California, Critical Thinking & Numeracy, Nevada County, We the iSheeple

164 responses to “We the iSheeple”

Paul Emery

05 June 2013

Yes indeed Ben.
I’ve been harping about this for awhile. In my view many on this blog have been getting damp about Agenda 21 when the real takeover and move to world government is taking place under their nose with the sanctions of both political parties and not a squeak of dissent from the Tea Party Types and so called Republican “Conservatives”
Both the Pubs and Dems have bought into this so I’m sure the powers that be are yucking it up watching the froth about Agenda 21 while they pick your pocket and buy out your government.

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Michael Anderson

05 June 2013

Paul, this is the main reason the A21 crapola is so irritating. It is a diversion of resources. I have yet to understand if George is doing this because he has lost his marbles, or because he is an agent of the WTO. Something doesn’t add up.

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Scott Obermuller

06 June 2013

It’s very simple, Ben – I never said they did. The US govt can and does freely enter into trade agreements. We were doing that long before GATT and the WTO. You are bringing up a straw man argument. We don’t have to abide by any world governing body and that would include a lot of environmental authorities as well. It doesn’t mean we can’t join world wide organizations for the purpose of diplomacy and dialogue. I’ve been against the US paying the UN billions of dollars to carry out all sorts of operations that harm American interests.
I see that Paul has decided he doesn’t like his pocket picked. Welcome to the Tea Party, Paul. There’s plenty of room.

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Ryan Mount

06 June 2013

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ALN7LTeLxtI
Not sure how anyone would spin that for political gain, but I’m certain on this 1984 anniversary that people like the NYT bearded wooly potato will accuse Senator Paul of boy-ish fantasies.
Our regulations have massively out-paced our laws. And the effect of more and more regulations is to weaken our laws and make both unenforceable. And of course, to make everyone a criminal worthy of government inspection.

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George Rebane

06 June 2013

I see that our progressive readers still have a problem understanding the role of the A21 label in focusing the encroachment of government on property and liberties. Some even think that ‘fighting A21’ is a diversion from the real fight, such as against the extra-national WTO. I think ScottO’s 742am sums up that issue very nicely. And the notion of regulations having “massively out-paced our laws” (RyanM 838am) is something to really focus on. Here in Nevada County we are definitely on the losing end of that battle.

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Ben Emery

06 June 2013

Why is it you guys don’t get that regulations are a tool through government big business operates? Why is it that big business has never done so well but regulations are unmanageable by your guys standards. The two don’t add up unless what I am saying is true.

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Todd Juvinall

06 June 2013

The attitude of those that do not own real property or have never had their personal property confiscated by the government is clear here. Once a person loses their property to government, thru regulations (zoning, general plans etc.) or their money or things thru liens or garnishments, then in my view those people are unable to grasp the concepts as stated here by the host.
The Tea Party is actually the opposite of the ignorant view of PaulE and the business world the opposite of the ignorant BenE. MichaelA is just odd, so I have no explanation for him.

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Paul Emery

06 June 2013

You guys are fiddling while America burns. This is a far greater threat than the silly AG21 diversion. This trade deal is supported big time by the Chamber of Commerce and the WTO, both favorites of the Repubs. Not a peep from the Tea Party types on this one.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/04/04/eu-trade-deal_n_2994410.html
“Exactly how broad these corporate political powers will be is undetermined, but one aspect of the agreement, known as “investor-state dispute resolution,” would allow a company to appeal a regulatory rule or law to an international court, most likely the World Bank. The international body would be given authority to impose economic sanctions against any country that violated its verdict, including the United States.”

