Happy May Day – whether you celebrate it as a tribute to the work force or as a rite of Spring, take time to enjoy the sights and sounds of Spring. It’s my dog Biscuit’s 14 birthday, and she’s raring for more.
Friends of mine have promised to go to Sacramento today and participate in a protest of the COVID Shut-down at the State Capital. Of course the CHP would not give permits, so they will drive around the Capital building in cars, honking their dissatisfaction with the governor’s foot dragging in lifting the order for counties that have not manifested a real threat – like Modoc County, who, in the spirit of Captain Jack, went ahead and opened up today, despite Newsom’s onerous orders.
https://news.yahoo.com/no-coronavirus-cases-california-county-165302692.html
Most Butte County towns would like to follow suit. Mayors and county board chairs all over Butte, Glenn, Sutter and Yuba County have signed a letter to the governor, a written request from Senator Jim Nielsen and Assemblyman James Gallagher that he lift the order for our counties.
Conspicuously absent is the name of Chico mayor Ann Schwab. An excerpt from the Enterprise Record:
OROVILLE — Assemblyman James Gallagher and state Senator Jim Nielsen have put forth a letter to Gov. Gavin Newsom’s office with a request to begin opening up economies in their collective region amidst the COVID-19 pandemic.The letter, which was announced Friday, has gained signatures from elected officials throughout the north state including Butte County Board of Supervisors Chair Steve Lambert, Glenn County Board of Supervisors Chair Leigh McDaniel, Paradise Mayor Greg Bolin, Oroville Mayor Chuck Reynolds and Willows Mayor Kerri Warren.
Various points are covered in the letter such as economic impact and low infection rate. It also cites Enloe Medical Center’s handling of the potential medical surge by opening an additional facility with beds.“At this point, given the COVID-19 numbers locally — and our enhanced healthcare capacity — we ask you to allow our counties to exercise local authority to implement a careful and phased reopening of our local economies,” the letter reads.The letter also cites concerns of long-term economic impact creating health issues.“The public health stakes are high too,” the letter says. “We know that prolonged recessions cause dire public health issues of their own. The indirect impacts of this virus can cause a higher risk of heart disease, acute sleep deprivation, depression, decreased response to vaccines and an increase in smoking and drinking alcohol.”
In March, Newsom launched the stay-at-home order and numerous businesses were closed if deemed non-essential. Since then, many people have been out of work or furloughed as a result.
“The governor has already said he realizes the virus has affected different regions in the state differently,” Schwab said. “When the time comes that we can join the state in reopening, I want to have some parameters in place before those announcements are made.”
I just don’t know where Schwab is coming from. She says she wants more safeguards? Force us to wear masks, but not the N-95 which are the only ones that really protect us? She’s practicing behavioral experimentation. This is the woman who gave us the single-use bag ban, but you’ll notice, she doesn’t make a squeak as grocers all over town refuse to allow our used bags in their stores.
Schwab is just a Democrat, and that’s her first priority – toe the party line. There she says it, ““The governor has already said he realizes the virus has affected different regions in the state differently,” Schwab said. “When the time comes that we can join the state in reopening, I want to have some parameters in place before those announcements are made.”
Sure, the governor has acknowledged different regions are different, and that some have a lower infection risk based on the characteristics of their region. But, little dictator that he is, he steadfastly denies our sovereign right to take care of our own business based on our needs and situation. Like Schwab, he’s a creepy, entitled little fascist who wants to be king.
Well, excuse me, but My President, The Donald, has declared the social distancing bullshit is over. Let us get back to work, and back to SPENDING MONEY. The city cries poor mouth, and wants a sales tax increase? Well, Mark Orme’s capricious and subjective shut-down order is doing more damage to local retail every day. People are shopping online and in other, friendlier towns, and liking it. If Chico Council doesn’t wake up soon and wrestle back control of the city from Queen Ann and Sir Mark of Gisborne, the damage will be irreversible.
Let me tell you, I suddenly realized the other day, Schwab’s bike store, Campus Bicycles, determined to be “essential” by our city mangler Orme, have been open the entire time, every day of the pandemic. I called the store one day, and a bright and pleasant young man answered the phone. Yes, the store is open, wide open – no appointment necessary, nor did he mention any restrictions on how many people can be in the store at one time. I asked about repairs, cause I’ve taken my old puddle jumper in to Budd Schwab before – he’s got some kind of reputation for fixing bikes, from when he just worked at Campus. The boy on the phone surprised me – repairs are backed up 2 – 3 days, which is very unusual. He said business is very good, very brisk, and attributed that to COVID.
