Welcome to the Slo Coast Journal. Published online monthly, the Journal is here to bring you information specific to our part of California's Central Coast.
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I have as much authority as the Pope, I just don't have as many people who believe it. - George Carlin
Cutting Out the Big Banks - New Alternatives in Lending
An old adage in banking was known as the "Three-Six-Three" rule. Borrow money at 3%, lend it at 6%, and the banker is on the golf course by 3:00. Accurate or not, this harkens back to a simpler day in banking. Due to lax regulation, demand for higher returns, and reckless financial "innovations," big banks have become a new animal. In 2008, this new animal became a beast that nearly toppled the world economy. Read More
Mid-Campaign Reflections
Events are catching up to me.
Some of the items that I first listed on my campaign's goals section on my website in February are being addressed. One of the first events happened last March. I wanted to see battery chargers put on our highways to assist electric cars. In March, California reached a legal settlement with NRG Energy Company for $120 million to be paid over a four-year period. $100 million of this money is earmarked to put about 10,200 electric chargers on California roads. Read More
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Peregrine Falcon Image on Banner by Cleve Nash |
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Seismic Studies Likely To Be Delayed
PG&E got the go ahead from the California State Lands Commission to begin its seismic testing aimed at better understanding of faults around the Diablo Canyon Nuclear Plant in order to better prepare for an earthquake. The plan is to begin the testing in November, but that goal is undermined by the fact that nine other state and local agencies have to review the project and it is unlikely they will be finished by November, possibly forcing the studies to be delayed. Read More
Morro Bay, Cayucos Meetings Got Cancelled
At a time when Morro Bay and Cayucos, partners under their Joint Powers Agreement (JPA), have been going through one of the most important and biggest controversies in their history — how to replace their jointly-owned Wastewater Treatment Plant — four meetings in May, July and twice in August were cancelled, denying residents the opportunity to learn more about the facts surrounding the plant's future and what MB/CSD are planning to do to convince the California Coastal Commission that the old, existing plant in Morro Bay should upgraded. And why the Coastal Commission staff has said no way that will happen. Read More
Irony and Pity
A young man graduates from high school. He is smart and capable and has choices. His parents delight when he decides on a small school in the Midwest like they did. Before he leaves, his father gives him some advice. Work hard and take bold risks, he tells him, because one day you will look back and reflect and the more exciting the story, the more contented the storyteller. Read More
Humpback Whales, Dolphins, and Immense Flocks of Birds
On Saturday, the 25th, we (SubSea Tours out of Morro Bay) ran four whale watch trips and two private charters in the ocean waters off Morro Bay. The sea was calm all day. On all trips we saw several humpback whales lunge-feeding and engaging in other showy behaviors within a few miles of the Morro Bay harbor mouth. Read More
Response to "Let's Clear Up a Few Things About National Marine Sanctuaries"
The first paragraph of "Let's Clear Up . . . " reminds me of a chicken little / the sky is falling reaction. The threats recalled didn't happen and won't if we are diligent in protecting our backyard.
The fact is, there are many existing federal and state laws, and levels of protection. Read More |
Seismic Testing Impacts
Reading the Environmental Impact Report for the Seismic Testing proposed off our beautiful, so-called 'protected' coast, I do so with a box of tissues at my side and the tune of "Twelve Days of Christmas" dancing in my mind. Not necessarily because the testing will take place at holiday time, but because the surveys — from Cambria to Guadalupe — consist of life-threatening or outright deadly blasts of sound into the ocean every 15 seconds, over a 33-day period. We have begun a countdown of sorts. Read More |
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Shutterbugs - Featuring Steve Corey
Early retirement from the nuclear industry allowed me to pursue personal interests and recreational activities. During my first years of freedom, I could be found at the beach at San Onofre, surfing and playing beach volleyball – all day, everyday. I stayed at the beach late each day and had watched literally thousands of sunsets, but it never occurred to me to photograph any of these many beautiful scenes. Read More |
How Seismic Testing Affects Sea Life
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