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Ryan Mount

06 June 2013

Why is it you guys don’t get
Ben, these guys are bright. They “get it.” I think you’ll find that most around here are not pro-big business. This gaggle is definitely full of main-streeters.
[R]egulations are a tool through government big business operates? Why is it that big business has never done so well but regulations are unmanageable by your guys standards.
No one is anti-regulation. Absolutely no one worth talking to. That’s a straw man. What they’re about is too much regulation that can’t (or won’t) be enforced.
Passing more laws and regulations that won’t be enforced has the effect, again, OF WEAKENING OUR EXISTING LAWS AND REGULATIONS. And it turns neighbor against neighbor. (see above video) Fortunately, there’s no enforcement for the reasons I just mentioned. (Better tell officials you suspect a Meth lab, I suppose.)
Take ADA regulations, something I have a dog in the fight. Since the passing of the American with Disabilities Act, which I whole-heartedly support in principle, our government immediately realized that they had no ability to enforce (enforcement is ALL that matters) most of the regulations. So they allowed private citizens to sue other citizens for violating the laws. That is ironically unconstitutional as per the 14th Amendment.
It is the government’s job to enforce the laws and regulations it passes on our behalf. Not some vigilante lawyers literally shaking down defendants for court and litigation costs. How about writing people a fix-it ticket instead if their handicapped parking space isn’t stood-off far enough from the adjacent space? Madness.

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Gregory

06 June 2013

Where in the Constitution does the Executive branch get granted the power to intercept all communications?
“The order requires Verizon, one of the nation’s largest telecommunications companies, on an “ongoing, daily basis” to give the NSA information on all telephone calls in its systems, both within the U.S. and between the U.S. and other countries.”
http://apnews.myway.com/article/20130606/DA6O4MG03.html
Big Data Gone Wild!
I’m sure there’s a great reason given for it.

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Ryan Mount

06 June 2013

Greg, wasn’t this done under the auspices of the badly-named Patriot Act?

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Paul Emery

06 June 2013

The Pubbrs are already coming out in support of the Verizon taps.
This country sure could use a good dose of Libertarian leadership and I don’t mean the Rand Paul Liberlite Republican brand.
“Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) said Thursday that he was “glad” the National Security Agency is collecting the phone records of Verizon Communications customers, The Washington Times reported.
Speaking on Fox News, Graham explained that he was a Verizon customer and was happy to have his service provider handing over phone records to the government in an effort to track suspected terrorists.”
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/06/06/lindsey-graham-nsa_n_3396223.html?utm_hp_ref=politics

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George Rebane

06 June 2013

Given the experience of homeland terrorist intercepts and successes (i.e. their presaging overseas communications and connections), I wonder what alternative (to ‘wiretaps’) approach the feds should take to stop future attacks.

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Paul Emery

06 June 2013

George
Is this Verizon gathering of meta-data blanket collection of phone data part of the AG2020 process of gathering information?

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Gregory

06 June 2013

George, there’s a huge difference between “no wiretaps” and “let’s monitor it all and let the NSA sort it out”.

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George Rebane

06 June 2013

PaulE 1103am – tell us more about AG2020.
Gregory 1107am – agreed.

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Paul Emery

06 June 2013

Sorry
Agenda 21
Is this not all part of the same process of gathering data on all citizens?

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Scott Obermuller

06 June 2013

“Why is it you guys don’t get that regulations are a tool through government big business operates?”
What ‘guys’, Ben? You have a friend in your pocket? Do you even read our posts?
I’ve practically beaten that topic to death.
And the way to stop it is to rein in our govt and have it operate according to the Constitution.
People and businesses will always try to game the system in their own favor. Poor, rich, middle class and everyone in between.
All that needs to happen is have the govt stop providing goods and picking winners and losers in the market. That will eliminate just about all of the crap. But it will lessen the power of our dear leaders and they won’t like that. It has to be removed from their grubby hands. Have you noticed how smug and insulting the IRS big wigs are? They have no concept of the term ‘civil servants’. They have become our masters and we have let them.

