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Note: Rep. Dana Rohrabacher is not, to our knowledge, a thuggish neo-fascist. He’s just a thuggish thug.
I’m going to do something now that I don’t think I’ve ever done before. I’m linking to Breitbart.com.
Specifically, to this story: Rohrabacher on Flag Burners: ‘You Can Kick Someone’s Ass Without Having to Call the Police’
Here, I’ll post the first paragraphs for those of you who worry about malware:
During a Wednesday morning discussion on burning the American flag, Rep. Dana Rohrabacher (R-CA) said to Breitbart News Daily SiriusXM host Raheem Kassam, “I would have to agree with Justice Scalia, who said government shouldn’t be the one enforcing those values.”
However, Rohrabacker added, “I would suggest that if someone is burning the flag, instead of calling the police and having the person arrested, someone might want to take some sort of action on their own part that does not risk that person’s life but at least … in some way, I don’t want to put it too harshly, but, you know, you can kick someone’s ass without having to call the police.
Thanks, Congressman! OK, a free “OJB Weekend Open Thread” tote bag — they’re capacious and imaginary! — to the first person who can explain how this is fundamentally different from “you don’t have to try to kick Rep. Rohrabacher’s ass, you know, you can always just torch his car”?
No wonder they won’t let minorities walk around carrying guns the way white people can. If you want to say that the argument is won by whoever has more power, you’d better be absolutely sure that the game is rigged.
This is your Weekend Open Thread. Talk about that, or whatever else you’d like, within reasonable bounds of discretion and — well, decorum has been pretty much shot to hell, hasn’t it? Within reasonable bounds of dignity.
P.S. If one burns the flag, can you have a sniper stationed nearby to aid with your self-defense if anyone does try to kick your ass? How does the concept of “self-defense” work in this example? It’s like Rohrabacher is daring people to set up ambushes. But OJB advises against that … at least … in some way.
Debbie Cook in VOC today, mainly on the Cadiz folly:
“…it just makes no sense to pay $1500 for something you can get for $600. But that’s what we will be doing if the OCWD board goes along with Anaheim’s OCWD representative, Councilman Jordan Brandman, who fast-tracked this item onto the OCWD agenda. Brandman was defeated in his re-election for city council.
“The Orange County Water District should deny entering into any agreement with Cadiz or at the very least, postpone their decision until the newly elected Anaheim City Council decides who they want representing them on the OCWD board. Hopefully they will choose someone who is willing to make a deep dive into the subject matter rather than just popping into a meeting long enough to promote dubious projects.”
GMTA http://voiceofoc.org/2016/12/cook-orange-county-water-district-should-distance-itself-from-the-cadiz-water-project/
good thing the new majority has removing jordan from the ocwd as one of their first priorities.
I believe they do, but you learn to believe things when they actually happen!
I don’t know that to be true, Paul. Is that just your hope and speculation?
He probably got it from me. Like I said, I would put money on it … but I’m used to being disappointed.
Vern, do you remember the process by which an OC water district was lead agency to review an EIR for a project in San Bernardino County?
It started with the development-gluttonous Santa Margarita Water Board, starring the always-compromised Roger Faubel. There were a lot of negotiations and votes, Debbie would know better how to explain the process.
Last thing any of us expected was Jordan trying to bring it to OCWD. But Cynthia discovered the connection between Cadiz, Kris Murray and Wildan.
“Cadiz, Kris Murray and Wildan.”
Shocking.
Still, somebody in San Berdoo was paid, and paid a lot to pass this CEQA ball to OC.
BTW, Santa Margarita Water District is a wholly owned subsidiary of Rancho Mission Viejo. This government entity only exists to develop RMV property. Period.
I remember, from doing that story four years ago, that they spent some time getting a group of paid-off county supervisors into office.
I don’t know if you’ve seen that or if it would be helpful at all, I’m not expert on the legalistic workings of that kinda stuff: http://www.orangejuiceblog.com/2012/07/cadiz-the-desert-water-pimps/
A little Orange Juice report from tonight’s (Dec 6) historic and marathon Santa Ana City Council meeting:
Michele Martinez and Mayor Pulido were both absent, Pulido with no excuse. A lot of shit was talked about Pulido, and how he always avoids meetings with controversial topics, and how he breaks laws with no regrets or compunctions, pays the fines, and gloats “I still got what I wanted.” Pulido’s absence was unanimously voted “UNEXCUSED” LOL! Also a lot of shit talked about the Police Association’s nearly successful coup of the Council – they now claim the allegiance of crooked Pulido, carpetbagging Solorio, and whoever it was that beat Roman Reyna. This was the last meeting of the 2015-16 Council – Roman’s last meeting, with Sarmiento presiding and Benavides, Amezcua and Tinajero. I still think Tinajero is the best.
Not having been to a Santa Ana meeting in a while, I was amazed to see dozens and dozens of young, articulate, Latino (and non-Latino) activists, 90% of whom I’d never seen before, unanimously speaking out for both Sanctuary City status and terminating the city’s contract with ICE. The Council was unanimously on the same page, but constrained to move a little slower than the people would have liked. A resolution naming Santa Ana a Sanctuary City was passed; the crowd wanted something stronger, an ORDINANCE, and they want it completed BEFORE Trump takes the Presidency Jan 20. An ordinance may not be legally possible by then, but this Council majority is hellbent on making it happen.
On ICE, a halfway measure was passed – the Santa Ana jail is going to reduce its capacity of ICE detainees from 200 to 128, in the process costing the city $663, 743 in federal funds annually. Speaker after speaker pointed out the absurd contradiction of a “Sanctuary City” continuing to have a contract with ICE at all. The goal of this majority is to eventually terminate the contract altogether (and Sal says ICE might do it themselves once they see it being cut down) – that is going to cost the city $2 million a year though, and where will it come from?
I stayed around to hear who Santa Ana’s next OC Water District rep would be, hoping it would be someone who would stand against Poseidon, or someone I could talk into standing against Poseidon. I hoped it would be Sal Tinajero, and worst-case scenario woulda been Solorio, except I quickly saw that this majority has nothing but contempt for Solorio. Disappointingly they picked Sarmiento, who was on OCWD a couple years ago and always voted in FAVOR of Poseidon. Well, we’ll have to get on his case about that.
I did NOT stay to hear them talk about moving to real district elections. District elections has turned out to be great in Anaheim for getting folks onto Council who could have never won at large. In Anaheim the lawsuit forcing district elections had to be framed in racial terms – for Latinos to get more representation. I was glad to see Santa Ana not having to go through that bullshit, but embracing district elections for the REAL reasons – making councilmembers more representative of their communities, making it six times less expensive to run, and making it so a candidate could actually knock on every door in their district.
Santa Ana sure is going through some good and radical changes, I tell you what!
I think that I’ll make this its own post.
This is now officially the worst of all worlds.
“Hillary Clinton’s ‘Corrupt Establishment’ Is Now Advising Donald Trump”
https://theintercept.com/2016/12/02/hillary-clintons-corrupt-establishment-is-now-advising-donald-trump/