Springtime comes in with a Snowy Owl Avalanche- of documentaries - to celebrate life

Posted by CotoBlogzz

Leavenworth, WA – Carpe May with Vox Docs at the Snowy Owl Theater—Catch may with a

five award-winning documentary stories of hope, triumph and social change, including:

The Bully Project -  opens a window onto the pained and often endangered lives of bullied kids, revealing a problem that transcends geographic, racial, ethnic and economic borders

A place at the table -  A film about hunger in America

Ready to Fly - Winner Best Feature Length Documentary at 2012 Banff Film Festival.

Searching for Sugar Man - 2013 Academy Award Winner Best Documentary. Searching for Sugar Man tells the incredible true story of Rodriguez, the greatest '70s rock icon who never was.

Chasing Ice - Winner of 23 awards from film festivals around the world, is the story of one man's mission to change the tide of history by gathering undeniable evidence of our changing planet. Within months of that first trip to Iceland, the photographer conceived the boldest expedition of his life: The Extreme Ice Survey.

Tickets can be purchased for individual films or a festival pass for the entire weekend.

All ticket proceeds support local non-profit organizations.

See below for dates and times.

Bully, May 3, 7PM - Opening Night Film with Special Guest & After Party "A provocative and essential documentary" - NPR News. Filmed over the course of an entire school year, BULLY opens a window onto the pained and often endangered lives of bullied kids, revealing a problem that transcends geographic, racial, ethnic and economic borders. *To benefit the Cascade Education Foundation

A Place at the Table, May 4, 12PM "A film about hunger in America, it's both engaging and enraging" - Variety.  Directors Kristi Jacobson and Lori Silverbush examine the issue of hunger in America through the lens of three people struggling with food insecurity. *To benefit the Initiative for Rural Innovation and Stewardship (IRIS)

Ready to Fly, May 4, 2PM Winner Best Feature Length Documentary at 2012 Banff Film Festival. Thrust into a fight that's far bigger than her Olympic dreams of competing in the 2014 Winter Games, larger than ski jumping or even sport, Van becomes the reluctant spokesperson for gender equality and women's rights.  *To benefit the Leavenworth Winter Sports Club

Searching for Sugar Man, May 4, 5PM 2013 Academy Award Winner Best Documentary. Searching for Sugar Man tells the incredible true story of Rodriguez, the greatest '70s rock icon who never was.Their investigation leads them to a story more extraordinary than any of the existing myths about the artist known as Rodriguez. *To benefit the Icicle Creek Youth Symphony

Chasing Ice, May 4, 7PM - Closing Night with Special Guest Winner of 23 awards from film festivals around the world. Chasing Ice is the story of one man's mission to change the tide of history by gathering undeniable evidence of our changing planet. Within months of that first trip to Iceland, the photographer conceived the boldest expedition of his life: The Extreme Ice Survey.*To benefit Chelan Douglas Land Trust

Welcome to the Hotel CALPERS - You can check-out, but you can never leave!

CalPERS is the Hotel California 

By Chriss Street

When it comes to public employee pension politics, the Eagles got it right with Hotel California: “You can check-out any time you like, but you can never leave!”

The San Jose City Council, facing huge budget deficits tried to honor the will of the people by terminating life-time pension benefits for Council members.  But they just learned ending wildly expensive retirement benefits may be wildly more expensive than staying in the plan.  The California Public Employees’ Retirement System (CalPERS), which manages most public employee retirement benefits in California raised San Jose’s cost of checking-out of the pension plan by 584%. Mayor Chuck Reed leads a conservative council majority in San Jose that have been battling to cut operating costs to keep the town of one million people from being forced to declare bankruptcy.

  The city’s largest and fastest growing liability is cost to fund their public employees’ defined benefit pensions that are invested by CalPERS.

During the hot stock market in the late 1990s and legislation from Sacramento, San Jose and most state and local governments spiked life-time pension benefits for union employees and the city council members by 60%.  Thirteen years later, annual pension costs per employee have tripled, burdening San Jose with a $2.9 billion unfunded pension liability.  This liability equals $2,900 for every man, woman and child in the city.  But since only 46% of residents work, the liability is $6,304 per working Californian.

