∙ In a previous issue, we had and article, along with my comments regarding a proposed Haley Point 72-unit townhome residential project on a 4.3-acre site in mid-town. I generally favored the project. The Ventura Planning Commission, by a 4-0 vote, has approved the development to be located on Channel Dr.

There was some opposition to the development mostly over density and parking.

An appeal can be filed within 10 days of the planning commission decision. Such an appeal would cost $1,000. If the project is appealed, it could be heard by the City Council by the end of June.

∙Finally, Ventura is moving closer to the opening of commercial cannabis businesses by proceeding with the permit application process and evaluation criteria. With the closing of the card club in Ventura, the City is losing several million dollars in tax money that this might make up for.

An Orientation “Kick Off” Meeting will be scheduled for mid-June. At this Orientation

Meeting, consultants and staff will review all application materials including the

Procedures and Guidelines. This meeting is for potential applicants, landlords, and other

interested parties to learn about the requirements in the application process.

Application Period 1 will be open for a 45-day period from Monday, June 28 – Thursday,

August 11, 2021 @ 4:00 pm. Application Period 1 will still only allow for businesses to

apply outside of the Coastal Zone for up to 3 retail and 10 industrial-type permits.

Ventura has a new timeline to bring up to 15 cannabis businesses to the city.

The city announced it was pushing back its window for businesses to apply for a cannabis permit to June 28-Aug. 11.

The city did not want to hold an application kick-off meeting, originally set for May 19, or the launch of the permit program prior to a council update later this month, said Ventura spokeswoman Heather Sumagaysay.

Last week, the council did adopt a resolution authorizing two application periods; one for coastal businesses and one for inland; for a commercial cannabis program with a maximum of 15 businesses.

The first application period, scheduled to start June 28, is for non-coastal zone applicants. The second application period would begin after the California Coastal Commission gives its approval, which is expected before the end of the year.

Speaking about marijuana, more than three months after voters overwhelmingly approved a ballot question legalizing adult use of the drug in New Jersey, it has become law.

Also, in San Diego, a Superior Court judge has reduced felony marijuana records for 26,000 people to misdemeanor convictions and additionally some 1,000 people with misdemeanor marijuana convictions had those cases completely dismissed.

∙ If you are taking the AMTRAK, next to the Fairgrounds, leave yourself a lot of extra time to drop people off or park your car because you might get very confused. Normally, you can drive into the large Fair parking area, drive over by the tracks and park or drive through to drop off folks. Because the parking lot is closed, you can’t do this. And the street next to the tracks is

one-way only. The only way to drive up is to take Olive to the end to what looks like an alley and take that to the train.

One of our clever readers suggested driving backwards up the one-way street so it looks as if you are driving in the right direction. This is, of course illegal, and I wouldn’t suggest doing something illegal.

∙ Drivers throughout the country are complaining about the high cost of gas. The national average price at the pumps is around $3.00 – the highest price in 7 years. We should be so lucky to pay only $3.00.

∙ Earthlings are always concerned that aliens are going to land here. I’m sure when they fly over earth and see what an incredible mess we have made of it they just turn around and fly home. Perhaps they bring students here to show them what happens when people do awful things, so they appreciate where they live in a parallel universe.

∙ When state’s pass laws restricting abortions and women have kids that they can’t afford I think that the state should be required to support the kids until they are 18 – just like any father should need to do.

∙ Senate Republicans have blocked creation of a bipartisan panel to study the Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol, which, in my opinion was one of the worst days in our history. It certainly felt like as I was watching it. I assume this was to show party loyalty to former President Donald Trump.

The Senate vote was 54-35, short of the 60 votes needed to take up a House passed bill that would have formed a 10-member commission evenly split between the two parties.

Six Republicans (my heroes) voted with Democrats to move forward. 11 senators (nine Republicans and two Democrats) missed the vote, with some saying they had scheduling conflicts. This is inexcusable to me and just shows that they were gutless.

Certainly, we need to determine the cause of this insurrection, how it can be prevented in the future and why Capital police were completely unprepared for it. I would think all politicians should see this as their obligation to the country regardless of their party.

∙ Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey has signed a bill to allow public schools to offer yoga, ending a ban that stood for nearly 30 years. Christian conservatives who back the ban said yoga would open the door for people to be converted to Hinduism. How absurd is this.

The new law allows yoga to be offered as an elective, for grades K-12. While it erases a ban that some schools had not realized existed, it also imposes restrictions on how yoga should be taught. Students won’t be allowed to say “Namaste,” for instance. Meditation is not allowed. They also aren’t allowed to say evolution (I made that up but it would be just as stupid).

As goes yoga, goes the world.

∙Wonderful news (see article in this issue) – the Ventura Music Festival confirmed live concerts for July 23, 24 and 25. Things are starting to open-up and feel normal again. Everyone should still get vaccinated if they haven’t, because that is what it takes for things to continue to open. Don’t just count on other people to provide the immunity.

Shame on scams. If you get an email that says your company has been selected the best… (you fill it in) in Ventura, it’s a scam. The group just wants you to spend hundreds of dollars on plaques, etc. Don’t do it.

∙Looking for tennis players. Living at Portside Ventura Harbor, and we have a new tennis court. Want to play or hit? I’m a decent old guy player. Let me know at [email protected]. Or, will teach beginners how to play.

∙Ventura is asking state regulators to conduct a full environmental review of a controversial project to renovate a Southern California Gas company facility located at 1555 N. Olive St.

So Cal Gas Company wants to replace the three gas compressors on the site with four new ones with more horsepower. The California Public Utilities Commission approved the plan in 2019, and the facility has operated at the location since 1923.

The city council passed a resolution on a unanimous vote to request the state Public Utilities Commission and the Department of Toxic Services Control to investigate the Southern California Gas Company compressor site.

This is similar to a previous motion that was passed by the council but contains more details directing state regulators to review the potential environmental, health and safety impacts. This resolution will be maintained in city records forever while a motion can sometimes get lost, said City Attorney Gregory Diaz.

There is considerable opposition to the project without a significant review. Neighbors are concerned dust from the work will expose people to toxic chemicals. And some residents say the North Olive Street facility poses an environmental and safety threat which doesn’t belong near homes, and a school. The facility is located across the street from E.P. Foster Elementary School and the Boys & Girls Club.

The state Department of Toxic Substances Control, which oversees environmental cleanup, lists the remediation of the utility’s Ventura station as ‘voluntary.’

The designation allows property owners to fast-track cleanups with fewer reviews. But the agency retains authority to take enforcement action if it determines the site presents a serious health threat.

SCG states on its website, “Before the compressor modernization project begins, SoCalGas will safely remove historical pollution in parts of the soil on the property associated with prior industrial uses on the property, dating back more than 100 years. This clean-up work will be done safely under a Department of Toxic Substances Control (DTSC)-approved plan, and in compliance with all applicable environmental and public health laws – www.socalgas.com/stay-safe/pipeline-and-storage-safety/ventura.

