VETERANS DAY - CALIFORNIA SECEDE? -- PROTESTS

SALUTE TO ALL VETERANS ..

(USA wars are fought in name of all citizens)

A Tribute always and especially to WWII Veterans 

---our nation would not be here today -- free as we know it -- if not for them.

T H A N K    Y O U   !

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A NEW COUNTRY ?      NEW CALIFORNIA

CALIFORNIA is the biggest economy in the U.S. and the sixth largest in the world.  

CALIFORNIA  population racial demographics already reflect what those of the United States of America are expected to be in 2044 -- a diverse nation of people -- based on the Census Bureau's projection:

"By 2044, the United States is projected to become a plurality nation.While the non-Hispanic White alone population will still be the largest, no race or ethnic group is projected to have greater than a 50 percent share of the nation’s total."

Some Californians are considering options for the state to secede from the United States.  
Such an action is partially based on  the rhetoric which the U.S. President-elect Donald Trump  has previously directed toward various Silicon Valley business leaders and their enterprises, including media ownership.    Specifics may be read at this link to the  Guardian article describing current seceding issues.

Here is a link to the official site for California secede.


NEW INFLUENCES
 
The 2016 Presidential Election outcome has increased the impetus for more California residents to give serious consideration to supporting our state becoming our own country.

The degree of actual support for California's secession remains to be seen.   Other states in past years have had residents suggesting seceding for their own various reasons, most recently  as described in Texas. (by Phillip Bump, Washington Post.)

Inquisitor includes comments that select social media is suggesting  some Californians may see if  other Western states such as Oregon, Washington, Nevada  may be interested in seceding.


MY PERSPECTIVE

I presently think  this grand experiment of our democratic republic is best successfully perpetuated if California remains within the union of our fifty states plus Washington D.C.  

Citizens responsibility is to consider the current needs required as we continue to
-- sustain the viability of our way of government with thoughtful voting choices
-- refine, define, change, alter and correct our mistakes by demanding officials act only
    within the parameters  prescribed by these three  USA documents known collectively as

The Charters of Freedom:
Declaration of Independence
The Constitution
The Bill of Rights


The Great Questions  

Has "the establishment" (including the President-elect, House of Representatives and Senate members) received, correctly processed, determined to rectify the existing  inequity situations  -- including the economic gap described in "The Rich and the Rest" by Christina Pazzanese?


How long can our nation's way of government survive as we strive ethically and morally  to provide liberty and justice for all -- to be a positive force in the world and for humanity?  



* * * * *

ELECTION PROTESTS developed as I began this post......

This is the United States of America.    Traditionally the hallmark of our democracy has been a peaceful transition of one administration to another.   In fact, current President Obama has initiated transition arrangements following candidate Hillary Clinton's earlier concession of the 2016 Presidential election to Donald Trump.

However, the offensive nature associated with President-elect Trump's conduction of his campaign has resulted in eliciting strong emotions from voters.    That coupled with the election's outcome triggered citizen protests which began earlier Wednesday afternoon  in New York City outside his Trump Tower residence --- he was the winner when the Electoral College votes were tallied, but received fewer popular votes than his opponent.

This is the second time in the past five elections the Electoral College winner garnered fewer popular votes than the opponent.   In 2000 Al Gore won the popular vote but lost the election to George Bush following the U.S. Supreme Court's intervention to terminate controversial vote-counting in Florida.    A candidate designated to be President based on winning Electoral College votes but not the nation's  popular vote had occurred only three times before in the 1800s.

Most recent developments are that protest groups in cities from coast to coast  have amassed, saying in reference to President-elect Donald Trump, "He's not my president!", stressing Trump did not win the popular vote.    Regrettably, vandalism, disruptions, freeway traffic blockage and some arrests began to occur Wednesday night around midnight necessitating law enforcement response here in Los Angeles as I wrote this.

Typically, only a few protesters are responsible for violence in such events -- always a risk they'll infiltrate the peaceful groups, but with their own destructive motivations -- such as looters, anarchists who desire and will instigate crowd chaos for their own agenda toward overthrowing our way of government.

Fascists, too, benefit from inciting violence as often citizens will relinquish their rights and freedoms to leaders/law enforcement for promised security -- only to eventually find themselves living in an autocratic form of government, a dictatorship presided over by a demagogue systematically depriving them of their rights.

