President Trump

[fortune11]

Again... not so simple.

"A matter of scale" is much harder than you think.

I have had some exposure to gov't spending and at least from my experience, I wouldn't trust my tax dollars would be spent very well on trying to make universal healthcare (or building a wall).

Private businesses without oversight give us Enron

And without proper regulation give us Lehman and AIG

There has been a big cultural shift in this country in how private businesses operate now , with management teams incentivized solely by equity ownership

Which front loads all the benefits (bonuses) but back ends any losses to the public

Good thing is with the tech tools we have now and with social media 24/7 scrutiny  , there is a generational chance to make govt more accountable and transparent

Notice how iPhones exposed within a decade , how America views racial injustice , especially in policing

I suspect, and you heard it here first , governments are next . Gone are the olden days for sleepy old bureaucrats and corrupt and pork project devouring politicians

I know a lot of us are older and jaded and we know it all and have heard all this before , etc . But we are also the ones who don?t see change coming .

 

[Kings]

what is everyone's thoughts on the cpuc bailing out pg&e after the latest fire?  once again, rate payers are on the hook for failure to (1) properly maintain our infrastructure and (2) properly manage our forests.  trump says we need better forest management - is that the answer to all of our fires?  to say it's just climate change is a cheap cop out in my opinion.  not to mention the co2 emissions from all of the fires that have burned have almost completely eliminated any of the renewable energy efforts by the state over the past 10 years.

on one hand, i understand they need to be financially viable to provide electric service to customers, but at the same time why should we be responsible for their failures? 

to tie back to the current topic, this failure will affect all california residents almost equally no matter your economic status since rates will go up across the board.  some could argue this affects poorer people more than the richer.  is this the right way to do it?  would a universal healthcare system be "taxed" to all taxpayers equally or would only rich folks be footing the bill since half the people in this country don't pay taxes?

California throws lifeline to PG&E over potential Camp Fire liability

SACRAMENTO, Calif. - Shares of Pacific Gas & Electric soared Friday after California's top utility regulator said his agency will help the company deal with potentially crippling liability costs from wildfires.

Stock prices soared nearly 38 percent after plunging 60 percent and losing $15 billion in valuation in the week following the Northern California wildfire that is the nation's deadliest in a century.

No cause has been determined, but speculation has centered on PG&E, which reported an outage around the time and place the fire ignited. The death toll from the so-called Camp Fire has risen to at least 63, with hundreds of people still unaccounted for. California state investigators in June faulted PG&E-owned power lines for sparking a dozen blazes in Northern California in the fall of 2017 that killed 46 and incinerated nearly 9,000 homes and other structures.

Late Thursday, California Public Utilities Commission President Michael Picker sought to calm financial markets by indicating support for the continued viability of PG&E and other publicly traded utilities.

In an interview with the San Francisco Chronicle, Picker said his agency will soon implement a provision in a new state law that makes it easier for utilities to pass costs for past wildfires to their customers. He said additional legislation may be needed to ensure that provision applies to this year's fires.

"They have to be financially healthy to be able to provide those goods and services that ratepayers need," he told the Chronicle. "If they can't borrow money, if they have liquidity problems and they can't do vegetation management, that's a problem. That's not good policy, to really let them get financially unstable."

https://www.cbsnews.com/news/pg-e-fires-in-california-camp-wildfire-utility/

 

[fortune11]

That rant is all over the place , but let?s pick one relevant point ? since everything else is ?sunk cost? and backward looking ?

Do you understand what costs will taxpayers incur if they are allowed to go bankrupt ? 

There are a lot of flaws in how power is managed - including pressure from consumers who don?t want their power turned off under any circumstances (even high winds) and file complaints when that happens

Think about which path is most optimal and net present value positive from this point on , fires already having occurred

 

[Ready2Downsize]

what is everyone's thoughts on the cpuc bailing out pg&e after the latest fire?  once again, rate payers are on the hook for failure to (1) properly maintain our infrastructure and (2) properly manage our forests.  trump says we need better forest management - is that the answer to all of our fires?  to say it's just climate change is a cheap cop out in my opinion.  not to mention the co2 emissions from all of the fires that have burned have almost completely eliminated any of the renewable energy efforts by the state over the past 10 years.

on one hand, i understand they need to be financially viable to provide electric service to customers, but at the same time why should we be responsible for their failures? 

to tie back to the current topic, this failure will affect all california residents almost equally no matter your economic status since rates will go up across the board.  some could argue this affects poorer people more than the richer.  is this the right way to do it?  would a universal healthcare system be "taxed" to all taxpayers equally or would only rich folks be footing the bill since half the people in this country don't pay taxes?