∙A recent study of Ventura firefighting operations by Emergency Services Consulting International, a consulting arm of the International Association of Fire Chiefs, shows that only 3% of the 911 calls received over a 3-year period (2016-2019) were for fires. The majority, 73%, were for emergency medical service (EMS). Another 15% were “good intent” calls, or what ordinary people call false alarms. Ventura Fire is using an outdated business model to address modern challenges.

The 227-page study, titled ESCI Operational Assessment of the Ventura Fire Department, outlined the needs of the city’s fire department and was unveiled late last month at a special Ventura City Council meeting.

The $57,000 study recommended conducting a comprehensive engineering and architectural assessment of each fire station and adding eight firefighters to provide adequate relief and explored placing a tax measure on the ballot to support the fire department. The department currently has 72 full-time firefighters, but it needs 80.

According to the study, only two of the six stations are considered in “good” condition with a combined overall average age of 50 years. Three of the stations do not have seismic protection and lack necessary space to support department operations.

The study showed that adding six positions to make the part-time roving medic engine a full-time unit would amount to $72,000 in one-time costs and $945,966 in annual salary and benefit costs.

According to the study, the estimated costs for eight firefighters would be about $96,000 in one-time costs and $1.2 million in annual salary and benefits costs. The salary and benefits of the eight firefighters would increase every year to more than $2.2 million in 2032.

The city is anticipating receiving $28 million in one-time revenue from the federal recovery act and a Thomas Fire settlement from SCE. Some of these funds can be used to bolster firefighting resources. The new revenue is part of the city’s proposed $307.4 million budget for the 2021-2022 fiscal year.

The city council is reviewing the study and assessing how to meet the budgeting obligations and specific needs of the department.

∙Proud Boys leader Ethan Nordean lashed out at President Donald Trump, accusing him of misleading his supporters and then deserting them despite their unwavering loyalty.

“We are now and always have been on our own. So glad he was able to pardon a bunch of degenerates as his last move and s— on us on the way out,” Nordean said in an expletive-laden message about the former president. “F— you trump you left us on the battlefield bloody and alone.”

Nordean is one of several members of the extremist group with ties to white supremacy whose members describe themselves as “Western Chauvinists.” He’s among the more than 400 people who have been charged for their alleged roles in the deadly assault on the Capitol on Jan. 6.

∙Former 8-year-old fourth grader who lost his class presidency, ooops I mean President Donald Trump, released a statement Saturday claiming 2020 election polling suppressed voters and attacking both former Vice President Mike Pence and GOP Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell.

Trump continues to push baseless claims about the 2020 election, alleging that Democrats and President Joe Biden “rigged” votes despite a lack of substantiating evidence. In the Saturday statement, forwarded to Newsweek by Trump adviser Jason Miller, Trump took aim at polling ahead of the election that projected Biden winning by a larger margin of votes than he ultimately received. Trump also slammed Pence for a lack of “courage” to help overturn the election results and McConnell for being “weak and pathetic.”

∙A new study estimates that the number of people who have died of COVID-19 in the U.S. is more than 900,000, a number 57% higher than official figures. Worldwide, the study’s authors say, the COVID-19 death count is nearing 7 million, more than double the reported number of 3.24 million.

The analysis comes from researchers at the University of Washington’s Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation, who looked at excess mortality from March 2020 through May 3, 2021, compared it with what would be expected in a typical non pandemic year, then adjusted those figures to account for a handful of other pandemic-related factors.

The final count only estimates deaths “caused directly by the SARS-CoV-2 virus,” according to the study’s authors. SARS-CoV-2 is the virus that causes COVID-19.

∙A photo has emerged of Andrew Clyde, the Republican congressman from Georgia who claimed “there was no insurrection” and compared US Capitol rioters to “tourists”, barricading the House chamber during the attack.

Speaking on Wednesday to the House Oversight Committee, Rep. Clyde downplayed the actions of the pro-Trump mob who stormed the Capitol on 6 January as “a normal tourist visit”.

I completely understand, most tourists break windows, scale walls and over power guards for a friendly visit to the capitol. The violent attack left five dead including one police officer. Maybe tourists shouldn’t be allowed in the Capital in the future.

∙Once again, I want to thank our wonderful readers who are contributing financially to support the Ventura Breeze. The Breeze staff appreciates what you are doing to help keep us in print. The good news is as COVID control allows more businesses to open, our advertising base, is improving.

∙In this issue (page 7), we have an article on a proposed 72-unit townhouse project to be located on Channel Dr. There has been organized objection to the project. The proposed Haley Point development includes 14 units, or 20%, which will be “below market rate” for low- and moderate-income households. This is a very important part of the project. The Haley Point project is located in Dist. 2, represented by Councilmember Doug Halter.

It is important to know that the State of California is basically now in charge of all housing projects in California per Senate Bill 330, the Housing Crisis Act of 2019, whether single-family housing or multi-units like this one.

The State wants much more housing built in California with an emphasis on low and moderate income households. When 20% are affordable units per the State bonus density, the developer gets two concessions (not city variances – that’s out of the city’s hands). The developer used their two concessions to reduce two setbacks. In other words, they did not request any discretionary approvals or variances from the city. The development also gets some leeway on parking standards. But each unit will have a 2-car garage.

If a project complies with the density range of the General Plan (which this does), Ventura’s ability to reduce units or deny the project has been eliminated. The state’s emphasis on the housing crisis has limited the city’s ability to do much regulation. The Ventura General Plan designation for this site actually allows more units than the developer has proposed.

Soon R-1 single family lots will be a thing of the past and all residential lots will be allowed to build another unit. Again, state mandates. The State, under some conditions, is also lowering parking standards.

This will be a very good-looking development and much safer and better looking than the blight that was there. And the value of immediate homes will be greatly increased, plus crime will likely be reduced because of this project.

∙I find ads on TV from some attorneys very disturbing. One such ad is targeted to women who have been sexually assaulted. It gives a list of possible exploiters to sue. Among the list is “by a wealthy businessman.” So, if you’ve been assaulted by a businessman who is not wealthy (they don’t mention what wealthy is exactly) don’t bother contacting them because it isn’t worth their time to help you out in a humanitarian manner.

∙Another aspect of the Derek Chauvin conviction that I think is just as important is that the “blue wall of silence” has been eliminated in this trial with police officers (even Minneapolis Police Chief Medaria Arradondo) testifying against Chauvin. I think policing will change in the aftermath of Chauvin’s guilty verdict and officers (knowing that other officers might now testify against them) will be more aware of their actions.

∙Five months after the presidential election, the Supreme Court recently said that it won’t take up a case from several Republicans challenging changes to election rules in the battleground state of Pennsylvania. The unsigned ruling sends yet another message that the court’s majority has no interest in relitigating the last election.