 Undermining freedom in a democratic government can be a many years lengthy process, achieved in slight, incremental, sometimes seemingly innocuous small steps.   Systematic attacks and discrediting other government branches -- judicial, legislative -- also The Fourth Estate (the press) -- to create mistrust in all systems are part of the fascist pattern documented throughout history.  (Legitimate shortcomings in the branches and press must be addressed and corrected, but citizens must guard against being seduced by a leader's conspiracy intimations, intentional distortions of truth through innuendo, deliberate falsehoods.)  

These, hopefully, primarily peaceful protests in additional cities around our nation continue Thursday -- they include many high school, college students of the most populous millennium generation who may be most concerned about their future.   Those of us who are older care about the younger generations and the world in which they will live long after we've departed this earth.  We must pay attention.

After Trump's weeks, months of vitriolic diatribes, misogynistic,  racist, sexist, name-calling directed toward his opponents and others, his sudden measured adoption of rational manner the final week or so of his campaign, and his speech after the election may have aroused suspicions and mistrust in the minds of many citizens -- they may be wondering:

-- who is this allegedly prevaricating,  narcissistic, sociopathic, fascist-sounding person?

-- what are the ethical and moral values of Donald Trump?

-- what does the real Donald Trump truly believe?

-- who is the real Donald Trump?

Most of our citizens do not take lightly a leader whose behavior throughout much of his presidential campaign was insulting and  boorish, to say the least.  Some citizens might also even be inclined to interpret his tactics and some language he has used as mirroring that of fascists whose similar activities, words and actions are described in histories of the nineteenth and twentieth century.  Fascism is not compatible with the U.S. Constitution.

Let our republic have a peaceful democratic transition to the legally elected new leadership.

Let us actively oversee all actions of those we've entrusted to occupy government positions.

Let us use our votes and  all legal means to ensure governing individuals each actually fulfill their Oath of Office.

Let us guard and protect our privacy,  rights and freedoms. 

Economic Pain/Movie/Cuba Story and Americas

Local Economics

Film -- "State of Play"

Cuba Story Recalled

Americas -- Continent


Time has slipped right past leaving my blogging behind. Coincidentally my work load lightened just in time to allow me to throw myself wholeheartedly into preparing my income tax. The task becomes easier and faster every year since I first took over this project a few years ago. That job completed I've been interested in what is happening with the business economics in my community.

I noticed one of the major car dealerships has changed dramatically again. Some time ago ownership changed from selling a U.S. brand to be replaced by foreign company models. Now, the block long car lot is empty, the buildings vacant. Then, there was the announcement a company that owns major Southern California high end shopping centers is filing for bankruptcy. A couple of the centers are The Galleria, South Coast Plaza for anyone familiar with the area. Reportedly they will not close.

My part time rehab work has come to a screeching halt as I read in the paper there is a nationwide overall decline in need for health care services. There has always been a fluctuation throughout the year in services needed so maybe this is just one of those slow times.

I also learned at one local branch of a national bank the institution had a period of time in March when their customers with mortgage loans could refinance with no points or closing costs to obtain a reduced interest percentage rate charged. I think there was one problem with that offer. Far too many customers were never made aware of this opportunity, including some who even worked at that bank. That failure to disclose seems a bit strange to me. I wonder if other banks across the country are doing the same? Expect this bank didn't really want to reduce rates for many customers.

My Borders bookstore is trimming their offerings by eliminating selling CDs and DVDs, but so far seems to be surviving otherwise. I realize they are also affected by the general changes with purchasing transitioning to the Internet.

I've rewarded myself by taking time to enjoy some movies. I appreciate having a reduced rate for special showings at our relatively new local theater. The most recent movie I enjoyed was "State of Play"
(trailer link.) Any movie with Helen Mirren catches my attention though she is not the star in this intriguing thriller starring Ben Affleck, Russell Crowe and Rachel McAdams. I was reminded of recent years government figures romantic liaisons with ensuing disastrous consequences and the challenges facing newspapers efforts to survive as the plot unfolded. At least one critic I read faulted the movie for those all too obvious story aspects, but I didn't find them objectionable. I simply wanted to be entertained and I was.

Meanwhile on the national and international arena all sorts of changes are evolving. Am delighted to see our President focusing attention on Central and South America. Certainly the issue of our relationship with Cuba has been long overdue for review.

Whenever I think of Cuba I am reminded of a young woman I met years ago when I returned to college. Several years after graduation she unexpectedly contacted me relative to further professional activities. The result had a positive indirect profound effect on my continuing career. We had no further contact after that and I no longer even recall her name, much less where she lives.

