'Acting President Pence' cannot pardon Trump if he resigns

 Amid the talk of a possible resignation from President Donald Trump in hopes of being pardoned by President Pence is the realization that Pence most likely will not be able to pardon Trump. Here's how it goes: Trump now has less than 60 days left in his term. At this point, even if Trump were to resign today, Pence could assume the responsibilities of the Presidency without taking the oath of office, under the 25th Amendment, just as if the President were temporarily disabled and in the hospital.

As Acting President, not having taken the Oath of Office, Pence really would not be President. He would be the custodian of the duties of the President, but he would not actually be President. In that capacity, so far as I can determine as a political science scholar, Pence would not have the power of the Presidential pardon available to him. 

When Reagan turned power over to Bush

When Ronald Reagan was shot in 1981, he turned over the power of the Presidency to George H.W. Bush, his Vice-President, while he underwent surgery. During the surgery, Bush was Acting President but he did not have Presidential pardon powers nor did he take the Oath of Office as President. 

At this point, there are so few days left in Trump's term that Pence most likely would fill in as Acting President without even taking the Oath of Office. And just like Bush in 1981, Pence will not have the pardon powers available to him.

A failing self pardon

It is likely, therefore, that Trump will be advised by his legal team to utilize the one remaining option available to him: pardoning himself. It is unknown at this point if a self-pardon will be successful for Trump. Sources believe the Supreme Court would overturn a self-pardon on the grounds that nobody can fairly judge himself or herself.

State prosecution

Even if Trump is successful at pardoning himself of the federal tax charges against him, he will not be able to relinquish himself of the state charges against him in New York State. Trump will face prosecution after he leaves office. That is for sure, pardon or not.

Lindsey Graham arrested while tossing Georgia ballots into ocean

(Satire at its best)...

Senator Lindsey Graham, (R, SC), was arrested yesterday along a Savannah, Georgia pier while allegedly throwing legal ballots into the Atlantic Ocean. The ballots, which were primarily from Democratic districts in Atlanta and Savannah, were  packed in white U.S. Mail packing boxes with labels addressed to elections offices in Atlanta and Savannah. It was estimated that Graham had at least 70 boxes stacked along the pier, each box easily containing at least 300 marked ballots. 

Graham's Chevy Suburban, which was found about a hundred feet from the pier, was loaded with another 50 to 60 boxes of ballots. It is believed that they were early mail-in ballots that Graham and his cohorts in crime somehow had managed to attain early in the vote counting process.

Scuba team retrieval

A scuba team of Navy Seals, which ironically has just undergone document retrieval training in the high seas, has been deployed to retrieve the ballots and deliver them to the proper Elections Offices. 

Graham's Judiciary Committee Chairmanship

It is not known if or how Graham's arrest and likely conviction will affect his chairmanship of the Senate Judiciary Committee. However, it is unlikely that he will chair the confirmation hearing of the next Supreme Court Justice. Camera crews can't social distance in the Federal Penn!

Trump's biggest regret: Marilyn did not jump out of a cake for his birthday

(Satire at its best).

Outgoing President Donald J. Trump, after finally tweeting that he had lost to Joe Biden, stated that his biggest regret as President was that Marilyn Monroe did not pop out of a birthday cake for him and sing "Happy Birthday Mr. President" to him. "If she could pop out of a birthday cake for JFK in 1962, the second year of his Presidency,  why couldn't she pop out of a cake for me in 2018, the second year of my Presidency?," the President asked Chris Hayes in a rarely granted MSNBC interview.

 

Trump continued, "JFK did great things for civil rights, for world peace and for the Space Race. But look at me. Nobody did more for all of those things than me and my administration. If JFK could get recognition from Marilyn Monroe, then why can't I get at least a pop up birthday cake visit?"

Not worth the jealousy

Hayes then asked the President if he thought that it perhaps was better for everyone concerned that Marilyn did not pop out of a birthday cake for him since it could have made Melania jealous. Trump quickly responded, "Oh no. Melania and I have discussed jealousy before. She has made it very clear to me that I simply am not worth being jealous about. So far as she's concerned, anybody could pop out of that cake and she would not be jealous. I simply am not worth the jealousy to her."

