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DATELINE June 23, 2014
ROBERT REICH AND OUR 3 BIGGEST SANTA CRUZ LIES. All the “business Democrats” in Santa Cruz should be made to read Robert Reich’s article in Sunday’s San Francisco Chronicle’s (6/23) INSIGHT section titled “3 right-wing lies undermine Congress’ will to lift the poor”. In brief he states…
Lie #1: Economic growth reduces poverty. “The best anti-poverty program,” wrote Paul Ryan, the House Budget Committee chairman, in the Wall Street Journal, “is economic growth.” Wrong. Since the late 1970s, the economy has grown 147 percent per capita but almost nothing has trickled down. The typical American worker is earning just about what he or she earned three decades ago, adjusted for inflation.
Lie #2: Jobs reduce poverty.
Senator Marco Rubio said poverty is best addressed not by raising the minimum wage or giving the poor more assistance but with “reforms that encourage and reward work.”
This has been the standard Republican line ever since Ronald Reagan declared that the best social program is a job. A number of Democrats have adopted it as well. But it’s wrong.
Lie #3: Ambition cures poverty.
Most Republicans, unlike Democrats and independents, believe people are poor mainly because of a lack of effort, according to a Pew Research Center/USA Today survey. It’s a standard riff of the right: If the poor were more ambitious they wouldn’t be poor.
Obviously, personal responsibility is important. But there’s no evidence that people who are poor are less ambitious than anyone else. In fact, many work long hours at backbreaking jobs.
What they really lack is opportunity. It begins with lousy schools.
Read all of Reich’s justifications, proofs and explanations HERE
Then the next time we hear from any LOBA, Coonerty’s, Chamber of Commerce, Democratic Women’s Club, Fred Keeley, and other like minded pro-growth Democrats we can refer them to Robert Reich.
GRAND JURY AND DE-SAL. I was almost on the Santa Cruz County Grand Jury once. I made it all the way to the last weeding out….and I can tell you that members of any Grand Jury by definition are not experts or have any special knowledge on anything. They don’t know any difference between De-sal and Ly-sol. For this last Grand jury to make any proclamations about what Santa Cruz should do about our water problem is like any of us directing a brain surgery operation. Bruce Van Allen stated it perfectly in an article in the De-sal Alternatives newsletter. Go here to read all of Van Allen’s statement.
Grand Jury Doesn’t Get It
– Bruce Van Allen
In September, 2013, the City of Santa Cruz City Council heeded the skepticism of citizens about a plan for desalination, and ordered a halt to investment in that project while a citizen’s committee considers alternatives. Unfortunately, the Grand Jury Report reflects a lack of understanding for why that citizen skepticism exists. The report assumes that the citizen reaction to desalination was the result of the City’s failure to “adequately communicate the urgent need for a supplemental water source to its ratepayers”. (This in spite of hundreds of thousands of dollars spent on a public relations consultant to persuade citizens to accept the project).
In reality, citizen opposition to desalination is well informed and grounded in good science—the understanding that the carbon emissions resulting from society’s increased energy use has special relevance to a city that will be profoundly affected by sea level rise. The desal plant would be 12 times as energy intensive as our current water supply. The Grand Jury report misses the irony in its recommendation of energy-intensive desalination as a response to climate change’s impact on regional water supplies”. Then go here to read Van Allen’s campaign website…
| WAVES FROM THE INSIDE. Turn off the sound so you miss the guy’s frantic dialogue. Dan Wenger found this one.
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L.A. TIMES. Having two weeks of “extra” time is Victorville I read The L.A. Times every morning and Sunday too. Once upon a time (5-10 years ago) I thought the L.A. Times was nearly as good as the New York Times!!! Not anymore, for damn sure. It’s an enlarged copy of The Santa Cruz Sentinel and just about every other still existing daily paper nowadays. No reporting, no depth, junk photos and inane “local” features on the front pages. They are printing their own death certificates, and still the newspapers complain that they are lsoing readers!!!
