Thursday, April 7, 2011

State Controller John Chiang Makes 2 Announcements...and we're broke!

The State Controller's Office sent me two press releases with in minutes of one another so here they are...


Controller Releases March Cash Update
SACRAMENTO – State Controller John Chiang today released his monthly report covering California’s cash balance, receipts and disbursements in March. Total receipts for the month were $370 million lower (-5.8 percent) than estimates found in the Governor’s proposed 2011-12 State Budget.
“The State’s cash position actually worsened by $370 million in March, despite very strong income tax collections,” said Chiang. “California’s economic recovery is clearly underway but is threatened by a budget gridlock that could halt job-producing public works projects, further erode the State’s credit ratings, and delay billions of dollars in payments.”
Sales taxes were up $9.7 million (0.5 percent) in March, and personal income taxes came in $1.2 billion above (144.7 percent) estimates. The drop in revenues was caused by corporate taxes, which were down $387.6 million (-19.7 percent), and the cancelled sale and lease-back of State properties that was slated to generate $1.2 billion in March.
The State faced a $19 billion cash deficit on March 31. That deficit was covered by $9 billion of internal borrowing – short term loans from special funds – and $10 billion of external borrowing.
March 2011’s financial statement and the summary analysis can found on the Controller’s Web site at www.sco.ca.gov. The site also includes an April Tax Tracker, which lists the daily amount of personal income tax collected. The Governor’s proposed 2011-12 State Budget expects more than $6.8 billion of income tax collections in the month of April alone.
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Controller Co-Hosts Annual Financial Literacy Fair
SACRAMENTO – Controller John Chiang and Assembly Member Mike Eng today co-hosted a Financial Literacy Fair at the State Capitol, bringing together credit counselors, banks, financial services, and education, consumer protection and community-based organizations to tackle the challenge of enhancing financial skills for California families.
“All Californians deserve direct access to basic financial information that helps them make wise investments with their money, establish college funds for their children and save for their own retirement,” Chiang said. “Whether it is educating a college freshman about credit card debt, or a low-income worker about the dangers of predatory loans, empowering California families with good financial information will strengthen our communities and our State.”
The Controller is co-sponsoring with the New America Foundation legislation authored by Assembly Member Eng that will encourage the State to partner with businesses and non-profit organizations and share in developing information that can help California consumers make sound fiscal choices. The bill, AB 597 also will create an advisory committee focused on improving financial literacy throughout California.
“A well-informed and financially literate consumer can save thousands of dollars, avoid abnormal fees and charges and build up savings for retirement,” said Assembly Member Mike Eng (D-Monterey Park). “AB 597 makes financial literacy a priority in California by establishing a fund for the sole purpose of empowering our citizens to make informed choices and make them less susceptible to scams and predators.”
Almost 20 exhibitors  participated by providing information about wise investments, financial planning, consumer protection, credit counseling and ways to better manage money, save on taxes and enhance money skills.
Joining the Controller and Eng at the press conference and fair were Maria Sotero of the New America Foundation, and Assembly Member Alyson Huber (D-El Dorado Hills).

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Greg Sebourn

The Beauty of a Storm

The Beauty of a Storm
Orange County, Ca.

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...