 

 

 

 

 

McConnell gives Trump's Concession Speech for him on Senate Floor

(Satire at its best...)

A tired, torn and haggard Mitch McConnell took to the Senate Floor on Tuesday after an exhaustive meeting in the White House Situation Room with President Trump, Vice-President Pence, Lindsey Graham and House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy. The hastily called meeting, which was scrutinized by Vladimir Putin remotely via hidden cameras and microphones, allegedly was called to discuss "the President's next steps and the future of the GOP." 

It is unknown who among the guests wore masks at the meeting, but unnamed sources have confirmed that Putin was wearing his mask throughout his surveillance of the meeting. It is unknown if the guests were tested for COVID-19 upon entering the Situation Room. However, Russian media sources have verified that Putin recently tested negative for COVID-19.

 

McConnell's announcement:

McConnell, still winded from running into the Capitol corridor after being dropped off by one of the White House Chevy Suburbans driven by Donald Trump Jr., approached the Well of the Senate Floor and began his short, unrehearsed speech with all the major news sources present, even FOX News. 

"I met with the President and Vice-President Pence and leading GOP members of both houses of Congress. We discussed various options for President Trump, the GOP, and, most importantly, the American People, including the President's base. After much bantering back and forth, it was decided that I am to give this short statement which I will read now..

I, Mitch McConnell, acting on behalf of another, hereby concede the 2020 Presidential election to Former Vice-President Joseph A. Biden on behalf of President Donald J. Trump, effective this date, November 10, 2020. I do this freely and with all kinds of reservations; but nobody cares what I think anymore."

 

 

 

What Trump will do the day he loses

 If Donald Trump loses the election on November 3rd, his reaction will be akin to that of a birthday boy who is grounded from attending his own birthday party. To put it mildly, he will not take it well. He will rant, rave, protest and demand a recount. And he will continue his endless Twitter diatribe about the unfairness of the election process, the so-called "fraudulent ballots," the phony mail-in ballots, etc., etc., etc.. He will mudsling towards Nancy Pelosi, Chuck Schumer, Adam Schiff and others. And he will save plenty of blame for Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Rep. Ilhan Omar. And if he loses Florida too, he will try to "fire" Florida Governor Ron DeSantis for failing to deliver Florida for him.

And of course he will have plenty of blame left for Mitch McConnell, Lindsey Graham and Kevin McCarthy for failing to bring in the undecided voters for him. He will be in a rant and rave like that of a rabid dog biting its own tail. He will be like a desperate criminal pinned against a wall, not able to ascertain who his friends and enemies are and hating the world. He will lunge out at everyone with an anger, hatred and wrath not seen in a leader since the dictatorial reign of Adolf Hitler at his worst.

He will deny the results

I predict that after Trump goes into his tirade on Twitter blaming all of the aforementioned people for his 2020 election defeat, that he go to the East Lawn of the White House and hold a "no question" press conference. At the press conference, he will announce that he does not accept the results of the election. He will announce that it is a fraudulent election, that the ballots were tampered with and that the "only way" that he could have lost is if there was fraud and he will insist that there was fraud.

He will demand a recount

I predict that Trump's next move will be to demand a "recount" in every county or parish in which he is listed as the loser, across the country. I predict that he will have Attorney General William Barr contact the Secretaries of State of all states that Trump lost and demand a full recount of all the ballots.

He will reject postmarked ballots

I predict that Trump's next move will be to have Barr attempt to issue a binding order to all Secretaries of State in all 50 states to the effect that any and all ballots postmarked November 3rd, but not received until after November 3rd, cannot be counted. This would disqualify most ballots from active military personnel and other Americans overseas, since most of their ballots are not received by Election Day. 

He will deny ballots from unconfirmed voters

In what perhaps will be his boldest move after losing, Trump will attempt, once again through Barr, to invalidate any and all ballots nationwide from voters whose identities were not confirmed through photo identification. This would ban all mail-in ballots nationwide and would ban all ballots from California voters, the nation's most populous state, thus depriving Biden of California's 55 Electoral College votes. (California does not require photo identification for voters and has not done so for years).