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Russ Steele

06 June 2013

While worrying about your cellphone records, you may want give a passing thought to your smart meter records and what might be happening to them as well. You smart meter, installed by a PG&E contractor, has a Zigbee Series 2 chip that operates between 868 to 915MHz at data rates from 20-40Kbits/second. These meter are manufactured by Landu + Gyr These smartmeters communicate with a mesh network operated by Silver Springs Network, with the data stored on PG&E servers somewhere in the Cloud.
There are also Series 2 chips that operates 2.4GHz that are WiFI and Bluetooth compatible, but the one’s you really need to worry about are the chips that operate in the same frequency range as your smart meter, as these chips are capable of forming a mesh network with any other ZigBee chip in the same frequency range. There are 11 channels and when turned on all ZigBee chip scans these channels looking for other ZigBee chips to connect with to form a network. According to the literature this feature is currently turned off in your PG&E meter, but it can be turned on remotely. For example if you bought into the PG&E program to install a smart thermostat that they can turn on or off remotely this feature has been turned on. Now why should you care?
Well, you may also have other appliance in your home with the ZigBee protocol chips including your, dish washer, hot water heater, your TV remote, your VCR and BlueRay player, etc. Here is a list of 90+ companies that are members of the ZigBee Alliance: http://www.zigbee.org/About/OurMembers.aspx
If you have products manufactured by any of these companies, check the placard on the device. The FCC requires a notice on all RF devices. However, it appears that some smartmeter manufactures failed to put one on their smart meters. I cannot find one on my Landu + Gyr meter, thought Silver Springs Network the mesh network operators slapped an FCC number of the meter with a sticker. If you have a device with a Series 2 Zigbee Chip, that operates between 868 to 915MHz, your smartmeter may know about it and be collecting data on how that appliance is used. This data is being stored on a Cloud Server somewhere. Should the government want to know more about when you shower, wash dishes, or what TV channels your are watching, the kind of movies you order up from Netflix, and what your favorite streaming porn channel is, that data is on file and can be requested by the government.
Just be aware. You are leaving more electronic trails than just your cellphone. If you want more data on Zigbee please let me know, I have the spec sheets.

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Russ Steele

06 June 2013

Test Test Test
For some reason type pad is wiping out my posts. This is just a test.

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Paul Emery

06 June 2013

Russ
I’ve had problems as well for the last couple of days.

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George Rebane

06 June 2013

Disappearing comments on RR – OK people, I think we may be making progress. TypePad support thought that its algo may be marking some comments as spam and relegating them to my spam folder (which they told me how to find). I sent them Russ’ 206pm URL after republishing it, and they will advise me if they have fixed the problem. In the interval, please let me know if you lose a comment so I can dig it out of the spam folder and republish it. And no fair writing comments that look like spam 😉

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Russ Steele

06 June 2013

And you just thought is was phone records, seems they are monitoring our e-mail, our surfing, our Skype, etc. Check out these slides: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/special/politics/prism-collection-documents/
I put Microsoft on my NO Buy list years ago. Now I am going have to add a few more.

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Ryan Mount

06 June 2013

Testing, 1,2,3. Gene ric Ci ali s. click her e. Testing. Agenda 21. My name is Elena. I live in the Philippines.
Seems to be working.

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Walt

06 June 2013

How many scandals are in play now since the IRS helped rig the elections from within? I have lost count…..

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Bill Tozer

06 June 2013

Listen, we are all sheeple. It might be blamspemy to say this, but them wikeleaks had some positive benefits. The left was sheeple to believe Omaba closed down them vulgar secret CIA prisons. The Right were sheeple believing Obama was licking the toenail polish off every Raghead leader.
But, we were fooled. Them Wikeleaks showed that Obama did indeed close those ghastly secret prisons as promised, but he started up new ones in more remote places. Smart move to hide them in Central Africa where few would ever tread.
I like the fact that these prisons ain’t no girlie man water boarding and silly college initiation pranks like that. Nope, Obama ordered the real red meat. Just that thought of taking high voltage wires to some terrorists’ gonads sends goose bumps down my leg. I love the smell of burnt flesh in standing water. We have been fooled, but if fooling me was wrong, then I don’t want to be right. Smoke em if you got em.

