Assemblyman Chris Norby's Notes
First LegisLunch Friday
This Friday, my staff and I will hold the first monthly LegisLunch meeting. In a casual setting over lunch, these sessions will provide the public a chance to meet with my staff and me to share issues or concerns.
Time: April 8 (Friday), 12:00-1:00. Place: Sizzler, 1401 N. Harbor Blvd., Fullerton
These LegisLunches (yes, it's a new word-my spell check is underlining it in red as I type) will be held the 2nd Friday of every month at the Sizzler, right across the street from my district office. All are welcome-the concerned, the curious, the agitated or the just plain friendly!
No Budget Deal Yet
As of this week, Governor Brown appears to have missed the deadline for a June election on new tax extensions he's sought as part of his budget plan. He may try to seek a simple majority vote for such a measure, or wait for a November election and qualify all of his measures by signature gathering.
Five Republican Senators had been in talks with the Governor over compromises necessary for a comprehensive package which could have included a vote on some tax extensions along with a long list of concurrent reforms. At the top of the list were pension reform and a state spending cap. Unfortunately, some demands were distractions that actually added to state budget woes, such as preserving state subsidies for redevelopment agencies and county fairs.
On the Assembly side, there were casual working groups discussing reforms and counter-proposals, but nothing has reached the level of support of our leadership. Many of my colleagues have gone in opposition to all of Brown's proposals, including his spending cuts. The Republican Assembly Caucus' apparent determination to preserve redevelopment agencies creates an additional $1.7 billion budget hole.
A rebounding economy and rising employment could give the Governor a little breathing room, but structural reforms must be a part of any revenue package.
Drought Over
The Governor made it official-what we've known for well over a year through casual observance has been confirmed.
The Drought is Over.
Heavy rainfall and record Sierra snowpack finally ended the water crisis. State and local water officials should rejoice at the news, but like many in government, they often use crises as a wedge for more funding. The public is not likely to support vast new projects during wet years. That's why the Legislature pulled the pork-laden $11 billion water bond off last November's ballot. Too much rain!
California hasn't built a dam since 1979, although the Metropolitan Water District's Diamond Valley reservoir near Hemet has doubled Southern California water storage. Population pressures affect water demand unevenly, as 70% of state water is used by agriculture. An acre of homes uses less water that an acre of strawberries or cotton.
State water officials are still calling for conservation, although our water systems now have more runoff than they can store. Conservation now will simply assure that more runoff reaches the ocean, where it will eventually evaporate into rain and snow which we'll use all over again. Nature's perfect recycling machine!
Water cannot literally be wasted, like oil, coal or other natural resources. Water is not used up, burned up or destroyed when used-it is simply borrowed, then returned. The actual H2O molecules are indestructible, and the amount of earth's water has been unchanged for billions of years. What does change is how nature seasonally distributes it, and this season has been good.
My Grandma - A Eulogy
LET'S TALK ABOUT 1914 FOR A MOMENT.
FOR STARTERS, GRANDMA WAS BORN TUESDAY, DECEMBER 22, 1914 IN HER FAMILY'S ATWOOD RANCH HOUSE.
IT IS WORTH NOTING THOSE ALSO BORN IN 1914:
JACK LALANNE
JOE DIMAGGIO
DANNY THOMAS
AND WHO DIED IN 1914:
JOHN MUIR, THE FAMOUS NATURALIST FOR WHICH NUMEROUS ROADS, PARKS, HOTELS, AND NATURE RESERVES ARE NAMED.
IT IS ALSO WORTH NOTING THAT IN 1914 WOODROW WILSON SIGNS MOTHER'S DAY PROCLAMATION AND BABE RUTH MAKES HIS MAJOR LEAGUE DEBUT WITH THE RED SOX. MOTHER'S DAY AND BASEBALL- TWO OF MY FAVORITES!! (PERHAPS HER NICKNAME "BABE" CAME FROM BABE RUTH???)
GRANDMA WAS BORN INTO A PERIOD OF TIME FILLED WITH TURMOIL. IN JUNE OF 1914 ARCHDUKE FRANZS FERDINAND WAS ASSASSINATED. WITHIN ONE MONTH WORLD WAR I RAGED ACROSS EUROPE. TWO DAYS AFTER HER BIRTH HOWEVER, GERMAN AND BRITISH TROOPS INTERRUPTED WWI TO CELEBRATE CHRISTMAS. (PERHAPS THEY PAUSE KNOWING THAT A GREAT WOMAN WAS BORNE) WORLD WAR I CONTINUED UNTIL THE TREATY OF VERSAILLES IN 1919.