Earlier she had told me a story of her youthful actions primarily motivated by the relationship she had with a young man strongly opposed to our Government's actions banning American citizens traveling to Cuba. As she told me her story I could recall their student group was front page news with pictures in print and on broadcast media for weeks those many long years ago.

I don't intend to discuss that historical periods political issues pros and cons, but national and international opinions and feelings ran high on the topic. She spoke of being one person in a small group of young people who defied our Government's ban on travel to Cuba and visited there. She reported meeting Fidel Castro early in his ruling career and playing ping pong with him. Their student groups visit was not a very popular act with many in the U.S. at the time. She described repercussions these young students experienced when they returned home to the U.S. and some she perceived for many years after.

Several years ago in an hour long drive home from a more distant airport than a closer one which I prefer to use, a young college student was the only other passenger in the van. She said she was majoring in International Studies and had a specific interest in all the countries south of our border. She appeared to be of European descent so I was intrigued that she would care about these countries our nation has all too often given meager attention. She soon realized I shared her interest and concern. Her conversation became quite passionate as she spoke of the importance of these countries and the value of our nations relationships with theirs.

I wonder what these two women think of the efforts of our new President? I especially hope the latter young college student who would now be an upper classman, or graduate student, has pursued her dream of someday being in a position to facilitate the cohesiveness of all the nations on our continent, north and south that benefits us all.

Changing Local Economic Picture

FDIC Bank Takeovers

Retroactive Medical Charges to Medicare Patients

State Legislatures "Cuckoo"

Media Convergence

The local economic picture is always changing. Daily in recent months there have been a never-ending number of national and local news stories that tweak my thoughts. FDIC Problem Bank List was one such recent story by Laurie Kulikowski at thestreet.com

I wonder what others observe happening in their communities influencing banking and local business compared to what I'm observing here in Southern California's northeastern Los Angeles, San Bernardino and Orange Counties?

Only a few months ago our local area was impacted by the U.S. Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation takeover of Indy Bank that had a nearby branch. Rumors had spread prior to that event about the questionable status of a long respected banking institution, Pomona First Federal Savings and Loan, that had successfully first publicly offered stock only a few years ago.

I was told about one PFF depositor so concerned about the institution's rumored financial status that they had transferred all their funds to Indy Bank, where ironically soon after, Indy was taken over by the FDIC renewing that depositor's anxiety. The government's poorly handled takeover triggered lines of depositors frantic to withdraw their funds before officials were finally able to reassure customers most of their money was safe.

Televised L.A. area news scenes reminded me of the seasonally popular Jimmy Stewart movie, "It's A Wonderful Life" in which his character is a banker faced with a run on his bank. Locally, subsequent FDIC takeovers of financial institutions have been handled with more finesse that outwardly has alarmed the public less. Ultimately, our U.S. govt. took steps to increase insured deposit amounts that also alleviated many individuals concerns.

Since then I have observed changes that have affected every bank branch in our city. Bank of America acquired Wall Street financial company Merrill Lynch. The other shoe has dropped however, since the current news is this joining of institutions will result in thousands of jobs lost across our country. Happy Holidays, workers! J. P. Morgan Chase absorbed Washington Mutual which was one giant eating another. Meanwhile, Citibank was reported to be on shaky ground needing more financial support.

Just a few weeks ago another area financial group, Downey Savings and Loan, thought to be careful, conservative and cautious with their investments succumbed to the deterioration of their institution's value. I learned depositors would generally be protected, but those with stock in the institution, many of their own employees, would likely incur loss. For some staff the lost dollars would be a major portion of their retirement funds.

The scenario described to me was that in an FDIC take over the officials would likely walk through the door on a Friday at closing time, then reopen the office the following Monday with little or no disruption in business for customers. A week after learning this, I read in the paper that's exactly what happened at Downey. That same Friday to the surprise of many a similar FDIC takeover occurred at PFF. A Los Angeles bank that had earlier been announced as combining with PFF had their proposed transaction denied by government officials due to that bank's own financial weakness so in stepped the FDIC.

Recently I read U.S. Bank has negotiated purchase of both Downey and PPF. I just can't keep up with who owns what, which name goes with what institution any more, and exactly what financial group I'm doing business with. Perhaps it doesn't really matter since it may all change again next week or next month. I wonder if any of these institutions are borrowing money from me (the taxpayer billions, or is it trillions now, coming from our U.S. Treasury)? I just double-checked and quadrillion comes after trillion, but the information said numbers higher than that are rarely used. Oh, yeah?

