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Chicken Little: 'The Sky is Falling!'

A Redlands Tea Party Patriot gave up counting the lies Thursday when big-government liberals "informed" the public about why we must approve tax increases and unionist protection measures in November.

A panel of Chicken Little unionists trotted out the predictable “sky is falling” predictions Thursday night about what would happen if we voters aren’t smart enough to approve  Jerry Brown’s tax increase on the November ballot.

Criminals will take over Redlands! Kids will go stupid! Panic in the streets! People won’t know what to do! The only prediction the big-government types didn’t parade out is closing the Department of Motor Vehicles.

It was clear Thursday night at Citrus Valley High School that the Redlands Unified School District and the city's public-employee unions have once again joined forces to hose taxpayers so they can keep their high-paying jobs and benefits while the rest of the state struggles with a sour economy.

There were so many lies that I just gave up counting.

The most laughable moment went to Paul Scott of the California Teachers Association who, with a straight face, claimed that union contributions go to politicians as part of an open and democratic process.

Prop 32, a ballot measure the panelists are opposing, would prohibit the mandatory contributions of union dues for political causes. Workers have the option to opt into political causes instead of having to opt out of the process. Overall, about 40 percent of union workers vote Republican, yet more than 90 percent of union money goes to liberal politicians.  In states where similar measures have passed, union member dues have plummeted to the low teens or single digits.

The panelists also supported Prop 30 that, if passed, would make California the No. 1 state in income taxes. We are already No 1 in sales and gas taxes, yet No. 2 in income taxes just isn’t enough for some people.

According to the US Census Bureau, California’s state and local employees are already the highest paid in the nation.

I included those inconvenient truths in questions I wrote cards that were handed to the moderator. My questions focused on why does government always try to get more money from taxpayers instead of cutting back – as the private sector has done. As predicted, my questions were never aired.

(And, by the way, according to the Wall Street Journal, California’s public school teachers are already paid 35 percent over the national average – so I didn’t buy the predictable “poor me” cries that flowed from the stage.)

The forum was billed as an informational evening, yet none of the panelists or materials in the entry way advocated positions against Prop 30 and for Prop 32. They just droned and moaned about how stupid we all are if we don’t for Prop 30 and against Prop 32.

By coincidence, the Redlands Tea Party Patriots, of which I am a proud member, published our voters guides for the fall election on Thursday. We are recommending a “yes” vote on Prop 32 and a “no” vote on the other 10 measures.

And, just to be a brat, I left some on the back table as I left the high school.

SBSWZ September 14, 2012 at 06:00 am
union leaders think its members are too stupid to think and decide for ourselves....let US decide where our money go. Y32 and hell no on three oh.
Gregory Brittain September 15, 2012 at 03:02 am
Please see “Breaking Bad: California vs. Other States” detailing with links to supporting data how onerous California’s tax burden is before Prop 30 and how bad other fiscal data for California is compared to other states.
http://www.foxandhoundsdaily.com/2012/09/breaking-bad-california-vs-the-other-states/ By way of example, on education, CA teachers are the highest paid the country while CA students rank 48th in math and 49th in reading. And the article does not (directly) mention CA’s unfunded pension liability of $500B. http://www.calwatchdog.com/2011/08/23/ca-admits-884-billion-unfunded-pensions/ The so called pension reform passed last month will save about $50B. The successful people the Dems want to tax more are the ones most able to move themselves and/or their income out of state. As happened in Maryland, Oregon and Illinois, the successful people will move themselves and/or their income out of California. CA has to compete with other states and counties for business and investment. Imagine what would happen if California made itself the best place to start or expand a business instead of one of the worst.
Gregory Brittain September 15, 2012 at 03:03 am
Dem politicians always set up their tax increases by claiming we’ll have to cut public safety and education if you voters don’t agree to increase taxes. For some reason, they never threaten to cut welfare (CA has 33% of the nation’s welfare recipients with 12% of nation’s population), or benefits for illegal immigrants, or overly generous salaries and pension benefits for government employees.
I almost wish CA voters approve Dems’ tax increases. That will teach a valuable lesson to CA voters and all of America about increasing taxes. Just remember who was for the tax increases and who was against the tax increases. Dems and the government employee unions are responsible for Prop 30 and deserve all of the credit or all of blame for the results.
David Rempel September 15, 2012 at 07:21 am
Counting the dollars, its 28 million against and 5 million for Prop 32, with the top 5 donors against being the public unions and the top 5 donors for being private individuals. Pretty obvious how important this is to the unions, and how opposed the interests of the union and the private individual are. Yet the brainwashed think anything with a union label must be good. http://votersedge.org/california/ballot-measures/2012/november/prop-32
Claire Frémont September 15, 2012 at 11:11 pm
Cap all public employee's benefits, with the exemption of police and firefighters, to levels equal of those in the private sector. Ask to have Jerry Brown's head examined if he cannot grasp the concept.
SBSWZ September 16, 2012 at 01:27 am
brown's brain is empty...how can you examine emptiness?
Claire Frémont September 16, 2012 at 07:52 pm
Oh, I don't think it is all empty space, there must be a few cells carrying images of campaign contributions, and possibly an image of a Kardashian girl under the mistletoe. Since our tax dollars paid for the Hubble Telescope, I suggest we ask that it be redirected at Sacramento for just one day. Then posters can be made and sold of what is actually inside of that head, creating at least a few jobs hopefully non-union of course, and giving us all a bang for our tax bucks.

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Photo Credit Sustainable Redlands
Gregory Brittain May 21, 2013 at 10:01 am
If you want to know what "sustainablity" is really about, come hear Rosa Koire at RedlandsRead More Townhall on May 23, 6:30 pm at the American Legion Hall, 814 W. Colton Avenue. "Sustainability" is UN Agenda 21.
Gregory Brittain May 21, 2013 at 10:03 am
“Sustainability” = UN Agenda 21 = less liberty and less prosperity. One of the bestRead More sources is self-described “liberal democrat,” “feminist,” “lesbian” Rosa Koire and her book “Behind the Green Mask: U.N. Agenda 21.” For more information, please see: http://www.postsustainabilityinstitute.org/ http://www.democratsagainstunagenda21.com/ http://www.democratsagainstunagenda21.com/uploads/4/4/6/6/4466371/why_is_everyone_talking_about_un_agenda_21.pdf http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UDtCb45Lqt0 If the U.N. is involved, it can’t be good for America and it can’t be good for liberty. Liberty is not a value of the Left.
3rdPartyJoe May 16, 2013 at 11:31 pm
Usually I'd start with how teachers should be paid in line with their students grades, but for nowRead More I'll just suggest going to the .99 cent stores. You can get everything from 100 packs of #2 pencils to college ruled notebooks and binders, to pens and highlighters. We go there weekly and send boxes of school supplies, crayons and coloring books to our troops in Afghanistan to help them befriend the locals. The biggest score is cans of party string that usually go for $5. They spray it into a room and the streamers will hang on any tripwires without setting off the bomb. And try asking the store manager if corporate might be willing to throw in 2 for the price of one or a bakers dozen on highly stocked items if you can get several other teaches to also shop there. It never hurts to ask.
Susana Leija May 23, 2013 at 12:34 pm
I have shopped at Staples for years and have yet gotten a so-called reward. Why the change of heartRead More now? The school supplies are overpriced anyway. I get things really inexpensively at Walmart right before school starts. There is no limit as to how many things one can buy like there is at Staples.
History & Reason May 23, 2013 at 07:37 am
Look at that. A turn style. Hey where'd the party go?