Before Monday, the justices had already declined several requests to dive into one of the most litigious elections in history, denying petitions from then President Donald Trump and other Republicans seeking to overturn election result in multiple states President Joe Biden won.
∙With our very divided two-party system, being president is very tough. Any president is immediately approved by 50% and condemned by 50% before they even do anything. Therefore, a president with a 55% approval rating is considered to be doing a good job.

∙Former President George W. Bush, who has mostly stayed on the political sidelines after leaving the White House, has reemerged with criticism of his Republican successor as he advocates for a sharply different immigration policy from former President Donald Trump. “The problem with the immigration debate is that it, one, can create a lot of fear. ‘They’re coming after you,'” Mr. Bush said during a recent interview with CBS News at his 1,600-acre ranch in Crawford, Texas.

“The country was very divided during that period of time. And, you know, as a result, he wasn’t reelected,” Mr. Bush said of Trump.

∙Six days after Election Day 2020, then President Donald Trump tweeted this: “Nevada is turning out to be a cesspool of Fake Votes.” He added that when the findings were released, “will be absolutely shocking!” All of the country votes were shocking to him because he lost.
Nevada Secretary of State Barbara Cegavske, a Republican, announced that her office had found zero “evidentiary support” for claims of fraud or bias in the Silver State’s 2020 election results.

“While the Nevada Republican Party raises policy concerns about the integrity of mail-in voting, automatic voter registration, and same-day voter registration, these concerns do not amount to evidentiary support for the contention that the 2020 general election was plagued by widespread voter fraud,” wrote Cegavske in a letter to the Nevada GOP.

∙Georgia’s new sweeping elections law has a number of controversial provisions that will restrict access to voting. One in particular sounds as if is from SNL. Under the bill, signed into law by Republican Gov. Brian Kemp, it’s now illegal to hand out food or water to people standing in line to vote.

“No person shall solicit votes in any manner or by any means or method, nor shall any person distribute or display any campaign material, nor shall any person give, offer to give, or participate in the giving of any money or gifts, including, but not limited to, food and drink, to an elector,” the new law states.

Perhaps voters can be bought-off for a slice of pizza.

∙This sounds like another episode of SNL. A 28-year ban on yoga in Alabama’s public schools may be in place a little longer. The Senate Judiciary Committee Wednesday deadlocked on legislation from Rep. Jeremy Gray, a Democrat, that would lift the prohibition after testimony from Christian conservatives, who claimed it would lead to proselytizing in public schools by followers of Hinduism.

“Yoga is a very big part of practicing Hindu religion,” said Becky Gerritson, a longtime conservative activist. “If this bill passes, then instructors will be able to come into classrooms as young as kindergarten and bring these children through guided imagery, which is a spiritual exercise, and it’s outside their parents view, and we just believe that this is not appropriate.”
And I’ve seen people practicing yoga on park lawns which could kill the grass so I agree (down with yoga).

If people knew how hard I worked to get my mastery, it wouldn’t seem so wonderful after all.
~ Michelangelo

∙The closing of Main St. downtown, known as Main Street Moves, will continue to at least the beginning of next year (Jan.7, 2022), but there is talk about making this closure permanent. The street was closed off to drivers beginning in June of last year.

Next week, the downtown business association – Downtown Ventura Partners – is scheduled to present this idea to the City Council.

If it is decided to make this permanent (it would take many other approvals as well), I would hope that money would be available to tear out the asphalt streets and install fountains, landscaping and pavers or some other type of ground cover to make it a really wonderful destination.

My only concern is how this closure has affected non-restaurant businesses.

∙ The following are just recent mass murders.

A gunman killed eight people and wounded several others before apparently taking his own life in a late-night attack at a FedEx facility near the Indianapolis airport in the latest in a string of mass shootings in the United States.

The gunman who killed five people, including a prominent doctor in South Carolina was former NFL player Phillip Adams, who then killed himself.

Dr. Robert Lesslie, 70, and his wife, Barbara, 69, were pronounced dead at the scene along with grandchildren Adah, 9, and Noah, 5, the York County coroner’s office said. A man who had been working at the home, James Lewis, 38, from Gaston, was found shot to death outside, and a sixth person was hospitalized with “serious gunshot wounds.”

Police confirm one person was killed and five others were shot at Kent Moore Cabinets in Bryan. A Texas Department of Public Safety trooper was also shot in Grimes County in connection to the Bryan business shooting.

A police officer was wounded in a shooting at a high school in Knoxville, Tennessee, authorities said. Officials said the person who shot the officer, a student at Austin-East Magnet High School, died at the scene when police returned fire.

An off-duty Pentagon police officer who shot and killed two people in Maryland morning has been charged with second-degree murder, police said. David Hall Dixon, of Takoma Park, told police he thought the victims were breaking into a car. However, attorneys for one victim’s family said the car belonged to a friend who was with the two men at the time of the shooting.

Three people were killed and two people were seriously injured in a shooting at Somers House Tavern in Somers, Wisconsin, according to police.

Police said officers responded to the shooting just after 12:40 a.m. at 1548 Sheridan Road where three people were pronounced dead at the scene with two other gunshot victims being transported to local hospitals with serious injuries.

Three people have died in an “active attack” in northwest Austin.

Austin-Travis County EMS said just before noon April 18 that medics, Austin Fire Department and Austin Police Department crews were responding to the “active attack/shooter incident” in the 9600 block of Great Hills Trail near the Arboretum.

The incident marks at least the 47th (I’ve changed this amount 3-times since I started writing this)mass shooting in the United States since the Atlanta-area spa shootings on March 16. A mass shooting is usually defined as four or more people, excluding the gunman, are wounded or killed by gunfire.

A Republican said that we just need to keep guns out of the hands of bad guys. What a great idea, why didn’t anyone think of that before?

Therefore, I think gun applications should have the following two questions.

Are you a bad guy? Yes or no.

If you buy a gun, will you kill an innocent person? Yes or no.

Are you a dangerous criminal? Yes or no.

If the answer to either is yes, the applicant can’t buy a gun.

A 2019 study published in the British Medical Journal looked at gun control laws in U.S. states and compared them to gun-related deaths. The authors found: “States with more permissive gun laws and greater gun ownership had higher rates of mass shootings. The study showed a “10% increase in gun ownership was associated with an approximately 35% higher rate of mass shootings.”

The Gallup polling firm found “The data show strong public support for proposed legislative changes that would do such things as require background checks for all gun purchases, ban high-capacity ammunition magazines, require all privately owned guns to be registered with the police, and require a 30-day waiting period for all gun sales.”

The former employee who shot and killed eight people at a FedEx facility was interviewed by FBI agents last year, after his mother called police to say that her son might commit “suicide by cop.”

It’s easier to buy a gun then it is to get the help that mentally ill people need.