The city’s pension plan covers 7 current elected officials and 20 former mayors and council members.  Ten of the former officials already are drawing retirement benefits.  By law if the plan is terminated, the retired officials will continue to receive their pensions and current council members would keep the value of the benefits they have already accrued.  Facing staggering budget challenges, the council voted unanimously last January 2012 to terminate their own pension plan as a demonstration of leadership when they asked unionized city employee’s to accept pension benefit reductions.

San Jose voters in June approved a city council sponsored measure reducing pensions for new hires and calling for current employees to pay more each month for their pensions or accept a lower benefit formula for their remaining years on the job. The city’s unions have filed a law suit and both sides expect a battle.

Having voted to terminate city council defined benefit pensions, Mayor Reed appointed the city’s Human Resources Department to handle the paper work.  While the council’s pension benefit costs were considered small at less than $100,000 per year, the public voiced strong support for the council’s gesture of moral leadership.

The solvency of San Jose’s city council pensions was reported last year by CalPERS to be 72% funded and had a stated liability of $976,000, based on the agency’s assumption that the pension plan investments would earn 7.5% percent for each of the next 30 years.    But CalPERS told the city council to exit the pension plan would cost between $5 million to $5.7 million, approximately 584% more than the liability CalPERS had been annually reporting to the city.  It seems CalPERS’ expected return of 7.5% per year is only for participants that stay in the plan.  CalPERS hammers participants when they want to check-out of the plan by whacking their future estimated return down to the U.S. government bond yield, which is 2.4% right now.

San Jose’s city council pension plan only allows full retirement at age 55, pays 2% of salary for every year worked, and adds a 2% cost-of-living raise each year.  These benefits generate an annual pension payment of $13,000 per council member.  This benefit is only 60% of what a San Jose union employee would receive.

CalPERS manages $262 billion in pension assets for 1,576 local governments pension plans that cover state workers and non-teaching employees in 1,488 school districts and agencies.  The pension plan claims in its’ latest financial report that it has an unfunded liability of about $100 million.  But if required to pay at the same rate they demand from San Jose City Council to check-out of the pension plan, CalPERS unfunded liability would be $584 billion.  As the Eagles warned when entering the Hotel California: “This could be Heaven or this could be Hell.”

CHRISS STREET & PAUL PRESTON
Present: “The Agenda 21 Radio Talk Show”
Streaming Live Monday through Friday at 10 to Noon http://www.kcnr1460.com/
Follow Blogs: www.chrissstreetandcompany.com & www.agenda21radio.com

Selective Religiosity - on the part of the mostly left wing & Hyphenated Media and politicians

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Rancho Santa Margarita, CA – Christians allow for and encourages diversity within the parameters of Christian  teaching.  Irish poet James Joyce may have said it best, in Finnegan’s Wake, “catholic means ‘here comes everybody,’”  for example.

However, last week a group of half-naked radical feminists shocked the world by storming the stage at a public conference to assault the Catholic Archbishop of Brussels, soaking him with water and shouting curses in an effort to silence him for his defense of the sanctity of marriage. The April 18 conference took place at the Free University of Brussels and was entitled, “Blasphemy – crime or freedom of expression.”

To add insult to injury, these radicals also used water bottles often found at Lourdes, which are shaped in the image of Our Lady.

 Archbishop Andre-Joseph Leonard, supporting Joyce’s assertion,  responded by bowing his head in prayer. As the attackers were removed, the Archbishop took one of the water bottles shaped in the image of the Blessed Mother and kissed it as a sign of reparation.

According to CNA/EWTN News).- The women painted their bodies with the phrases, “My body, my rules” and “God loves lesbians.” They also carried a sign which read, “Stop homophobia.”

Here in America, radical homosexual activists have interrupted the Mass, desecrated the Holy Eucharist, and last year terrorized the Family Research Council with a semi-automatic weapon, shooting a security guard in the arm with the intent of killing others before he was subdued.

Just like the abortion/murder trial of Dr. Kermit Gosnell, these attacks on Christians is not front page news and are largely ignored by the mostly radical left and hyphenated media and the radical left.

