Thursday, March 26, 2009

Misplaced anger and self-righteousness

In the last few weeks, much ado has been made over what amounts to minor expenditures by local governments. First we had the scathing opinion piece in the Manteca Bulletin about Lathrop politicians and city employees "stuffing their faces" on shrimp and cake paid for by taxpayers. Next, we had the "petition" to stop Lathrop's mayor from making a lobbying trip to Washington which received way more media coverage than it deserved. Now we have the Bulletin raking the city of Manteca over the coals for holding their annual employee recognition awards banquet last weekend.

Let's review a little bit. As Manteca Live pointed out, the shrimp-laden receptions Lathrop is fond of holding are open to the public. Anyone (even me who doesn't live in Lathrop) can go to one of those receptions and have some shrimp and cake and schmooze with local politicians. I wish Manteca would hold more receptions that are open to the public.

Then, there's the infamous petition circulated by the League of Extraordinary Gadflies that garnered all of 60 signatures demanding that the Lathrop mayor not take a planned trip to Washington DC, the purpose of which is to lobby for some of the federal tax dollars being tossed around due to the "stimulus" and "bailouts." Even though we've received threats over our stand on this, we still say $5,000 to send the mayor and the interim city manager on this trip is a small price to pay to try to get some of the money that's available from Washington right now. While the critics claim this is not the right time to be spending money on this trip, we argue that it's EXACTLY the right time. There are billions of dollars being given away and any local government that doesn't try to grab some of it is missing out on a chance to help their community.

Critics say Lathrop has spent $45,000 on the Washington trips over the past 8 years and only brought back $1.6 million. That's an excellent return on their investment. But let's not focus on the realities, it's more fun to pretend we're outraged. Though they deny it vigorously, it's obvious to anyone who follows local politics that the attempt to keep the mayor home is personal on the part of the League of Extraordinary Also-Rans. At least two of the League members have close ties to the developers rumored to have bank-rolled the vicious campaign last year to oust the mayor and this is just a continuation of the attacks.

The latest hit piece from the Bulletin criticizes Manteca city employees for partying on the taxpayer dime while people are losing their jobs and homes. This is another attempt to rile up the masses over something that "sounds like you should be outraged about" but is really another drop in the bucket in the grand scheme of the budget. The city employees are still "employees" whether we're paying them or someone else is and they deserve recognition just like anyone else who is doing a good job. And in another back-handed slap at Lathrop, at the end of the article about the Manteca party, Wyatt AGAIN brings up the damned shrimp cocktails saying $300 could pay the cost of a household's sewer and water for a year. I'm picturing Mayor Sayles dressed up like Marie Antoinette saying "let them eat cake (and shrimp)!"

All this complaining about minor expenditures is just pandering to people feeling the crunch of a recession and manufacturing false outrage and envy. Instead of focusing on the small things, why isn't the Bulletin or the League of Extraordinary Gadflies pointing out the big problems with government, like the bloated union-negotiated salaries and benefits packages that are bankrupting us. Or the Redevelopment Agency that puts us into debt and sucks tax money away from the general fund and schools and gives it to big retailers. Those are the real golden calves that no one wants to criticize. So instead we point out the little things and try to incite outrage while the elephant in the room is ignored.

15 comments:

  1. OH THIS IS GREAT.....IT WAS NO THREAT CONCERNING THE TRIP TO COG.....IT IS YOUR CHILDISH REFERENCE TO PEOPLE AS CHIMPANZEES....WHEN YOU REFER TO A PERSON THAT HAS AFRICAN AMERICAN BLOOD IN THEM AS A CHIMPANZEE, YOU MAY EXPECT TO BE DEALT WITH IN A MATTER FITTING TO MATCH YOUR STUPIDITY.......AND HOW IRONIC YOU SHOULD PICK MARIE ANTIONETTE.....MARRIED AT 13......UNINTERESTED HUSBANDS THAT WOULD RATHER TEND TO HOBBIES THAN FACE HER IN THE BED CHAMBERS.....MULTIPLE BEDFELLOWS AND ENDS UP A LESBIAN......DO YOU GUYS KNOW SOMETHING WE DONT?
    DAN MAC NEILAGE.......I WILL BE SEEING YOU JOE

    ReplyDelete
  2. As I said, misplaced anger and self-righteousness abound. When you start throwing the "race card" around and making physical threats, it's because you have no other arguments left. You can't bully and threaten people into agreeing with you. I would expect more self-control from someone who represents Lathrop on the Planning Commission.

    ReplyDelete
  3. YOU are the one that called us a pack of chimpanzees and the good mayor couldnt stop laughing about it.....I saw joe at the meeting and if he wanted to know why I think its a bad idea to go to DC he could have asked....instead you assume its personal.......I have african american members in my family and I take offence to you referring to humans as chimps because you disagree with anothers beliefs or views......where I come from, you get to see your dentist after you say that to a man......although, I have strongly disagreed with your views on many occaisions, I have refrained from personal inuindos until you throw my face on YOUR website and use the word CHIMPANZEE.......I will ask my friends of color in this town what they think of your remarks and funny our mayor found them to be...... remember?....hahahahahahahhhhhaaaa? YOU THINK IN TODAYS WORLD YOU GET AWAY WITH THAT CRAP?
    DAN MAC NEILAGE

    ReplyDelete
  4. This is the definition of "manufactured outrage."

