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Montebello E-News

 July 15, 2010

"Write things worth reading, or do things worth the writing."

Benjamin Franklin

Would Facebook and the San Manuel casino qualify in Franklin's eyes?

1. Announcements
 2. Action, Reaction
3. About Montebello E-News and “My Montebello”

Coming events. The City of Montebello will offer low-cost vaccination for all community dogs and cats at one special "Vaccine-A-Thon" event held at the Montebello City Park between 9:00 a.m. and 12:00 noon on Saturday, July 31. ... The city's finance staff will be on hand to issue dog licenses for Montebello residents and assist participants with any questions or concerns. ... To participate, all dogs must be on leashes and cats in carriers. Any questions? Call (323) 887-1449 for more information. // The City of Montebello Parks and Recreation Department announced ... the schedule for this summer's concerts in the park. There will be five concerns this summer, beginning July 29 and ending on August 26. ... All concerts will begin at 6:30 p.m. and will be held in the band shell in city park, located on Whittier Boulevard and Taylor. For further information, call (323) 887-4540. From Spotlight on Montebello, June, 2010.

From our library. Our library prepares a monthly calendar, available to the public. For the rest of this month:  * toddler and preschool story time, 10 a.m., and teen movie, 2 p.m., Wednesday, July 14;  * YMCA speakers, "Get into the Swim", 3 p.m., Thursday, July 15;  * family fun night, 6:30 p.m., Tuesday, July 20;  * toddler and preschool story time, 10 a.m., and stamp club, everyone welcome, 5:30 p.m., Wednesday, July 21;  * Tony Daniels Magic Show, 3 p.m., Thursday, July 22;  * Friends of the Library book sale, 10 a.m. - 5 p.m., Saturday, July 24;  * adult summer reading club, 2 p.m., Tuesday, July 27;  * toddler and preschool story time, 10 a.m., and teen movie, 2 p.m., Wednesday, July 28;  * "Heal the Bay" speaker and art activity, 3 p.m., Thursday, July 29;  * "Make a Summer Bracelet", 2 p.m., Saturday, July 31. For more information, 323.722.6551.

Changing of the guard. From a July, 2010, news release by the Montebello Rotary Club. Robert Monzon takes the helm of Rotary Club of the Montebello Rotary Club. Robert took up the gavel this week as new president of the Rotary Club of (club) in the club’s annual changing of the guard. . . . The Rotary Club of Montebello was formed in 1924 and is known for such community projects as foodbasket give-a-ways, scholarships for youth, literacy projects, and international programs. The club is also involved in Rotary Youth Leadership Academy having sent 16 MUSD students to leadership camp this year. . . . The club meets on Wednesdays at the Quiet Cannon Country Club at 12:10 p.m. For more information visit http://www.montebellorotaryclub.org or call 626-524-1962. Rotary is a worldwide organization of business and professional leaders who provide humanitarian service and help to build goodwill and peace in the world. Rotary’s global membership is more than 1.2 million men and women belonging to more than 33,000 Rotary clubs in more than 200 countries and geographical areas. Learn more at www.rotary.org.

The bad moon keeps rising? Paul Krugman, economist and NYT columnist thinks so, and suggests that now is not the time to radically cut back in spending. He says that recent speeches coming out of Europe seem to be taken from the Hoover playbook, and he's worried. "Neither the Long Depression of the 19th century nor the Great Depression of the 20th was an era of nonstop decline — on the contrary, both included periods when the economy grew. But these episodes of improvement were never enough to undo the damage from the initial slump, and were followed by relapses. We are now, I fear, in the early stages of a third depression. It will probably look more like the Long Depression than the much more severe Great Depression. But the cost — to the world economy and, above all, to the millions of lives blighted by the absence of jobs — will nonetheless be immense. And this third depression will be primarily a failure of policy. ..." From The Consumerist, June 28, 2010. http://consumerist.com/2010/06/are-we-entering-the-third-depression.html

Are we shooting ourselves in the foot? Our ostensible need to maintain an economy of consumption has unforeseen and undesired consequences, and it might be that, with time, the number and severity of these consequences would grow. Imagine, for example, what would happen if marine species and subspecies became extinct because of human activities. Marine species may hold the key to successful drug treatments for malaria, U.S. scientists said after analyzing 2,500 organisms collected off the coast of Florida. Malaria remains one of the world's deadliest diseases, killing 1 million people every year. Researchers in Japan identified a drug made from sea sponges to be effective against breast cancer, and Australian scientists are examining the Great Barrier Reef for drug treatment possibilities. ... Abstracted in UN Wire, June 29, 2010, as reported by United Press International, June 28, 2010.