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Ben Emery

06 June 2013

Since this comment doesn’t want to stick I will break it up into two. I tried to post it this morning but had to get to work and just got home.
Scott,
The US at least in rhetoric used to pretend not to do business with nations that violate the ideals of what the US stood for life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. Our reps in the Executive Branch and in Congress don’t even give us and the international world lip service anymore about standing for something greater than the bottom line.
My brother was just home visiting from Cambodia where he has lived for the last 7 years. He told me that manufacturing going rate for workers is $61 a month. That is 6 days a week 10- 12 hours a day. Here is a story of workers being screwed for over $200,000 in back wages from Walmart. They just shut shop without warning and screwed the workers over. For months the workers protested, camp ins, hunger strike, and eventually won in the courts to receive their wages. In the mean time people suffered because a multinational refused to pay them their slave labor wages that they legally were owed. The Walton heirs and controllers of Walmart are worth $200 billion. This is one factory and one story. Multiply this by thousands and we can see why Walmart can undercut their competition who are doing business according to law. How does this fit into free market?
The cheap crap you and Russ enjoy purchasing at the Walmarts of the world are cheap for a reason. The use horrible material and exploit workers natural and legal rights. I wouldn’t say that is smart, moral, or noble use of your spending power.

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Ben Emery

06 June 2013

I guess it is the link that I am trying post so I will leave off the www part of it.
My second attempt at this.
Scott,
The US at least in rhetoric used to pretend not to do business with nations that violate the ideals of what the US stood for life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. Our reps in the Executive Branch and in Congress don’t even give us and the international world lip service anymore about standing for something greater than the bottom line.
My brother was just home visiting from Cambodia where he has lived for the last 7 years. He told me that manufacturing going rate for workers is $61 a month. That is 6 days a week 10- 12 hours a day. Here is a story of workers being screwed for over $200,000 in back wages from Walmart. They just shut shop without warning and screwed the workers over. For months the workers protested, camp ins, hunger strike, and eventually won in the courts to receive their wages. In the mean time people suffered because a multinational refused to pay them their slave labor wages that they legally were owed. The Walton heirs and controllers of Walmart are worth $200 billion. This is one factory and one story. Multiply this by thousands and we can see why Walmart can undercut their competition who are doing business according to law. How does this fit into free market?
The cheap crap you and Russ enjoy purchasing at the Walmarts of the world are cheap for a reason. The use horrible material and exploit workers natural and legal rights. I wouldn’t say that is smart, moral, or noble use of your spending power.
.warehouseworkersunited.org/cambodian-garment-workers-expose-illegal-abuse-at-walmart-supplier/
“After the factory abruptly closed, many workers have been evicted from their homes because they cannot pay their rent. Workers believe that the factory closed with plans to reopen once it sheds long-time employees who have seniority and benefits.
They say the new factory will be similar to other Walmart suppliers internationally and domestically that rely on temporary workers who will work on 3-month, short-term contracts. Such a scheme will prevent workers from forming a union or having any job security.”

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Ben Emery

06 June 2013

Bill,
You are correct that we are Sheeple to a certain extent. I think it has more to do with we don’t to think that those we support in ideals would be more about their political party and power than actually fighting and upholding the their campaign promises. I have been over the two parties for a long time but Obama has put the final nail in the coffin for me that we have any sort of democratic republic. We have a government that is up for sale to the highest bidder and saving frogs, redwoods, clean air, and preserving open spaces doesn’t generate much profit so it is an uphill battle to say the least for those of us on the true left not Democratic Party center.
I find the ending to your comment disgusting but give you a nod towards being honest. Obama and especially the Democratic Party are just as power hungry and are just as much war mongers than the Republican Party and I would have voted for Ron Paul this time around if he was on the ballot despite my disagreements with him on social and domestic issues. Were we find ourselves today I think those issues are secondary to our civil liberties being stripped and our exporting death and destruction around the planet with impunity. I guess the radical Muslim is some push back but very little on a state level.

