Badlands Journal

Sometimes, we hope we are honest enough to admit, we are struck speechless by just how incapable our "elected" bought-and-sold government is to lead, leaving the comprehension of the situation to the ordinary citizen, who has a bunch of other more immediate matters on her mind. And it's rare to find anything written or broadcast that gives us the real hope only a piece of thought unclogged with denial and hustle can bring.

 News of the recent extreme snowfall in Buffalo reminded one member of the Badlands editorial board and former resident of Buffalo of an hour in the early 1970's he once spent in a neighborhood tavern near the intersection of Delavan and Delaware avenues in that city.  He related that when he entered the tavern, about 8 p.m., snow was already nearly to the window sills. The group at the bar was talking movies, specifically those of the Swedish director,  Ingmar Bergman. This was not a crowd of university film majors, just ordinary working men in the predominantly Italian neighborhood. He became fascinated by their encyclopedic knowledge of the films as they went on and on describing to each other scene after scene.  At one point, he  asked what they thought of Fellini.

 Monday night's Merced City Council meeting featured two "presentations" ("reports" carry more legal heft: from Police Chief Norm Andrade and Director of Economic Development, Frank Quintero.

Chief Andrade emphasized that although the force has lost manpower and has had to place remaining personnel primarily in enforcement rather than outreach and prevention, Merced police officers remain highly trained and professional. He and some council members agreed that the city must commit to increasing funding to increase manpower. As for all that great technology out there for sale to police forces today, Andrade expressed the opinion that "the toys" still needed officers to use them.

Mayor Stan Thurston commented that the city ought to commit to funding at least one more officer every year for awhile.

 Not only are fracking economics "dys-economic" (1) but the process -- it can be revealed now for some reason -- is most harmful to the health of its own workers. The great boom in employment promised by all the promoters of this technology, toxic above and below ground, apparently comes at a high price...to the workers.

Note:

(1) "Wells run dry for frackers," Badlands Journal, Nov. 5, 2014

 When they were planting the Urban Forest, did they ever imagine a really severe drought?

11-12-14

Ukiah Daily Journal

Heads up for Tree Cities USA

Trees may need extra care, officials say

 In a puff piece about Assemblywoman Kristin Olsen, R-Modesto, leader of the Assembly minority party, Dave Cogdill Sr. had this to say about one of the best laws in the nation for protecting natural resources and the human environment.

 Lawyer Jennifer Buckman, representing Friant, said the state’s orders had the effect of putting birds on the refuges ahead of people in small east-side communities such as Orange Cove, Terra Bella, Lindsay and Strathmore... He added that the zero allocation and drought forced farmers to run their groundwater wells more than usual. The pumping lowered the water table and many wells dried up in rural neighborhoods, Jacobsma said. -- Grossi, Fresno Bee, Oct. 28, 2014

At last the truth can be revealed: the San Joaquin Valley water system was created by lawyers for lawyers and lawyers will prosper as long as farmers are well enough subsidized by the government to foot the fees to keep on suing the government.-- blj

 A good way to deny global warming is to underfund the National Weather Service because, what you don't know can't hurt you, right? A bad weather report might ruin a good congressional prayer breakfast. -- blj

 Speculative capital and water growing scarce for fracking plays as the "boom" in domestic oil production busts on low oil prices.-- blj

11/05/2014

Forbes

As Oil Plunges Further, Why It Might Be 'Game Over' For The Fracking Boom

Christopher Helman