Nationally this year, as of April 6, the Gun Violence Archive reports there have been 11,430 gun-related deaths, including nearly 6,500 suicides. In 2020, nearly 20,000 Americans died from gunshots, the most in two decades.

According to the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation at the University of Washington, the United States had 3.9 violent gun deaths per 100,000 people in 2019. That’s about 100 times higher than the rate in the United Kingdom. It’s nearly 200 times higher than the rates in China, Japan and South Korea.

Sen. Ted Cruz tweeted: “The right to keep and bear arms is fundamental for preserving our liberty. The answer is not to restrict the Second Amendment rights of law-abiding citizens, the answer is to go after violent criminals and come down on them like a ton of bricks.” Almost all mass killers are law-abiding citizens, until they ain’t.

President Joe Biden stated, “Gun violence in this country is an epidemic, and it’s an international embarrassment. Too many Americans are dying every single day from gun violence. It stains our character and pierces the very soul of our nation.” Later, he tweeted, “We can, and must, do more to reduce gun violence and save lives.”

As Biden was announcing his executive actions and encouraging Congress to do something about gun violence, Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee was signing a bill, opposed by many law enforcement groups, that allows most adults 21 and older to carry handguns without a background check or training.

∙ More than three million people globally have died of Covid-19 since the start of the pandemic, Johns Hopkins University said. With 566,224 deaths, the US has the highest number of fatalities, followed by Brazil with 368,749 and Mexico with 211,693. Tell the families of all of the people who are gone that this is a fake pandemic.

Trump appointees in the Department of Health and Human Services last year privately spoke of their efforts to block or alter scientists’ reports on the coronavirus to more closely align with then President Donald Trump’s more optimistic messages about the outbreak. Even as career government scientists worked to combat the virus, Trump appointees was attempting to change the scientists’ messages and edit their findings.

They pushed the CDC to alter reports on how bad COVID was, they muzzled Dr. Fauci, they pushed wild herd immunity theories, and they tapped pro-Trump celebs to appear in a public campaign about COVID. How many thousands of lives were lost because of these lies?

∙ In this issue we have an article regarding the proposed increase to our water and wastewater rates. A public hearing will be held on May 17 to discuss increasing water rates by 7% and wastewater rates by 6% each year for the next five years.

If fully adopted, the proposed rates would generate an additional $35 million for the water fund and $26 million for the wastewater fund over a five-year period. The new revenue is expected to address operational and capital investment needs.

For the average homeowner the new adjustment will amount to an average annual increase of $7.76 to a monthly bill, for the next five years.

If the City Council receives written protests from a majority of parcels, the proposed rate change will not be adopted. If less than a majority of the protests are received, the council would finalize the rate increase during the May hearing. The rates would become effective July 1 and each of the four years following.

The website www.VenturaWaterRates.net has a rate protest form. Protest statements must identify on the front of the envelope that the letter is for a public hearing on Proposed Water and Wastewater Rate Adjustments. Oral comments at the May 17 hearing do not qualify as a formal protest. Protests must be received (not postmarked) by 5 pm on May 17. Virtual community meetings on April 19 and 28 will be held to further explain the increases.

We all hate rate increases, but our continuing drought makes it difficult for the city to not raise fees. Think about ways to reduce your use of water. Maybe take a bath with your dog. Read the article for more details.

∙ So sad but the Ventura County Fair has been canceled for the second year in a row because of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. The fair stated “We regret that we cannot bring you the VC Fair in 2021. We look forward to seeing you in 2022.”

From the 4H kids to those who show their art and grand vegetables not being able to display, this is very sad on many levels. In 2019, the fair drew nearly 303,000 people. The fair has been held annually in Ventura County since 1875.

∙ Cats sure have it made. When our dogs see us, they wag their tails, jump up and down and have a sparkle in their eyes so we pet them. When our cats see us, they just go back to sleep, but we still pet them. Also, what is it with cats who have been eating the same thing for years and one day stop eating it? We then need to try new stuff and also find someone who wants all the food that we had previously bought. I always tell new cat owners to just buy one can of different foods and small bags of food to wait to see what their cat will eat. Could they be doing this to show us who is really in charge?

∙ Guns in the news

A gunman opened fire in a Colorado supermarket killing 10 people, including a police officer. Boulder Police Chief Maris Herold identified the slain officer as 51-year-old Eric Talley, who had been with the department since 2010.

Police identified the 21-year-old man as the suspect and court documents show that he purchased an assault rifle less than a week before the attack. Supposedly just for the purpose of killing people.

Eight people were killed in shootings at three Atlanta-area spas. The Atlanta shooter bought the gun the day of the shooting for the purpose of killing people.

Two people are dead and eight people were wounded in shootings along Virginia Beach’s oceanfront. All eight were taken to local hospitals, with some of their conditions ranging from serious to life-threatening.

Four people, including a child, were killed in a mass shooting at an office complex in Orange, California.

Three people were killed and four others shot when a house party in Wilmington, NC, went bad.

I have heard some Republicans say, “We don’t want to take guns away from law abiding citizens.” Do they stop being law abiding citizens when they kill a bunch of people? The recent mass murderers seemed to be law abiding citizens. What about the irate husband that kills his wife? He was a law abiding citizen. Or the 16-year old that commits suicide with the gun his father bought him, so he understands the proper use of a firearm?

The following in quotes is not written by me:

“After a mass shooting in Boulder, Colorado, on Monday, Americans are once again confronting the country’s unique relationship with guns. America is certainly an exceptional country when it comes to firearms. It’s one of the few countries in which the right to bear arms is constitutionally protected. But the relationship is unique in another crucial way: Among developed nations, the US is far and away the most homicidal — in large part due to the easy access many Americans have to firearms.”

Even if people should be able to own a firearm to protect themselves why do they need high-powered assault rifles? Is this because if they are being attacked by someone 200 yards away they can shoot them? Wouldn’t a pistol be sufficient for safety?

Why is it legal in some states to carry a rifle, even in stores and restaurants. I think it’s ridiculous.

Many people who kill are mentally ill, but that is another topic that I will write about in the future.

∙ The New York Police Department is investigating what they say is a “hate crime assault” against a 65-year-old Asian woman who was punched and kicked in midtown Manhattan by an attacker who allegedly made anti-Asian statements toward her.

Ignorant people say, “They should go back to where they came from.” We all came from somewhere else except Native Americans. So, using this approach, all of us, except Native Americans, would need to go back to where our ancestors came from. Mine from Russia and Romania.

∙ The New York state legislature formally voted to legalize and regulate recreational marijuana for adults and expunge the records of people previously convicted of possession. The state assembly voted 100-49 to pass the marijuana legalization bill.

Under the final legislation, 3 ounces of marijuana will be legal to possess for New Yorkers over 21 years-old, and the substance will have a 13% sales tax. The tax revenues will be divvied up, with 9% going to the state and 4% going to localities. Good for them and for Ventura as well, who should have retail hemp stores opening this year.