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Bill Tozer

06 June 2013

Cheap and affordable stuff at Walmart. People don’t go there to buy expensive stuff or overpriced stuff. They shop at Walmart for 4 reasons: 1) its all they can afford. 2) It really does help stretch the food budget in these inflationary times. 3) its fun to save money and shop, aka, a national pastime. 4) They are hoping to been seen in “People at Walmart” internet videos. Truly Wal-Mart is a great melting pot of shoppers and goods from around the world. Soon they will be selling cheap solar panels and other factory discontinued sustainable items.

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George Rebane

06 June 2013

Walt 601pm – Yes, it is hard to keep count. Today two more were added. Have you heard of PRISM?

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Ben Emery

07 June 2013

Bill,
Every human being as far as we know for sure has one life on this earth. Let that sink in for a moment. You, me, George only have one life as far as we know. Our comfort should not come at the expense of other discomfort. Why do we believe since we live in the US a persons life in Bangladesh is less worthy so they should have to live in primitive conditions while working “slaving” 10 – 12 hours a day? To give the administrators and shareholders a quarterly profit? So shoppers can have the illusion that the products they are purchasing are inexpensive?
At what point to we disconnect the treatment of their employee’s and our patronage? Once again there are thousands of examples where Walmart mistreats their employees or breaks laws to get an upper hand over competitors, so the existential question then becomes what responsibility do we have towards the plight of our fellow humans. And what responsibility do we as citizens have towards allowing our local, state, and federal government give these companies tax breaks or subsides? http://www.walmartsubsidywatch.org/
It is not just Walmart is virtually all of the big trans/ multi nationals that have this business model.

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George Rebane

07 June 2013

BenE 648am – You (and the links you provide) seem to claim that Walmart has conducted its business outside the laws. If true, they should be indicted and prosecuted. Or are your arguments based on moral grounds? If so, we should then enter into a discussion of our different mores and their relative worth, significance, and relevance to our quality of life for openers.

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Bill Tozer

07 June 2013

Ben, I don’t care if they work 18 hours a day for 3 grains of rice just as long as I can buy cheap junk and not pay one red cent more. If the slaves don’t like it they can flee the plantation.
Just wish Wal-Mart could eliminate the sales tax as the State don’t need that money. Causes all kinds of problems when the State’s coffers are above empty. Not wise cause the State has not figured out how to seperate spending from politics. Such as waste of good ole American greenbacks to sent too much to the State. Its like giving a teenager 50k. Not good.
Ben, I assume you are not a Wal-Mart shopper. Good for you, my brother from another mother. You do not contribute to the suffering of our darker skinned fellow earthlings. Excellent. Now you may go in peace as you have been cleansed from Sam Walton and his Little House on the Pararie folksy clan.
This is economic warfare. The purpose of war is to kill people and break things. If you ain’t into sending Ahab to be surrounded by 72 male virgin nerds for eternity, then just go bust something. Its all good.

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Todd Juvinall

08 June 2013

I ran across this comment on the loony blog. This MichaelA is a true ass. This is in regards to A21 and the woman Koire. (I bet she would kick his sorry liberal butt, LOL!)
“Michael Anderson, on June 8, 2013 at 3:11 pm said:
Steve, you have mistakenly applied an expectation of reasonable behavior to this Buzz Windrip wannabe.
She’s either a psychopath or a fascist, and maybe even both. She’s also probably harmless, but her fanaticism deserves close scrutiny.”
I think he is responding to the other loon, Frisch who is whining about the woman not agreeing to come and kick his butt in a debate. My understanding is the woman is a liberal.

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George Rebane

08 June 2013

ToddJ 910pm – I have also noticed a number of jolting disconnects with MichaelA, more so when his comments on other blogs are brought to my attention. My post made it clear that “Ms Koire is a self-described liberal Democrat and ‘married’ lesbian who also happens to be an excellent and animated speaker, especially about Agenda21.”
http://rebaneruminations.typepad.com/rebanes_ruminations/2013/05/agenda21-the-beat-grows-stronger.html
“… more scrutiny” indeed. I bet she’s getting plenty of it from our administration’s intelligence organs.