VICTORVILLE VISITATION.What a grand two week vacation I had with my sister Jerrie and nephew Johnny who live in Victorville. We went to the Victor Valley Museum for about
7 minutes and learned that “About 1895, the village was named “Victor” for the California Southern Railroad‘s General Manager Jacob Nash Victor. In 1901, the U.S. Post Office Department changed that name to Victorville to avoid confusion with the town of Victor, Colorado” (Wikipedia). Every day I read the High Desert Daily Press (since 1937), a terrible right wing Republican daily that did report that Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti said
“FUCK- – -” ! as a reaction to the LA Kings hockey team’s victory and winning the Stanley Cup. They had a 1/2 page article stating that there is no proff that the lead in bullets is harmful to any living thing and that making bullets with other metals would cost too much!!! They had many ads for guns and rifles but now I see the Sentinel does the same thing! Adelanto a “suburb” of Victorville is in a dither about maybe building a new jail there and how many new, wonderful jobs it would create (See Reich piece above). Driving down and back and driving on the James Dean Memorial Highway I spotted both new and old billboards stating, “More water =More jobs” I saw Halliburton tank trucks en route and Army convoys going both ways, which can creep you out if you think about it. Cholame the site of the James Dean Memorial had the usual 3-8 pickup trucks and 5 cars. I’m glad to be back home.
COMCAST COMMENDATIONS.The cost of subscribing to Comcast is so high it should be illegal…BUT if you are subscribing already ( I am) you should know that by going to “HBO Series” on their XFinity link you can now view the very best of years of HBO’s greatest series. Sure all of The Sopranos, Sex and The City, Big Love, Deadwood, and The Wire are all there but some of the best series I’ve ever seen are back and available “for free” (to subscribers) They almost all are within their “Latino Original” or “Ole” series. Such serious dramas as Capadocia, Epitafios, Hijos del Carnival, Premar, Sr. Avila and Profugos are available right now and all have brilliant subtitles. Try any or all of them, I’m loving them all over again.
ELERICK’S INPUT. Mr. Paul Elerick of Aptos writes…
SEACLIFF SCOOPS SANTA CRUZ
As of May 25th, Marianne’s Ice Cream shop opened at the corner of State Park Drive and Center Street in Seacliff, replacing a very average grocery and bait shop. Marianne’s management has worked tirelessly for over a month turning this building into the winning business they used to operate in Santa Cruz on Ocean St. Opening day had customers lined up out the door. We mid-county folks welcome this business to our community. Along with the 3 million visitors yearly to Seacliff State Beach, we’ll all get to enjoy Marianne’s wonderful ice cream treats. Can’t wait to get an ice cream cone after one of Manuel’s (across the street) lunches or dinners. (Paul Elerick is co-chair with Peter Scott of the Campaign for Sensible Transportation, http://sensibletransportation.org, and he’s a member of Nisene 2 Sea, a group of open space advocates).
PATTON’S PROGRAM. Gary Patton broadcasts the following on KUSP this week…Monterey County is considering new land use laws which are difficult because Monterey County is an extra large county. He tells us that The Veterans Affairs Dept. is facing problems with establishing a veteran’s Cemetry on Fort Ord land. It’s an 80 acre cemetery and Bill Monning is having some contrary thoughts. Capitola’s General Plan is facing a final vote of approval. And Gary states, Thursday morning, the Santa Cruz County Regional Transportation Commission will hold a special meeting in downtown Santa Cruz, starting at 9:00 o’clock. At the meeting this morning, the Commission will consider final adoption of its 2014 Regional Transportation Plan, or RTP. This proposed Plan has gone through a lengthy process of public workshops and environmental reviews. The RTP is intended to outline a plan for “sustainable” transportation strategies for Santa Cruz County. If you would like to weigh in before the final vote, you will find links at kusp.org/landuse. He ends the broadcasts dealing with Transfer of Development Rights and what we need to know about protecting our valuable open space.
Read the complete scripts of the above at Gary Patton’s KUSP Land Use site. Gary is a former Santa Cruz County Supervisor (20 years) and an attorney who represents indivuduals and community groups on land use and environmenatl issues. The opions expressed are Mr. Patton’s. Gary has his own website, Two Worlds/365” – www.gapatton.net
“APTOSIA” ON FACEBOOK. Denise Elerick sent this invite to anyone who cares about Aptos. It’s really a feel good approach…she says, “In an effort to find a healthy community page that is not “anti them” or “take back ” anything I have found Aptosia. Here is the best part. It is an open page and there is zero poison pen and hate speak. Please take a look and consider joining in. You need not chime in and speak( unless you want to of course). Just consider supporting our page. I am not admin, I did not start it, I am not vested. I could write a book about my “take back…” experiences though”. That’s if you still even do facebook!!!
CLASSICAL DeCINZO. De Cinzo centers on our unemployment issue. See below.
