A successful man is one who can lay a firm foundation with the bricks others have thrown at him.

Why all this fighting, name calling, mud slinging, hateful crap? I have had enough. I become enraged when I hear Hillary  outright lie in front of millions upon millions of people. I want to shout, scream, and rant until my dogs get so stressed they leave the TV room in fear. I understand the need for my feelings, but I don’t understand why I have to act this way.

Then somewhere I saw the image above and  a sense of calm swept over me. I have one of these buttons. So I went and found it, picked it up and held it, yes and actually rubbed it. A clarity hit like a ton of bricks.

There is no way our country can stand another four years of Progressive Politics and the so called “legacy” of the incumbent president. This great country is polarized almost beyond repair. Europe is floundering, and the Middle East is in flames, our Judeo-Christian values are slowly eroding, our first amendment is a sham, and our second amendment is in jeopardy. There is more racism and anti-semitism today than there has been in any of my past 78 years. It is really catastrophic, in my opinion, which I share with millions in this country, Europe and the Middle East.

Yet Clinton supporters steadfastly insist on a ‘first woman president’ and refuse to see or realize the peril that we face if this particular woman is elected. She has created a frustration level never before seen in this country. A frustration level that causes polarity and hate, in its venomous venting. One side screaming obscenities the other lieing, cheating and muckraking. Party candidates at odds with their parties (Trump and Sanders), incumbents so fearful for their jobs that they refuse to support their candidate with the consequence of losing their party completely, is a sure sign of depths to which our current political system has driven this country.

We have had enough. We can’t take it anymore. We long for the days of the free swinging pendulum that kept this incredible country steadfastly on a middle course. We must throw off the chains of Media manipulation, SuperPac interference, open lies and subtrefuge. None of our rights should ever be altered, none of our freedoms should ever be challenged. A vote for Trump has a chance of making a change for the better. Stand up and vote. If you don’t, a vote might not be a strong enough solution if the Ship of  State, continues to sail on its current course.

Propositions D an E have been put forth and touted with noble chants of making Redding safe again; lets, once and for all, help the mentally disturbed; support our men in blue, blah, blah, blah. Chief Paoletti has been trotted in front of the city council chambers for months explaining to voters that he hasn’t got enough help, response times are dangerously high, Redding is in peril, and the homeless are taking over our parks, streets and shopping areas. “Woe is me”, cries the council, “We need to raise taxes. One half of one percent only on sales tax will do it. We are going to put this money ($11 million per year, for the next 10 years) into the General Fund (the hen house where the wolves can access it at their discression), but trust us”, they say, (Wink, Wink);

“it (the tax money) will only be used to make Redding safe again”. “Safe Streets Now” another slogan for disaster.

California is facing a backlog of several hundred million dollars in unfunded pension and health care liability. This, because CALPERS (the fund that pays public employees there 90% of salary retirement pensions and health plans) is unable to forcast its needs accurately. I’m not sure of the amount, but I read recently that Redding will have to come up with $1.5 Million per year to handle their share of the shortfall. Where does that money come from? You guessed it, the General Fund.

Sales Tax is a regressive tax. It adversely affects people with a fixed and low incomes, and they will be required to pay a disproportionate amount of the tax increase. There is no fairness in this proposal for two of the largest groups in Redding’s taxpayer base; retired and low income folks. Low income families, those closest to being forced into the streets, will be harmed immeasureably which will in turn compound Paoletti’s problems.

Before you vote on D and E, please know what you are doing, who you are affecting and how you are affecting them. The City Council doesn’t care, they will be long gone when the real damage is done.

The pigs are at the trough again.

Embrace Life, embrace yourself, embrace society, embrace everything; and then get up, get out, get a job and work your ass off. Try it, you’ll like it.

Something for the weekend.

The Second Amendment to the constitution states: “A well regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed.”

Infringed is defined as: “actively break the terms of (a law, agreement, etc.)” and “act so as to limit or undermine (something); encroach on”. Synonyms include, Restrict, Limit, Curb, Encroach on; Antonym, Preserve.

There you have it in a nutshell. There is no mistaking the words.

Now, the people have spoken and have allowed lawmakers; if not to infringe, then to redefine the word ‘people’. Background Check laws redefine what ‘people’ are; sane, and non-felons. I personally think this is a good thing, but it is currently a joke process, because the Government has not enforced the law as it should be enforced. Chip, Chip away.

The biggest fear of responsible gun owners is that the government will chip away at the Second Amendment to the point of removing guns from the American landscape (witness Australia). Case in point, Gavin Newsome now wants ligitimate gun owners to register and wait two weeks each time they purchase ammunition for their ligitimate firearms.  Newsom’s proposal would, among other things: Ban possession of and confiscate hundreds of thousands of lawfully possessed magazines capable of holding more than 10 rounds; Require licensing of all ammunition vendors and drastically limit the places where ammunition could be sold; Require ammunition buyers to undergo a background check before they could purchase any ammunition; Turn law-abiding citizens into criminals should they fail to report lost or stolen firearms to police within a limited amount of time after they “should have known” a firearm was missing. Chip, Chip, Chip away.

I firmly believe that the Second Amendment is as valid today as it was when the founding fathers penned it. Responsible gun owners require firearms for hunting and for personal security. Gavin Newsom may be against guns, but I guarantee you his bodyguards carry loaded firearms. Please don’t fall victim to double standards, and political agendas; Vote No on Prop. 63, but more importantly support Second Amendment Rights, and demand governments enforce existing gun laws.