ALTHOUGH SHE WAS ONLY 5 YEARS OLD, SHE SAW THE LEAGUE OF NATIONS CREATED AND THE 19TH AMENDMENT WAS APPROVED BY THE U.S. CONGRESS GUARANTEEING THE RIGHTS OF WOMEN TO VOTE.
SHE LIVED THROUGH MANY NOTABLE EVENTS. LIKE THE 1933 LONG BEACH EARTHQUAKE OR WHEN ATWOOD FLOODED ALONG WITH MOST OF ORANGE COUNTY IN 1938 AND THE FLOOD-WATERS CLAIMED MORE THAN 50 PEOPLE, 43 OF WHICH WERE FROM ATWOOD! ALL OF THIS DURING A TIME THAT WE READ ABOUT IN SCHOOL AND KNOWN AS "THE GREAT DEPRESSION". SOMEWHERE IN ALL OF THAT SHE FOUND THE LOVE OF HER LIFE, GRANDPA LEO, GRADUATED HIGH SCHOOL, GOT MARRIED, AND HAD KIDS!
THEN THERE WAS WORLD WAR II. FROM PEARL HARBOR TO HIROSHIMA, GRANDMA WAS RAISING MY UNCLE BOB AND MOM ARLINE. WITH AIR-RAID SIRENS AND BLACKOUTS SHE WAS A WIFE AND MOTHER. WHAT A TIME TO RAISE CHILDREN! I BET GRANDMA'S PARENTS WERE ABEL TO TELL HER A THING OR TWO ABOUT RAISING KIDS IN WARTIME.
GRANDMA WAS THERE WHEN THE BOY SCOUTS OF AMERICA HELD THEIR 3RD ANNUAL NATIONAL JAMBOREE IN 1953. SHE SAW AIRBASES OPEN IN '42 AND CLOSE IN '99. SHE WATCHED WALTER KNOTT START UP HIS BERRY FARM AND WALT DISNEY TURN ORANGE GROVES AND STRAWBERRY PATCHES INTO DISNEYLAND!
SHE SAW THE HORSE AND CARRIAGE FADE AWAY INTO HISTORY AND SPACE TRAVEL EXPLODE BEFORE HER WITH THE FIRST LUNAR LANDING. JUST IMAGINE HOW MUCH TECHNOLOGY HAS CHANGED OVER THE LAST 100 YEARS. FROM TUBE RECTIFIERS TO SUPERCONDUCTORS; FROM TRANS-ATLANTIC TELEGRAPH CABLES TO SATELLITE TV.
SHE SAW MORE IN HER 93 YEARS THAN MOST OF US WILL EVER READ ABOUT, LET ALONE LIVE THROUGH!
OF THOSE 93 YEARS IT IS MY HONOR TO HAVE BEEN HER GRANDSON FOR 35 OF THEM. SHE WAS MY MOTHER WHEN MOM HAD TO WORK. SHE WIPED MY NOSE AND PUT FOOD IN MY MOUTH. SHE LET ME PLAY WITH GRANDPA EVEN THOUGH SHE NEEDED HIM TO TAKE HER TO THE STORE. SHE WAS MY GRANDMA AND I WILL MISS HER IMMENSELY.
JUST LOOK AROUND THIS ROOM; SHE DID THIS. SHE IS RESPONSIBLE FOR BRINGING SO MANY GOOD PEOPLE INTO THIS WORLD AND TOGETHER TODAY. THIS IS HER LEGACY.
A Dedication To My Loving Wife, Stacey. Thank you for all you do for me!
Brad Paisley - I Thought I Loved You Then
I remember trying not to stare the night that I first met you
You had me mesmerized
3 weeks later in the front porch light taking 45 min to kiss you goodnight
I hadn’t told you yet but I thought I loved you then
Chorus
Now you’re my whole life now you’re my whole world
I just can’t believe the way I feel about you girl
Like a river meets the sea
Stronger than it’s ever been
We’ve come so far since that day
And I thought I loved you then.
I remember taking you back to right where I first met you
You were so surprised
There were people around
But I didn’t care I got down on one knee right there
And once again I thought I loved you then
Chorus
Now you’re my whole life now you’re my whole world
I just can’t believe the way I feel about you girl
Like a river meets the sea
Stronger than it’s ever been
We’ve come so far since that day
And I thought I loved you then.
I can just see you with a baby on the way
I can just see you when your hair is turning gray
What I can’t see is how I’m ever gonna love you more
But I’ve said that before.
Now you’re my whole life now you’re my whole world
I just can’t believe the way I feel about you girl
Well look back some day at this moment that we’re in
And I'll look at you and say I thought I loved you then
And I thought I loved you then...
No comments:
Post a Comment