∙Wonderful that new county regulations are allowing most businesses to open and allow inside dining and other activities. There are still some restrictions, but things are getting somewhat back to normal. Schools will be opening also.

Ventura County is on its way to recording one of the driest rainy seasons on record.

Rainfall totals have reached less than one-third of normal for this time of year.

A few was supposed to be storms but never happened.

Average rainfall in April totals around an inch to an inch and a half for most areas. Much of Ventura County would need 8 or more inches just to get close to normal for this time of year.

In Ventura, normal would be about 12”, and we have had 3.3”.

∙Ventura County reported Wednesday that it had administered 281,751 COVID-19 vaccine doses: 195,297 first doses and 86,454 second doses. More information about who’s eligible and how to make an appointment can be found on the county’s website.

Vaccines have eradicated most common diseases. Hopefully, they will eliminate COVID but only if enough people get vaccinated. 49% of Republican males say they will not be vaccinated, even though Trump was vaccinated in the White House but didn’t let people know. Leadership at its finest.

Some say it is their right not to get vaccinated, that is true and okay if they live on an island by themselves, but they are jeopardizing the lives of others.

These are the percentages of diseases eliminated by vaccines.

Measles 99%

Pertussis (whooping cough) 92%

Mumps 98%

Rubella 99%

Smallpox 100%

Diphtheria 99%

Polio 100%

∙ The US Food and Drug Administration warns of investigation of acute non-viral hepatitis illness linked to “Real Water” brand alkaline water. Do not drink, cook, sell or serve “Real Water.”

The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA), along with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the Southern Nevada Health District is investigating a number of reports of acute non-viral hepatitis in the state of Nevada.

The consumption of “Real Water” brand alkaline water is the only common link identified among all of these cases to date. This brand of alkaline water is owned by Real Water Inc., headquartered in Mesa, Arizona.

Although the investigation is ongoing, epidemiologic information currently indicates that this alkaline water product may be the cause of the illnesses.

“Ventura County is one of those few places in the nation where this product is sold. Please do not use any more of this product if you have any,” said Doctor Robert Levin, Public Health Officer. “See a physician if you begin to develop any of the symptoms of hepatitis, the most typical of which are dark urine, light colored stool and yellow eyes.”

Consumers, restaurants, and retailers should not drink, cook with, sell, or serve “Real Water” alkaline water, until more information is known about the cause of the illnesses. These products include but are not limited to 5-gallon containers (sold through home delivery/subscription), bottles (sold on-line and in stores), and the “Real Water” concentrate (sold on-line).

∙Guns in the news

A 21-year-old white man went on a shooting spree at several Georgia spas, killing eight people, including six Asian women.

Capt. Jay Baker, a spokesperson for the Cherokee County sheriff’s office, said, during a press conference about the murders about murderer, Robert Aaron Long: “Yesterday was a really bad day for him, and this is what he did.” When I have a really bad day, I have a glass of wine. Amazing thing to say.

Since March 19, 2020, there has been 3,800 reported hate incidents against Asian Americans. This is just a small percentage as most hate crimes go unreported. Recently this is becoming a daily event.

A worker shot and killed two colleagues at a supermarket distribution center near Milwaukee before crashing his vehicle during a police pursuit and then killing himself.

A 21-year-old woman was killed, and eight people were wounded following a shooting early Saturday at a Dallas nightclub, police said.

Officers responded to an active shooter call around 1:30 a.m. at the Pryme nightclub after a “disturbance” between two groups of people according to the Dallas Police Department.

∙The House passed the Bipartisan Background Checks Act of 2021, a measure that would require universal background checks on all commercial gun sales, part of a new push for gun control after Democrats won control of the Senate.

Some Republicans strongly objected to the expanded checks, one saying they’re “meant to turn law-abiding citizens into criminals.” Despite their criticism, eight Republicans backed the bill, which passed 227-203. Citizens are law abiding until they commit a crime or kill someone.

∙For the fourth year in a row, Finland has come out on top in the annual list for the most happy country. Iceland, Denmark, Switzerland, and the Netherlands followed in second, third, fourth and fifth position. The United States moved up from 18th to 14th place. But never near the top.

∙Some Democrats, and Republicans, want New York Governor Cuomo to resign or to be impeached for inappropriate actions toward women. How ironic that Republicans are calling for his impeachment while they have never felt the same toward Trump who bribed several prostitutes (oops, I mean porn stars who get paid for having sex with men) and has bragged that he could have sex (while married) with any woman that he wants. He makes Cuomo look like a saint. Scum1 and scum2 (sounds like a Dr. Suess title).

∙Former President George W. Bush said the January 6 Capitol riot made him “sick to my stomach” and that he continues to be “disturbed” by it. “I can’t remember what I was doing, but

I was sick to my stomach … to see our nation’s Capitol being stormed by hostile forces,” Bush said in an interview with The Texas Tribune. Bush said the siege “undermines rule of law and the ability to express yourself in peaceful ways in the public square.” “This was an expression that was not peaceful,” he added. “I am appalled by the reckless behavior of some political leaders since the election and by the lack of respect shown today for our institutions, our traditions, and our law enforcement,” he said. “The violent assault on the Capitol and disruption of a constitutionally mandated meeting of Congress was undertaken by people whose passions have been inflamed by falsehoods and false hopes.”

∙A Hamas Islamic court in the Gaza Strip has ruled that women are required to have permission from a male in order to travel outside of the territory. Further restricting the rights of women and their movement and lives.

∙East Ventura will be getting a kindergarten through eighth grade school at Academy of Technology and Leadership at Saticoy known as ATLAS Elementary. The Ventura Unified School District board voted 4-1, dissenting was Trustee Matt Almaraz, who didn’t want to add middle school grades to the elementary school.

This vote comes after the district’s decision last year to add middle school grades to Lemon Grove School, formerly known as Blanche Reynolds Elementary, for the start of the 2021-22 school year. The decision was partly made due to parents’ desire for a school from transitional kindergarten to eighth grade in midtown Ventura.

Prior to the change to Lemon Grove and ATLAS, Ventura had two public K-8 schools – Sunset School in Oak View and Homestead, the district’s homeschool program.

∙On February 22, the City Council adopted ordinances to establish a commercial cannabis program. To effectively proceed with the cannabis program, a professional consultant with industry experience was needed to assist in evaluating cannabis business applications, conducting background checks, compliance checks, and auditing of cannabis businesses.

They approved and authorized the Mayor to execute a Professional Services Agreement with Hinderliter de Llamas & Associates to provide cannabis consulting services. The term of the contract is from July 1, 2021 to June 30, 2026, for a total contract amount of $842,000. They are counting on the fees being fully offset by the cannabis application fees.

