Category: In the News

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forget wikileaks because nbc leaks is funnier

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5ojXV26_YAc&NR=1[/youtube]

To be fair, the internet, email and rudimentary websites had only been around a few years (4) when Catie Couric was attempting to describe the internet; however, she should have known more, much much more . Back in San Luis Obispo, we had only been accessing our email from home starting in early 1992.  And does anyone remember  Prodigy?  Prodigy was one of the early web service provider that opened the door for many others.  Soon, the more adventurous were learning basic computer languages then HTML and finally building their own sites.

Our daughter  Karen had started her first website in 1995 as an unofficial  Val Kilmer fan site which evolved though her athletic, academic and professional experiences. In high school, it was a great way for college coaches to see what she was doing without breaking any of those vaunted NCAA rules!

Going back a little farther, I also remember in the very early 80’s that a computer ‘upgrade’ required knowledge and use of a soldering iron. Do you remember the first innovative 5 1/4 floppy, and daisy wheel printers? The ‘typewritter’ was on the way out! Imagine my surprise when computer alterations and up grades became plug and play! We are very spoiled today with advances in technology and the abundance of information.

However, the NBC video brings home a tragic truth about how far behind many formerly great institutions  have dropped since their once great leadership roles. It’s not only the traditional media that has fallen woefully behind, but also many academic institutions in responding to and understanding new media applications and the changing realities and expectations governing our world.

Although I will resist making any comments like “NBC News saw a huge increase in it’s audience with the vintage leaked footage on Youtube“…. it reminds me how really long ago that I had any reason to watch ABC, CBS or NBC…. and I am really not alone. The target audience of these stations is getting older and older. It’s not just demographic changes but lack of content that is killing the old ways.

BTW, I would like to thank the poor  NBC employee who was fired over the leak and I wish them well… however, any PR professional worth anything could have given them advice on how to handle this better and … maybe …make it a plus… but NBC is very old school and they have forgotten  that the world has changed, offering information to the public has become competitive and what you do privately ( as in firing employees) will be seen by all quicker than you can say YouTube.

Roger Freberg

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‘rockmelt’ not your 20th century web browser

the ROCKMELT browser wants to set the world on fire... CLICK to read more about this very interesting startup!

Our family — including me — loves new things that stimulate thought… and are FUN! The RockMelt browser seems like an answer to a highly fractured web with a one-stop-shop approach that seems intriguing. 

The really funny thing is that this has been publicised for 18 hours and I thought I might have beaten  Karen  out with the news… but I just checked her blog and there it is!!

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in california, it is legislation by ballot

In California, legislation by ballot is more and more becoming a necessity CLICK on the picture about the extraordinary measure now before the San Luis Obispo City Council

This November represents , more than any time I can remember, a battle between individual citizens vs.  incumbant politicians and their beneficiaries. One critic of democracy stated that a tipping point is reached when those who profit from government spending exceed — in power and influence — those who can provide the resources for that spending…. then the system changes. As for me, I try not to be too cynical, but a real problem exists when one party and one system controls the counting of the ballots.

Personally, I can understand how hard it is for those who enter politics to maintain a perspective over time. It is often easier to just get along. Some historians trace this back to President Andrew “old hickory stick” Jackson who “invented” both the “campaign” and the “campaign promise.”  In traveling the country, he would place a hickory stick at every road intersection with his name etched or painted, hence the moniker. In addition, he would promise every voter what they wanted to hear, whether or not he planned to deliver on said promise. Today, many politicians haven’t strayed too far from this approach to politics and this is real troubling for those who have to “feed the beast.” Many California cities are approaching real bankruptsy and the monsterous $100 Billion unfunded pension liability of the state casts a heavy shaddow on the future.  ( read my blog on this subject.)

When California’s Proposition 13 became law and maintained the dream of home ownership, politicians and their interests had to become more resourceful in the pursuit of ‘revenue enhancement.” It has taken them some time, but they found that they could raise certain fees without the consent tof the ‘governed.’ Many fees were originally set to cover the basic costs of the service provided, but it has now become an ‘opportunity.’ If you wanted to pour a short replacement driveway  for your home, it might cost you $2000 in labor and materials; however, the ‘permit fees’ to the city might cost you an additional $2400. There was a time in California and still in most of the country where there are few fees — if any– fees associated with ‘flatwork.’

The State of California, the counties and many of it’s cities are once again facing huge shortfalls ( real and budgetary — there is a difference) and want to distract the voters long enough to pass the November 2nd election and resume a program of aggressive revenue enhancement.

Here’s a link to what should be on the 2012 Ballot in San Luis Obispo as it has already been submitted for certification.  BTW, Thomas Jefferson had a remarkable quote that may seem quaint to some… but will ressonate with others and I prefer to end this blog on a positive note:

“In matters of fashion, swim with the current.

In matters of conscience, stand like a rock.”

