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Montebello E-News

 June 15, 2009

Successful politicians are insecure and intimidated men. They advance politically only as they placate, appease, bribe, seduce, bamboozle or otherwise manage to manipulate the demanding and threatening elements in their constituencies.
Walter Lippman

(What does this say about the way in which our democracy operates?)

1.  Announcements

2.  Where Lies the Truth?

3. About Montebello E-News and “My Montebello”

Our library is chasing Starbucks.  There is quite a bit going on at the Montebello library, 1550 West Beverly Boulevard, Montebello, 323.722.6551.  On Wednesday I met a friend to discuss charity matters and was able to use “wi-fi” with his laptop computer, meaning that I could get the Internet without sitting at one of the library computers and without having to plug into anything.  While I have stopped eating candy, you could buy candy at the library.  You no longer put coin into the copy machine;  you put money into your library account and then use your library card to make copies.

The library puts out a monthly calendar June which you can pick up when you visit.  There are a number of events in June.  Here is a summary:

·        Saturday, June 13, 2 p.m.  Teen comedy workshop.  Do you think you’re funny and could be a comedian?  Robert Chavez, a professional comedian, will be offering a comedy workshop for teens. ...

·        Beginning June 22 and going through August 22, the library has a teen summer reading program.  “Bolt”, the movie, will be shown on Monday, June 22, at 4 p.m.;  “Enchanted”, the movie, will be shown on Monday, June 29, at 4 p.m.

·        Tuesday, June 23, 6:30 p.m., family fun night, make your own book.

·        Wednesday, June 24, 9:30 a.m., toddler story time.

·        Thursday, June 25, 3 p.m., storytelling and music by Karen Golden.

·        Saturday, June 27, 10:30 a.m., preschool story time.

·        Saturday, June 27, 2 p.m., Hikari Taiko.

·        Tuesday, June 30, 2 p.m., “Sending Flowers to America” slide show.

·        Tuesday, June 30, 6:30 p.m., family fun night, Fourth of July celebration.

In July and August, there will be other events.

With all this activity, our library has a problem, the budget cut which might come from Sacramento in light of our state budget deficit.  I was given a flyer when I last visited the library:  “Call or e-mail today.  Tell them, ‘Leave local funds local.’  Do not invoke Prop 1A borrowing to balance the state budget.  If the legislature uses Prop 1A borrowing, the County Library as a special district, will be forced to drastically reduce hours, services and books.  Contact Governor’s office, 916.445.2841 or www.gov.ca.gov/interact ;  Assembly Speaker Karen Bass, 916.319.2047 or speaker.bass@assembly.ca.gov ;  Senate President Pro tem Darrell Steinberg, 916.651.4006 or senator.steinberg@senate.ca.gov  .

Father’s Day dinner.  Friday, June 12, 7 p.m.  Organized by the Armenian Relief Society Ani chapter.  $35 per adult, $15 per child under 13.  For more information, Elo Khanjian, 562.948.2390.

The value of fast Internet.  Having fast Internet at home is not an extravagance, although we can waste much time because of fast Internet.  I invite you to see a video, two fourteen year-olds and one fifteen year-old singing “O sole mio”, an Italian classic:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FqUkUjeF4-c

Physicians for a National Health Program, “PNHP”, wants a single-payer health program for all Americans, which would ensure that all Americans be covered regardless of ability to pay.  Such a program is strongly opposed by the health industry, because profit would be reduced and jobs would be lost.  Recently, a physician was arrested because she protested aloud, during a Congressional committee hearing, that the single-payer option was not getting a fair hearing.  Here is an interesting footnote to this debate:

A new study by PNHP co-founders Drs. David Himmelstein and Steffie Woolhandler showing that 62.1 percent of all bankruptcies in 2007 were linked to medical bills or illness, up from 49.6 percent in 2001, is coming out in today's American Journal of Medicine, also known as "the Green Journal" ...  June 4, 2009