Can titleholders pay their share of loan directly to bank?

A titleholder raises concerns about a homeowners association with a multimillion-dollar loan and a board's assertions.

By Donie Vanitzian

April 28, 2013

Reprinted with permission from copyright holder

QUESTION: Even with an annual income of more than $2 million, our association is in a big mess. There's a several-million-dollar loan inclusive of our reserve account the association is paying off that has a variable interest rate currently at 6.85%. The association can't touch the reserves because the bank says it's garnisheed as collateral for the loan.

The board says we have to pay this money back because the bank is holding our reserve account hostage. If it is borrowed and we can't touch this high-interest money, can the association just give it back?

Some owners want to pay their lump sum prorated share directly to the bank. The board is demanding that the money be sent to the management company.

• Paying back homeowners who were wrongly charged for repairs
• Homeowners fall behind on HOA dues, get little help from board
• Owners can begin to fix problems by attending board meetings

Owners have no guarantee that their funds will be forwarded to the bank and that funds would not be co-mingled with our operating account. We fear directors have no intention of paying off this loan and will misappropriate funds and assess again as they have before.

Can boards borrow money without informing titleholders, then pass that debt onto owners via a special assessment vote? Can our association file for bankruptcy and wipe this debt out?

ANSWER: Stating that the bank has "garnisheed" the association's funds as collateral for the loan may not be accurate.

Garnishment is a legal strategy that a creditor uses to collect on a judgment. The bank likely has collateral for its loan, not garnisheed association funds.

The association must have the authority to borrow, usually found in the bylaws or covenants, conditions and restrictions, and most lenders won't lend without that. Any board decision to borrow must be present in the minutes, giving the titleholders notice of the intentions. Typically, a homeowner vote may not be required.

Your association is obligated by law to levy and collect assessments, but there is a limit to both. Pursuant to Civil Code section 1366.1, an "association shall not impose or collect an assessment or fee that exceeds the amount necessary to defray the costs for which it is levied." If levied to repay the loan, the funds must be used for that purpose.

Repayment should come directly from the association, not through a middleman such as a management company. Most management companies refuse to post bonds, so if they abscond with or misappropriate the money, the association has no recourse and must still pay the bank.

Individual titleholders cannot pay off their prorated share because they are not individually liable to the bank.

An outstanding loan to the association does not prevent the owner from selling his unit. Any lien the bank may have on property to secure the loan is placed on the common property, not the individual units.

California homeowner associations cannot declare Chapter 7 bankruptcy and wipe out their debt. California appellate courts have ruled that because the association has an unending source of money — the titleholders — with which to pay its obligations, at most it can file for Chapter 11 reorganization. The court can order an association to make an emergency assessment against all the titleholders to pay off its obligation.

The late Stephen Glassman, an attorney specializing in corporate and business law, co-wrote this column. Vanitzian is an arbitrator and mediator. Send questions to P.O. Box 10490, Marina del Rey, CA 90295 ornoexit@mindspring.com.

Obama’s Liberation Theology 2.0 and the Boston Bombings

BOSTON BOMBING AND LIBERATION THEOLOGY

By Chriss Street

 The Congressional elections next year will fall on the 25^th anniversary of opening of the Berlin Wall that heralded the worldwide collapse of communism.  

This tipping-point event came as a stunning rejection of the American Left’s “Liberation Theology” that conflated the Christian Gospels into a Marxist manifesto to justify the overthrow of governments the Left deemed socially and economically unjust.  For the next 20 years, capitalism was cool and socialism was passé.  But after the 2008 Financial Crisis swept the American Left back into power, President Obama launched Liberation Theology 2.0 in a 2009 Cairo speech that served as the “go-code” that America would support revolutionary “Arab Spring” regime changes across the Middle East.  But having served the role of what Karl Marx referred to as useful idiots, propagandist for a cause whose goals

they do not understand, the bombing of America’s most liberal city demonstrates the next phase of the Arab Spring is to attack the American Left in their homeland.

