Nov 192016
 

When I worked for Bill Halldin in the extremely crowded 2016 Assembly District 6 Primary, the team of James Gallagher, Doug LaMalfa, Frank Bigelow and Jim Nielsen – all partisan Republican officeholders came through with huge endorsements for Bill. Jim Nielsen and Frank Bigelow also followed up their endorsements with $4200 checks and assistance with other checks for Halldin’s campaign.

James Gallagher sent some staff who helped us on a few weekends. We had some of Jim Nielsen and Doug LaMalfa’s staff on a few weekends, with a lot on the final days of the campaign. Frank Bigelow’s staff were amazing, they helped us pretty much every weekend after Frank Bigelow endorsed Bill Halldin.

For this blogger personally, it was an interesting study in professionalism. I have been at the throats of several of the people in LaMalfa and Nielsen’s staff for years, yet here we were working together. This was a welcome change from the blood-letting that the GOP in California no longer has the luxury to do. Those that I worked with in the LaMalfa and Nielsen office were professional, polite and assisted Bill Halldin like a professional would do.

My interactions with those working for James Gallagher were even better. I have no negative history with Gallagher as I decided to support him in his primary, breaking traditional political lines in the North State. They all seemed to know, but more importantly their communication and approach suggested that they cared deeply about their district and people in it. Despite my issues with Gallagher on some internal party politics issues or allegiance issues – it is clear that James is an effective legislator with a clear reason for serving. His staff is a reflection of that.

Frank Bigelow’s staff blew my mind. What a great group of people. They even explained to me a few things about El Dorado County politics from a completely different perspective. (For example, having positive things to say about Vern Pierson) Without meaning a slight to the staff of the other three, the Bigelow Staff were almost 100% committed and assisting Halldin’s campaign and I had a lot of interactions with them. Bigelow’s staff were some of the most real people I’ve worked with from a legislator’s office in the nearly 20 years in the political trenches I’ve logged.

When I had interactions with Nielsen and Bigelow during this campaign, it was clear to me they were both trying to figure me out. They both made a lot of eye contact when we were chatting at a fundraiser event for Bill. I usually do not try to hide my feelings about anyone, and I will say that I have come from being hostile towards Nielsen to liking him.

Regarding Frank Bigelow, I did not support him when he ran against Rico Oller. Frank is not as conservative as I’d like him to be. However, it is clear to me that Bigelow is a “real dude”. I can forgive a lot of squishyness when I deal with a real dude. Bigelow’s character is clear as reflected in his staff. In most all cases a legislator’s staff is a reflection of the member. It was good to be able to get to know Mr. Bigelow a bit more. I hope that Bigelow, Nielsen and others would choose to start funding voter registration and other efforts as the dems are overrunning this state.

In this season of Thanksgiving, I’d like to thank the above four for helping Bill Halldin and I’d also like to thank the staff members I got to meet and work with. It was a great experience, here’s hoping that we cross paths on the same side again soon.

Footnote: Kevin Kiley won that primary and ultimately won the general election. The above four did indeed raise money and help Mr. Kiley in the fall as any good team players would do.

Nov 172016
 

Apparently this Hillary Clinton supporter (as she is a 63 year old Democrat from Rocklin) believes the first amendment only applies as long as she agrees with you.

She sent me a love letter. It is posted here for your perusal. She claimed some sort of Copyright on the letter in an attempt to try to scare me in to not publishing it. I think it is necessary for you to see her words unedited , including the envelope the letter came in.

Every election cycle I get at least one threat to sue. This cycle apparently was no different – however, the threat occurred after the election was over. This threat is unique as it is written by McLennan herself.

Connie McLennan has left several comments on this blog. She tweeted at and facebook trolled Joe Paterson incessantly. Her behavior IS consistent with the pattern of a bully and like bullies when challenged she goes nuclear.

Like most would-be Perry Masons, Ms. McLennan has no idea what constitutes libel. How would a liberal democrat know what libel is when their leaders gratuitously call their political opponents racist, sexist, xenophobic, etc. In addition, her letter comes from a position of pseudo-intellectual superiority that is typical of liberals I have dealt with for years – aka everything I believe is right and you are always wrong.

The post that triggered Ms. McLennan is linked here. It particular, I challenged McLennan for her obsession over Joe Patterson’s employer and her attempt to tie Joe Patterson to a stabbing that occurred outside a card-room. It has been clear to me since the beginning that Peter Hill has been the godfather of the opposition to Mr. Patterson and his clicking like on Ms. McLennan’s classless, and baseless attack shows complicity. Guess what, it is my opinion as a journalist and I have the right to ask questions. Ms. McLennnan made herself a public figure by both commenting (trolling) this blog, and also doing so all sorts of social media in what was clearly a rampage against Mr. Patterson.

Here is the money quote from the previous blog:

Contrast this to someone that I believe is mentally unstable, Connie McLennan who was basically Cyber-Stalking Joe during the campaign. (She also left comments on this blog)

It is apparent that McLennan was encouraged/recruited/supported by Peter Hill. As you can see, her classless attack on Joe Patterson has one like. Peter Hill.