I believe I read Citibank was one of the first banks to benefit by borrowing from that initial 700 billion. The Troubled Assets Relief Program, called TARP, will distribute our money. If figures I read earlier still prevail, I think it's been nothing short of criminal Citibank was given the financial deal they received at taxpayers expense – that's your money and mine they received and they're not paying much for it. You can bet if we're borrowing from them they'll have no reservations about what they charge us. They certainly didn't when I returned to college years ago and needed money.

One other change in local business transactions has occurred with my doctor. A few months ago I received a long bill from my medical doctor's billing office suddenly charging me for a litany of services beginning as far back as 2006. Ostensibly these are for amounts over and above what Medicare and my supplemental insurance would allow as payment for my doctor's billing charge. I'm now being charged retroactively for that difference. I wonder if this is happening to others across the country?

The rest of my community shows me two or three closed businesses in each of most small but once busy prosperous strip malls. Once filled storefronts similarly located in surrounding cities showcase a like number of empty shops. Several months ago a large private family restaurant, long a hallmark for many years in a heavily trafficked location, suddenly closed. They were located in a prime spot with ready access to a major freeway and a cross street on a well-traveled boulevard featuring numerous businesses but absent close competing family restaurants. My mother and our family used to enjoy eating there. I guess they could no longer survive despite so many years in business.

I'm not even including here all the newspaper items I see about local retail businesses announcing closing, going out of business sales. Linens 'N Things, Mervyns Department Store readily come to mind. Circuit City is still open locally but nationally they filed for bankruptcy. Then there are the national and local companies, also car dealerships that are shutting down. Obviously in all these instances, there's the human factor. I think of all these people affected whose numbers are continuing to increase. How many are or will be without jobs and money for needed food, clothing, housing and healthcare? Where does help for them come from?

I wonder how many others are seeing similar scenes or observe other scenarios where they live?

I have grave doubts we can expect our California State Government to be in a position to help residents. The last I heard one of their solutions to aid also long-suffering education needs was to alter the payoffs of the State Lottery so there could be more small winners with a reduced single large payout to only one winner. I'm sure every resident looks to that solution to minimize educational shortfalls and for financial security.

Probably, those of you who don't live in California aren't aware of just what dire financial straights this State is in. Some other States are in difficulty, too. There's a tragic-funny article posted by Jane Wells at CNBC that includes a short video clip of public policy expert Joe Kotkin of Chapman University wondering if this is "Cuckoo Land" that "...both parties live in and refuse to leave, no matter what." (short NYT ad at clip's beginning)

More and more I become convinced locally and nationally almost everyone in legislative office should be pitched out on their ear and replaced. Don't any of them realize that if there was ever a time when rigid ideology needed to be set aside with an eye toward compromise for the good of our State and our country, this is that time? They're all a bunch of Neros, fiddling while Rome burns. I hope we're all spared shock one day when we awaken to the realization their stubbornness and ineptitude has resulted in a foreign nation owning our country.

Our State's economy, let alone our national economy and that of the world, gives me motivation to keep working however little or much as I can. Is Wall Street willing or in a position to be able to loan money to any States in financial difficulty? Does the Federal Govt. have loans for these States? Our State Legislature fumbles along busily disagreeing on action of any consequence to rectify our existing problems. Do other States Legislatures demonstrate the same sort of lack of action?

Perhaps the day comes when loans to anyone or any group is out of the question. Perhaps the only solution is the dreaded belt tightening and cutbacks well beyond what many individuals are already doing. We can be assured that those who are least in a position to cut more will likely bear the brunt of most loss.

Traditional news gatherers and writers add to the human element faced with a potential narrowing of employment opportunities. The congruence of print with the Internet is significant on its own, but the timing coinciding with the financial crisis lends its own exacerbation of the problems such workers experience. The most recent newspaper with survival threatened is the Los Angeles Times as the Chicago owner petitions to file for a bankruptcy that also includes his Chicago Sun paper. The Detroit Free Press is reported to be ending most home delivery of their newspaper but will expand their Web Editions.

I do have confidence we will ultimately have universal financial recovery. I wonder if meaningful and accurate distribution of news to the masses will temporarily decrease until everyone readily has inexpensive access to the Internet. Meanwhile, I'm not brooding, but directing my energy elsewhere. Wondering what to expect between now and then does give me pause for thought.