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Ben Emery

09 June 2013

George,
My complaint is on legal and moral grounds. How can we celebrate a company that breaks the law and treats its employees so horribly. Does getting away with illegal acts fit into the free market? Or are there no laws outside property rights in your free market world? Walmart was just found guilty of dumping toxic waste in CA and got a $81 million fine, nobody goes to jail but get something that is calculated into the cost of doing business. The real question then becomes what were the results of these toxins being exposed to the public? Did a person get a chronic disease because of it and would they ever know or be able to prove it came from the toxic waste? These are parts of the free market that nobody can calculate outside the lines of “Life ain’t fair and sometimes your just shit out of luck”. Poor people who cannot afford legal representation are shit out of luck while the Walton heirs are laughing all the way to the bank. Break Up Walmart along with the big banks and Monsanto under anti trust/ competition laws.

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Steven Frisch

09 June 2013

I will point out that just because she is a lesbian, supports gay marriage, abortion, and is a self declared liberal Democrat does not mean she is not also bat shit crazy.
And Todd, she called me out specifically and challenged “to take Mr. Frisch on” head to head in her presentation. If she is so confident, as you seem to be, she has a forum an a wiling counter-point waiting.

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George Rebane

09 June 2013

BenE 1221am – Celebrations aside, is not Walmart being appropriately punished by our justice system for the laws it has broken? Are you making a case that action action should be taken against the company to make up for the failure of said justice system?
StevenF 501am – Your initial charge against Koire was that she is a fascist – an ideology that liberals usually connect with the Right. Pointing out her self-declared membership among liberal Democrats, you now shift to contending that such people can also be “bat shit crazy”. I’m not aware that anyone has even opened the discussion of her mental health. It’s hard to follow your attacks on the lady.

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Steve Frisch

09 June 2013

Hey George, I have been following Ms. Koire for some time, and was well aware of the fact that she identifies herself as a liberal. Her web site (democratsagainstagenda21) has been bookmarked on my system for more than two years.
I have long contended that she is both a fascist (because she uses the tactics of fascists) AND bat shit crazy. Once again,one is not exclusive of the other.

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Gregory

09 June 2013

Regarding MA, he’s his own Dr Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, and to go back in time, I doubt I’ll ever forgive him for his post on TheUnion blog that caused my wife to literally shake in fear that there was a internet stalker out there with intent to cause us harm.
Regarding Frisch and Koire, I’d say Frisch can be expected to dislike anyone who pulls the curtain to reveal a wizard on his side pulling levers.

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Ben Emery

09 June 2013

George,
We are creeping towards the problem, which will end in the solution. Our justice system and the enforcement of that system is controlled by Republicans and Democrats who are representatives of these very same companies that are breaking the laws. A law does no good when it is selectively enforced.
This is the basis of what I believe is the difference in our world view. Those who write and enforce the laws are usually the ones who don’t get prosecuted under them.
Locally we continue to see more and more laws against the homelessness without directly going after the homeless. Same idea. Anti loitering laws would make it illegal to be in town if a person is not shopping, at the discretion of local police. Seems very Jim Crowish to me. There are already laws in place that make obstructing sidewalks illegal and so on. But they continue to keep attempting to pass broader laws giving them cover to profile, intimidate, and trample on the civil liberties of a specific group of people. My guess you wouldn’t oppose this tactic, hopefully my guess is wrong.

