Archive for Local News
Pleasanton, Dublin and Livermore Homes
By · April 28, 2009 · Comments
I received this as an email. What do you think?
SHERIFF JOE IS AT IT AGAIN!
Oh, There’s MUCH more to know about Sheriff Joe!
Maricopa County was spending approx. $18 million dollars a year on stray animals, like cats and dogs. Sheriff Joe offered to take the department over and the County Supervisors said okay…
The animal shelters are now all staffed and operated by prisoners. They feed and care for the strays. Every animal in his care is taken out and walked twice daily. He now has prisoners who are experts in animal nutrition and behavior. They give great classes for anyone who’d like to adopt an animal. He has literally taken stray dogs off the street, given them to the care of prisoners, and had them placed in dog shows.
The best part? His budget for the entire department is now under $3 million. Teresa and I adopted a Weimaraner from a Maricopa County shelter two years ago. He was neutered, and current in all shots, in great health and even had a microchip inserted the day we got him. Cost us $78.
The prisoners get the benefit of about $0.28 an hour for working, but most would work for free just to be out of their cells for the day. Most of his budget is for utilities, building maintenance, etc. He pays the prisoners out of the fees collected for adopted animals.
I have long wondered when the rest of the country would take a look at the way he runs the jail system and copy some of his ideas. He has a huge farm donated to the county years ago where inmates can work and they grow most of their own fresh vegetables and food, doing all the work and harvesting by hand.
He has a pretty good sized hog farm, which provides meat and fertilizer. It fertilizes the Christmas tree nursery where prisoners work and you can buy a living Christmas tree for $6-$8 for the holidays and plant it later. We have six trees in our yard from the prison.
Yup, he was reelected last year with 83% of the vote.
Now he’s in trouble with the ACLU again. He painted all his buses and vehicles with a mural that has a special hotline phone number painted on it where you can call and report suspected illegal aliens. Immigrations and Customs Enforcement wasn’t doing enough in his eyes, so he had 40 deputies trained specifically for enforcing immigration laws, started up his hotline and brought four new buses just for hauling folks back to the border. He’s a ‘Git-R Dun’ kind of Sheriff.
TO THOSE OF YOU NOT FAMILIAR WITH JOE ARPAIO, HE IS THE MARICOPA ARIZONA COUNTY SHERIFF AND HE KEEPS GETTING ELECTED OVER AND OVER. THIS IS ONE OF THE REASONS WHY:
Sheriff Joe Arpaio (in Arizona) who created the “Tent City Jail:”
He has jail meals down to 40 cents a serving and charges the inmates for them.
He stopped smoking and porno magazines in the jails, took away their weights and cut off all but G- rated movies.
He started chain gangs so the inmates could do free work on county and city projects.
Then he started chain gangs for women so he wouldn’t get sued for discrimination.
He took away cable TV until he found out there was a Federal court order that required cable TV for jails, so he hooked up the cable TV again – but only allowed The Disney Channel and the Weather Channel.
When asked why the Weather channel, he replied, “So they will now how hot it’s going to be while they are working on my chain gangs.”
He cut off coffee since it has zero nutritional value
When the inmates complained, he told them, “This isn’t the Ritz Carlton. If you don’t like, don’t come back.”
More on the Arizona Sheriff:
With temperatures being even hotter than usual in Phoenix (116 degrees just set a new record) the Associated Press reports: about 2,000 inmates living in a barbed wire surrounded tent encampment at the Maricopa County Jail have been given permission to strip down to their government issued pink boxer shorts.
On Wednesday, hundreds of men wearing boxers were either curled up on their bunk beds or chatted in the tents, which reach 138 degrees inside the week before.
Many were also swathed in wet, pink towels as sweat collected on their chests and dripped down to their pink socks.
“It feels like we’re in a furnace,” said James Zanzot, an inmate who has lived in the tents for 1 year. “It’s inhumane.”
Joe Arpaio, the tough-guy Sheriff who created the tent city and long ago started making his prisoners wear pink and eat bologna sandwiches, is not one bit sympathetic. He said Wednesday that he told all of the inmates, “It’s 120 degrees in Iraq and our soldiers are living in tents too, and they have to wear full battle gear. But they didn’t commit any crimes, so shut your mouths!”
Way to go Sheriff!
Maybe if all prisons were like this one there be a lot less crime and/ or repeat offenders. Criminals should be punished for their crimes- not live in luxury until it’s time for their parole, only to go out and commit another crime so they can get back in to live on taxpayers money and enjoy things taxpayers can’t afford to have for themselves.
Pleasanton, Dublin and Livermore Hometown News
By · April 21, 2009 · CommentsRegional theater getting closer. The Livermore City Council authorized staff to prepare a final disposition and development agreement between the Redevelopment Agency and the Livermore Valley performing Arts Center. This will benefit the Tri-valley communities of Livermore, Pleasanton and Dublin.