The 1960 election of President John F. Kennedy was seen as an existential triumph for the American Left, who’s Liberation Theology blamed America for the Cold War.  They heaped adoration on Stalin, Kim Il Sung, Fidel Castro, Ho Chi Minh and Mao Zedong.  The Left expected Kennedy’s foreign policy to actively support political and economic “liberation” movements to deliver humanity from unjust oppression and poverty.

At a University of North Dakota speech on September 25, 1963 Kennedy famously said: “Things do not happen. Things are made to happen.”  Kennedy was using code words that he had “made things happen” two months earlier when the U.S. State Department sent “Cable 243” to Henry Cabot Lodge, U.S. Ambassador to South Vietnam, authorizing a CIA sponsored coup d’état and assassination of Ngo Dinh Diệm, the popularly elected but autocratic President of South Vietnam.  Diệm was secretly buried in an unmarked grave next to U.S. Ambassador’s residence.

Upon learning of Diệm’s ouster and death, Ho Chi Minh is reported to have said, “I can scarcely believe the Americans would be so stupid.” The North Vietnamese Politburo predicted:

”The consequences of the 1 November coup d’état will be contrary to the calculations of the U.S. imperialists … Diệm was one of the strongest individuals resisting the people and Communism.  Everything that could be done in an attempt to crush the revolution was carried out by Diệm.  Diệm was one of the most competent lackeys of the U.S. imperialists … Among the anti-Communists in South Vietnam or exiled in other countries, no one has sufficient political assets and abilities to cause others to obey. Therefore, the lackey administration cannot be stabilized.”

It would take 8 years and 57,000 Americans killed in Vietnam before the Pentagon Papers revealed Kennedy’s role in killing a democratically elected leader deemed an enemy of the American Left.  Symbolically, Kennedy would also be assassinated 21 days later by Lee Harvey Oswald, a dedicated communist married to a Russian.   After Diệm’s assassination, South Vietnam would never establish a stable government and numerous more coups took place.  The assassination gave credence to North Vietnamese propaganda that South Vietnam was really an American colonial puppet.

In the late 1980s communist regimes appeared to socially and economically collapse overnight.  They had actually collapsed long before, but the American Left dominated media refused to report on the Gulags of the USSR, Cultural Revolution in China, Khmer Rouge Killing Fields in Cambodia, executions by the Sandinistas in Nicaragua and forced starvations in North Koreans.  But the fall of the Berlin Wall brought a flood of tragic Eastern Europeans stories exposing the tyranny of communist domination.

Theodore Sorenson, President Kennedy’s legendary speechwriter, in 2007 hosted then-Senator Barack Obama’s first major Presidential campaign fundraiser at the New York City’s Grand Hyatt Hotel.  Sorenson, who President Kennedy once called his “intellectual blood bank,” said he gave his endorsement because: “Barack Obama is more like John F. Kennedy than any other candidate of our time.

President Obama’s 2009 Inaugural Address stated: “To the Muslim world, we seek a new way forward, based on mutual interest and mutual respect.”  Later in Cairo that same year he added: “We have the power to make the world we seek, but only if we have the courage to make a new beginning, keeping in mind what has been written.”  These are code words that refer to the predestination of Qadar in the Islamic faith; everything that happens must have been predestined by Allah.  By stating: “has been written” Obama clearly communicated the U.S. would not oppose the liberational overthrow of Middle East governments deemed socially and economically unjust.

Now that Boston, ground zero for the American Left, has been attacked and people spent a week cowering in their gun-free homes the inevitable American Left’s recriminations about the mistake of supporting Liberation Theology 2.0 have begun.  The Chechens were successful in attacking Boston, because the American Left could not imagine the Liberation Theology 2.0 they encouraged would turn on them.

New York has 1000 police officers that have successfully thwarted 15 attacks; Boston obviously had none.  Former Massachusetts Congressman Barney Frank said it is “ironic” the latest issue of Al-Qaeda’s Inspire magazine attacked his marriage this weekend to a man reminded him of opposition he received from right-wingers.  Barney fails to understand the difference is Al-Qaeda wants to blow-up him and his wedding party guests.

