Sea Lions Take Over Beaches

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Attracting more sharks, no doubt.

As long as the beaches get fenced off to protect them, more and more will keep coming here to give birth. Not unlike dare I say, illegal immigrants.

“As population has grown, they’ve spread out and taken and started using more and more locations around the Monterey Bay Peninsula,” said Jim Watanabe, with Hopkins Marine Station.

Pupping season not only brings more than 300 harbor seals to a 3-mile stretch of shoreline. It brings eager onlookers too.

“I’ve been standing here maybe 20-30 minutes. They’re really fascinating to watch. They’re really cute and their little sounds sound like ‘mom,'” said Sarah Knox, a visitor from Mass.

Sea Lions Take Over Beaches

Giving Away The Mvsevm

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15 years until we get it back as a mvsevum,

Mvsevm Speakeasy

The letter to interim city manager Charlene Wiseman from Jason Burnett, president of the Museum Foundation of Pacific Grove Inc., proposes a public-private partnership between the city and the foundation in which the museum building, collection and grounds would be leased to the foundation for a 15-year period beginning July 1.

Burnett said the foundation believes that the museum “should continue to be a major cultural, educational and productive asset for the citizens of our area and our business community”

Giving Away The Mvsevm

Revenue – Burglar Alarm Fees

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Palo Alto is collecting $250 for late filed burglar alarm permits. For a city that not only fails to collect from businesses that park all day long in 2 hour spots, does P.G. even collect alarm fees?

Art Sklaroff is one of more than a dozen residents who showed up for an administrative hearing earlier this month to contest the fine, which he said came without warning. Like the others, he explained that he had been renewing his mandatory $35 permit each year, but forgot this year because he didn’t receive the city’s usual courtesy reminder.

Like each of the others, he was told that it was no excuse. The rules are the rules.

Revenue – Burglar Alarm Fees

Revenue – Tax Bicycles

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(desmoinesregister.com)

I paid a bike license fee when P.G. collected them. Sounds good, eh?

Does the bicyclist have to pass driver exams and pay fees to learn to drive safely? Does he pay taxes and fees for license plates and vehicle registration? Trucking fees are very expensive. Does he pay high fuel taxes intended for repairs and building roads? What expense does the bicyclist have except maybe a small sales tax on his bicycle?

Revenue – Tax Bicycles

Revenue – Alcohol Taxes

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The country voted for change right?

Beall’s (D-San Jose)plan would generate about $1.4 billion a year, with the money going toward alcohol- and drug-related programs. He and other supporters noted at a Capitol news conference Monday that California’s alcohol taxes haven’t been raised since 1991. Backers also said it’s time for the industry to bear more of the costs it imposes on society — including drunken driving accidents, alcoholism and other problems.

Revenue – Alcohol Taxes

Talking Bankruptcy Again

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City Hall Bk

Talk of municipal bankruptcy has been in the air since U.S. Bankruptcy Judge Michael McManus ruled last month that the city of Vallejo, which filed for Chapter 9 bankruptcy protection in May 2008, has the authority to void its existing union contracts.

The judge contended that Congress did not extend the same projection to public employees that it did to those working in the private sector under Chapter 11 bankruptcy rules.

Cities, McManus said, have broader authority to break existing union agreements than private companies.

Talking Bankruptcy Again

Mayor Surrenders To Us Morons

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After hearing complaints last month about Pacific Grove’s tree removal and replacement law, Mayor Dan Cort has asked a city board to revisit the ordinance and see if modifications are in order.

Some residents say Pacific Grove has an unreasonable and “criminalized” ordinance requiring a permit for anyone removing a tree from their property and an agreement to replace it with at least two similar trees within 30 days.

Mayor Surrenders To Us Morons

Cut Library Hours Back Even More?

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Stop giving money to the Chamber of Commerce and give it to the library. At least the library does it’s job.

Liberry

His recommendation is for a further reduction of service from the current schedule of five days and 31 hours a week, which costs $650,000, to four days and 20 hours, costing $450,000 a year. The council directed the city staff to pursue Becklenberg’s plan.

Cut Library Hours Back Even More?

Return Of The Price Slasher

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And the Mvsevm was skipped because . . .

A budget-cutting and revenue-enhancing program presented by Pacific Grove management and budget director Jim Becklenberg to his City Council Tuesday got a unanimous endorsement.

There was a slight reprieve for the Pacific Grove Museum of Natural History.

He recommended cost reductions amounting to $833,000, including defunding the vacant deputy city manager position and a maintenance worker position, deferring a 9.8 percent raise for police and asking all other employees to take a 5 percent furlough, along with cuts in programs, supply purchases and operations.

Return Of The Price Slasher