California throws lifeline to PG&E over potential Camp Fire liability

SACRAMENTO, Calif. - Shares of Pacific Gas & Electric soared Friday after California's top utility regulator said his agency will help the company deal with potentially crippling liability costs from wildfires.

Stock prices soared nearly 38 percent after plunging 60 percent and losing $15 billion in valuation in the week following the Northern California wildfire that is the nation's deadliest in a century.

No cause has been determined, but speculation has centered on PG&E, which reported an outage around the time and place the fire ignited. The death toll from the so-called Camp Fire has risen to at least 63, with hundreds of people still unaccounted for. California state investigators in June faulted PG&E-owned power lines for sparking a dozen blazes in Northern California in the fall of 2017 that killed 46 and incinerated nearly 9,000 homes and other structures.

Late Thursday, California Public Utilities Commission President Michael Picker sought to calm financial markets by indicating support for the continued viability of PG&E and other publicly traded utilities.

In an interview with the San Francisco Chronicle, Picker said his agency will soon implement a provision in a new state law that makes it easier for utilities to pass costs for past wildfires to their customers. He said additional legislation may be needed to ensure that provision applies to this year's fires.

"They have to be financially healthy to be able to provide those goods and services that ratepayers need," he told the Chronicle. "If they can't borrow money, if they have liquidity problems and they can't do vegetation management, that's a problem. That's not good policy, to really let them get financially unstable."

https://www.cbsnews.com/news/pg-e-fires-in-california-camp-wildfire-utility/

I would want to know what they are doing to prevent (and fight) fires.


My daughter works for Sempra in SD (they own So Cal Gas and San Diego Gas and Electric). They have their own firefighting dept (obviously not as big as any local fire dept and not everywhere), helicopters, firemen etc because they say they cannot depend on the fire depts getting to the fires quick enough.


Anything above ground they have been moving to below ground.

This is the second fire for this same company. Are they working quick enough to move lines under ground and clearing brush from power lines on a regular basis?

 

[riznick]

Can't be on a state level because you would have issues with people moving around and receiving substandard care in one state and then moving to another for treatment. 

Needs to be federal level.

Makes sense.  We can't afford to add these social safety nets if people can move around freely and take advantage of them.  Kinda like, if can curb illegal immigration, we might be able to afford more social programs for our citizens.

The big problem that I see is that the people and economy (prices and wages and debts) are adjusted for our current tax levels.  However we do it, it will need to be eased in very slowly over time if we don't want to see a huge impact on the economy. 

On the bright side, there are huge advancements in medical that are coming our way that may hopefully lower the cost of medical.  There are claims that medicine will soon be on the technology curve, if it's not already there.

 

[riznick]

A giant reason why US medical costs are so high is because we have a mess of a system with different networks, insurance, healthcare providers, and doctors.  Administrative costs are crazy. 

I don't disagree, but look at systems that are much more closed and integrated in the US such as Kaiser Permanente.  It's basically the same price.

Okay...I guess you trust the insurance companies more.

Insurance companies have been a false premise and why Obamacare failed to deliver it's original promises.  I don't trust the insurance companies.  I also don't think they are the same villain they were made out to be.

 

[Kings]

Makes sense.  We can't afford to add these social safety nets if people can move around freely and take advantage of them.  Kinda like, if can curb illegal immigration, we might be able to afford more social programs for our citizens.

this is a good point. i think many more people in this country would be supportive of certain left-side policies, such as universal healthcare, if we figure out our $100 billion per year cost of illegal aliens.

 

[marmott]

this is a good point. i think many more people in this country would be supportive of certain left-side policies, such as universal healthcare, if we figure out our $100 billion per year cost of illegal aliens.

Where did you find that figure?

 

[Dresden215]

Anybody know why Brown vetoed this wildfire bill back in 2016 that was unanimously approved by both the assembly & senate?

https://moorlach.cssrc.us/content/senate-bill-1463-electrical-lines-mitigation

I?m assuming this is what Trump was referring to about mismanagement.

 

[irvinehomeowner]

Again... not so simple.

"A matter of scale" is much harder than you think.

I have had some exposure to gov't spending and at least from my experience, I wouldn't trust my tax dollars would be spent very well on trying to make universal healthcare (or building a wall).

Okay...I guess you trust the insurance companies more.

Not really, but they are probably a tad more efficient than the Fed.