Let us think this through. China diverts its own water. Population and economy keep growing. China needs more water and looks outside of its land. China build relationship with water suppliers, then sees a need, for national security, to ensure that the suppliers continue supplying. Is this not what we in the US have done with oil?  Begin:  Chinese authorities plan to move 345,000 people over the next two years to make way for a massive project to divert water from the Yangtze and other rivers in south and central China to provide water for the country's north. A previous forced resettlement plan around China's Three Gorges Dam set off protests over compensation and conditions, and farmers in the south now worry they will soon find themselves on land unsuitable for farming. Northern China is home to the country's fastest growing cities and industrial areas but struggles with sufficient water supply. ... Abstracted in UN Wire, June 29, 2010, from a report by AlertNet.org/Reuters, June 29, 2010.

The almost-perfect picture. According to "the Transit Savings Report" released monthly by the American Public Transportation Association (APTA), "individuals who ride public transportation can save on average $9,293 annually based on the April 5, 2010, national average gas price and the national unreserved monthly parking rate. On a per month basis, transit riders can save on average $774 per month. Over the past month the cost per gallon of gas has increased 13 cents." ... Montebello Bus Lines offers affordable transportation and has convenient bus stops to help folks get where they need to go without all the hassle. ... From Spotlight on Montebello, June, 2010. All well and good, except that our bus lines needs to have a riders committee to receive comments, compliments and criticisms and summarize those for the city council, without mediation by the bus lines. In that way, service will improve.

Not in Montebello's backyard. The following might seem like good advice, but not for Montebello. Trees are a nuisance in Montebello; they have no value if they cannot add to profit. We’ve overloaded the sky and the oceans with carbon dioxide, but our terrestrial system – both the soil and the plants that grow there – can absorb much more. The first step is to reduce deforestation, because trees act as carbon sponges, and cutting them down is a major contributor to global warming. ... From a UN Foundation e-newsletter, June 3, 2010.

Is Whittier different? Parkway trees in Whittier are under the city's jurisdiction and may not be cut down without permission from the city. The majestic evergreens on Beverly Boulevard, east of Norwalk Boulevard, are parkway trees.

Hat's off to the inventor. Patients may soon be able to order new eyeglass prescriptions via a cellular telephone application developed by MIT Media Lab researchers. The application, called NETRA, uses a small plastic device held over the unit's screen to scan and record a refractive diagnosis. The World Health Organization estimates 2 billion people suffer from refractive conditions. Abstracted in UN Wire, Juy 1, 2010, from a report by Bloomberg Businessweek/IDG News Service, June 28, 2010.

Want to tackle a very big challenge? . . . At least half of U.S. energy consumption goes to nothing more than creation of hot air through waste heat. And, when one realizes that much of the 13.9% of electricity output from power plants shown in the graphic also ends up as hot air from our computers, lights, etc., the portion of energy consumption going up in hot air is actually greater than 50%. Couple this with the following facts… According to the Energy Information Administration (EIA), on a worldwide basis renewable energy currently supplies roughly 10% of the energy consumed. Over the next 25 years the EIA forecasts worldwide energy consumption to grow by more than 50%. They also forecast a 100% increase over that period in the supply of renewable energy, which, in isolation sounds modestly impressive. But this would equate to less than 15% of all energy being consumed because consumption would have increased 50%. Worldwide renewable energy production would have to increase upwards of four fold to equal just about 25% of the energy consumption forecasted for 25 years from now. Meanwhile, with 50% growth in consumption, the other 75%, representing fossil fuel consumption, would still equal more fossil fuel than the world consumes annually today! . . . http://blog.cleantechies.com/2010/07/01/cleantech-is-a-bunch-of-hot-air/
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CleanTech+News%2C+Jobs+...&utm_source=YMLP+Newsletter&utm_term=uf83_Picture1_78.jpg