He will refuse to concede

I predict that Trump's next move will be to refuse to concede his loss to Joe Biden. Although it is not absolutely mandatory that the incumbent President concede if he loses, it always has been the practice to do so. No defeated incumbent President ever has refused to concede. Although he does not absolutely have to concede, he does have to turn over the powers of the Presidency, as well as the launch codes and the nuclear football, on January 20, 2021. If he refuses to do so on Inauguration Day, then most likely the Marines and the Secret Service would intervene and force the issue. This will be extremely embarrassing indeed for all concerned parties, including the American People.

He will lose his court battles

More than likely, Trump will lose his court battles. Joe Biden will be certified as the winner and will be declared the President-Elect of the United States. It's what most likely will happen next that is of particular interest to students of politics.

He will try to pardon himself

I predict that Trump's next move will be to try to pardon himself for obstruction of justice, abuse of power and tax evasion. I predict that the backlash from this will be swift, deliberate and definitive. Somebody will take it to court and the pardon will be declared "null and void" almost immediately.

He will resign from the Presidency

It is my prediction that just as soon as his self-pardon is declared unconstitutional, that Trump will resign the Presidency with approximately two and a half months left in his term. Trump will make up some phony excuse for resigning, but the real reason will be that he hopes that Pence, who is finishing out Trump's term, will pardon him.

He will move to an undisclosed foreign location

I predict that President Pence, who still has dreams of being elected President in his own right in four to eight years, will not pardon Trump. I predict that Trump, Melania and Barron will move to an undisclosed foreign country, leaving Trump's adult children behind to deal with the Paparrazzi. 

Conclusion...

Well that's how I see it. Of course I do not have a crystal ball; but I think that this is pretty close to how things will play out if Trump loses on November 3rd. Whatever happens, we all know that Trump is not going to take losing easily and that he is going to blame everybody else, including his greatest political allies. In his mind, nothing is his fault and it never has been. And he has never made a mistake. And he handled the pandemic with total artistry. 

I think that the Donald may be in for one rude awakening on November 3rd. It's time for him to vacate  government housing and move to a foreign country; that is if they will have him. 

Senator Feinstein: Don’t berate my Catholic faith

Senator Dianne Feinstein, as you prevail in your attempt to dissuade your fellow Senators from voting to approve Amy Barrett as an Associate Justice of the Supreme Court, please do not berate my Catholic faith or question its principles and teachings. Yes we disagree with you on Choice. Yes we are Pro Life. And yes we believe in certain principles, practices and morals that distinguish us from other sects of the Christian faith.

Your off mic comment in which you stated that Amy Barrett’s “deeply personal” faith is influencing her decisions as a judge was quite disturbing. You went further and told Barrett, “Your dogma lives loudly within you.” What dogma are you talking about, Senator? Are you talking about the Catholic teachings about the sanctity of life? Are you talking about the Catholic belief that life begins at conception and that unborn babies need to be protected? Are you talking about our steadfast and total objection to late term abortions in which doctors take inventories of body parts as they rip them off babies that are still in the womb? 

Pandora’s Box

Senator, the point that I am trying to make is that once you start attacking a person for their religious faith and referring to it as their “dogma,” you are opening Pandora’s Box. And when you are talking about a faith as old and as complicated as the Catholic faith, the conversation can go on from here to perpetuity. 

Instead of attacking nominees for their faith, or “dogma” as you call it, perhaps you should ask nominees about their qualifications for the job and make your decision based on their qualifications instead of your perception of what their “dogma” is or is not. And speaking of qualifications, being Catholic is not an instant “disqualifier“ for a judicial nominee or any other type of nominee. And if you see it as a disqualifier, then you are guilty of anti-Catholic bigotry.

Catholics can be leaders too

We Catholics can be leaders too. And we can make decisions that pertain to the society as a whole, guided by our principles, beliefs and morals without forcing our faith on others. And yes we may have a more stringent sense of right and wrong than do most Christian denominations; but we still can listen to others and make principled decisions without infringing upon the rights of others.

Roe v. Wade

Yes Senator Feinstein it is no secret that we Catholics oppose the landmark Roe v. Wade Supreme Court decision that legalized abortion nationwide. It is no secret that we believe in the sanctity of human life and that we believe that life begins at conception. 

