But today. . .

I've been trying to avoid writing about national politics for a number of reasons, which I don't feel the need to state right now, but I am becoming concerned. . .concerned with a public that is fawning over a candidate who claims to be on a committee that he isn't on, which shouldn't be a surprise since he doesn't know what's going on in a subcommittee of which he's the chairman. Today in Florida, this same candidate claims that he's "been talking about talking about predatory lending." So, congratulations, you've been talking about talking about doing something, but not actually doing anything. What is even more interesting about the meeting in Florida today is that a group of black activists started asking this candidate about why he's not responding to the needs of black people, first, the candidate noted "You can ask a question later. Sit down." Then when these activists got a chance to ask their questions, people in the audience began to boo the questioners.

Needless to say, first, if another candidate told a group of black activists to sit down, there'd be hell to pay, secondly, if the same candidate's supporters began to boo black activists, it would be all over the press and the media showing how supporters of this candidate are racists and bigots, and all sorts of other nasty words.

I simply cannot fathom how people have been sold on this snake oil seller for so long. His accomplishments are minimal, his experience is non-existent, the cult of personality created around him is astounding, to the point where all of these problems are swept away and people who note them are hounded out of the room, or shut down. The anointed one shall not be troubled by specifics.

In the meantime, I'm planning our escape from San Francisco as the garbage police gets set up. That's right, the illustrious, and newly married, Mayor Newsom wants the city's garbage collectors to be to fine people who do not properly sort their garbage into garbage, recycling and compost. So, garbage collectors will be sorting through your trash to make sure you are doing what the government tells you to do. Yeah, that's not all Big Brother monitoring your garbage. Further, it's simply one more instance where environmental policies are being used to further government's intrusion into our personal lives.

I was at a briefing the other day from the California Air Resources Board, the agency responsible for implementing one of the most egregious examples of government using the environment as an excuse to regulate trade and monitor our lives, and they noted several areas where they will be setting up new monitoring and enforcement standards on a number of areas, including transportation. As part of their goal to reduce CO2 emissions, they want to set up several standards for transportation sector, including automobiles. If you go to slide 17 of this ARB presentation, you'll see that they plan on setting "tire inflation and tire efficiency" standards. My question is- how are they going to enforce "tire inflation" standards on automobiles? Who will be the tire police? Will meter maids that drive around cities looking for parking violations also be carrying tire gauges to check tire pressure, then be allowed to issue citations? How on Earth do they plan to enforce this standard? It seems to me that this is just an example of this state throwing all sorts of ideas into a bucket, then dumping the bucket onto the people of this state and expect them comply. . .or else, regardless of the stupidity of the program, or the cost of complying.

Ok, that was cathartic.