Apparently, the old man thinks that politicizing a death after a fight at a cardroom is a smart idea. Perhaps Hill was supportive of the canard by the Clinton Campaign that people getting beaten at Trump rallies was Trump’s fault? Or maybe Peter Hill was paying this McLennan loser in the same manner as his fellow democrat Hillary Clinton was proven to be paying the violent protesters at Trump events.

You will note that Ms. McLennan directly answers none of my questions. She does indeed validate my opinion that she is mentally unstable as her letter is grounds for a padded cell with fingerpaints.

Now, let’s say Ms. McLennan decides to sue. If it gets past threatening legal letters between attorneys to preliminary hearings, etc. there is a process called discovery, this will be fun as the sorts of things one can get in discovery are pretty broad.

In addition, she bought her house in 1986 according to the best I can tell from on-line records, which means it is either paid off or nearly paid off. I could secure some of my retirement savings by foreclosing on it. This is how I deal with bullies.

Ms. McLennan would have been better off retreating back in to her safe space and licking her wounds after Hillary Clinton’s #EPICFAIL and Joe Patterson’s resounding win in the Rocklin Council Race. By sending me this letter she has opened up a hornet’s nest and convinced me she is indeed mentally unstable.

This kind of behavior is a local example of why the Modern Democrat Party has been destroyed in 38 of the 50 states and is on life support in a few more.

P.S. I hope this constitutes a response within the requested 7 days.

Nov 162016
 

Please note that again, Jennifer Montgomery found an excuse to vote no.

The Sacramento Bee in their usual hard left nimby manner called the project controversial in their headline. Nope. It is only controversial with the BANANA / MINBY crowd that are about 3% of the electorate.

Due to the delays and lawsuits, the project will still take another 25 years to complete. This means I will be 70+ years old when it is done – assuming that Sierra Watch’s expected shakedown lawsuits get tossed expeditiously.

Rather than go further in to the extremely biased article in the Bee, how about the following from Squaw:

The Village at Squaw Valley Specific Plan proposal was reviewed by the Placer County Board of Supervisors on Nov. 15, 2016. The Board of Supervisors voted 4 to 1 in favor of the Project.

We appreciate the hard work and dedication of Placer County staff, consultants, Board of Supervisors and members of our community throughout this process. We are pleased with the Board’s decision, and continue to believe this is the right plan to secure Squaw Valley’s future both in our region and within the ski and travel industries.

Squaw Valley Ski Holdings is prepared to significantly invest in the redevelopment of Squaw Valley, which will position the resort as a true four-season destination, provide more year-round jobs, on-site affordable workforce housing, tens of millions of dollars in other benefits to our local community, and will assist in stabilizing the North Lake Tahoe economy.

Project Overview
The Village at Squaw Valley Specific Plan proposes redeveloping and completing the unfinished Village at Squaw Valley to reestablish the resort as a premier mountain resort destination and ensure it has a sustainable future. The project proposes that 90 percent of the redevelopment would happen on existing asphalt parking lots already zoned for development. If approved, it will provide new on-site lodging and recreation opportunities, create more year-round local jobs, offer on-site affordable workforce housing, rehabilitate Squaw Creek, and provide over $22 million in annual tax revenue to help fund public services including schools, road improvements, transit services and public safety. In response to community feedback, the Village at Squaw Valley redevelopment plan has been reduced by 50 percent and is now only 38 percent of what is allowable per the Squaw Valley General Plan and Land Use Ordinance.

Community Benefits of the Squaw Valley Redevelopment Project
• Ensure that Squaw Valley and the North Lake Tahoe region can be competitive in a highly dynamic North American ski and resort destination market
• Quality and variety of on-site lodging at the base of Squaw Valley creates greater ability for guests to extend their stay and enjoy more of the businesses in the North Lake Tahoe community
• Retain close proximity day skier parking
• Retain the Member’s Locker Room
• 9-acres of Squaw Creek restored and protected
• 500+ new year-round local jobs supporting tourism that isn’t seasonally dependent • New on-site workforce housing

Fiscal Benefits of the Squaw Valley Redevelopment Project
• $22M in annual tax revenue generated by redevelopment in Squaw Valley will help fund public services including schools, road improvements, transit services and public safety
• $20M toward transit initiatives
• $150M in new infrastructure, including road, utility and Fire/EMS improvements, and more
• $2M annually to Olympic Valley environmental initiatives
• $6M dedicated to park and recreation planning, including improved hiking and biking trails in Squaw Valley
• $2M annually to help fund Olympic Valley environmental initiatives
• $2M dedicated to the restoration of Squaw Creek

For more information about the proposed redevelopment of the Village at Squaw Valley, visitsquawtomorrow.com.