An interesting tactic. Every day, our state senators see lobbyists from the American Chemistry Council, stalking the halls of the Capitol, fighting against our bill to ban single-use plastic bags. We think they should see you too -- their constituents uniting in favor of the ban. Send us a picture of yourself holding a sign in support of the ban, showing off your reusable bags, or however you want to show your support. We'll use the photos in our meetings with senators all summer. ... From an e-newsletter of Environment California, www.environmentcalifornia.org, June 24, 2010.

What should we emphasize in our schools? History is replete with unhappy moments which have led to present-day problems.  Is it important for Americans to know the cause and effect as they make their decisions?  Here are a couple of assertions, which, if true, should be ingrained in the minds of our youth, so that they not repeat our mistakes. I always remembered that California has many racist laws when I was a child in Los Angeles. ...  If you read the attached article this confirms the assaults on the the Hispanic population in the periods of the 1930´s through the 1940´s. It was the beginning of gangs that really was never a part of the culture of the Mexicans prior to the 1930's. It was a defense system, that escalated into a State and then a national crisis. ... From a private e-mail, June 7, 2010. // ... But the concept of a white, blond-haired, blue-eyed master Nordic race didn't originate with Hitler. The idea was created in the United States, and cultivated in California, decades before Hitler came to power. California eugenicists played an important, although little-known, role in the American eugenics movement's campaign for ethnic cleansing. ... Even the U.S. Supreme Court endorsed aspects of eugenics. In its infamous 1927 decision, Supreme Court Justice Oliver Wendell Holmes wrote, "It is better for all the world, if instead of waiting to execute degenerate offspring for crime, or to let them starve for their imbecility, society can prevent those who are manifestly unfit from continuing their kind . . . Three generations of imbeciles are enough." This decision opened the floodgates for thousands to be coercively sterilized or otherwise persecuted as subhuman. Years later, the Nazis at the Nuremberg trials quoted Holmes' words in their own defense. ...  From the San Francisco Chronicle.

Yes, there is hope. Seek and ye shall find. ... In 1997, Samsø won a government competition to become a model renewable energy community. At the time Samsø was entirely dependent on oil and coal, both of which it imported from the mainland. An offshore wind farm comprising 10 turbines (making a total of 21 altogether including land-based windmills), was completed, funded by the islanders. The people of Samsø heat their homes with straw burned in a central heating system and they power some vehicles on biofuel which they also grow. Now 100% of its electricity comes from wind power and 75% of its heat comes from solar power and biomass energy. An Energy Academy has opened in Ballen, with a visitor education center. ... Google "Samso Wikipedia" for the full article.

Seek some more and ye shall find some more. With regard to our city's need to balance its budget, we have a possible solution from Ardmore, Pennsylvania. Last month, a business improvement group in Ardmore, Philadelphia issued $15,000 in local currency, which citizens bought at half the face value and which can be spent like real money in stores and restaurants in the downtown area. Strangely, despite the 50% savings promised only $2,900 of it has been spent so far, with thrift stores receiving more than any other type of business. The group is going to launch another money printing campaign in November to try to boost holiday sales, preferably of new things.  Referenced in The Consumerist of June7, 2010, from an article in Philly.com.

"Outlaw" or "regulate", that is the question. The Soviets outlawed capitalism and failed, because they did not understand how stubbornly greedy or corrupt humans could be. We outlawed the sale of alcoholic beverages through the Eighteenth Amendment and failed, because we did not understand how much Americans wanted their alcohol and socializing. We hear arguments about regulating this or that as preferable to outlawing this or that. For example, is Nevada any worse for families because it regulates, instead of outlaws, prostitution? But, on the other hand, is there not merit to the argument that some things must be outlawed, instead of regulated, like dog fights and slavery?

