By Samuel Strait – Reporter at Large – August 2, 2022

We have raced past so many Cliff endings, leftist end of the world
scenarios that my head can’t keep up with the latest hysterical
screechings of a leftist climate porn elitist.  Seems we do not have to
worry about “war with China”, or even with Russia.  Looks like our
proverbial “bacon is already fried”, at least according to a recent
article in the UK’s Guardian summarizing the findings in a recently
published book by Bill McGuire.  This is a man who fancy’s himself as an
“expert” in these things.  McGuire, who is an emeritus professor of
witchcraft and magic, err, geophysical and climate hazards at University
College, whereever do they get these titles, has lowered the boom on
mankind claiming we are all doomed.  There is no going back, end of the
line Jack, we are all toast.  Except of course, if only we toe the line
and recognize our “peril” we can “head off” our demise.

Wait a minute, “head off our demise”?  His book clearly states that it
is impossible.  We are past time for that.  No more worrying about
inflation, war, rising crime, abortions, famine, and a hundred other
things that people worry about.  His claims must have progressive/
leftists hysterical with grief.  No time to change the world, right all
the wrongs in the United States and the World.  Just time enough for
that end of the world “blow out”!  We must all get to partying, because
there is no tomorrow. Of course when Professor McGuire turns out to be
wrong, I doubt he will apologize any time soon.

Getting back to earth, you know it as reality, and not the fantasy world
Mr. McGuire lives in, weather in August is, at least in the Northern
Hemisphere, hot.  Rain storms and flooding in the Mid West are not all
that uncommon.  It is called “weather”.  The West, if it does experience
hot weather and low rainfall, has a tendency towards being dry.  Water
stored in reservoirs tends to be a necessity if you want to wash your
car or water your lawn, something our Democratically elected Governor,
Gavin Newsom, seems unacquainted with and has failed miserably to
provide.  Fire has and always will be a fact of life in most areas that
do not manage their forests and brush lands properly.  All of these
basic facts are readily available to peruse, providing people can break
away from their reliance on propaganda readily offered by media hacks,
academia “experts”, and fools like Gavin Newsom.  Seems that we might
have a few good years left before we have to begin the “end of the
world” celebrations.

In the meantime here on the local scene, there are a few things that we
can be doing to make all of our lives more pleasant and perhaps keep a
few more dollars in our pockets, not wasted by our local politicians on
their skewed vision of what is necessary for us a “small rural” County
to survive on.  In November, Measures “U” and “T” will be on the ballot
to reduce sales tax in the County and the City.   By voting YES on both
measures this could be a reality.  Both governments have used money from
the tax increase in an irresponsible manner to widen the gap between
those that have, and those that do not.  Those in the City passed their
sales tax increase by a wide margin, nearly two to one, not
understanding that what they have done is increase the inflationary
burden on all their fellow citizens for things that are not necessities
or will ever solve our basic service deficit. City and County leaders
have used the sales tax increase to satisfy their wants and needs to be
seen as “important” in the community.   The showy results and increased
levels and costs of government for the past year and a half have not
satisfied the needs that the community who elected them wished for them
to accomplish.

We, as a community, cannot afford to offer raises and employ more
government officials to be competitive with other jurisdictions, because
it causes an imbalance between those that are in government service and
those that are not.  We cannot afford to “create” showy monuments to
government that are not used or can be properly maintained in the
future.  Our “needs” must be more balanced to offer the necessities, not
the show pieces that are being “planned” around Beach Front Park.  Law
enforcement, fire protection, and emergency services must be affordable
rather than “grand gestures” of futility, that make no pretense of
“getting any better”.  For they have not gotten any better.

There has been over $4,000,000.00 removed from this community’s pockets
in one year to create “show” places of little use to most of us,
substantial raises for City and County employees, and the hiring of more
high dollar employees that we have for years managed to do without. 
There has been little effort on the part of those that “represent us” to
understand what is a useful expense to the community and what is not.  
Until we have such leadership it is important to send a message to those
that claim the title of representing us by voting YES on Measures “U”
and “T” to reduce the tax burden on all of us in Del Norte County.
Perhaps we all might just have enough in our pockets if the world does
happen to go over a cliff in the foreseeable future to have that final
celebration.