Archive for January 2008

Our picks for the February 5 election

United States of America, The Earth - Well, Super-Tuesday, the massive primary voting day is near, and I have compiled a list of endorsements from the Full Value headquarters here in sunny So Cal. Listed below are ideas, people and visions we support. Take a moment to read them and ponder if they are also right for you.

Democrat for President - Hillary Clinton. We believe she has the credentials to lead the country from day one in a smooth and effective manner for the benefit of the entire country.

Republican for President - John McCain OR Ron Paul. Based on hearing all the candidates speak thus far, the only choices that make sense for our great nation are McCain or Paul. It kind of depends on what you believe in, but both are worthy of your vote if your a Republican.


Wildomar Cityhood - YES! We feel that cityhood for Wildomar is good for the entire region, most specifically to gain local control of tax dollars. You should also vote for Menifee cityhood if it makes in on the November ballot.

Prop 91 - NO! Prop 91 reduces the stability of public transit funds, and that is something we don’t believe in. Reducing our nations dependence on foreign oil is crucial to rebuilding our econemy. It is also a keystone of improving and hopefully reversing the effects of global warming. Public transit helps increase local jobs and get cars off the road.

Prop 92 - NO! Prop 92 is silly considering the recent budget shortfall.

Prop 93 - NO. Forcing legislators to retire if they are serving their communities well is not a sound idea. If people are not happy with the people who serve them, then vote them out at the next election, don’t require a person to leave office, or not be able to run for another state office because he or she has previously served.

Props 94, 95, 96 and 97 - Yes. Although I do not fully support these agreements because of the lack of specificity as to where the money should be spent, getting money into the state coffers to help with the budget shortfall is at least one small step in the right direction.

Prop S - No. Most anything that Mayor Villaraigosa supports, we would oppose. Taxing the phone lines and VoIP phone services is a crock of cr*p. Vote no.

Montel Williams Loses Job after Defending Troops on Fox News

by Brandon Friedman

Wed Jan 30, 2008 at 11:39:14 PM PST

For just over three minutes on Saturday morning, TV talk show host, Montel Williams, owned the hosts of Fox and Friends. A former Marine and Naval officer, Montel lectured the stunned hosts on the stupidity of spending air time on the death of Heath Ledger, rather than covering the war in Iraq. It was a spectacle rarely seen on live cable television, as Montel exposed and condemned both tabloid “news” shows and much of American culture for what they have each become: shallow and greedy.


Three minutes into this awkward segment on Fox, one host cut off Montel, in order to go to a commercial. Montel did not return after the break. Four days later, after 17 years as a television host, Montel lost his job. Variety reported on Wednesday that the fate of “The Montel Williams Show” was sealed when key Fox-owned stations opted not to renew it for the 2008-09 season. I have no idea whether Montel already knew his show wasn’t going to be renewed, and thus felt emboldened to cut loose on the air, or whether his firing was a result of his actions on Saturday. Either way, Montel Williams exhibited courage this week that few in the television industry ever will. And for that, American troops around the world stand with him. We support him not only because he stood up for the troops, but because he did it on Fox News—a station that has done more damage to the U.S. military since 9/11 than any other.

Montel Williams is an American patriot. Though he left the military years ago, he has never forgotten “his” troops.

For that we salute and thank you, Montel. Best of luck with whatever you choose to do next.

Source: Daily Kos: The State of the Nation

SHOW ME (where) THE MONEY (goes)!!

WHAT IS A BILLION anyway??

Recently in a local story by Peter Surowsky, it was noted that Lake Elsinore, CA was going to have to cut their school budget by 10% across the board. This struck me because the neighboring towns of Murrieta and Temecula just doled out a butt-load of cash on stuff ($117K and $171K respectively). Then I read where Big Arnie, the Governator is stating that California, as a whole, is operating in the red, (hint taxes may have to be raised, again).


Since the state California has the 6th largest economy in the world and collects a billion dollars a day just on property taxes alone (before the ‘housing crisis’ which was brought on by the US spending/sending a billion dollars a week to Iraq, the real reason the fighting has gone down somewhat), I wondered just how much money it takes to run this state, which spends more than 190 other whole countries around the world. So before I show just how big a billion anything is, here is a list of the other taxes that push California’s revenue past the billion-dollars-a-day mark.

Accounts Receivable Tax
Building Permit Tax
CDL License Tax
Cigarette Tax
Corporate Income Tax
Dog License Tax
Federal Income Tax
Federal Unemployment Tax (FUTA)
Fishing License Tax
Food License Tax
Fuel Permit Tax
Gasoline Tax
Hunting License Tax
Inheritance Tax
Inventory Tax
IRS Interest Charges (tax on top of tax),
IRS Penalties (tax on top of tax),
Liquor Tax,
Luxury Tax,
Marriage License Tax,
Medicare Tax,
Property Tax,
Real Estate Tax,
Service Charge Tax,
Social Security Tax,
Road Usage Tax (Truckers),
Sales Tax,
Recreational Vehicle Tax,
School Tax,
State Income Tax,
State Unemployment Tax (SUTA),
Telephone Federal Excise Tax,
Telephone Federal Universal Service Fee Tax,
Telephone Federal, State and Local Surcharge Tax,
Telephone Minimum Usage Surcharge Tax,
Telephone Recurring and Non-recurring Charges Tax,
Telephone State and Local Tax,
Telephone Usage Charge Tax,
Utility Tax,
Vehicle License Registration Tax,
Vehicle Sales Tax,
Watercraft Registration Tax,
Well Permit Tax,
Workers Compensation Tax.

