Like most places in America, there are things you can’t do in Farmington, NM for a while: Enjoy dinner at your favorite restaurant. Go to the movies. See your dentist. Work out at your gym. Have an IPA at Three Rivers Brewery. Or get a haircut. Continue reading
A novel way to build business: Fine owners of empty storefronts.
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Fewer regulations. Lower permit fees. Faster permit approvals. A talented workforce. These are a few of the reasons businesses gravitate to one city over another. They are also the key reasons why in the past eleven years, over 13,000 California businesses have left the state for friendlier destinations in Nevada, Texas, and beyond. Continue reading
San Francisco has no felons
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There used to be hundreds, probably thousands of them. Felons who were out there, still uncaught. And felons who had done their time, and were back on the streets, looking to get a decent job, or slipping back into their own habits.
But now, because of a unanimous resolution passed by the San Francisco Board of Supervisors in July, there are no felons. They’ve been magically replaced by “Justice-involved persons”, “Formerly incarcerated persons’, or, my personal favorite, “Returning residents.” By the way, there are no more juvenile delinquents, either. Thanks to the same resolution, they’re now a “young person with justice system involvement,” or a “young person impacted by the juvenile justice system.” Continue reading
Berkeleyholes
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Last year, the City Council of Berkeley CA saved the planet from being destroyed by plastic straws, and by serving only vegan meals at all city-owned facilities one day a week. But just a few months later, AOC famously said ”… We’re like, the world is going to end in 12 years if we don’t address climate change…”
Well, like, evidently, banning plastic straws wasn’t, like, you know, enough. So on July 23, Berkeley took AOC’s message to heart, and like, you know, did something.
- They banned the gender-offensive term “manhole ”. It will no longer be permitted in city documents, including RFPs and contracts. It will be replaced with “maintenance cover.”
- They banned natural gas cooktops and ovens in all new homes and commercial buildings.
Of course, that’s just the tip of the quickly melting iceberg. The details get even loonier. Continue reading
Austin City Council: Homeless camps OK on your sidewalk, not on theirs.
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Weird is one thing; insane is another.
In the last five years, Austin TX has seen the second largest increase in home values in the state. From December 2013 to December 2018, the median home price jumped 33 per cent, from $226,000 to $301,391. Thanks to the Austin City Council, those increases are likely to come to a screeching halt.
Why? Besides the music on Sixth Street, and not having to fly to SXSW, what do you really get for your $300,000? You get to pay $5,946 every year in property tax. Money that your city and county are supposed to use to keep your neighborhood clean and safe.
Because of a new ordinance that became effective on July 1, you also get to have a homeless camp on your sidewalk, complete with mattresses, tents, and shopping carts. And you can’t do a thing about it. Continue reading
San Francisco Mayor asks Jerry Brown to commute her brother’s manslaughter sentence; Governor says no.
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San Francisco Mayor London Breed, at her Inaugural Ceremony
Since he took office in 2011, California Governor Jerry Brown has granted 283 commutations and 1,332 pardons; more than any California Governor since the 40s.A lot of those happen on Christmas Eve, and this holiday Brown granted 143 pardons and 131 commutations. But the list did not include Napoleon Brown (no relation), who has served 18 years of his 44-year manslaughter sentence for a particularly brutal night of crime. Napoleon Brown is the older brother of San Francisco Mayor London Breed, who took the unusual step of using her Progressive cred in an attempt to get her brother some leniency. Continue reading
LA council member: Stop wildfires, eat more cauliflower.
StandardCauliflower Chickpea Patties. Zucchini & Tomato Lasagna. Crispy Tofu Nuggets. What could make these vegan entrees any less appetizing? A city ordinance that says all movie theatres and sports venues are legally required to serve gag-worthy Vegan dishes like these, whether patrons want them or not. Continue reading
Sacramento offers gang members up to $9,000 not to shoot each other.
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Nearly a hundred years ago, Will Rogers said, “Make crime pay. Become a lawyer.” But even Will would have been at a loss for words to describe a recent decision by the Sacramento City Council to pay the 50 most well-known, trigger-happy gang members up to $500 a month, for up to 18 months, not to nine each other. Continue reading
San Francisco bicyclist pleads guilty to felony assault; sentenced to probation and anger management
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Want to run red lights, snarl traffic, and watch the police do nothing? Visit this unofficial website for complete instructions.
On August 28, 2015, Ian Hespelt, a 39-year old San Francisco bicyclist, attacked a woman’s rented car with his bike lock, smashing the driver side window, and nearly missing her head. Continue reading
Chicago Police investigative stops down by 90%; Chicago shootings up by 80%. Connection?
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Move along; nothing to see here.
If you look at the colossally dumb videos on YouTube and Facebook, and the off-the-charts sales of Selfie Sticks, you’d think the whole world couldn’t wait to get their 15 minutes of fame. But evidently the 12,000-plus members of the Chicago Police Department feel differently. Continue reading