Vol. 17, No. 14 – April 3 – April 16, 2024 – As I See It

• California passed a $20.00 minimum hourly pay for fast food workers that will probably result in higher costs for some fast foods. Even though this is a California law, Republicans will now blame Biden.

•To the disappointment of thousands gathered in downtown Ventura to watch the St. Patrick’s Day Parade, the inflatable green pig was absent. “Bacon” didn’t participate in the annual parade due to a mechanical problem involving the vehicle used to pull it.

Previously, the Breeze had a fun, very unofficial contest to name the Green Pig. The pig’s name shall always remain Bacon, so we just did it for fun. The following is from a 2022 issue of the Breeze:

“The long list of funny names sent to us by readers were submitted to a panel of Breeze staffers for review and selection. Of the names submitted over 15 received at least one vote. The winning name was Hamlet, which was submitted by Monique Robles. Other names that were right behind Hamlet were Pigasso, Ham Solo and Albert Einswine. All great names.”
• Once again, he keeps amazing me. While seeking money to finance his campaign and pay his legal bills, former President Donald Trump began selling Bibles.

Posting a sales video on his Truth Social platform, Trump said: “Happy Holy Week! Let’s Make America Pray Again. As we lead into Good Friday and Easter, I encourage you to get a copy of the God Bless The USA Bible.”

The God Bless The USA Bible, at $59, includes the U.S. Constitution, the amendments that make up the Bill of Rights, the Declaration of Independence, the Pledge of Allegiance and a “handwritten chorus” to “God Bless The USA.”

Regarding this, Rev. Benjamin Cremer stated; “It is a bankrupt Christianity that sees a demagogue co-opting our faith and even our holy scriptures for the sake of his own pursuit of power and praise him for it rather than insist that we refuse to allow our sacred faith and scriptures to become a mouthpiece for an empire.”

Donald Trump also took to Truth Social to once again compare himself to Jesus Christ as he complained about the criminal and civil cases against him. Trump claimed that he received a message stating: “It’s ironic that Christ walked through His greatest persecution the very week they are trying to steal your property from you.”

Tennis shoes, and now bibles – what will he be selling next, Girl Scout Cookies?

• The California Community College Chancellor’s office has announced that Oxnard College has full approval to launch a four-year dental hygiene bachelor’s degree program. The college plans to welcome its first bachelor’s students in fall 2025.

Oxnard College earned tentative approval for the program in the fall, then spent the intervening months under review for potential conflicts with degree programs in the University of California and California State University systems.

Ventura College will start offering a bachelor’s degree in automotive career education in fall 2025.

I think it’s great that “community colleges” can offer some 4-year degrees, but only if they are in specific fields that will lead to the workplace after graduation. I don’t think they should be in the liberal arts.

I have a soft spot in my heart for what we used to call “junior colleges.” After high school, I attended Los Angeles City College (LACC) prior to attending USC. I would never have been able to attend USC financially if LACC wasn’t first available to me.

I also taught architecture at West Los Angeles College (2-year college) for many years.
• A judge has found Georgia Republican Party official Brian Pritchard guilty of illegally voting nine times over several years. Pritchard has falsely asserted Democrats stole the 2020 election through fraud. Trump was right – the election was rigged.


Be yourself; everyone else is already taken.
~ Oscar Wilde