CHRISS STREET & PAUL PRESTON
Present
“The Agenda 21 Radio Talk Show”
Streaming Live Monday through Friday at 10 to Noon http://www.kcnr1460.com/
Follow Blogs: www.chrissstreetandcompany.com & www.agenda21radio.com

ALERT! RSM-Coto de Caza Alternate Routes this weekend

 Posted by CotoBlogzz

Rancho Santa Margiarita, CA - The contractor for Southern California Edison will be working in the City to install the final slurry seal resurfacing for the SCE Consejo Project this weekend,  The aim of the project is to improve power reliability in the city

 On Saturday, work will start at 3:00 a.m. and all lanes will be open by 2:00 p.m.  On Sunday, work will begin at 6:00 a.m., and all lanes will be open by 2:00 p.m..  

Crews  will be working on the following streets:  El Paseo, Santa Margarita Parkway, and La Promesa/Coto de Caza Drive.  

Please consider alternate routes during these times.  See below for  a tentative schedule.

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Poldex© Shows Bryson in the lead for the 2014 race for CA Assembly District 73

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Rancho Santa Margarita, CA – unless something catastrophic happens, Rancho Santa Margarita councilman Steve Baric, Anna Bryson, trustee for the Capistrano Unified School District, Dana Point Councilman Bill Brough or  Rancho Santa Margarita councilman Jesse Petrilla will be the winner of the 2014 race for Assembly District 73.

The district consists of roughly 50% registered Republicans, 25% Democrats and 20% un-affiliated.  The population is 70% White and 20% Hispanic.

While as of now the favorite seems to be GOP insider Steve Baric, the  CotoBuzz Journal’s Poldex© shows Anna Bryson in the lead at 100%, Brough at 82%, Baric 12% and Petrilla at 8%

The Cotobuzz Journals’ Poldex is non-partisan, heuristics-based  indicator associated with relative name-recognition. Over the years it has proven to be very reliable tool with the possible exception of the 2010 OC Sheriff Department campaign.

Jesse Petrilla	Anna Bryson
Bill Brough	Steve Baric

We have argued that the California GOP Leadership has done a terrible job over the last ten years.  Its main fault has been its failure to articulate what it wants to be when it grows up:

Hector Barajas, director of strategic communications at Revolvis,  consultant for Univision and former spokesman for California gubernatorial hopeful for Meg Whitman in 2010 and Spanish media spokesman for the McCain-Palin campaign in 2008 argued in 2011 that the GOP should launch a Hispanic outreach, pronto!  We on the other hand argued that “while voting is a choice, the issue with the GOP is not whether to pander to the Hyphen American vote as much as it is to figure out what it wants to be when it grows up,  or as we like to say, It is the Brand Stupid!”

Will the GOP ever learn what it wants to be when it grows up?

And we went on to accurately  predict  that “ The Mostly Left Wing and Hyphenated Media, including Univision,  have too much vested in the status quo and will take every opportunity to use  Weapons of Mass Disinformation to manipulate the apathetic, uninformed and otherwise cognitive-challenged voter. This is why whether the GOP launches a major Hispanic campaign or not, the voter who identifies him or herself first and foremost as Hyphen-American, will vote Obama in 2012”

Given that Bryson's endorsements include Mario Rodriguez, chairman of the Hispanic 100, a group of GOP-leaning Latino business people and her lead position in the Poldex Index, bodes well for Ms. Bryson.

If you think taxes in California are not high enough, wait for Initiative 13-0002

 

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Rancho Santa Margarita, CA -  If you think that taxes in California are not high enough, wait for initiative 13-0002. The Attorney General of California prepared the following title and summary of the chief purpose and points of the proposed measure being advanced by Harrison J. Tibbetts:

TAX ON OIL AND NATURAL GAS. REVENUES TO EDUCATION, CLEAN ENERGY,

COUNTY INFRASTRUCTURE AND SERVICES, AND STATE PARKS. INITIATIVE

STATUTE.

Imposes 9.5% tax on value of oil and natural gas extracted in California. During

first ten years, allocates revenues: 60% to education for classroom instruction (split equally

between UC, CSU, community colleges, and K-12 schools); 22% to clean energy projects and

research; 15% to counties for infrastructure and public health and safety services; 3% to state

parks. Thereafter, allocates 80% to education, 15% to counties, and 5% to state parks. Prohibits

passing tax on to consumers through higher fuel prices.

