Friday, May 30, 2008

permit me

Here I explain some of the issues surrounding the issuance of a permit to sell booze at a local store. Yes, this should be a routine matter. But for the viewers and for the council I examine the issues in a little more depth and show the area in question.

It's suddenly become controversial to issue a permit in Manteca! One was denied last month and now the neighbors are pressuring the council to deny the permit here also. The neighbors had complained of annoying people with car stereos and the like.

I did note with some surprise and annoyance that when I first arrived, there was a guy playing a loud car stereo there! (Edit: I had previously thought the street vendor was just outside the city's border. However, the street vendor is within the city limits according to Google Maps. That raises a whole other set of questions such as why aren't they enforcing the noise ordinance?)

As you know, I have always advocated in favor of the hard working street vendor -- but not one that annoys the neighborhood with blasting "music" all day! And it was blasting even though it may not sound like it on the video. (An old VHS tape camcorder with poor audio and it was noisy there. And you can still clearly hear the car stereo over the noisy traffic!)

Not shown on the tape, the guy turned down the stereo when customers came by -- so he could conduct commerce -- but he didn't seem to care much about others in the neighborhood trying to conduct commerce or anything else! And also, when the guy noticed me filming, the music mysteriously disappeared. hmmm.

The real anoyance in that area is the poorly behaved street peddler. I support the granting of the permit because it's not fair to punish the merchant for what is by all appearances a perfectly ordinary convenience store /gas station just like every other gas station in Manteca. He's just asking for the same permit to sell liquor everyone else has and he is not the real problem at that corner.

Monday, May 19, 2008

Soldiers "blown away" by Manteca welcome

This is from the "welcome home" party Manteca threw for the 118 Maintenance Support Group returning from "the war zone."

I'm a little cynical about these type of things usually. But I have to admit the appreciation to the people of Manteca seemed sincere. About 2/3 of the way through the video clip, Sgt Murile tells us how the soldiers were really impressed by the turn-out and the welcome Manteca gave them. "The whole town turned out!" said and she mentioned the "bikini girls" that lined the parade route. Sorry no video of that.

Also I hope the Manteca City Council notes she mentioned a that some soldiers didn't hang around in the evening but instead went out on the town to have a drink -- which she said was well deserved "after all they've been through." I couldn't agree more and I wish the Manteca City Council would bear that in mind when they are considering granting the liquor license at tonight's meeting. After all we just welcomed home these soldiers who fought in a place where all booze is outlawed. Has that made that country a nice peaceful place? No! And do we in America want to live under islamofacism or any other kind of religious dictates? No! Do we want the Manteca City Council to tell us if we can have a drink or not? I would say no!

Wednesday, May 14, 2008

Honk for communism!

They called it an "informational picket." Members of the teachers' union were out there protesting "the budget cuts." Or what they say are "budget cuts." By the way, how many times in your life have you heard the phrase "budget cuts?" Isn't there always a budget being "cut?" And yet government never seems to spend less or collect less in taxes. For once, I'd like to see some savings from these so called "budget cuts."

Usually, when some group protests the "budget cuts" it means "we want more money." It just sounds better if they are protesting the cuts rather than being out there yelling at passing motorists "You should suffer! You should sacrifice! But not us!" Thank you for that horn of approval, now pull out your wallet. Thank you.



About halfway through the video, check out the guy on the motorcycle. Right after this picture, a car pulled out onto the street right in front of him....


Tuesday, May 06, 2008

$25,000 "Wheel of Fish"



I gave my comments to the city leaders about their plans to give $25,000 of tax money to some hair-brained scheme to "bring in" an airline. Yes, you read that right - an airline! I guess the plans for the monorail weren't ready yet. Here, for the first time in "mental-vision" is a video that not only shows what I said, but also what I was thinking!

Sorry the quality is poor in parts. Darn Comcast.

For those of you who were wondering what that movie was I was rambling about and what the Wheel of Fish is, here's your chance.