The proposed fees target full cost recovery for permit processing, for processing appeals for the denial of a permit, and background checks. Commercial Cannabis Permit Application Fee:

New Permit Application Fee (Phases 1-3) $8,844

New Permit Application Fee (Phase 4) $1,482

LiveScan/Background Checks $377

Appeal Fee $3,178

This is a new program, so it is difficult to accurately anticipate the number of permits that will be requested each year. For purposes of estimation, the city has assumed 45 permit applications the first year. Based on this assumption, it is anticipated that between staff and the consultant, costs will be approximately $465,000. This will be offset by the proposed application fee designed to target full cost recovery.

Hopefully by the end of this year we will have some dispensaries in Ventura so that our money doesn’t go to other cities.

∙Have you seen photos of Mars? Who would want to live there? It makes Death Valley look hospitable.

∙Some people think that athletes (like LeBron James) should just “Shut up and play ball” and not comment on political affairs. Athletes have the same right to speak up that we all have. I’ve never heard anyone say, “Bill Gates should shut up and just make money.”

∙As Dr. Seuss goes, goes the world. Six Dr. Seuss books will stop being published due to racist and insensitive imagery as instructed by the Dr. Seuss Enterprises that controls publication of his books. While books by Dr. Seuss (whose real name was Theodor Geisel) still remain very popular, they have received criticism over the years for the way in which people of color are portrayed.

FOX news, and some Republicans, have been saying “they are responsible for this” suggesting that this is just the Democrats ruinng America. Some Republicans have been reading Dr. Seuss on TV (I think to prove that they can read). COVID deaths continue, a bad economy and other concerns and they are making an issue out of children’s books hoping to blame liberals.

∙Some people are saying that there haven’t been over 500,000 COVID-19 deaths because some deaths attributed to COVID have not been because of COVID (another conspiracy?). I agree, but there have been many deaths due to COVID because many people are not getting the medical care that they should be getting. Hospitals and doctors have been too busy to deal with them. Or, because they are afraid to get medical care, they are dying. Therefore, the 500,000 amount makes sense to me.

∙QAnon (/ ˌkjuːəˈnɒn /), or simply Q, is a disproven and discredited American far-right conspiracy theory alleging that a secret cabal of Satan-worshipping, cannibalistic pedophiles, is running a global child sex-trafficking ring and plotted against former U.S. president Donald Trump while he was in office. Scary to think that millions of Americans appear to believe this is possible.

∙States to avoid: Texas Gov. Greg Abbott and Mississippi Gov. Tate Reeves, both republicans, announced Tuesday they would allow businesses to reopen at 100% capacity and lift mask mandates.

The governor of South Carolina took a victory lap after his gubernatorial colleagues in Texas and Mississippi lifted their mask mandates, touting the fact that his state never had such a mandate.

President Joe Biden called the decisions a “big mistake.” “The last thing we need is Neanderthal thinking, that, ‘In the meantime, everything’s fine. Take off your mask. Forget it.’ It still matters,” Biden said.

I think that Biden is insulting Neanderthals (I’m 1.5% Neanderthal. Don’t laugh, we are all part Neanderthal) and owes us an apology.

If it’s important enough for the Vatican it is important enough for the US. The Vatican has told employees that they may risk losing their jobs if they refuse to get a COVID-19 vaccination without legitimate health reasons. A decree by Cardinal Giuseppe Bertello, effectively the governor of Vatican City, said getting a vaccine was “the responsible choice” because of the risk of harming other people.

Vatican City has several thousand employees, most of whom live in Italy. Its vaccination program began last month and Pope Francis, 84, was among the first to get the shot.

Pope Francis stated, “It is an ethical choice because you are gambling with your health, with your life, but you are also gambling with the lives of others.”

∙Need to give this guy credit for being so creative. A California driver who said he had used a mannequin as his passenger for at least a year and a half so he could access carpool lanes has been cited and faces a fine of at least $400.

The mannequin, adorned with gray hair, wrinkles, glasses, a Cleveland Indians baseball cap and a face mask, sat in the passenger seat when he was pulled over. The officer knew it was fake because no one ever wears a Cleveland Indians baseball cap.

∙We need to love politicians. Trump’s big complaint about Biden, at 78, was he was much to old to be president – now Trump says he will run in 2024 when he will be 78.

∙The DC National Guard commander said he was not allowed to send troops to the Capitol riots, in sharp contrast to the city’s George Floyd protests last year, when troops were given immediate permission to deploy.

∙The California law banning the sale of flavored tobacco products has been placed on hold after state officials said that a referendum backed by the tobacco industry qualified for the November 2022 ballot. I didn’t realize that a ballot measure can stop a law from taking place. This is unfortunate, as many more kids will become addicted because of this delay.

∙The Ventura City Council has voted 4-2 (only 6 members on the council right now) to introduce two ordinances to permit a limited number of cannabis dispensary’s in Ventura. Voting to adopt the resolution were Doug Halter, Lorrie Brown, Jim Friedman and Joe Schroeder. Voting against were Mayor Sofia Rubalcava and Mike Johnson.

The council’s vote also included a resolution establishing the maximum number of commercial cannabis businesses in the city to 5 retail locations and 10 industrial locations. They must have 600’ buffers around elementary, middle and high schools. Not sure why this is required.

On a 5-1 vote, the resolution contained a strange amendment that was added to it. The amendment states that a cannabis business that applies for a city permit be penalized one point in an evaluation scoring system if it is on a walking route to a school that tends to have a lot of student foot traffic. What the heck is a lot of students? Ten for elementary and 25 for high schools? Resolutions that are completely subjective don’t mean a thing.

A city staff report estimates that each retail business would generate about $200,000 in annual tax revenue, with industrial businesses such as testing labs and distributors producing substantially less. Retail cultivation would continue to be prohibited.

It’s about time we allow cannabis businesses in Ventura. Venturan’s have spoken and want them. Businesses to open in Ventura were contingent upon the passage in the Nov. 3 election of a city measure to tax them. Measure I passed overwhelmingly 42,321 votes, 71.85% in favor, 16,583 votes, 28.15% against.

We have a cannabis dispensary Shangri La (located in Ojai) that advertises with us and I have been there several times. It is like a fine jewelry store inside. Nice display counters, a professional staff and a security guard. No one is hanging around outside smoking weed. It’s just like any other retail business and nicer than some.

Hopefully, city council members that opposed them have visited several cannabis stores to see how they are run and present themselves to the community.

∙These were the applicants to fill the city council seat for District 4 available when Erik Nasarenko left to be the county district attorney. Ken Cozzens, Thomas Edelson, Brad Golden, Jenny Lagerquist, John Lory, Dan Lyon, Mike Marostica, Michael Mislinay, Spencer Noren, Clarey Rudd, Jeannette Sanchez-Palacios, John Silva, Tyler Threadgill and Bonaventure Wakam.