Consider that a number school reformists such as Matt Candler, claim that the public school system is broken and have proposed viable alternatives, while others such as Sugata Mitra, Professor of Education Technology at Newcastle University, who wants to build a school in the Cloud posits that the public school system is not broken – it is simple an anachronism.

Whether one thinks the public system is broken or simply not applicable to the 21^st century, the facts are that providing more funds to public education, whether K-12 or the university system is like providing free hamburgers to an already obese population.

Harrison "Jack" Tibbetts Campaign Manager at Californians for Responsible Economic Development San Francisco Bay Area Public Policy

And who is Harrison J. Tibbetts anyway?  His LinkedIn account states that he is

Campaign Manager at Californians for Responsible Economic Development.  A cursory search for non-profit organizations do not show an entry for an organization titled Californians for Responsible Economic Development.  The same account indicates that Mr. Tibbetts is an intern with the Office of Congressman Mike Thompson (D) California.

Saddleback College Symphony and Choirs Present Verdi’s Requiem

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Rancho Santa Margarita, CA. On Saturday, May 18^th at 8 pm and Sunday, May 19^th at 2 pm, the Department of Music will present Requiem by Giuseppi Verdi in the McKinney Theater.

Saddleback Choirs and Symphony Orchestra.  Photo: Sue Crowson

The Saddleback College Symphony Orchestra, under the direction of Maestro Yorgos Kouritas, the Community Chorale, Concert Choir and professional soloists, under the direction of Dr. Scott Farthing, join forces to present this epic work. One of the most challenging works in the choral repertoire, Verdi’s Requiem is a thrilling tour de force for both the singers and instrumentalists.  Tickets are $15 general and $10 students/seniors.  Call the ticket office at 949-582-4656 (noon to 4, Wednesday through Saturday) to order your tickets or online at www.saddleback.edu/arts.

Saddleback College is located at 28000 Marguerite Pkwy in Mission Viejo, just east of Interstate 5 at the Avery Parkway exit.  Free parking is available in Lot 12.  Take Avery Parkway to Marguerite Parkway turn left to the third traffic light, which is Saddleback’s Marguerite entrance. Turn right into the campus and take the second left to Theatre Circle, turning right into Lot 12.

With a long tradition of excellence in music, the Saddleback College Vocal Program continues building on that tradition with the very finest in both standard vocal repertoire and the music of the cutting edge. The three primary choirs on campus include the Community Chorale, Concert Choir, and Women’s Camerata, which perform many concerts around the area throughout the school year. Membership is open in all three ensembles with the successful completion of a vocal placement interview at the beginning of each semester. In addition to beginning, intermediate, and advanced-level vocal classes, Saddleback College offers private voice lessons to a select few vocalists who are planning on pursuing degrees in vocal performance at the University or Conservatory level. Past students in the Applied Music program have been accepted to prestigious music schools across the country. In addition, Saddleback College is proud to be one of a handful of community colleges in the state which offer its students the opportunity to perform in operas and opera scenes each semester.

The Saddleback Symphony Orchestra is composed from many of Orange County’s most

dedicated musicians.  Symphony members bring a wide variety of personal and musical experiences to the orchestra.  The ages of the musicians span from teenagers to retirees – but equally share a passion for making music.  Currently rehearsals are on Thursday evenings from 7-10 pm on the Saddleback College campus. 

Located in Mission Viejo, Saddleback College provides quality higher education and training to the greater south Orange County community.  Having served more than 500,000 students since 1968, Saddleback College offers over 300 degree and certificate programs to help students reach their personal, career, and educational goals.  For more information, please visit www.saddleback.edu and for Fine Arts information, please visit www.saddleback.edu/arts.  

Calling All Actors Ages 8 to 16

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Rancho Santa Margarita, CA – Mainstage Kids is seeking actors ages 8 to 16.   MainStage Kids, offered by Saddleback College Performing Arts and Community Education, is a new youth theatre company designed to prepare young actors ages 8-16 who aspire to perform professionally one day. 