An inalterable formula? Does pain or tragedy inevitably precede change for the better? Are we Americans any different from other peoples in that regard? Chinese authorities have issued the country's first guidelines on admissible prosecution evidence in a bid to end the use of violence in obtaining confessions. Under the new regulations, police officers will be required to testify in court if any accusations of torture are raised. The move follows public outrage over an admission by authorities torture was used to elicit a murder confession from a farmer, who spent 10 years in jail before the supposed victim was found alive. As abstracted in UN Wire, June 1, 2010, from a report in the The New York Times, May 31, 2010.

Have you heard of "plutonomy"? Some of us rejoice, some of us are saddened, and most of us say, "Huh?", to the news that "Bill Moyers Journal" no longer airs on PBS stations. In a recent broadcast, Moyers talked about his biases, one of which was that a plutocracy, that is, rule by the rich, and a democracy, that is, rule by the people, could not co-exist. He then made reference to a "plutonomy", by which the rich would get richer with help from government. Moyers said that a plutonomy had been operating in America in recent years. His opinion seems to dovetail with that of Albert Einstein, who said,

The crystal ball. The Federal government continues to fail us, in large part because (a) we have boxed ourselves in a corner by being a society governed solely by law, without sufficient ethics and good sense; and (b) government is structured to take care of twentieth, not twenty-first, century problems. Examples: the crisis of financial institutions in recent years and the oil disaster this year. I expect that this failure would result, in coming years, in a disaster involving food or pharmaceuticals.

Another mistake or sans souci? On April 16, a message went to US Bank about greening its communications with customers. US Bank is big; unnecessarily sending two mailings in the place of one results in a huge waste, more so because there is no mention of recycled paper, biodegradability, soy ink or planting trees. With regard to waste, lightning struck twice, unfortunately. About a week later, a mailing came from US Bank, saying that a Visa card from the old bank was to be replaced by a US Bank Visa card. Then, on April 26, a letter came giving deadlines as to when to redeem points from the old Visa card. Certainly these two mailings could have been combined. Again, there was no mention of recycled paper, biodegradability, soy ink or planting trees. Interestingly, the envelope of the April 26 mailing had "recycle" printed on the back in a corner, but that is not the same as "printed on 100% recycled paper". US Bank, as a for-profit company, can do much better. Internal coordination should be possible through its computer network. US Bank could and should immediately become a leader; it is time to have a corporate huddle and get a memo out to everyone. And every office, every bank branch, should have an assistant manager for green practices who is obsessive about turning the office or branch into a green showcase, even inviting people to an open house next Earth Day. This was an e-mail sent to US Bank via www.consumerchange.com on May 1, 2010

On a roll. My parents, both retired, switched in April to CareMore, a health insurer, which provides better coverage for their needs than does Blue Shield. CareMore has incorporated certain efficiencies to cut its costs, but, quite surprisingly, not in its communications with members. // The sales agent gave my parents sizable directories when they signed up. CareMore itself mailed each of my parents sizable directories. Considerable waste in paper and mailing, and no indication of recycled paper, biodegradability, soy ink or planting trees. // Unfortunately, this inefficiency continues. CareMore can e-mail us and doctors when an authorization is given for a doctor visit, but chooses to mail notices, which, with the envelope and postage, might cost fifty cents more than the labor needed for e-mail. With millions of authorizations going out to members, that fifty cents become a large number. Again, no indication of recycled paper, biodegradability, soy ink or planting trees. Also, there has been a duplicate authorization, issued by the primary-care physician and the CareMore office. I hope that CareMore immediately institute changes, as it has a computer network with which to track communications with members. // It would be a fine example if CareMore (1) appointed a person in each of its offices and each of its care facilities to be an "assistant manager for green practices", (2) announced this during the summer, and (3) deservedly boasted next Earth Day about the savings. This was an e-mail sent to CareMore via www.consumerchange.com on May 1, 2010

Where does the fault lie? Maybe there is no fault? Maybe the fault is shared?

So, let me get this right, the United States invades the economy of another country and the economic refugees that come here are labeled illegal? What's wrong with this picture? ... http://blackallianceblog.blogspot.com/2010/04/arizonathe-state-of-hate.html

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