On February 20, city council members interviewed 13 of the candidates via zoom and selected Jeannette Sanchez-Palacios as the new council member by a 4-2 vote (Note: The 2 no votes were not really against her but against the procedure in selecting the new council member). Her term will be until Nov.2022. The final 2 selections came down to Jeannette and Jenny Lagerquist. Even though I think that she is very qualified, I believe this was a terrible way of selecting a council member. A special election should have been called for (yes it would cost around $100,000) but the residents of the district should have had the opportunity of making their own selection. The council could have still functioned with 6 members waiting for the election to occur.

∙Anthony Fauci, the nation’s top infectious disease expert, has won a $1 million Israeli prize for “defending science” throughout his career. The Dan David Foundation which is based at Tel Aviv University said on Monday that Fauci has won the prize for “courageously defending science in the face of uninformed opposition during the challenging COVID crisis.”

“As the COVID-19 pandemic unraveled he leveraged his considerable communication skills to address people gripped by fear and anxiety and worked relentlessly to inform individuals in the United States and elsewhere about the public health measures essential for containing the pandemic’s spread,” the foundation’s awards committee said.

∙This is about basketball in case you don’t want to read it. There is a great debate going on about who is the greatest NBA player ever Michael Jordan or LeBron James. Perhaps the greatest athlete in any sport should be the one who won the most championships. If so, the runaway winner is Bill Russell.

LeBron 4 in 18 years=22%; Jordan 6 in 15 years=40%; Russell 11 in 13 years=84%. And Russell lead the San Francisco Dons to 2 NCAA championships. I’d better hear from some sports fans.

∙I think our presidents have much to much singular power. It borders on being a dictator (no, I am not speaking of Trump specifically). Trump becomes president and can just reverse what Obama did just with a stroke of the pen. Then, Biden can just reverse what Trump decided with a stroke of a pen. Not much check and balances for so many very important decisions.

∙When several thousand Californian’s lost electric power last summer for several hours Texas Senator Ted Cruz, always ready to criticize California, said “California is now unable to perform even basic functions of civilization like having reliable electricity.” Wonder what he has to say about 4,000,000 homes and businesses that have lost power in Texas for many days?

Even funnier (sadder still), Texas Republicans (and others) are blaming California for making Texas follow our lead (the devil made us do it). Millions of Texas residents still falsely claiming that wind turbines and solar energy were primarily to blame. The Electric Reliability Council of Texas projected that 80% of the grid’s winter capacity, or 67 gigawatts, could be generated by natural gas, coal and some nuclear power.

There is a spreading photo of a helicopter de-icing a wind turbine with claims it showed a “chemical” solution being applied to one of the massive wind generators in Texas. Actually the photo was taken in Sweden years ago, not in the U.S. in 2021. And, the helicopter sprayed hot water onto the wind turbine, not chemicals.

∙ “President Trump is practically and morally responsible for provoking the events of that day,” stated Senate GOP leader Mitch McConnell.

∙President Joe Biden took questions from Wisconsin residents and from Anderson Cooper at a CNN town hall event in Milwaukee. He made at least four statistical false claims about the minimum wage, undocumented immigrants, China’s economy and Covid-19 vaccinations. Maybe presidents should never make comments based upon statistics or facts. Just generalizations, so they can’t be caught making false statements and lies that are verifiable.

∙Police in Oregon can no longer arrest those in possession of small amounts of heroin and other such drugs after a ballot measure that decriminalized them has taken effect. Those found in possession would face a $100 fine for health assessment that could lead to addiction counseling. This type of normalization could stop what has been a cruel and inhumane war on drugs which has completely failed.

∙ Congratulations to our senior account executive Breezy Gledhill for her 10 years with the Ventura Breeze. Without her bringing in advertisers, there would not be a Ventura Breeze.

∙ Being on the Ventura City Council has been a great stepping-stone for higher political office. Ventura councilman Erik Nasarenko has been appointed as Ventura County’s district attorney. Erik is a senior prosecutor for the county.

Voting 5-0, the Ventura County Board of Supervisors chose Nasarenko over six other candidates.

Other city council members who have moved up are Steve Bennett, (AD 37) who went from the city council to being a Ventura County Supervisor to an Assembly member, and Matt LaVere who was recently voted in to become a Ventura County Supervisor following in the steps of Bennett.

Nasarenko would have to win election in June 2022 or in a subsequent runoff to keep the job after the appointment expires.

Replacing him on the city council has become very controversial – see the article in this issue regarding this.

∙ Very glad to see County (and therefore Ventura) restaurants are now allowed to serve customers outside again. Hopefully, schools will be able to open soon. So many students are falling behind in their studies.

∙The Ventura City Council has approved the last funding to get the planned $60.5 million Ventura Veterans Home development off the ground. The council voted to allocate up to $660,000 in federal HOME funding for the 122-unit affordable housing project located on a 9.6-acre city-owned site at 10900 Telephone Rd.

The complex will be adjacent to the existing 60-bed Veterans Home of California. Of the project’s 122 units, 120 will be low-income rental apartments exclusively for veterans. The two remaining units will be for the property managers.

The HOME Investment Partnerships Program provides funding from the Department of Housing and Urban Development for low and moderate-income housing projects which could be used for this purpose.

Councilmember Lorrie Brown stated, “My father is a veteran and he’s very fortunate to have a home. But I know that’s not always the case with all the veterans here in the county.”

∙ My wife and I recently received vaccine shots at the fairgrounds. Very well smoothly run, (and it didn’t even hurt).

∙I think schools should open as soon as possible. Students being stuck at home and trying to learn has been detrimental to their development. More so than the virus itself. Because of social media, kid’s today have little enough human contact to begin with. “I spoke with grandma today.” “How did she sound?” “I don’t know, we texted.”

∙ Often times it feels as if our two major political parties are more concerned about being right then they are about the welfare of the country. If Democrats make a COVID-19 proposal Republicans are automatically opposed to it. If Republicans make a proposal (even if it was the same one) the Democrats oppose it. No wonder they frequently don’t achieve enough.

For instance, the Senate approved a measure that would let Democrats pass the relief plan through the chamber without Republican support. Vice President Kamala Harris was in the chair to cast the tie-breaking vote 51-50. It just can’t be that every Democrat liked it and every Republican doesn’t – they just vote along party line. Frustrating.

∙February is Black History Month. Black History Month was first proposed by black educators and the Black United Students at Kent State University in February 1969. The first celebration of Black History Month took place at Kent State one year later, from January 2 to February 28, 1970.

During the celebration of the United States Bicentennial, President Gerald Ford officially made February Black History Month. He urged Americans to “seize the opportunity to honor the too-often neglected accomplishments of Black Americans in every area of endeavor throughout our history.”

∙Perhaps we haven’t come as far as we think. A small Louisiana cemetery that denied burial to a Black sheriff’s deputy held an emergency meeting and removed a whites-only provision from its sales contracts. H. Creig Vizena, board president for Oaklin Springs Cemetery in southwest Louisiana, said he was stunned and ashamed to learn two days earlier that the family of Allen Parish Sheriff’s Deputy Darrell Semien had been told he could not be buried at the cemetery near Oberlin because he was African American.