A L-R:  Madison Figueroa as Mowgli, Kiana Diaz as Sherekhan and Sophia del Rey as Baloo in  Disney’s The Jungle Book, Photo:  Nina Welch

Whether an actor is an experienced young performer who wants more musical theatre training, or is new to the stage, this exciting theatre program will challenge and inspire all youthful thespians.  This year, the summer program will be directed and taught by theatre professional and Saddleback Theatre Arts faculty member Jonelle Allen. Professional standards and insights that will be put into practice in a fully mounted main-stage production of a musical revue of Give My Regards to Broadway at the end of the program.

Students will attend an orientation for the program on Friday, May 31, 6-8 pm in the Studio Theatre at Saddleback College. There will be an opportunity to be a part of the crew if a student is not interested in being on stage. Classes and rehearsals are Monday-Friday, July 8 – August 1, 9 am to 2:50 pm. The fee is $395 ($495 value).  For further information contact 949-582-4646.

Performance dates are: Friday, August 2 at 7:30 pm, Saturday, August 3 at 2:30 and 7:30 pm and Sunday, August 5 at 2:30 pm.  Tickets can be purchased by calling (949) 582-4656 (noon-4 Wednesday through Saturday) and online at www.saddleback.edu/arts.  Tickets are $16 general and $12 children 16 and under. 

MainStage Kids is a Children's Theatre Company working in connection with Performing Arts and Community Education at Saddleback College to bring professional level Children's Theatre to Orange County.  The company features young actors ages 8-16.  Their last two productions were Seussical Jr. the Musical in 2011 and Disney’s The Jungle Book last summer.

Saddleback College is located at 28000 Marguerite Pkwy in Mission Viejo, just east of Interstate 5 at the Avery Parkway exit.  Parking is available in Lot 12.  Take Avery Parkway to Marguerite Parkway turn left to the third traffic light, which is Saddleback’s Marguerite entrance. Turn right into the campus and take the third left to “Theatre Circle,” turning right into Lot 12.

Located in Mission Viejo, Saddleback College provides quality higher education and training to the greater south Orange County community.  Having served more than 500,000 students since 1968, Saddleback College offers more than 300 degree and certificate programs to help students reach their personal, career, and educational goals.  For more information, please visit www.saddleback.edu.  For Fine Arts events, visit www.saddleback.edu/arts. 

Annual Student Art Exhibition at Saddleback College

 Posted By CotoBlogzz

Rancho Santa Margarita - The Saddleback College Art Gallery will  present the Juried Student Art Exhibition on May 6th through May 16th in the Saddleback College Art Gallery.

This popular juried student art exhibition returns again this spring featuring works from Saddleback College’s studio art, photography and graphic design classes. Selected from over 400 submitted entries, 80 works will be chosen and on display with a variety of media including drawing, painting, ceramics, printmaking, graphics, jewelry, sculpture, photography, and mixed media. All Saddleback students are eligible to vote in Saddleback’s “Student Choice” awards

The exhibition is free and open to the public. Gallery hours are Monday-Wednesday-Friday, Noon to 4 pm and Thursday, Noon to 8 pm.  The Gallery will also be open Saturday, May 11th from 10am to 2pm.  An Artists’ Reception/Awards ceremony will be held on Tuesday, May 14th from 5 to 8pm. 

Saddleback College is located at 28000 Marguerite Pkwy in Mission Viejo, just east of Interstate 5 at the Avery Parkway exit.  Free parking is available in Lot 12.  Take Avery Parkway to Marguerite Parkway turn left to the third traffic light, which is Saddleback’s Marguerite entrance. Turn right into the campus and take the third left to “Theatre Circle,” turning right into Lot 12.

Located in Mission Viejo, Saddleback College provides quality higher education and training to the greater south Orange County community.  Having served more than 500,000 students since 1968, Saddleback College offers over 300 degree and certificate programs to help students reach their personal, career, and educational goals.  For more information, please visit www.saddleback.edu and for Fine Arts information, please visit www.saddleback.edu/arts.  

RSM Summer Running Camp Announced

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Rancho Santa Margarita, A – The Saddleback Running Club today announced it is hosting a Summer Running camp in  July 8-9-10-11 9:00 am-10:30 am.  Campers will learn proper technique for running, endurance training, distance running and racing.