But you are making quite a presumption when you assume that just because we oppose Roe v. Wade that it means that we can come up with a Constitutional rationale for overturning it. If such a rationalization does exists, it exists no matter whether those who discover it are Catholic, HIndu or anything in between. Conversely, if no rationale exists for overturning Roe v. Wade, it does not matter if the Justices determining that are Catholic, Jewish or agnostic. 

If there is no rationale for overturning Roe v. Wade, then you ought not fear that a Catholic Associate Justice will find one. And if there is such a rationale, it can be found by any Associate Justice, no matter their religion.

And so the fact that a devout Catholic has been nominated to the Court should not make any difference at all. Just because Amy Barrett is very sincere about her Catholic faith does not mean that she cannot be objective, fair and equitable in her decisions as an Associate Justice of the Supreme Court. And it does not mean that she would be any less objective, fair and equitable than anybody else. 

Fearing the Pope

When Senator John F. Kennedy was nominated for President by the Democratic Party, a lot of people feared that he would be directed or influenced by the Pope. Senator Kennedy reassured voters that he would not be directed by the Pope and that he would listen to the American People before making decisions.

The American People believed Kennedy and gave him their trust. As it turned out, Kennedy kept his promise and did not depend upon the Pope when making decisions as President. Senator Feinstein, I believe that you should extend the same courtesy to any Catholic nominee for a judicial post who assures you that they will not allow their faith to dictate their judicial decisions. Once such a nominee has provided you with such assurances, you should drop the issue of their religion and accept their assurances at face value.

It’s your decision

Senator Feinstein, how you vote on the nomination of Amy Barrett is your decision and only yours to make. I am not telling you how to vote on her nomination. However, I am asking that you not let Barett’s faith enter the picture as you cast your vote in the Senate. Base your vote on her qualifications, not her faith. After all, isn’t that what millions of Catholics did in California when they voted for you as a Senator? Need I say more?

Acting President Nancy Pelosi? It just might happen!

 Donald Trump has stated that he will not concede if he loses in November. Nancy Pelosi has urged Biden not to concede under any circumstances if early returns show him losing. It is likely that early returns will favor Trump because they mainly will be from in-person polling stations in GOP favored precincts. For the most part, Democrats will vote by mail this year because of the COVID-19 pandemic. And most of the vote by mail returns will not be in by election night and will be counted over a three or four day period after the November 3rd election.

Election returns will turn more and more blue as the vote by mail ballots are counted. The Trump campaign will begin to file lawsuits to try to stop the counting of vote by mail ballots on the grounds that ballots received after Election Day cannot be counted. The Biden campaign will counter sue, stating that ballots that are postmarked on or before Election Day can be counted no matter when they arrive at the Elections Office. The litigation will have begun and tensions on both sides of the campaign will be higher than ever.

                    The Court Battles Ensue

Most likely, the election outcome will not be known on November 3rd, nor will it be known a week from then, or even a month later. The outcome of the election will be tied up in court with both candidates claiming that they won and neither candidate conceding. More than likely, Trump will claim that he is the victor based upon early returns from in-person voting stations and Biden will be claiming that the outcome is yet unknown because of millions of uncounted mail-in ballots. And, as mentioned previously, Trump will attempt to block the counting of those mail-in ballots.

Additionally, both Trump and Biden will be suing the Secretaries of State of the contested states, trying to force them to count or not count ballots. Those lawsuits will be fought in the state courts of the respective states and then those rulings will be appealed by the losing sides. The lawsuits will ascend the judicial ladders until they finally end up in federal court, then the federal appeals courts and finally the Supreme Court, the decision of which will be final.

All of this could take months. During this very uncertain time, Biden will not be able to prepare to take over with a transition team and Trump will not be able to prepare for a second term.

                    Trump leaves office

With the court fights still underway, the election outcome will not be known by Inauguration Day on January 20, 2021. Under the Constitution, the President has to leave office on January 20th if the outcome of the election is unknown and his term has ended. He cannot and will not stay in office pending the outcome of the election.