EAGAN’S DEEP COVER. Tim Eagan and today’s comics…view downwards.
LISA JENSEN LINKS. Lisa writes: “This week at Lisa Jensen Online Express (http://ljo-express.blogspot.com), catch up with the superb Polish drama, Ida, then stand clear while I fire a broadside at the new pirate TV series Crossbones. Also, find out how you can win a free hardcover copy of Alias Hook from Goodreads!” Lisa has been writing film reviews and columns for Good Times since 1975.
THAT IS THE QUESTION
(IN ORDER OF PERFECTION)
IDA. A very serious and wonderful film about an 18 year old girl in 1960’s Poland who is about to become a nun. Her mother dies and the girl learns she is Jewish. It’s a beautiful story of Poland, the Nazi’s, love, tradition…and should remain the “best film of the year”, if there is any real criteria in the choosing. See it asap, it’ll probably leave town quickly.
THE FAULT IN OUR STARS. You’ll tear up more than laugh in this nicely made piece of cinema. Oscars, best film of the year, stuff like that is being said by audiences over and over again. Shailene Woodley (Goerge Clooney’s tean age daughter in The Descendents” takes the lead role and keeps it. Newcomer Ansel Elgort plays her teen age boyfriend, and they are both gying from cancer. Weepy, emotional and great like Greek tragedies. Go see it.
THE ROVER. Set in Australia ten years after “the collapse” as they call it Guy Pierce and Robert Pattinson shoot and chase evil men across an empty continent to get Pierce’s stolen car back. You’ll learn why at the very end. Pattinson plays a handicapped harmless Steinbeck-like”Lenny” that’ll remind you of Jerry Lewis in his 1950’s “spastic” comedies.
JERSEY BOYS. Like most of Clint Eastwood- directed films, Jersey Boys is about as deep as a 45 rpm disc. The same plot could have been afixed to any pop group. The acting is about as good as you can expect from such a hackneyed show biz story. Even if you’re still a Frankie Valli fan, this movie is boring.
WORDS AND PICTURES. Juliette Binoche and Clive Owen are fine actors but this flimsy, hokey film probably will hurt both of their careers. Doris Day and Rock Hudson would have been great in this “high school teachers sort of fall in love” over a debate whether words or pictures best express the human spirit. If you do see it don’t eat sweets at the same time.
EDGE OF TOMORROW. Tom Cruise and Emily Blunt wade through this sci-fi time loop tour de force. It’s easy to say it’s like Groundhog’s Day, and it is but it does have some damned undefinable something that kept me awake all the way through. Don’t rush to see it, just go after you’ve seen everything else.
22 JUMP STREET. Jonah Hill and Channing Tatum are back again doing their dumb undercover cop thing. The film took in $111.5 million dollars the opening weekend, and what else is new??? It’s stupid, mean, crotch focussed, anti-gay, and will probably make many more millions before thet finish 23 JUMP STREET. If you do go and see this pierce of junk don’t tell me about it!
Still playing at a theatre near us
from best to really bad
CHEF. Now, check out this cast Jon Favreau, Dustin Hoffman, John Leguizamo, Sofia Vergara, Scarlett Johansson, Robert Downey Jr., and Oliver Platt.It’s an original comedy all centering around food. It’s funny, touching, fast moving, and even educational!!! If you enjoy preparing food, and relish eating good food this is your movie! Chefs, food critics, restaurant owners, and normal people should see this well made film.
MALEFICENT. As we all know know this is “Sleeping Beauty” gone bad. Curses, spells, special effects and Angelina Jolie’s fake jawbones plus horns make this an almost silly and phony saga. Elle Fanning who is now 16 years old is still cute as all get out. And you should get out and see some more meaningful movie.
X MEN DAYS OF FUTURE PAST. Just consider the cast…Ian McKellen, Patrick Stewart, Scarlett Johansson, Robert Downey jr., Halle Berry, Dustin Hoffman, Jennifer Lawrence, Michael Fassbinder, Peter Dinklage Anna Paquin, and Hugh Jackman !!! Add to that a bit of humor, a sense of Marvel comic book hero errata and you have a teen age boy boxoffice hit. The film isn’t worth $2 admission let alone what you’ll pay to see it, so don’t. The deeper question is (considering that cast) would YOU play a 5 minute part in a Marvel Comic book flick for a million dollars (plus overseas percentages) ???