Nov 132016
 

Remember Fred Ilfeld? He ran for Squaw Valley Public Service District and is 2 Votes out of 2nd Place. It was a vote for 3 so it looks like Mr. Ilfeld will win his election – only to find out that he will not be able to deny service to Squaw Valley if the project is approved by the Board of Supervisors.

Ilfeld has threatened to sue if the Squaw project is approved. So have the greenmail extortionists known as Sierra Watch.

As previously illustrated, when Martis Valley was up for consideration by the Placer County Government, Sierra Watch was conspicuously silent. Then, as reported on this blog, Martis Valley saw their assets magically triple around that same time frame. You ask yourself what happened?

It is the opinion of this blog that the recently filed lawsuit by Sierra Watch against the Martis Valley project is not an accident. In politics, when people are caught in a lie the double down rather than retreat. It is 100% reasonable to think that Sierra Watch is covering themselves after scrutiny. As detailed in the Sierra Sun, the activist NIMBY Attorney from Davis has also plied his sue-happy litigation against other projects in the Tahoe Region.

Take note of this gem in the Sierra Sun Article: The developer planned to build 760 single-family residences on the west side of the highway in-lieu of the 1,360 homes for which the east side was zoned. They also said that if the transfer were completed, the east side would be made available for permanent conservation.

Got it? Sierra Watch succeeded in stopping 60% of the homes that were to be built AND were going to get the parcel(s) that the remaining 60% were supposed to be put on permanently preserved. What reasonable tree-hugging enviro would not take that deal? (especially when the EIR, and all the other absurd red tape has been completed…)

I am not alone in my opinion about the Greenmailing of Sierra Watch. Supervisor Kirk Uhler unloaded on Sierra Watch at a recent meeting.

Supervisor Uhler was trying to get Tom Moores of Sierra Watch to give a straight answer about what suddenly changed in 2016 from the agreement struck in 2013 (which is also the date that their balance sheet suddenly exploded). Moores repeatedly dodged the question and the transcript shows the audience groaning as Moores dodges the questions.

You ask yourself if I am off base in thinking that Sierra Watch is acting like a cat trying to clean its’ mess off of a marble slab.

I am still trying to figure out if Squaw and its’ ownership are completely insane for trying to do business in California.

Nov 122016
 

Breaking News:

Self-proclaimed Sacramento PR guru and former supposed architect of the Reagan Presidency, Doug Elmets, will be rewarded for his great job as head of Republicans for Clinton with a diplomatic post as Consul General to Mosul, Iraq. Reportedly, Hillary Clinton will be responsible for providing him air support.

If only…

Usually people with outsized egos are overcompensating. Meet Doug Elmets.

Apparently, my previous posts hammering this complete fraud have been read an appreciated by several REAL Reagan Alum.

Many within the Reagan circle resent Mr. Elmets and the living he has made dining off of a very brief and low level affiliation with the Ronald Reagan operation.

You see, I worked on a special project for Congressman Joe Heck who ran unsuccessfully for US Senate in Nevada in the election just concluded. Had he won, the best I honestly could have told people is that I did a special project for Mr. Heck. I never met the Congressman.

Doug Elmets real Reagan Story is not much more than my Joe Heck story.

Doug Elmets was an 18-year-old low level volunteer who as a result of his father’s connections got a job a “staff assistant” (translated, “glorified intern”) in the Reagan White House. He was never stationed in the West Wing, but had cubicle in the EOB smaller than a secretary/admin’s desk. So, it is fair to say that Elmets was a janitor in the Reagan operation who had a desk in the broom closet.

Doug Elmets did support work and NEVER WAS A PRESIDENTIAL SPEECHWRITER as both he stated in the Washington Times (http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2016/jul/25/nevertrump-republican-cross-enemy-lines-dnc-speech ) and on MSNBC (http://www.latimes.com/nation/politics/trailguide/ ) and the DNC and Clinton Campaign claimed during his speech (https://www.c-span.org/video/?c4616016/reagan-speechwriter-doug-elmets-donald-trump-ronald-reagan ). Imagine that, Clinton lied as did Doug Elmets.

In Doug Elmets’ own job history listing for his service in the Reagan Administration in the July 1993 Edition of the Directory for the Reagan Alumni Association, there is no mention of his “working in the Reagan White House” or being a “speechwriter” for President Reagan, both positions he now claims but knows would be refuted by knowledgeable Reagan Alumni members.

It seems that Doug Elmets has been telling a fish story that has gotten out of control. I wonder if he has tripled down on that lie with his current clients.

As it was told to me, in 1988 if Ronald Reagan had crossed paths with the then 18 year old Elmets, he’d have not known him at all.

Like many in the cesspool of lobbyists and politics, Elmets was able to parlay some low-level jobs and a press secretary job for a cabinet member in to long term employment in the system.

I am not surprised at all to find out that Elmets was nothing more than an errand boy / janitor in the Reagan admin that Ronald Reagan did not know. Maybe people reading this post can help inform the world of what a fraud Mr. Elmets is before he uses Reagan’s name to hurt more people.