Tackling the Issues that Really Matter

We Need the Whole Truth!

Check out this great post that gives the real truth about the effort by Whole Foods to dupe the public. Paper bags are our savior?! Please. We need to fight this misinformation with everything at our disposal. I am sick of these mistruths - lies originated by environmental extremists - gaining any currency. We deserve the WHOLE truth.

Atherosclerosis: A Public Health Emergency

Please take a moment to read this article about atherosclerosis (or "athero" for short), a serious form of heart disease. Sadly, not enough people know about the dangers or prevalence of athero, thus increasing the risk of this deadly problem. As the article explains, athero deserves more attention from media and health professionals alike. If we maintain the status quo, which is entirely unacceptable, we will consign millions of Americans to lives of sickness and medical expense -- all because of athero. That's not only foolish; it's immoral. It's time to stop athero!

Stop the Greenwashing

Here's another great article debunking the nonsense from Whole Foods about the company's use of 100% recycled paper bags. It is important to note that there is nothing new about this campaign; the company is hardly at the vanguard of some new movement to improve the environment. If anything, plastic bags cost less and less harmful than the nonsense that is now official policy at Whole Foods. Unfortunately, the company thinks it can dupe the public. Now, that's shameful.

Media Bias: Exposed

Matthew Vadum deserves special praise for this article exposing the bias of news outlets like Reuters. Rather than employ reporters who have a thorough understanding of economics, Reuters - and its competitors - continue to publish biased (and factually inaccurate) pieces that attack payday loans, while abandoning any pretense to objectivity or ethics. In truth, these loans are an important part of our economy and a lifeline for people of all incomes. Alas, political agendas from reporters and editors come at the expense of truth. Thankfully, Vadum exposes this campaign with style and abundant evidence.

Whole Nonsense

This article is spot-on in its analysis of the effort by Whole Foods to generate publicity for an initiative that is otherwise commonplace. Promoting its offering of 100% recycled paper bags is hardly revolutionary; Whole Foods would like to have consumers believe otherwise -- which is a problem! People need to educate themselves about this matter, and recognize the definitions governing a paper bag that is "100% recycled." Alas, Whole Foods is not providing the Whole Truth on this matter. Attention shoppers: this campaign smacks of PR, not "green" goodwill.

California's Wine Industry: Central to Our Success

California's wine industry is not simply a matter of regional pride or cultural history; it's at the very heart of the state's economic growth. Put aside the beautiful countryside or the area's popularity as a tourist destination. Instead, consider the fact that the wine industry employs thousands, finances key state services and fuels all the other growth that makes California so dynamic. My message to our elected officials is simple: protect this segment of the economy, respect its workers and let's continue to make California the Golden State.

California Agriculture: Vitally Important

Memo to officials in Sacramento: we need to do everything to maintain the vitality and global importance of California's agricultural industry. We are top leaders in this category, and we should not undermine or strength or cede our position to competitors who simply cannot match the depth or quality of this category. Too often people fail to recognize how large this industry is, or its centrality to California's overall success. The state is so dynamic that it literally feeds the nation and the world. We need to remember these facts, for this is a topic we should celebrate.

Say No to Long-Term Care

Please take a moment to read this spot-on article by Michael Shaw in Health News Digest. The piece correctly debunks the campaign by front groups to burden people with long-term care insurance. The effort is nothing more than subterfuge: a means to bankrupt Medicaid and further impoverish people who have meager financial resources. In the process, the individual states will be left with enormous liabilities, while the long-term care industry moves on to the next group of gullible targets. The article makes its case quite well, because it cites this lobby's repeated attempts to lure people and governments into this economic mess. Memo to my fellow citizens: learn about this issue before it's too late -- and the long-term care lobbyists strike again.

Memo to Stancog Policy Board: We Need Short-Haul Rail

The Stanislaus Council of Governments Policy Board (StanCOG) needs to support the development of a new rail transportation link between Crows Landing and the San Francisco Bay Area in order to improve the jobs and housing balance in Stanislaus County when they meet on Wednesday November 14 at 6 pm,in Modesto. Why? Because this will significantly reduce the number of trucks and automobiles traveling on freeways in the East Bay and over the Altamont Pass and provide critically needed congestion relief and air quality improvements. Please make your voice heard on this issue because Californians deserves this form of relief and go here for more information.

Subprime News: Important!

Here are some important videos (see below) about subprime lending from www.subprimenewsroom.com. We need to watch this issue closely!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uyJtDSY1-Rg

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SJ_qK4g6ntM

http://www.youtube.com/profile?user=SubprimeNewsroom