.Additionally, the Saddleback Running Club has on going open enrollment for its upcoming season for boys and girls grade 3-8, offering endurance/distance running training for runners of all level. The program runs year around with three training sessions and  XC meets on the weekends.

The Saddleback Running Club' mission is to promote the sport of cross country and distance running by providing local, young, female and male runners, 3rd - 8th grade, high quality coaching, training and administration, developing each runner individually through consistent year round practice and instruction, while fostering a team concept

For more information go to www.saddlebackrunningclub.com or email saddleback10@gmail.com

ObamaCare not good enough for US Congress

CONGRESS WANTS OBAMACARE EXEMPTION

By Chriss Street

  

Democrat Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid and Republican House Speaker John Boehner have moved negotiations into high gear in efforts to exempt the 535 Congressional members, families and ten thousand staff members from the mandate to comply with joining public insurance exchanges under the Affordable Care Act, better known as Obamacare.  .

With Kathleen Sebelius, Secretary of Health and Human Services, already granting discretionarily compliance waivers for unions and 1,200 crony corporations, Congress also wants to avoid suffering the pain of what it legislated for the public. Two years ago, HHS used the law’s “flexibility” clause to allow bureaucrats to exempt certain favored groups with transition “waivers” through 2014.  These “carve-outs” caused a huge stir when it was learned that labor unions representing 543,812 workers and private employers with 69,813 employees were secretly granted waivers.

 Of the total of 1,231 companies who got the heads-up they could apply for carve-outs, only 96 were denied under Sebelius’s “flexible” authority.

Congress and its staff currently enjoy full premium coverage, and a choice between ten elite national preferred provider doctor and hospital networks, and several HMOs.  Lawmakers also have no-copay access to federally-owned medical facilities, their own pharmacy, and a team of doctors and medical staff that stand by at their chambers.

Since the Republicans gained control of the House in 2010, they have cut Congressional staff pay and the expense accounts for individual Congressmen.  Under Obamacare, Congress and staff are required to enter public healthcare exchanges with their insurance premiums subsidized by their employer, the U.S. taxpayer.  But lawmakers fear that they will be hit with thousands of dollars of higher co-pay costs. 

Currently the U.S. Office of Personnel Management spends $7000 in insurance premium for each of the 30% of Congressional staff that are young and in entry-level positions that earn an average of $25,000 per year.  Under Obamacare’s bazaar formula payment scheme, 75% of healthcare annual premiums will be picked up by the employer; employees would pay a percentage of their annual income and be eligible for government “subsidy” payments according to family size and income level in relationship to the Federal Poverty Level (FPL).

Based on the 2014 estimate of the Federal Poverty Level of $11,600, the annual insurance premium cost paid for by a one-person household for healthcare would be:

Income versus Federal Poverty Level	Average Individual Payment
100-133%	2%
133-150%	3.5%
150-200%	5.1%
200-250%	7.2%
250-300%	8.7%
300-400	9.5%

Consequently, a $25,000 Congressional staffer would be making 200-250% of the Federal Poverty Level.  For the annual insurance premium the federal government as the employer would pay $5200 (75% of premium cost) and the individual as the employee would start paying about $1800 (7.2% of income) of the annual insurance premium cost.  Under this example, the federal government saves 25% of the annual healthcare insurance premium payment by shifting the cost onto the Congressional staff person.  Furthermore, the staff employee’s income is high enough that the U.S. taxpayer does not have to subsidize the individual’s annual premium payment.

In 2009, then Democrat Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi stood at the podium in Congress in support of Obamacare and classically said: “We have to pass the bill so that you can find out what is in it.”  At the time, Congressional lliberals claimed Obamacare would save America money.  They did not plan on that Obamacare savings coming out of the hide of their members and staff from new insurance payments and the loss of their privileged no-copay access to federally-owned medical facilities and prescription drugs.  It seems now that Congress has found out what is in Obamacare, they do not like it at all.

CHRISS STREET & PAUL PRESTON
Present
“The Agenda 21 Radio Talk Show”
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