But this certainly helps. North Carolina will no longer issue or renew specialty license plates depicting the Confederate battle flag. The state’s Division of Motor Vehicles said the agency had received complaints about plates featuring the Confederate flag.

∙Guns in the news:

Gunfire left two people dead and three wounded outside a strip club in western Pennsylvania.

A man in Pennsylvania shot and killed a couple in a murder-suicide over a snow removal dispute.

Six people, including five small children, died and a second adult was injured after a gunman opened fire at an Oklahoma home, police said. The five children fatally shot were ages two, three, five, six, and nine.

∙Over the past few weeks Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene have been making outlandish, stupid conspiracy theories. One of those is that the 2018 wildfires in California were caused by Jewish space lasers.

Everyone knows that the fires were started by lizards that live in our sewers and were smoking pot when their matches started sewer gas burning and it spread throughout California in the sewer system. Shocking that an intelligent woman like her did not know this. I hope this clarifies it for you.

∙Donald Trump has funneled thousands of dollars from his donors into his private business after his loss in the 2020 presidential election. The former president’s reelection campaign moved roughly $2.8 million from donors into the Trump organization over his term, including at least $81,000 since he lost the election, according to Forbes. This is based on campaign finance reports submitted to the Federal Election Commission.

∙California climate advocates are celebrating the announcement from the Biden administration to halt oil and gas leasing on federal lands and waters. Advocates with the Protect the Pacific Coalition mention the need to protect the U.S. coastal economy from the risks of oil spills, addressing the climate crisis and the need for healthy oceans.

President Biden also issued a series of executive orders to take swift climate action. This included an Executive Order on 30×30, a commitment to protecting 30% of our nation’s lands and waters by 2030. The 30×30 Executive Order follows on the heels of California Governor Newsom’s statewide commitment to 30×30 last year.

∙All kinds of good stuff at www.venturabreeze.com. Surf reports, weather, past issues, Scampclub pets, horoscopes and the current issue. Plus, other goodies.

∙ The Ventura Port District Board of Port Commissioners approved a program to defer rental payments for Ventura Harbor Village tenants who have been directly impacted by the pandemic. Which is probably all of them. Businesses which have been closed by government order or lost 20% or more of their typical monthly pre-COVID-19 revenue are able to take advantage of the program. This will last, at least for now, through March 31, 2021. And I’m sure will be extended again.

∙ A man found dead last week on the sidewalk in front of a vacant lot in Ventura has been identified. Anthony Miller, 42, of Ventura, died of a stab wound in the chest, according to the Ventura County Medical Examiner’s Office. Miller was listed as homeless, according to the medical examiner’s office. Ventura police were called just before 7 a.m., on Dec. 28, about a body found in the 100 block of Leighton Drive off N. Ventura Avenue.

Miller was the fourth homicide victim reported in Ventura in 2020.

∙ The Ventura City Council rejected an appeal of the city Planning Commission’s approval of a planned 50,000-square-foot Veterans Affairs outpatient clinic in Ventura. The council voted unanimously, 7-0, to deny the appeal of the Planning Commission’s approval in November of the planned U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs clinic. The project can now move forward and replace a smaller VA clinic located in Oxnard.

The appeal was filed by Pasadena attorney Mitchell Tsai on behalf of the Southwest Regional Council of Carpenters, a labor union representing more than 50,000 carpenters in six states.

Even though the stated purpose of the appeal cited environmental review asserting that the project’s noise, air quality and other impacts were not adequately analyzed or disclosed, it was more about using local tradesmen on the project.

The council adopted a resolution upholding the Planning Commission’s finding that the project’s initial environmental study appropriately discussed and mitigated the negative environmental impacts and upholding the Planning Commission’s approval of the project.

A third resolution was also adopted by the council, urging the project’s contractor to use local union workers when possible (what about non-union workers?) The question is what is local? City of Ventura, County of Ventura? Always good to keep the money in Ventura but the contractor still has no legal obligation to do this.

The new one-story clinic, which will be run by the VA, is planned for the eight-acre site at 5250 Ralston St., which is the former home of the Ventura County Star that can be seen from the freeway.

City spokesperson Heather Sumagaysay stated, “With the council’s denial of the appeal, the project can now move forward in obtaining the necessary permits to demolish the existing building, begin grading and then constructing the new clinic.” It is expected to be completed in April of 2022.

The VA will pay an annual fee of $3.1 million and $9.7 million to develop the new space.

∙ The House of Representatives has approved legislation that would decriminalize marijuana and seek to “address the devastating injustices caused by the War on Drugs.” The vote in the Democratic led House is the first time a chamber of Congress has voted on federal marijuana decriminalization.

The bill passed largely along party lines: 222 Democrats, five Republicans and a libertarian, voted in support while 158 Republicans and six Democrats voted against it. Those voting against it will need to still smoke pot only in their homes.

Hopefully, this will eventually be law. How stupid that decriminalized marijuana is legal in most states but not by the government.

∙I want to thank Trump for giving us our first female vice president, and Biden.

I’m glad that the inauguration went smoothly, but it is a shame that it took 25,000 military to help make that happen. Even though, at times, I thought that the inauguration was a revival meeting.

How bad for America that leaders and residents of other countries had to see what occurred here and stir their belief in what democracy stands for. Hopefully, Biden, and other future presidents, can change this.

I wish Biden the best, but he has inherited a broken country with 400,000 COVID-19 deaths and rising (much more if you count those who died because they couldn’t get care they needed due to full hospitals and ICU’s and also avoiding the hospital) a broken economy, a minor civil war plus the impact of climate change.

So nice to watch CNN without getting aggravated and depressed.

The Biden administration has rejoined the Paris Agreement. Clean Power Alliance Executive Director Ted Bardacke stated, “On behalf of Clean Power Alliance (CPA), I want to express my profound appreciation and congratulations to President Biden for his Executive Order to rejoin the Paris Agreement. With climate change being one of the most crucial issues facing humanity, it is paramount that our nation be among the leaders in this fight at the global level.”

I oppose presidents (not just Trump because other presidents have pardoned more people), and governors having pardon rights. Presidential pardons were from the 1787 Constitutional Convention when Alexander Hamilton suggested giving the president the power to pardon people who have committed crimes.

George Washington granted pardons to two men behind the 1794 Whiskey Rebellion. That rebellion was a response to a federal tax placed on alcohol. Washington pardoned the insurgents in the final days of his second term, sighting the need to temper justice with mercy.

One of the most controversial pardons was in 1974, after President Richard Nixon was forced to resign in the wake of the Watergate scandal. His successor Gerald Ford issued Nixon an unconditional pardon for any crimes Nixon “may” have committed.