GODZILLA. There aren’t any recognizable star names in thisgigantic poop of a movie. Oops, yes there are David Strathaim, Juliette Binoche and Sally Hawkins in very small parts, but I’ll bet they’re sorry. Now I’m guessing that Godzilla has had too much film exposure and is expensive in the FX department, so they added MUTO monsters. I shouldn’t mention this but in one closeup scene when a gigantio MUTO (in 3D) lumbers across the screen it looks like it has only one testicle, which would explain the anger I guess. Aside from that, MUTOs invade San Francisco (mostly Chinatown) and after more than one hour into the film Godzilla finally lumbers on and eats most of them up, after burning them with his flaming breath. It’s exactly that kind of flick.
UNIVERSAL GRAPEVINE RADIO PROGRAM
KZSC 88.1 FM or live online at
www.KZSC.ORG TUESDAYS 7-8 P.M.
Each and every Tuesday from 7:00-8:00 p.m. I host Universal Grapevine on KZSC 88.1 fm. or on your computer, (live only or sometimes old programs are archived… (See next paragraph) and go to WWW.KZSC.ORG. On June 24, once again the three winners of Bookshop Santa Cruz’s Short Story Contest will read their entries. July 1st has Frank Perry director of The Capitola History Museum telling us about local baseball legend Harry Hooper and their museum exhibit. After Frank, Karla Hawkinson will talk about IotaGift.com her online business. Santa Cruz Shakespeare has two guests coming on for the July 8 program then Karen Egan from Bridging Warriors talks about their aims and goals. Lisa Jensen film critic and author of her new book “Alias Hook” will open the July 15 program and Ellen Primack will then talk about this year’s Cabrillo Festival of Contemporary Music. Do remember, any and all suggestions for future programs are more than welcome so tune in, and keep listening. Email me always at bratton@cruzio.com
UNIVERSAL GRAPEVINE ARCHIVES. In case you missed some of the great people I’ve interviewed in the last 5 years here’s a chronological list of just this year’s podcasts. Click herehttp://kzsc.org/blog/tag/universal-grapevine then tap on “listen here” to hear any or all of them… all over again. The update includes Nikki Silva, Michael Warren, Tom Noddy, Anita Monga, Mark Wainer, Judy Johnson-Darrow, Wendy Mayer-Lochtefeld, Rachel Goodman, George Newell, Tubten Pende, Gina Marie Hayes, Rebecca Ronay-Hazleton, Miriam Ellis, Deb Mc Arthur, The Great Morgani on Street performing, and Paul Whitworth on Krapps Last Tape. Jodi McGraw on Sandhills, Bruce Daniels on area water problems. Mike Pappas on the Olive Connection, Sandy Lydon on County History. Paul Johnston on political organizing, Rick Longinotti on De-Sal. Dan Haifley on Monterey Bay Sanctuary, Dan Harder on Santa Cruz City Museum. Sara Wilbourne on Santa Cruz Ballet Theatre. Brian Spencer on SEE Theatre Co. Paula Kenyon and Karen Massaro on MAH and Big Creek Pottery. Carolyn Burke on Edith Piaf. Peggy Dolgenos on Cruzio. Julie James on Jewel Theatre Company. Then there’s Pat Matejcek on environment, Nancy Abrams and Joel Primack on the Universe plus Nina Simon from MAH, Rob Slawinski, Gary Bascou, Judge Paul Burdick, John Brown Childs, Ellen Kimmel, Don Williams, Kinan Valdez, Ellen Murtha, John Leopold, Karen Kefauver, Chip Lord, Judy Bouley, Rob Sean Wilson, Ann Simonton, Lori Rivera, Sayaka Yabuki, Chris Kinney, Celia and Peter Scott, Chris Krohn, David Swanger, Chelsea Juarez…and that’s just since January 2011. Hear them all!!!
QUOTES. “The Dawn is a term for the early morning used by poets and other people who don’t have to get up”, Oliver Herford. “I never read a book before reviewing it. I find that it just prejudices me”, Sydney Smith. “Read over your compositions, and wherever you meet with a passage that you think is particularly fine, strike it out”, Samuel Johnson.
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Snail Mail: Bratton Online
82 Blackburn Street, Suite 216
Santa Cruz, CA 95060
Direct email: Bratton@Cruzio.com
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BEST OF VINTAGE STEVEN DeCINZO.
Deep Cover by Tim Eagan.