    ReplyDelete
  5. Those graphics cost us a lot of bananas.

    ReplyDelete
  6. Yes.....YOU manufactured it......I am outraged!........I have a place you can put those bananas joe......I will not dirty myself to go on this garbage site.....what I have to say will be in PERSON
    Dan Mac Neilage

    ReplyDelete
  7. Dan Mac Neilage clearly doesn't have enough to do. I find him to be Lathrop's biggest jack ass. I don't think he realizes he is putting threats in writing. If any thing were to happend to Joe or Jackie, we would all know where to look wouldn't we.
    Things in Lathrop are getting stupider, if that's a word, by the second. I see paid city employees going to abandoned homes and leaving repair notices. Doesn't make much sense to me. If the people no longer live there why would they care, in fact they wouldn't know about the notices. Second, why don't these same highly paid employees go where the properties are two steps below ghetto, and are still occupied. ....and that's just for starters.
    If we could we would get the hell out of LATHROP.
    Never mind race bamboons are truly running this town.
    Thanks for allowing me to vent, I have tons more...
    An Ignorant Villager

    ReplyDelete
  8. We like venting here...feel free!

    ReplyDelete
  9. It is clear who runs this site. Your credibility, atleast what small degree you might of once had, just went out the window. Your true colors have been shown. One call from the Mayor and her husbands' postings disappear. Thankfully they were copied before you removed them.

    ReplyDelete
  10. We are credible?  You should file a complaint with the Manteca Live! Editorial Board.

    ReplyDelete
  11. Dear Anonymous,
    I had them removed due to my hasty venting. Usually I think, wait a day or two and then maybe have in put into print. Unfortunately, I did not use a bit of patience this time. And no, the Mayor did not make the request, I did. Again your information is as reliable as Rose Albano Risso's or for that matter Dan Mac Neilage. In Albano Risso's case, she must not have taken a course requiring documentaion of research, it shows in her lack of journalism skills. I think your problem is the need to get your probiscus out of someone's posterior. I suspect either a specific developer or a planning commissioner.
    For your pleasure though, I haven't changed my opinion of the three whose collective brains would fail to reach an IQ of 76. Although, I do find there antics somewhat amusing due to their lack of results and utter impotency.
    If you want a copy with a real signature, call and I'll see to it that you get a autograph but only if you have the courage to sign your name. Although, I suspect that you are as gutless as the three amigos.
    T. Sayles

    ReplyDelete
  12. I suspect that you would not recognize courage if it hit you up side your feeble little head. I suspect one would not run his mouth about ones lack of research abilities if one had criminal convictions sealed in 2007 and would not want them published. You do not frighten me like you have done to your children and wife. You are an idiot with a thesaurus Thomas Sayles. You are a liar and a scum bag and someday someone will flush you back down the sewer from wence you came.

    ReplyDelete
  13. Be sure to take a day or two to contemplate that one

    ReplyDelete
  14. General Contractor without a truck. What do you do? Do you haul the lumber in your kids wagon or do you hitchhike with a few 2x4's at a time? Nobody voted for you or wants you in or on any commitee to ruin what so many have worked so hard to have, and be proud of. Thomas X Sayles, you are an imposter. You are a modern day gypsy that brings infection and disease wherever you suck air. What little acceptance in this place that has been granted to you has been a result of the respect given to the "position" of Mayor and not on any merits of your own. Save your children from additional embarrasment and pack up and go back under the rock you crawled from under. You have set forth to destroy the good name and spirit of many decent people in this town. You and your wife have used city hall and the position she has been trusted to uphold to beset desention and anomosity for nothing more than personal gain and self serving egos.
    If I see one more ignorant remark from you on this website or anywhere else, I will begin to distribute the arrest's and convictions for the crimes you and your wife are responsible for that you thought you had sealed and forgotten. Contemplate that and wonder what your church members, loyal citizens and the people you have fooled into believing that you were the victims all this time.
    Take a day or so to think that one over.

    ReplyDelete
  15. No, I changed my mind. I will not wait for you to contenplate anything. You, Thomas X Sayles, will resign from ALL commitees concerning this city. You were put on those commitees to destroy them and that is not going to happen. You will resign or distribution of you and your wonderful wifes arrest and conviction records, with documentation of pleas will be delivered to this town. It will start with your church who foolishly stood behind you and your wife, and will not stop. Maybe I can get those three chimpanzees to help me. I hope those three stooges at city council will understand. You never know how pocket angels will react. Qiut now or the embarrassment will available for all to see what you have tried to hide about yourself while attempting to discredit others valliant and couragious deeds. I wonder if Frank Covaco would sell me a page or two?
    Quit now or else the truth will be known. You are not worthy of representing anyone.

    ReplyDelete