Vegas Massacre - Pure Evil

Everyone is looking for a motive for the Vegas massacre. The man who brought all those guns into the Mandalay Bay Hotel and killed dozens of people. We want to blame ISIS, we want to blame terrorists, we want to blame any radicalism we can think of, we want to blame mental illness. But we miss the obvious. The Vegas killer was Evil. There is lightness in the world. And there is darkness. Evil exists and Paddick is that, Evil.

NFL Should Stand for Anthem

There has been a lot being said about kneeling during the National Anthem by the NFL players. I just can't seem to shake the idea that the greatest Civil Right leader ever in America would not kneel during the National Anthem. I just can not imagine Dr. Martin Luther King kneeling during the National Anthem. He peacefully protested and shamed Americans for their treatment of Blacks. He was not the Black Panthers or Malcom X with their more physical in your face approach (which were not as successful). Dr. Martin Luther King found a way to rally America around a common cause without being decisive, but asking America to be inclusive. We should remember that being American binds us. And though our America is not perfect, we are all working to make it better in our own ways. Standing for the flag is that inclusive thing we can do to say that we are united. United as one country under God. United in stating that we love our country and are willing to do anything to protect it and make it better. As Dr. Martin Luther King did, we should find other ways to fight for change. Because in the end, we are all Americans and we are continually fighting for change to make things better. So, there is no better way to reflect that common goal and love, then to stand for the National Anthem.

POLA and City are Not Aligned on San Pedro's Future

The Port of Los Angeles continues to invest in San Pedro. The Iowa, the new marina on 22nd street, the promenade, Eastview Little League, the water fountains, and the commitment to move the Marine Institute from Terminal Island to San Pedro are just some examples of its commitment to our future. The City of Los Angeles, however, continues to dump high density, low income, half way houses, and the homeless on San Pedro's front door. One plan is about growth of jobs for a brighter San Pedro. One plan is about increasing density and improving the city numbers while not affecting the "rich" up in the Valley. We need Joe Buscaino and the Port of Los Angeles to really become aligned on the future of San Pedro. Los Angeles City is not supporting the vision of San Pedro as a destination down. Los Angeles City is supporting a future of San Pedro as a destitute town. One more reason to deffect fr0m the City of Los Angeles.

Democrats & Obama Are Not San Pedrans

I know that California and San Pedro are committed to the Democratic party. But there is nothing San Pedran about not being straight forward and honest. There is nothing San Pedran about being told one thing and doing another. There is nothing San Pedran about more government. There is nothing San Pedran about waiting for the government to help the poor rather than doing it ourselves. The Democrats and President Obama have continued to lie to San Pedrans about the NSA spying, Benghazi, and Obamacare. The Democrats and President Obama promised that we would be able to keep our health care and we can't. The Democrats and President Obama continue to make more regulations like legalizing marijuana just so they can tax it and make money on it. The Democrats and President Obama indicate that it is un-American to not pay taxes and help the poor. Though only a very small part of our taxes go to help people. And even a good size of the money that goes towards food stamps goes to fund the bureaucracy. The truth is San Pedran's give a lot and go to church/temple a lot with no government help. The truth is that most San Pedrans are independent spirits. This runs counter to the collectivists mentality of the Democratic party. I wish I could say that you could vote Republican. But we need a party of the people, for the people, by the people. We need a party that represents San Pedrans. Unfortunately the Democratic Party is untrustworthy and corrupt. We need to expect more.

San Pedro Chamber of Commerce and Business District are Clueless

Working to pull in out of town shoppers is a good idea. Being able to pull in local shoppers is good as well. Key to both of those plans is a regular set of store hours down town. And key to both of those plans are full shops. People always talk about bringing in some type of "draw" to down town. That is a good idea, but we should lien on the landowners to actually price their retail space so there are not so many empty shops. Our downtown landowners are not working together. They focus on their own bottom line, not realizing that the more shops that are open leads to more foot traffic which leads to more businesses wanting to come down town, which in turn leads to higher rents. As it stands today the retail space per foot costs too much and the landlords are not working together. Each landlord prices businesses out of downtown. And then they complain about the lack of businesses that want to rent their spaces. Maybe they should remember that they are in America and should price their spaces competitively. If the landlords lowered their rents San Pedro can get more shops downtown, which in turn will lead to higher rents long term.

Obama Does Not Care About San Pedrans

The policies of the Obama administration does nothing to support our hardworking families. Obamacare alone has caused a number of Pedrans to lose their health care. Though it was intended to provide health insurance to the uninsured, in fact it has caused more to lose their insurance by creating more part time jobs. Obamacare has done a lot to help the advertisement business, the software companies that make the website, and the health insurance companies with more potential customers, but it has and will not help the average hard working family. And when you consider how our president continues to buy bonds to help the rich get richer in the stock market, how the NSA spies on us, and how the IRS targets non-profits you get the true portrait of a president who does not care about normal folk like San Pedrans.

Congratulations to New Harbor Commissioner Mr. Pirozzi

This week Mr. Anthony Pirozzi was sworn in as the newest Harbor Commissioner for the Port of Los Angeles. The Mayor's office could not have made a better choice to represent our community. Mr. Pirozzi is a lifetime resident of San Pedro and he and his family still live in town. Mr. Pirozzi has been active in the community with Eastview Little League and the San Pedro Chamber of Commerce. He cares about the town and is willing to actually work to improve it and to continue to make it great. Congrats to Mr. Pirozzi and congratulation to our town for getting such a good representative for the Harbor Commission.