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Sunday, November 29, 2009 - Posts
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Our daughter Brooke and her good friend Jessica spent a good portion of the day
(Sunday) volunteering at the Animal Rescue of Fresno. (A.R.F. – for short)
They helped take care of a several pets and even helped a couple find Read More
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Valley Animal Shelters –
‘No Vacancy’
Pets are expensive.
And unfortunately, the recession
is proving to be costly for pets and families. Some families are being forced to give up their pets. And for the pets that’s a death Read More
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Oakdale – Expressway –
Bumpy Road
What’s that saying you can
please some of the people some of the time, but you can’t please all of the
people all of time?
Or something like that.
Anyway when it comes to
building a new expressway through Read More
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Animal Control – Kern
County
After a long debate, it
looks like the county's animal control laws are changing – but just a little
bit.
The county Animal Control
Commission has apparently settled on a plan and just a few changes in existing Read More
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California - New Appraisal
Rules – Who wins?
Some new appraisal rules
are causing some concerns in certain parts of the state. Some real estate agents aren’t happy. But how will those new rules impact
you? And are Read More
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Is there a Doctor in the
County?
Forget about health care
reform. How about just getting
more doctors into rural parts of California. (The need is great in parts of the
Valley) Some say it’s a tall order
and worry about Read More
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Valley Residents - More H1N1
Vaccine
This is good news, as we
approach the holidays. It looks
like more H1N1 flu vaccine will soon arrive for San Joaquin County. Health officials got another batch and
plan to resume inoculatingresidents soon. Read More
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Bass: The Bain of Our
Water Woes?
Some contend that bass
fish are the culprit in the state’s water problems in the Delta. According to a new report, Bass have grown in population at the expense of salmon and other fish.
Read More
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‘Zero-Energy’ Construction
– Does it Add Up?
Here a new term for us: Zero
energy buildings.
The idea is that buildings
should produce as much energy as they use. (Solar, wind etc) The good news is
it looks like theSacramento Read More
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Kern County – Goes Green –
With Uncle Sam..
Remember that massive $787
billion federal stimulus package?
Well, some of that cash is
suppose to spur new renewable energy programs. That’s good news for Kern County, which could cash-in Read More
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Valley – Cut Building Fees
= More Building?
In Modesto officials are
talking a look at perhaps lowering development fees. The idea is if the fees are lower – more developers
might build in the Modesto area.
See it – Read More
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When Pensions lose – Tax
Payers pay twice
The Bakersfield
Californian has a good editorial on the rising cost of pensions and whether or
not taxpayers – should have a greatersay in how they’re managed. (Because
after all Read More
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Fresno State – Takes a
pounding
The entire California
State University System is taking anther big financial hit from the state. Which is leading to more tuition hikes - fee hikes – fewer classes and faculty furloughs.
Is there Read More
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Fresno Pensions – Living
Big
Expensive pension programs
are a growing burden, not just for the city of Fresno but the entire
state. (The Bee shows how some are
retired and making $100,000 to $170,000 per year)
Keep Read More
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Court Furloughs - Stanislaus
Like other courthouses
here in California the Stanislaus courthouse is closed the third Wednesday of
every month.
The goal is to save
hundreds of millions of dollars.
The result is longer lines
when Read More
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What are the odds?
‘Senator’ Carly Fiorina
Carly Fiorina has a
growing base in her quest to become a U.S. Senator from California. She also has her share of detractors.
See it – Link it:
San Jose Mercury News article
Read More
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‘Repair California’ – Who
are they?
If you’ve heard about the
efforts to hold a Constitutional Convention here in California but wondered who
and what the forces are behind it then read this article in the Sacramento Bee.
It Read More
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Water package – Mirage or
Miracle?
Next year we’ll all get to
vote on that $11 billion dollar water bond package past be state
lawmakers. Some believe the bill
won’t pass others think it has to.
Either way, there’s a lot Read More
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Valley Hospice Care – Its
about Living
The Visalia Times has a
good article on how hospice care can be misunderstood by some people. That hospice care isn’t just about dying.
See it – Link it:
Visalia Times-Delta Read More
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The Hidden Cost of
Diabetes
It’s a sad fact of our
society these days, but more and more Americans are obese. And many say there is a connection
between obesity and diabetes. New figures show with the number Read More
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U.S. Oil Production - Gusher?
It’s hardly a gusher, but
crude oil production is on the way up.
Way up. This year some
estimates show U.S. oil production is up about 40%. That’s the biggest one-year bump since 1970.
Read More
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UC – Priced out of the
Market?
With the latest round of
price hikes (32%) for the University of California system some are wondering if
the education is worth the cost?
Or at more than $10,000 a year if another school systems offers Read More
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Ceres Police – Pocket Big
Bucks
Thanks to the federal
government’s stimulus package the Ceres Police department is collecting about $470,000 in grant money.
(That works out to three
jobs for two years) See it - Link it:
Read More
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Cash for: Kitchen Clunkers
It’s pretty much
guaranteed that this program won’t be as popular (or as expensive to tax
payers) but the federal government is working on cash for Kitchen
Clunkers. ($300 million)
The appliance Read More
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Valley Home Prices - Up
and down... again
Depending on where you
live here in the valley the value of your home is either flat or up slightly.
(In Stanislaus and Merced
counties prices are sort of flat)
But in San Joaquin County – Read More
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Farmers – Paid for Water ad
Turns out a group of
farmers and not some Newport Beach group paid for an advertisement – that took
aim at the valley’s water problems and the connection to the Delta.
The ad blames some of the
problems Read More
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IRS - Lien against
Schwarzenegger
This is not the kind of
publicity any politician would want.
The IRS has a $79-K lien against
Governor Schwarzenegger.
See it – Link it:
LA Times article
Read More
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FAT – To Yosemite
On one level I could see
this working.But then again in
these tough economic times, it’s hard to see justifying the $50 thousand
dollars to study the matter. The
idea is to have direct bus service from Read More
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California - Habitat for
Humanity – Home Flippers?
Well, I guess you could
say there is one small benefit to the tough housing market nonprofit groups
like Habitat for Humanity are cashing-in on some foreclosed homes. They fix Read More
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Lake Tahoe – More Building
= Less Carbon Emissions?
Some want to tear down the
Tahoe Biltmore Lodge and Casino.
That sounds like it would
lead to less carbon emissions right?
But, then they want to
build another $140 million more ‘eco-friendly’ Read More
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Truckers Clean-up their
acts - Los Angeles - Long Beach
Starting next year diesel
truck at the ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach will have to clean up their
acts. Older trucks will be banned,
and other will have to comply with tough Read More
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