Not one of these taxes existed 100 years ago, and our nation was the most prosperous in the world.
We had absolutely no national debt, had the largest middle class in the world, and Mom stayed home to raise the kids.
What happened? POLITICIANS!So where does the money go and how can the state’s populace get a general accounting of it? Is there so much graft and corruption that it is completely out of control? How much is a billion anyway?

A. A billion seconds ago it was 1959.
B. A billion minutes ago Jesus was alive.
C. A billion hours ago our ancestors were living in the Stone Age.
D. A billion days ago no-one walked on the earth on two feet.

BUT
A billion dollars ago was only 8 hours and 20 minutes, at the rate our government is spending it.
While this thought is still fresh in our brain, let’s take a look at New Orleans. It’s amazing what you can learn with some simple division.
Louisiana Senator, Mary Landrieu, is presently asking the Congress for $250 BILLION to rebuild New Orleans. Interesting number –what does it mean?

A. Well, if you are one of 484,674 residents of New Orleans (every man, woman, child), you each get $516,528.
B. Or, if you have one of the 188,251 homes in New Orleans, your home gets $1,329,787.
C. Or, if you are a family of four, your family gets $2,066,012.

‘Once I built a railroad, made it run on time. Hey brother, can you spare a dime?’

Arrests made in string of Temecula Valley robberies, suspects found in Las Vegas

Murrieta, California - The Riverside County Sheriffs Department announced today that arrests have been made in the string of local robberies at local restaurants and a Bank of America in the French Valley area. On January 19,Joshua Labs 2008 at about 910am, deputies from the Southwest Sheriff Station responded to a bank robbery that had just occurred at the Bank of America located in the 30600 block of Benton Road in French Valley. The investigation revealed that two males had entered the bank wearing ski masks, produced a handgun and robbed the bank of an undisclosed amount of cash. They were last seen fleeing the location on foot. Detectives from the Southwest Station responded to the bank and assumed the investigation.


Since that time, sheriff investigators have been pursuing an assortment of leads developed from numerous sources, including neighboring police departments who themselves have been investigating similar robberies within their jurisdictions. Subsequent information led investigators to focus their attention in the Las Vegas area, as it was believed the suspects were possibly staying in or around that area. Investigators notified Las Vegas authorities and provided them with information as to the suspects whereabouts.

David Alcaire Jr.On January 28, 2007, the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department located and arrested the suspects inside a local casino on the Las Vegas strip. Investigators from the Southwest Sheriff Station responded to Las Vegas at which time they obtained a search warrant for the suspects motel room and vehicle. Subsequent to the search, investigators recovered a large amount of cash believed to be stolen from the Bank of America robbery as well as other items of evidential value.

The suspects were identified as local residents - 25 yr. old David Alcaire Jr. of Winchester and 26 yr. old Joshua Labs of French Valley.The investigation also determined that the suspects were responsible for at least three other robberies in this area, including an attempt robbery at a Carls Jr. in Temecula on Dec. 29, 2007, a robbery at a Subway restaurant in Sun City on Jan. 10 and at a Carls. Jr. in Murrieta on Jan. 14.

The suspects are being held in the Las Vegas Metro Jail pending extradition proceedings and this investigation is still continuing. Anybody with information on these robberies is encouraged to contact the Riverside Sheriff’s Department at 951-696-3000.

Suspect Sought in Temecula Murder, photo available

Temecula, California - The Riverside County Sheriff’s Department Central Homicide Unit is searching for Jose Carmelo Torres,Jose Torres age 24, in connection to the murder of Mike Montanez on January 13 2008 at about 540pm.

The suspect, Jose Torres, goes by the moniker, “Minor,” and has been known to frequent the cities of Temecula, Wildomar and Fallbrook. On January 13, 2007, about 5:40 PM, the Temecula Police Department received numerous reports of a gunshot heard at the 42200 block of Moraga Road, City of Temecula.

Within minutes officers arrived on scene and located a male adult near the parking lot, later identified as Mike Montanez. Mr Montanez was suffering from a gunshot wound and was later pronounced deceased at 6:01 PM.


Officers established a perimeter around the apartment complex in search of Torres, whose location is still unknown. Torres is a Hispanic male, 5′08″ 120 pounds, with black hair and brown eyes. Torres is considered to be armed and dangerous. If anyone has further information about Jose Torres, please contact Investigator LeClair at (760) 578-2099 or the Riverside Sheriff’s Dispatch Center at (951) 776-1099.