Conversely, Joe Biden will not be able to take office either if the outcome of the election is unknown. And if neither candidate has conceded to the other one, neither candidate can take office. In 1960, John F. Kennedy won against Nixon by only 100,000 votes. The election results could have been challenged by Nixon. But Nixon, not wanting to tie up the courts in one appeal after another, conceded to Kennedy and Kennedy took office on January 20, 1961.

That most likely is not going to take place this time. Trump already has predicted that the election results will be challenged by either side and that the outcome will be tied up in court for months. And he has stated emphatically that he will not concede. And although Biden himself has not stated that he will not concede, he is being strongly encouraged not to do so by Nancy Pelosi and others.

                     Nancy Pelosi becomes “acting” President

If the election outcome is tied up in the courts and neither Trump nor Biden have conceded to each other, then the only Constitutional remedy is to swear in Nancy Pelosi as President pending the official outcome of the election. As Speaker of the House, Pelosi is second in succession to the Presidency, after the Vice-President. Pence would not be able to take office as President because his election also would be in question and so it would fall upon Pelosi to succeed to the Presidency, at least temporarily. 

Under the Constitution, there is no designation for an “acting” President; but Pelosi only will be President pending the outcome of the election. Pelosi will take the same oath of office as the President because there is no oath for an acting President.

Pelosi’s “Presidency” could be a matter of hours, days, weeks or months. It all depends on the courts, the appeals, the lower courts and the higher courts and finally the U.S. Supreme Court. Each lawsuit will be handled on a case by case basis. And each case will have its own path through the appellate process. 

Conceivably, Pelosi could be President for months. During that time, she will have the full power and privileges of the Presidency. And she will be the Commander-in-Chief. She will carry the nuclear football and will have the access codes.  

As President,  Pelosi will be managing the COVID-19 crisis, directing the Center for Disease Control, allocating funds to go to the states, and administering a relief package for businesses and American citizens who are unemployed as a result of the COVID-19 crisis.

                    Ruling by fiat

Because Pelosi will not know how long she is going to be “acting” President, she will not have the luxury of going through the long, cumbersome Congressional process to get her proposals enacted. She will have no choice but to rule by Executive order for the time being in hopes of providing some semblance of stability to the government as it deals with COVID-19, massive unemployment, a depleted economy, international relations, wildfire relief and a whole host of other problems facing the country.

Pelosi will rule by fiat, or executive orders, while fully aware that her executive orders can be overturned by whomever is determined to have won the election by the courts. But that will not be the issue at the time anyway. Pelosi's objective will be to run the government as efficiently and effectively as possible for the time that she is in office and to provide for the needs of the states, cities, large and small businesses, and the American People.

                    An empty White House

During this time, the White House will be empty. Trump will have been moved out and/or been "escorted out" on January 20th because his term will have ended. Biden will not have moved in because he will not have been determined to be the winner nor sworn in as President. And Pelosi, who will have been sworn in as President, will not move into the White House because she will not know how long she is going to be serving as “acting” President.

And so for the first time since Harry Truman moved out of the White House while it was being remodeled, nobody will be living in the White House. Reporters will camp out across the street from Pelosi’s private home, instead of the White House, much like they do in England across from 10 Downing Street, the official residence of the British Prime Minister. Makeshift press conferences will occur on Pelosi’s doorstep or front yard or in a temporary large, white tent somewhere near Pelosi’s home.

                    An interesting time

The acting Presidency of Nancy Pelosi, if it does in fact become reality, will be an interesting time. It will be the government’s attempt to bring stability and order to a very uncertain, chaotic time in our history. No matter who ultimately is declared the winner of the 2020 election by the courts, America will have prevailed and the Constitution will have guided us through yet another quagmire. Long live the Constitution!

Likely Senate picks for CA Governor Gavin Newsom

 If Kamala Harris is elected Vice-President in November, California Governor Gavin Newsom will have to appoint someone to serve as a United States Senator until the next election in 2022. The opportunity to appoint a U.S. Senator is one of those perks that rarely presents itself to Governors; but when it does, it gets a lot of attention. 

In the last 56 years, two Governors, Edmund G. "Pat" Brown and Pete Wilson,  had the opportunity to appoint Senators. Brown appointed former Kennedy press secretary Pierre Salinger in August 1964 after the death of Senator Claire Engle. In January 1991, Pete Wilson appointed State Senator John Seymour to fill the U.S. Senate seat that he had vacated to serve as Governor.