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Bill Tozer

09 June 2013

Ben, the Supreme Court ruled against vagrancy laws and I benefited from it in the early 70’s. Before that, if you were hitchhiking through some small town and you did not have enough money on you to buy a Motel 6 room, they could haul you in on “vagrancy laws”. Especially a low life long haired freakazoid like me.
The assault on the homeless as you put it has two sides to the coin. Just check out what civil liberties lubbing Berkley has done to fight the problem of unruly mentally ill addicts taking over side walks and benches.
When a person like me goes into a park and am confronted by our lovely fellow citizens that I have to leave or else “cause this park is for homeless only”, then there will be some push back. They get very territorial. Just recollect of the problems Nevada City had when it opened public bathrooms on cold nights. The bathrooms got very, very territorial to those that did not want to share.
I was in old downtown LA years ago and slipped into an alley to take a piss. The foul overwhelming smell of urine made even me wonder if I could hold my breathe long enough to relieve myself. The whole place in the old part of LA reeked of urine. Turn the page and I read just a couple years ago how some local businesses wanted to hose down the sidewalks in front of their businesses each morning. Seems customers were complaining about all the human waste they had to step over to get inside and of course the smell. The businesses were blocked from washing down the sidewalks because it was an “assault” on the homeless.
Before you get your lily white linens are wrinkled, I have made no secret that I was homeless myself more than once. Not for some whimpy week or a month, but several years. Even had two twin daughters living in an old VW Rabbit each and every night. That is why I say if you have a car (running or not), you always have a roof over your head. But don’t trounce on my rights to walk into a public park and expect no push back. That be asking too much.

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Paul Emery

09 June 2013

Stephen
You are a little dramatic in characterizing Ms Koire. I take her more as an entertainer, a one night stand book seller, motivational speaker and hit and run carnival barker who never allows challenges or debates even when she advocates a call to action like she did when when she was here.
“If a nonprofit supports the kind of sustainability development or receives funding from Agenda 21-related organizations, cease supporting them, she said.
Koire implicated the Sierra Business Council and Nevada City’s Sustainability Team as such organizations.
http://www.theunion.com/news/6627158-113/koire-agenda-development-tuesday

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Steven Frisch

09 June 2013

Paul Emery | 09 June 2013 at 11:47 AM
Although it is true that she may be a carnival barker, the impact of her words, and the actions of the people she leaves behind as she travels the country selling her abysmally written book will remain. Here are my comments from the blog of ‘he who shall not be named” this morning:
“Watch the two hour and tell me what “benefit of the doubt” her position still warrants. Of particular interest was her response to the gentleman who asked her, “how do you tell the difference between a community that just wants a bike lane because they like biking and want to be safe and Agenda 21?” Ms. Koire’s response is, “look at the motivations of who is supporting the bike lane.”
Really? So we are to make policy based on a third party interpretation of individuals and organizations motivation?
Policy is based on law, crafted in a democratic republic through representative bodies and the courts. Policy should be based on facts and a rational investigation of the facts, through both deliberative bodies and the maximum amount of public participation possible.
Have you watched the videos of Ms. Koire and her allies shouting down meeting presenters and other members of the public at the One Bay Area Sustainable Community Strategy meetings? Is that democracy?
CABPRO is organizing its forces to intervene in the Nevada County General Plan process and use these same tactics to impose the will of a vocal minority of the community on the majority. They are poised to use the same tactics that they have been using to maintain some semblance of power in our county for years: creating a ‘straw man’; whipping up irrational fear about that straw man and framing all opponents of their preferred policies as organs of the straw man; demonizing their opponents by naming them as fascists/communists/corporatists/; packing the room with people trained to appear more representative than they really are; shouting down those with a different point of view thus discouraging their continued participation; bullying and intimidating those who do speak up; and finally, threatening recall, referendum and initiative as a punitive action against elected officials and jurisdictions should they support policies that they oppose.
All of the tactics mentioned are clearly within any individual or organizations constitutional rights and are protected as free speech, assembly, and under California’s political system; but the aggregate effect of these actions is to obstruct and subvert legitimate planning processes and democratic processes.
As long as people of good will and with a sense of civility allow the forces of incivility to reign, they will have a disproportionate representation in our County.”