                                         Thomas Jefferson

 Vote on November 2nd

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what your cities won’t tell you at election time

California Cities have found a loop hole: RAISE FEES!
California Cities have found a loop hole to raise more money: RAISE FEES!

 Years ago, Californians attempted to limit the growth of statewide government spending by placing a cap on how much one’s property tax could be raised in any year. However, local governments not satisfied with living within their means and buffeted by internal pressures; they exploited a loop hole. Simply put, all ‘revenue enhancement’ was in the form of raising the fees for many activities well beyond the original cover-their-cost intent. All one has to do is look at a comparison of how much it costs to offer a service and how much is charged for the service. For example, water and trash collection fees have been highly inflated as well as cell phone ‘taxes’ in which the cities have no real cost or negliable.

The problem of increased fee’s is mainly a symptom of poor management. Local governments have inflated each others salaries beyond reason ( review case of the City of Bell). In our town San Luis Obispo, California of roughly a mere 40,000 people we have a city manager who makes over $300,000 a year not including perks. Our little county ended up having to fire it’s  chief and second in command  for — what I would call — lapses in ethical judgement. In the midst of the worst economy in history, they are still hiring!

So are we surprised at what is currently on the November Ballot??

California Ballot Measures related to City and State Finance
California Ballot Measures related to City and State Finance CLICK on the picture above to get the entire report

So, here we are.  However, we have not discussed the giant financial crisis that looms ahead. Cities have what are called  ‘unfunded liabilities.’  These are obligations — many related to retirements past and future — that are growing exponentially. Some cities have chosen or looking at  bankrupsy and defaulting  on all their retirement benefits rather than face the voters and the unpleasant realities early in the process. What this means is that a retirement isn’t just scaled back, but cut to zero.

So here are a few questions I would think would be fundamental to ask today’s candidates for local office:

  1. What are your plans to manage the projected revenue shortfalls?
  2. Do you believe that raising fees is key to solving fiscal shortfalls?
  3. Do you support citizen effort to bring fee requests for a public vote?

I am sure there are many other worthwhile questions to ask… but these need to be answered first.

November 2nd isn’t that far off!

Roger

________________________

More Reading:

“The two largest pension funds in California, the California Public Employees’ Retirement System (CalPERS) and the California State Teachers’ Retirement System (CalSTRS), have lost billions of dollars in value. Hundreds of thousands of retiring state employees and teachers now face the stark choice of accepting much reduced pension checks or working past their retirement age.”

“How bad is it? It’s this bad. A new Stanford study indicates that the State of California’s unfunded liability for its three largest public employee pension systems will grow to half a trillion dollars by 2025. Is there any better example of the tyranny of government, that it would plunder the wealth of several generations of Californians. With these results, how can anyone justify electing the same people over and over again to the California Assembly?”

“While it surely is not the preferred method of dealing with financial shortfalls, the approval by the Vallejo City council to change their firefighter pension agreement may set the tone for the rest of our state. Sadly, Vallejo had to file for bankruptcy protection before organized labor saw the handwriting on the wall….”

““We found the city’s system of internal control to be nonexistent, as all financial activities and transactions revolved around one individual, the former chief administrative officer, who had complete control and discretion over how city funds were used,” the auditors wrote.”

“An investigation by California Watch early this year found the state’s local governments and tow companies generated an estimated $40 million from checkpoint impounds in 2009. Many of the unlicensed drivers who lose their cars at checkpoints are illegal immigrants. The Cedillo measure was touted as an anti-corruption provision since police officers in Bell, near Los Angeles, admitted last month that the city used revenue from impounds to pay top officials massive salaries. Bell police referred to checkpoints as “tow-a-thons,” says former Sgt. James Corcoran, who investigated corruption issues in the city.” 

They also have a facebook page which can be useful

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surfs up on flipboard

flipboard for ipad
Flipboard for iPad is UNBELIEVABLE! CLICK on the picture above to read about it!

My daughter Karen  first turned me on to FLIPBOARD; but unfortunately for me, at the time, flipboard was swamped!  It was like a million people trying to rush through a very small door… and they put me on their waiting list! Today, I was sent a kind email saying that my turn came up… and I rushed to the iPad to log it all in!

With Flipboard you can read all of the social media sites you wish to keep up on! For me that is twitter and facebook! On facebook, I can keep up with friends and family… and then follow a small group of friends and other culinary folks on twitter!

reading facebook on flipboard
zooming in on a picture or a message is easy! Here I am reading a comment of Laura's

However, iPad jealousy is a sad thing! The critics of the iPad sound all too much like the folks who originally dissed the personal computer, the lap top and the smart phone. Some people just hate technology and the social connectivity that it offers all of us. Some understand that information is power and they really don’t want us to share and connect… let’s face it, some folks just don’t want you to have fun! In the meantime, flipboard for ipad is a wonderful addition to the social media experience!