If Harris is elected Vice-President in November, Newsom will be the first California Governor to appoint a Senator in 30 years. No matter who he appoints, this action by Newsom will have long term effects on California politics and will comprise a major portion of Newsom's gubernatorial footprint.

Serious Candidates with a political future:

Ideally, Newsom will appoint a person who has a promising political futures and still is young enough to serve for awhile. Herein is a list of possible prospects that this author thinks that Newsom should consider for appointment to the United States Senate seat should Harris be elected Vice-President in November:

Betty Yee

Yee, 62,  currently is the State Controller of California and is in her second term in that office. Prior to being elected State Controller, Yee served on California's State Board of Equalization. Yee also is President of California Women Lead, an organization dedicated to promoting women to run for elective office. Yee sits on the California Lands Commission. She opposes fracking and supports alternative energy sources. She is a strong advocate for homeless and abused children and works hard to provide solutions for kids who have been neglected and forgotten by society.

John Chiang:

 Chiang, 58, is both the former Treasurer and former State State Controller of California. He also served on the California Board of Equalization. Chiang is a strong advocate for workers and in July 2008,  he defied orders by then Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger to slash the wages of state workers. In September 2016, as California Treasurer, Chiang clamped down on Wells Fargo for predatory practices involving unsolicited savings accounts that had been set up for unwitting customers.

 Xavier Becerra:

 Becerra, 62, was elected California Attorney General after Harris vacated that office to serve as a United States Senator. A graduate of Stanford Law School, Becerra also is a former member of Congress, where he served for twenty-four years. 

Alex Padilla:

 Padilla, 47, is California's Secretary of State. He also served in the California State Senate for eight years. He graduated from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in 1994.

Congresswoman Katie Porter: 

Porter, 46, is a member of Congress who is known for her tireless questioning of Trump White House operatives. She is a member of the House Committee on Financial Services and a graduate of Harvard Law School.

Eric Garcetti: 

Garcetti, 49, is the Mayor of Los Angeles. He is a Rhodes Scholar and a graduate of the London School of Economics.

Gavin Newsom:

 Newsom, 52, potentially and legally could appoint himself Senator to fill the vacancy left by Kamala Harris. Although it rarely if ever is done, governors have been known to appoint themselves. Newsom was a renown Mayor of San Francisco, famous for having legalized same sex marriage in that city in 2004. He also served as Lieutenant Governor under Jerry Brown for two terms before being elected Governor in 2018.

Place holder candidates:

Place holder candidates are people who could fill the seat of U.S. Senator until the next election, but who have no prospects of running for the Senate or serving beyond the next election. Governors often will appoint place holder candidates when they just want to fill a vacancy without adversely affecting the status quo, or, shall we say, "rocking the apple cart." Sometimes governors will appoint place holder candidates because they don't want to promote the careers of people who potentially could pose a threat to their own political careers on down the road. 

Jerry Brown:

 Brown, 82, has a political career spanning over 50 years. A consummate environmentalist and frugal spender, Brown has served in multiple Constitutional offices in California: Secretary of State, Attorney General, Governor and Governor again decades later. He also served as Mayor of Oakland in between his gubernatorial terms.  Altogether, Brown served as Governor of California for four terms, or 16 years. He ran for Senator in 1982 but was defeated by Pete Wilson. Brown also ran for the Democratic nomination for President in 1976, 1980, and 1992.

John Garamendi:

 Garamendi, 75, has a resume as long as a submarine. He currently is serving in the United States Congress, representing Contra Costa County and the surrounding area. Most recently, he was the Lieutenant Governor of California. Before that he was California's Insurance Commissioner two different times. He is widely reputed as an advocate for hard working Americans and a strong environmentalist. 

In Conclusion:  

In conclusion, no matter whether Newsom appoints a serious candidate or a place holder candidate to fill Kamala Harris's seat if she is elected Vice-President, his selection will have a lasting impact on California's future. But then again, nearly everything Governors do has a lasting impact on their states. Elective office is not for sissies. It is for decision makers like Gavin Newsom who are able to make their decisions and then forge ahead without looking back.