Pleasanton Farmers’ Market is starting a pilot program to eliminate plastic bags. The focus is on the hot food venders and getting them to switch to paper and cardboard that breaks down. There will also be an effort to get consumers to bring their own coffee cups and utensils.
The Cities of Dublin and Pleasanton will be working to relocate five historic structures to the City of Dublin’s Historic Park project. Originally on the Kolb Ranch south of Highway 580, they will be moved from Laurel Canyon Dr., to Foothill Blvd., then across 580 to the park.
Pleasanton homes will be taxed $233 per year under propsed measure G
By · April 13, 2009 · CommentsHome owners in Pleasanton will have a chance to increase their taxes for schools. Hot buttons such as saving teachers jobs, not letting our children down are always lightning rod issues.
Being in real estate I have two views of such a tax. First you want good schools, and high achieving students, but parcel taxes, even small taxes tend to grow and drive up the cost of maintaining your home. Many buyers look at H.O.A. dues and parcel taxes as evils, and avoid them when they can. This could reduce the demand for Pleasanton homes.
If needed, I would vote for the tax, but only after a review of salaries, and a full accounting of all income and expenditures for the past 10 years. I am not a property owner in Pleasanton, but would question my school officials if such a measure were proposed.
Pleasanton Dublin and Livermore news and housing
By · May 2, 2008 · CommentsNorth Livermore residents have indicated support to retain the Springtown Golf Course. The was some distrust of the city following the wishes of the residents. Much like residents of Dublin and Pleasanton residents don’t believe the city of Livermore is being totally honest with them
Pleasanton Oak Grove development has received a favorable court ruling and the Pleasanton city council will not challenge it.
Home sales up in Pleasanton Dublin & Livermore
By · April 26, 2008 · CommentsNot only have sales of existing homes increased in the Tri-valley area of Pleasanton, Dublin and Livermore, but in many other areas as well. Bank owned REO sales and short sales are a large percentage of these, but the trend is starting to look good for a better real estate market in the summer.
Prices have come down, but not as much in the Tri-Valley area. The hardest hit are Contra Costa County areas of Antioch and Brentwood. In Alameda County parts of Oakland, San Leandro and Hayward have seen large price drops.
Home loans remain the big problem for home buyers. Lenders are unable to sell their loans and use that money to make more loans. Until this is corrected the housing market will be sluggish.
Only the rich investors are making money in this market. Public outcry needs to be heard in the halls of Congress, and in the White House. Big banks and creditors knew this was going to happen, that’s why the bankruptcy laws were changed.
It’s time for a grass roots movement too change how the government regulates the financial markets. People being people, they will always push the limits, it’s up to Washington to say no and control banking and investments much more tightly.
Pleasanton Dublin Livermore News & Real Estate
By · March 11, 2008 · CommentsResidence of Pleasanton, Dublin and Livermore should plan to attend local community meetings on transportation, housing, schools and senior services when offered. Your real estate values and rents depend on good community services.
Pleasanton is holding a transit fair on Monday, March 17, from 10:00 a.m. until 1:00 p.m. The event will be hels at the Senior Center, 5353 Sunol Boulevard. Representatives from Wheel, Pleasanton Paratransit Service, BART and Pleasanton Police Department will be at the fair. For reservations and additional information call 925-931-5365
Vote No On California Propositions 93, 94, 95, 96 & 97
By · February 3, 2008 · CommentsI’m a supporter of tribal gaming, but not on this level. It will hurt all California communities; Pleasanton, Dublin and Livermore home owners and rents will not see a benefit. Along with the gaming propositions Prop. 93 is just another way to take citizen government out of our hands.
We need to put money to work creating consumable goods, not gaming. Yes, a few jobs will be created, but there is no long term benefit to our work force. Spending on durable goods will increase work in California, and in turn create additional jobs state wide.
Prop 93 needs to be voted down, it only lets politicians pick your pocket longer. Maybe there should be a bill streamlining how our government works. Maybe we should cut the pay of all elected officials by one half. Then they could be put on a performance program by which they could earn more based on there performance. That performance would be voted on by the citizens.
Staples Ranch Park Workshops
By · February 1, 2008 · CommentsThe community park planned for the Staples Ranch property will be the topic of two community workshops. This park will be an important addition to recreation in the Tri-Valley; home owners and renters alike in Pleasanton, Dublin and Livermore should attend.
Workshops will be held at the Henry P. Mohr Elementary School on Feb. 7, from 6 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. and on Feb. 9, 9:30 a.m. to 12:00 noon.
Pleasanton city staff will be looking for input from the community as to the amenities and features the public would like to see in this important addition to recreation in the Tri-Valley.
