∙I received two envelopes from US Treasury so assumed that each contained a $1,200 stimulus check. Opened the first one, and it had a check for $26. After a few swear words, I opened the second one and it had a check for $2,400. Looking more closely at the $26 check, it was an income tax rebate. I never get income tax rebates, so this was a little peculiar, but I kept it anyway.
∙Folks that owe school loans and other money to the government are having their $1200 rebate checks applied directly to those balances. I don’t think this is appropriate during these times when people need money to survive. The government can get their money when things are back to normal (whatever our normal is going to be).
Regarding stimulus payments from the government, I’m glad to hear that the LA Lakers have returned the $4.6-million that they received. Hopefully, athletes making only $20-mill a year have saved some money and can manage to not receive salaries for a while. If I receive $4.6M, I will immediately return it as well.
∙The former co-owner of Discovery Ventura is facing criminal charges over a similar business venture in San Luis Obispo County. Jeremy Pemberton opened the entertainment venue in midtown Ventura in 2014 with his brother. In 2017, Pemberton was working to open another location in San Luis Obispo. Many Venturans, who invested in this venture have never received anything in return. They lost all of their investments.
While seeking investors for the San Luis Obispo project, authorities allege Pemberton misrepresented the amount of financial backing he already had. He is also accused of failing to disclose to these investors that there was a default on the lease he had for the future site.
The situation was made even more complicated in December last year when Pemberton filed for bankruptcy.
In the meantime, the property of the Discovery Ventura building, located at 1888 E. Thompson Blvd., is on the market for $4.2 million. So, if you want to buy a restaurant, music venue, bowling alley and bar, this is your chance.
Luckily (or wisely), the Ventura Breeze stopped accepting their advertisements some time ago because their credit cards were always being declined.
∙I’m sure you all remember our previous city manager Rick Cole. After being dismissed from Ventura, he went on to hold several important positions. His last one being the city manager of Santa Monica. He recently resigned, citing divisions over drastic budget cuts that he has recommended as result of the coronavirus. He has been under fire by some who accused him of rushing to cut programs and city staff, deeming it unnecessary. But, no need to worry about him financially since he has several pensions and will not have to worry about an income.
∙Soon good, and bad, news regarding local newspapers. Three smaller newspapers recently closed by the LA Times have just been purchased by the owner of a La Canada Flintridge paper. But, at the same time, the publisher of all four of Northern California county’s newspapers has stopped publication. This is all based on the great huge reduction of advertising in all newspapers, big and small.
∙Once again, I want to sincerely thank our dedicated readers for donating money to keep the Breeze in publication. Hopefully, this will keep us publishing until the economy does turn around when we can, once again, have our more usual number of advertisers.
∙Many local restaurants (and all take-out restaurants) are open for delivery or take-out, So, please support our local businesses and shop as best you can. Many also have sales on-line to consider. Hopefully, they can open-up soon.
∙President Trump recently took aim at George W. Bush after the former Republican president issued a call to push partisanship aside amid the outbreak of the novel coronavirus. In a three-minute video shared on Twitter, Bush urged Americans to remember “how small our differences are in the face of this shared threat. In the final analysis, we are not partisan combatants. We are human beings, equally vulnerable and equally wonderful in the sight of God,” Bush said. “We rise or fall together, and we are determined to rise.”
Republican Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan said Sunday that he “can’t really explain” President Donald Trump’s public speculation last week about using disinfectant as a treatment for COVID-19, but he advised the president make sure his news conferences on the coronavirus are “fact-based.”
Hogan, chairman of the National Governors Association, said on ABC News’ “This Week” that from the beginning of the outbreak, it had been important to him that officials communicate “very clearly on the facts because people listen to these press conferences.”
“They listen when the governor holds a press conference and they certainly pay attention when the president of the United States is standing there giving a press conference about something as serious as this worldwide pandemic,” Hogan said. “And I think when misinformation comes out or you just say something that pops in your head, it does send a wrong message.”
“We had hundreds of calls in our hotline here in Maryland from people asking about injecting or ingesting these disinfectants, which is, you know, hard to imagine that people thought that that was serious.”
Donald Trump said he will take no responsibility if Americans inject or otherwise consume disinfectant to kill Covid-19, even though he suggested it during a press conference. Finally, some Republicans are speaking out against some of the rash statements made by Trump.
Vice President Mike Pence’s refusal to wear a mask during his visit to the prestigious Mayo Clinic sent the wrong message. He was the only one in the hospital not wearing a mask. He certainly didn’t support the federal guidelines he regularly touts.
Regarding Trump, there is an opinion in our Mailbox section from Kevin Daly that I suggest you read. Again, I am always looking for counter-opinions.