I think the big thing you are glossing over here is to rehaul the entire system into your utopian Federal Universal Healthcare is going to be costly and close to impossible. You cite other countries but the closest they come to in population is only a 1/3 of the US. And that doesn't take into account the geography of distance. How do you put this into place in very rural areas or places that don't want a government run system?

Isn't this why Obamacare went with the existing insurance infrastructure first? How long and how much do you think a truly Fed run system is going to take to implement?

Just like schools, police, fire and all these other essential services, I think they are better off in the hands of local/county/state government. I'm not sure what the hurdle is with people moving or going to different states that you keep citing. It would be much easier to handle out of state medical cases than trying to shoehorn in a one size fits all Fed system.

 

[nosuchreality]

Anybody know why Brown vetoed this wildfire bill back in 2016 that was unanimously approved by both the assembly & senate?

https://moorlach.cssrc.us/content/senate-bill-1463-electrical-lines-mitigation

I?m assuming this is what Trump was referring to about mismanagement.

Don't mistake Trump's goading on mismanagement and raking leaves as really being about forest management and fire abatement.  They really are the on land version of drill baby drill and about 'managing' forest via old growth logging and selling public lands for private use.  Aka Cliven Bunden.

The dead wood littering California and most of the West's forest is the result of a combination factors, beetle infestation, drought and climate change exacerbating the situation.  Large scale logging of the beetle infested areas isn't realistic as the beetle damage wood, commonly called blue pine, is only viable in the early stage of damage before the tree is dead.  once dead, the tree becomes basically only usable as pulp wood and then since it's dead a dry and pulp wood is sold by weight, is a value losing proposition for suppliers.

 

[morekaos]

Anybody know why Brown vetoed this wildfire bill back in 2016 that was unanimously approved by both the assembly & senate?

https://moorlach.cssrc.us/content/senate-bill-1463-electrical-lines-mitigation

I?m assuming this is what Trump was referring to about mismanagement.

At the time he claimed the legislation was redundant...now....

Gov. Jerry Brown Quietly Admits Trump Was Right, Eases California Logging Rules

California Gov. Jerry Brown appears to have quietly admitted President Donald Trump's suggestion about improving California forestry was correct and is now urging state lawmakers to loosen restrictive logging regulations put in place to appease environmentalists.

The Santa Cruz Sentinel reports that Brown is proposing one of the most significant changes to the state's logging rules in nearly half a century.

"Gov. Jerry Brown is proposing broad new changes to California?s logging rules that would allow landowners to cut larger trees and build temporary roads without obtaining a permit as a way to thin more forests across the state," the paper reports.

https://www.dailywire.com/news/38520/gov-jerry-brown-quietly-admits-trump-was-right-emily-zanotti

 

[Irvinecommuter]

Anybody know why Brown vetoed this wildfire bill back in 2016 that was unanimously approved by both the assembly & senate?

https://moorlach.cssrc.us/content/senate-bill-1463-electrical-lines-mitigation

I?m assuming this is what Trump was referring to about mismanagement.

At the time he claimed the legislation was redundant...now....

Gov. Jerry Brown Quietly Admits Trump Was Right, Eases California Logging Rules

California Gov. Jerry Brown appears to have quietly admitted President Donald Trump's suggestion about improving California forestry was correct and is now urging state lawmakers to loosen restrictive logging regulations put in place to appease environmentalists.

The Santa Cruz Sentinel reports that Brown is proposing one of the most significant changes to the state's logging rules in nearly half a century.

"Gov. Jerry Brown is proposing broad new changes to California?s logging rules that would allow landowners to cut larger trees and build temporary roads without obtaining a permit as a way to thin more forests across the state," the paper reports.

https://www.dailywire.com/news/38520/gov-jerry-brown-quietly-admits-trump-was-right-emily-zanotti

Yeah...apparently quietly admits from August 2018. 
https://thehill.com/policy/energy-e...ders-easing-logging-rules-to-help-fight-fires

So not only is Trump a great leader...he can manipulate time!

This is not to say that more could not have been done but the main issues are funding and climate change. 

 

[Irvinecommuter]

Great use of taxpayer money!

The Pentagon is set to begin a drawdown of its 5,800 troops from the Southwest border as early as this week, the Army commander overseeing the mission told POLITICO today ? even as the approaching caravan of refugees prompted U.S. customs officers to close a port of entry near Tijuana, Mexico.

https://www.politico.com/story/2018/11/19/troops-us-mexico-border-come-home-1005510

 

[Kings]

Great use of taxpayer money!

