by Thomas K. Arnold on September 29, 2010
Two protests took place in North County last week, with wildly different views on what constitutes a proper use of taxpayer dollars.
On one end of the spectrum were Cal State San Marcos students, who demonstrated on behalf of a bill that would give illegal immigrant students a chance to legalize their status.
On the other was dark horse Carlsbad mayoral candidate Glenn Bernard, quietly picketing The Crossings at Carlsbad golf course with a sign that read, “Please patronize private courses only.”
Talk about a study in contrasts. In San Marcos, you had a mob of students whose educations are mostly subsidized by taxpayers demanding legal status for illegal immigrants who were brought into this country as children, provided they either attend college (on the public’s dime) or join the military (which, again, is funded by taxpayers). The protest died when word spread that the U.S. Senate would not move forward on the bill that would do precisely that, the Development, Relief and Education for Alien Minors (or “DREAM”) Act.
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by Thomas K. Arnold on September 22, 2010
I almost spilled my morning cup of coffee the other day when I scanned the Google news headlines and found this little tidbit flashing on my screen: “Soaring pension costs will drive up North County property taxes.”
I breathed a sigh of relief when I saw the source was a public radio station in upstate New York, which apparently also has a “North County.” But the more I read, the angrier I became. State comptroller Thomas DiNapoli is warning that a steep drop in New York’s state pension fund will likely force local governments to hike property taxes. Mandatory pension contributions are going to jump 37 percent over the next two years, and guess who’s going to have to foot the bill? That’s right, the ordinary citizens of the great state of New York, who sweated, slaved and saved for their own little piece of the American Dream.
Here in California, property owners are less of a target for this public strong-arm robbery thanks to Proposition 13, which keeps our property taxes in check. But, as the saying goes, there but for the grace of God go we….
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by Richard J. Riehl on July 30, 2010
With the retirement of a mayor who has been in office for a quarter of a century and two City Council seats up for grabs, Carlsbad voters will have their first opportunity in decades to make a substantial change in city leadership.
The incumbents have a lot going for them. The city’s in better financial shape than its neighbors, and public opinion surveys show three out of four Carlsbadians have faith in their city government.
Here’s a peek at the candidacies of two council members who say they want to be Carlsbad’s next mayor, Matt Hall and Keith Blackburn.
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by The Editors on July 23, 2010
In his North County Times column this week TK Arnold remembers his friend and Carlsbad City Treasurer Harold “Mac” McSherry.
Maybe an hour after police found his father’s body in his State Street office, Travis McSherry, the eldest son of Carlsbad City Treasurer Harold “Mac” McSherry, posted this on his dad’s Facebook page: “I’m angry and confused. I don’t know why you felt that was your only way out. But you were loved and you will be missed. RIP. I love you, dad.” That pretty well sums up the feelings of most of us who knew McSherry, who took his own life after facing increasing pain from a brain tumor. . . We’re angry, because Mac was such as integral part of our lives, and he had no right to rip himself away from us.
He will certainly be missed. For the rest of Arnold’s thoughts please click the link.
[Link: North County Times]
by Thomas K. Arnold on April 14, 2010
I want to get the proverbial ball rolling early in Carlsbad for a massive, citywide Christmas-slash-“holiday” celebration centered on the beloved village.
I know December is a long way off. And I realize there are other, much bigger issues of civic concern, including building a long-promised pool complex, unraveling the Village H disaster, and reining in those overblown public-employee benefits.
But can’t we all take a little time out and stage something truly memorable? We’ ve already dropped the ball completely with the Fourth of July. Carlsbad has no parade and no public fireworks display. The closest thing we’ve got is fireworks at Legoland, and the citizens of Carlsbad are so hungry for something, anything even remotely celebratory, that each year they crowd into the business parks west of Legoland to watch the 10-minute show, creating a huge traffic jam.
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I almost spilled my morning cup of coffee the other day when I scanned the Google news headlines and found this little tidbit flashing on my screen: “Soaring pension costs will drive up North County property taxes.”
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TK Arnold: Tale Of Two Protests
by Thomas K. Arnold on September 29, 2010
On one end of the spectrum were Cal State San Marcos students, who demonstrated on behalf of a bill that would give illegal immigrant students a chance to legalize their status.
On the other was dark horse Carlsbad mayoral candidate Glenn Bernard, quietly picketing The Crossings at Carlsbad golf course with a sign that read, “Please patronize private courses only.”
Talk about a study in contrasts. In San Marcos, you had a mob of students whose educations are mostly subsidized by taxpayers demanding legal status for illegal immigrants who were brought into this country as children, provided they either attend college (on the public’s dime) or join the military (which, again, is funded by taxpayers). The protest died when word spread that the U.S. Senate would not move forward on the bill that would do precisely that, the Development, Relief and Education for Alien Minors (or “DREAM”) Act.
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