 

No increased parking fines; Modestans can't afford them.

Last night I spoke in opposition to increased parking fines at the Modesto City Council meeting. I stated that the per capita income in Modesto is much less than that of other California cities of comparable populations in the Bay Area and Southern California. Under the measure approved by the City Council last night, the cost of an overtime parking fine will increase by $20.00, from $33.00 to $53.00. All other City parking fines will undergo similar increases.

Modestans cannot afford increased parking fines

As I see it, the People of Modesto cannot afford to pay markedly increased parking fines. The per capita income in Modesto is only $24,957! In Sacramento, which is one of the "comparable cities" referenced by City Staff as having higher parking fines, the per capita income is $67,902! In San Bernadino, another referenced city, the per capita income is $60,420. And in San Francisco, yet another referenced city, the per capita income is $55,567. 

Mayor Brandvold agreed that I made a good point about the per capita income in Modesto not being commensurate with that of the referenced, "comparable cities." The Mayor also stated that he was opposed to this increase until he is presented with a complete plan showing what needs the increased fines will be meeting and how the additional revenue will be used. 

                                 The purpose of parking fines

I also stated that fines are intended to encourage people to comply with the law, not to generate revenue for the City.  My comment was in response to a statement by Council member Jenny Kenoyer that the increased parking fines will help offset a $6 million shortfall in the City's current parking revenue and pay for updates to the City's parking garages. All that is well and good, but that is not the purpose of parking fines. If anything, the increased revenue should be used to set up programs aimed at parking violation diversion and education, not for parking garages. 

                                  Blaming the Modesto Police

The City Staff presented several charts and graphs that showed that revenue from parking fines went down in 2017 and 2018. The City Staff blamed the Modesto Police for those shortfalls, stating that they were due to lax enforcement because, as they stated, the Modesto Police had "other priorities." I asked the City Staff if they had considered that perhaps the People of Modesto complied with the law in those two years better than in other years. I asked them if they had proof that the fine shortfalls in 2017 and 2018 emanated from lax enforcement rather than increased compliance with the parking laws. The City Staff did not answer me.

                                    The toast of the town

As I see it, last night's Toast of the Town goes to Mayor Ted Brandvold. He realized that the People of Modesto cannot afford increased parking fines. He realized that he is there to represent the People of Modesto, not the City budget. He realized that he is not a bookkeeper or an accountant, but that he is a representative of the People and a leader. And last night he exemplified leadership in its finest sense.

Sebastian Jones: Name Modesto's Next Elementary School After MLK

Local Modesto political activist Sebastian Jones is calling upon the Modesto City Schools to name its next elementary school after the late civil rights activist the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.. Jones, who is a Board member of Modesto's King-Kennedy Center, has been an activist for social justice all of his adult life. He regularly advocates for innocent victims of predatory landlords on the verge of homelessness before the City Council and various urban commissions that deal with landlord/tenant relations. Jones' application to serve on the Board of Building Appeals is being reconsidered after it originally was rejected by Council members Mani Grewal, Jenny Kenoyer, Bill Zoslocki and Ed Ridenour.

So Long Overdue

 

As Jones sees it, the naming of an elementary school after Dr. King is long, long overdue in Modesto. A city of over 200,000 people, like Modesto, Jones says, should project an interface of ethnic diversity. Such an interface, according to Jones, is not possible without the inclusion of an elementary school that is dedicated to the memory of the one civil rights leader who dedicated his life to bringing people of all ethnic backgrounds together peacefully and judging people by "the content of their character, not by the color of their skin."

Why an Elementary School

 

The question arises: Why is Jones calling for naming an elementary school after Dr. King, and not a junior high or high school? The answer is quite simple: The elementary years are the formative years and the impressions made during those years run the deepest. It is during those formative years that children will be the most responsive to instruction on who Dr. King was and the values that he represented. Also, it is during the elementary years that children best can be molded to accept each other for who they are and not on the basis of race.

Sebastian won't quit

 

Sebastian won't quit in his tireless fight to see to it that Modesto's next elementary school is named after the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.. He is a relentless fighter and he believes in the causes for which he advocates. And this is one cause in which he totally believes!