I think that sucks Ann, you rotten bitch. Scuse me for emoting, but who the hell does she think she is? Who gets to decide, what’s an “essential” or “non-essential” business, what kind of shit is that? Orme decides, and Ann gets to decide if he keeps his job, I think that’s pretty obvious.
But you know the worst thing the city has done, is shut the public out of meetings, that’s very purposeful. They are also hiring a new chief of police right now, and that isn’t even on the agendas. Huber wants to bring back the supplemental allocation that was removed from the April 7 agenda. They’re playing hard and fast with the rules, hoping you’re just sitting behind that mask breathing your own methane, too stupid to say anything. Take off the stupid masks and wake the hell up People!
Here’s a letter I sent to the Enterprise Record.
The result – on the positive side, Butte County only had 15 (Wolcott updated me to 16) COVID cases and all have recovered. On the negative, city management has admitted the shut-down has been bad for the economy, predicting millions lost in city revenues if the economic strangulation continues into Summer.
But Chico mayor Ann Schwab has refused to sign Senator Nielsen and Assemblyman Gallagher’s request to open up the county again. The mayors of every other town in Butte County have signed the letter, which states, “We know that prolonged recessions cause dire public health issues of their own,” but Schwab wants to wait until the rest of the state, including hot-spots like San Francisco, are opened up.
Meanwhile, Schwab’s bike store, deemed “essential”, is doing great. An employee told me, “people have a lot of time on their hands due to COVID,” sales are booming and repairs are backed up, which is unusual.
I think that’s outrageous. How is a bike store “essential”, but not a clothing store or a barber shop? Public meetings are closed to the public right now, but the Mayor’s business is open and making a hefty profit. That’s ridiculous. Sign the letter Ann, and end the shut-down. Or step down as mayor, due to obvious conflict of interest.
Juanita Sumner, Chico CA
Chico Taxpayers Association 
Good catch Juanita:
Schwab’s shop was broken into and ‘CPD is investigating.”
Once again, Schwab is exposed as a puppet of the police union, Orme, and O’Brien’s hand-picked successor, Madden. The city budget is already dominated by expenses for the cops and that will expand. Scwab is not interested in the quality of officers, just keeping their support and quantity is what the cops want. Hell with real services for the taxpayers.
Scott
On Fri, May 1, 2020 at 3:26 PM Chico Taxpayers Association wrote:
> Juanita Sumner posted: “Happy May Day – whether you celebrate it as a > tribute to the work force or as a rite of Spring, take time to enjoy the > sights and sounds of Spring. It’s my dog Biscuit’s 14 birthday, and she’s > raring for more. Friends of mine have promised to go to Sacra” >
Yes, Ann is a badge bunny, I don’t know if she could get elected without CPOA funding. She is completely beholden to the cops.
Hey, btw, you’re right – two city council members told me Orme gets to pick the new chief and it’s going to be Madden.
They are all beholden to police and fire. The City of Chico could reduce fire protection costs by about 30% if we contracted out to CalFire. However since all the councilors are beholden to the police and fire unions that won’t happen. It isn’t even considered.
Yeah, that is a problem. I think we should cut the pacs out of the elections, or at least limit them to the amounts individuals are allowed. If their employees want to donate so bad, let them donate as individuals. Also, we need to lean on the clerk’s office to lean on the cops to get their campaign reports posted on time. Fire too.
You should listen to that radio show I posted the other day – I know, it’s “Rich Dad”, but he has good guests, and the conversation is light and easy to follow.
” It isn’t even considered.”
Neither is pension reform. They don’t dare mention it.
And why should they? The vast majority of the public hasn’t a clue about the absurd pension situation.
So the city council will lie and say there must be tax increases if you want basic services like half-way decent roads. And the ignorant public will believe them. Just look at the editor of the ER. Last year he indicated support for the sales tax increase and of course supported CARD’s property tax.
No matter how much money the city council takes from us their first priority will be to save the unsustainable, ridiculous pensions. And that is because the city council members are nothing but whores for the public employee unions. And actually, that’s an insult to whores. Whore’s only screw their customers, politicians screw everyone, except the special interests they represent.
Ooo, good one!
Stay tuned for Pension Time Bomb Part 2!