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Paul Emery

09 June 2013

Stephen
In my view she does more to turn people off to the advocacy of the A21 UN takeover crowd than advance its following. Friends of mine who are Republicans by and large regard this as a loony fringe that has a big voice because they speak often and loud. They never advance political candidates and have a dismal record at the ballot box.

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George Rebane

09 June 2013

StevenF 1200pm – “Policy is based on law, crafted in a democratic republic through representative bodies and the courts.”
Actually there is a totally different understanding about the relationship between policy and law. Adopting policy precedes the legislation of laws. Policies define broader objectives and goals of governance which are then implemented by various laws, codes, regs, etc. Policies can be and have been introduced and adopted by both governmental and non-governmental institutions without the context of any existing body of law, leaving that task as a follow-on to when the policy gains political traction.
Just thought I’d throw that out there as another difference between the worldviews expressed in these pages.
BenE 1035am – My previous experience with vagrancy laws was in (the People’s Republic of) Santa Monica. The seaside city adopted very inviting, inclusive, sensitive, … ordnances that attracted every bum (ancient term for ‘homeless’) this side of the Colorado River. After the town was covered in human filth, driving away tourists and shoppers and …, all those inclusive and sensitive citizens started howling for their police to do something.
Plan A was to simply sweep them up, stick them in a van, and dump them in San Berdoo, Riverside, or Orange counties. That worked until their police and sheriffs started reciprocating, and Santa Monica wound up with more, or shall we say, a surfeit of bums who removed the last prospects for sustainable sanitation in public spaces.
Plan B was to set up the brass dolphins to collect monies for ‘homeless shelters’ to which the indigent are now hustled from public view. The tourists and shoppers have returned since the parks and parking structure stairwells are covered with less kemosabe. However, the jury is still out because the costs to residents are high and SM is as inviting as ever. Bottom line, don’t buy their municipal bonds.
http://www.homelessshelterdirectory.org/cgi-bin/id/city.cgi?city=Santa%20Monica&state=CA
Exit question. How can the GVNC public areas be kept inviting to residents and tourists without offending the sensitivities of our progressive environmentally concerned citizenry, while not becoming an attractant for out-of-county norCal bums (to be differentiated from locals who fall on hard times)?

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Todd Juvinall

09 June 2013

It is fascinating to me that libs like PaulE, MishaelA and SteveF get all paranoid when a woman takes it to them. It appears to me they are misogynists since they have decided this accomplished woman is a threat to them.. Name calling a woman by these two or three men must be common place in their daily thoughts and lives.
Though the woman is a liberal, I think she represents the finest example of a person, male or female, who takes up a just cause and runs with it. She does not appear to be a rent-seeking sponge like Steve Frisch. She does not appear to be a woman who knows her place as PaulE thinks she should be. She does not appear to be a doormat that MA wants here to be.
Too funny. Left wing men have no respect for the gender that gave them life.

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Paul Emery

09 June 2013

George
Can you give me an example of a policy in place that does not have the support of law.

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Steve Frisch

09 June 2013

Posted by: George Rebane | 09 June 2013 at 12:51 PM
“Actually there is a totally different understanding about the relationship between policy and law. Adopting policy precedes the legislation of laws. Policies define broader objectives and goals of governance which are then implemented by various laws, codes, regs, etc. Policies can be and have been introduced and adopted by both governmental and non-governmental institutions without the context of any existing body of law, leaving that task as a follow-on to when the policy gains political traction.”
Actually, I kind of agree with you, there is a dance between policy and law. For example, one can adopt a General Plan policy and then craft a zoning ordinance to implement it, and base the crafting of that policy and ordinance on EXISTING law, thus it is BASED on the law, but is not the law until it is adopted, implemented and either tested or allowed to proceed untested. So in a sense law follows policy.
Re; The NGO policy issue, in this case I was referring to only public policy. I should have been clearer. Any private party can adopt any ‘policy’ they want, until it has the force of law its just a nice/bad idea.

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