The Pentagon is set to begin a drawdown of its 5,800 troops from the Southwest border as early as this week, the Army commander overseeing the mission told POLITICO today ? even as the approaching caravan of refugees prompted U.S. customs officers to close a port of entry near Tijuana, Mexico.

https://www.politico.com/story/2018/11/19/troops-us-mexico-border-come-home-1005510

 

[Kings]

trump transcends borders!

Shouting 'Mexico First,' Hundreds In Tijuana March Against Migrant Caravan

The message for the migrant caravan was clear from marchers on Sunday in Tijuana, Mexico: We don't want you here.

"We want the caravan to go; they are invading us," said Patricia Reyes, a 62-year-old protester, hiding from the sun under an umbrella. "They should have come into Mexico correctly, legally, but they came in like animals."

A few hundred Tijuanenses gathered in the city's high-end Rio area to protest the groups migrating from Central American countries.

Demonstrators held signs reading "No illegals," "No to the invasion" and "Mexico First." Many wore the country's red, white and green national soccer jersey and vigorously waved Mexican flags. The crowd often slipped into chants of "Ti-jua-na!" and "Me-xi-co!" They sang the national anthem several times.

https://www.npr.org/2018/11/19/669193788/shouting-mexico-first-hundreds-in-tijuana-march-against-migrant-caravan

BONUS:

The Tijuana mayor has been seen sporting a Trump-style "Make Tijuana Great Again" hat.

 

[Irvinecommuter]

Great use of taxpayer money!

The Pentagon is set to begin a drawdown of its 5,800 troops from the Southwest border as early as this week, the Army commander overseeing the mission told POLITICO today ? even as the approaching caravan of refugees prompted U.S. customs officers to close a port of entry near Tijuana, Mexico.

https://www.politico.com/story/2018/11/19/troops-us-mexico-border-come-home-1005510

Yup...pretty much the same logic.

 

[eyephone]

But you and Morekas forgot about the veteran GI benefits. The US government spent an estimate of $200 mil on sending troops to the bank border. In the meantime veterans that are counting on the GI benefits never got it and some are not homeless. Get your priorities straight! 

trump transcends borders!

Shouting 'Mexico First,' Hundreds In Tijuana March Against Migrant Caravan

The message for the migrant caravan was clear from marchers on Sunday in Tijuana, Mexico: We don't want you here.

"We want the caravan to go; they are invading us," said Patricia Reyes, a 62-year-old protester, hiding from the sun under an umbrella. "They should have come into Mexico correctly, legally, but they came in like animals."

A few hundred Tijuanenses gathered in the city's high-end Rio area to protest the groups migrating from Central American countries.

Demonstrators held signs reading "No illegals," "No to the invasion" and "Mexico First." Many wore the country's red, white and green national soccer jersey and vigorously waved Mexican flags. The crowd often slipped into chants of "Ti-jua-na!" and "Me-xi-co!" They sang the national anthem several times.

https://www.npr.org/2018/11/19/669193788/shouting-mexico-first-hundreds-in-tijuana-march-against-migrant-caravan

BONUS:

The Tijuana mayor has been seen sporting a Trump-style "Make Tijuana Great Again" hat.

 

[Irvinecommuter]

But you and Morekas forgot about the veteran GI benefits. The US government spent an estimate of $200 mil on sending troops to the bank border. In the meantime veterans that are counting on the GI benefits never got it and some are not homeless. Get your priorities straight! 

And of course...Trump too busy to visit the troops or Arlington but not too busy to golf.

 

[eyephone]

But you and Morekas forgot about the veteran GI benefits. The US government spent an estimate of $200 mil on sending troops to the bank border. In the meantime veterans that are counting on the GI benefits never got it and some are not homeless. Get your priorities straight! 

And of course...Trump too busy to visit the troops or Arlington but not too busy to golf.

Oh and his comment about veterans with PTSD.

?Some veterans groups said they were concerned about linking the killings to PTSD, a common disorder among troops who have served in war zones, after years of advocacy work trying to remove stigmas and promote treatment.

"He was a war veteran, he was a Marine, he was in the war. He served time, he saw some pretty bad things. And a lot of people say he had the PTSD,? said Trump, who mentioned his own support for mental health funding. ?It?s a big problem. People come back, that?s why it?s a horrible thing. They come back, they?re never the same.?

?The president's remarks were troubling. We reached out this morning to White House staff we regularly work with on veterans issues, making it clear the president's remarks were counterproductive to what we are all trying to accomplish in mental health and veterans health care,? said Joe Chenelly, the national executive director of AMVETS.?
https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/...ents-raise-concerns-among-some-veteran-groups