Author: coastcontact

I am a somewhat cranky but mostly optimistic 65 plus who refuses to give up on this maddening world. The purpose of this BLOG is to express my feelings, thoughts.

We Love Guns

You don’t have to be a “red neck” to want lots of guns You don’t have to be a Republican to want lots of guns. As reported by CBS LA

As the 14th gun store opens in Burbank California, a local community has gathered to protest the store’s location — just blocks from an elementary school. 

On Tuesday evening, a large group of those protestors met on the steps of Burbank’s City Hall hoping to catch the attention of their City Council.

They’re fighting to curb the number of stores in the area — now the second highest per capita in the nation, with one gun store per 13,000 residents.

“There’s a gun store in Burbank for every two-and-a-half Starbucks,” said Aimee Powers, one of the many residents in attendance and speaking out against the newest store’s opening. “That’s a lot of gun stores.”

Obviously they love of guns is in my area. This is an area where “progressives” and “liberals” out number those gun loving Republicans in almost every poll. Congressional members of congress in this area are all Democrats. Adam Schiff, Tony Cardenas, and Brad Sherman. None of those congressmen face any consequential challenge by a Republican.

Burbank Ammo & Guns

Gun shop

1313 Magnolia Blvd

Open ⋅ Closes 7PM · (818) 859-7534

“Best service best place to buy a gun”

In-store shopping·In-store pickup

Gun World

Gun shop

2412 Magnolia Blvd B

Open ⋅ Closes 7PM · (818) 238-9071

“I highly recommend Gun World for all your firearm needs!”

In-store shopping

Guns Direct

Gun shop

1521 Magnolia Blvd

Open ⋅ Closes 7PM · (818) 848-4867

“nice place .. nice people .. very very helpful buy my first gun was great .”

In-store shopping

Homelessness

Homelessness in Los Angeles has reached epidemic proportions. The sad reality is that our politicians refuse to address the issue for fear of not being re-elected. Last year’s homeless count showed a jump of 12% in L.A. County and 16% in the city.

The annual point-in-time count, delivered to the Board of Supervisors, put the number of homeless people just shy of 59,000 countywide. Within the city of Los Angeles, the number soared to more than 36,000, a 16% increase. The survey found 8,000 homeless in San Fernando and Santa Clarita valleys.

The rising impacts of automation and the flood of low cost products from other countries that deny us jobs. Walmart, Target, Costco all buy the cheap products we crave. We are all to blame.

Just keep putting your head in the sand and hope this will all work out. But will it and how?

President Biden on Gun Control

The president has emergency powers. It’s time he used them!

I was disappointed in President Biden’s speech on gun control. He had the megaphone to demand congressional action but instead of being loud and demanding action. “My fellow Americans, enough. Enough.” He should have said if congress won’t pass the needed laws I will take action.

What could he do as president? The National Emergencies Act (NEA) enacted September 14, 1976, codified at 50 U.S.C. § 1601–1651) is a United States federal law passed to end all previous national emergencies and to formalize the emergency powers of the President. 

Congress has delegated at least 136 distinct statutory emergency powers to the President, each available upon the declaration of an emergency. An explanation on wikipedia.org also lists the specific situations when the act was implemented. For health reasons asylum seekers have been required to apply from outside the United States.

For health reasons the president could implement requirements pertaining to the use of firearms. The health reason? Savings lives!

22 mass shootings – 374 dead!

On this Memorial Day that honors all those who gave their lives to protect the United States it might be a good time to memorialize those whose lives were lost for no good reason.

I have no expectation that the killing will stop. Americans love their guns more than they love people.

UVALDE, TEXAS: MAY 24, 2022. 21 DEAD.

BUFFALO, N.Y.: MAY 14, 2022. 10 DEAD.

SAN JOSE, CA: MAY 26, 2021. 9 DEAD.

BOULDER, COLO.: MARCH 22, 2021. 10 DEAD.

ATLANTA: MARCH 16, 2021. 8 DEAD.

MIDLAND, TEXAS, AUG. 31, 2019. 7 DEAD.

DAYTON, OHIO: AUG. 4, 2019. 9 DEAD.

EL PASO, TEXAS, AUG. 3, 2019. 23 DEAD.

VIRGINIA BEACH, VA.: MAY 31, 2019. 12 DEAD.

THOUSAND OAKS, CA: NOV. 7, 2018. 12 DEAD.

PITTSBURGH: OCT. 27, 2018. 11 DEAD.

SANTA FE, TEXAS: MAY. 18, 2018. 10 DEAD.

PARKLAND, FLA.: FEB. 14, 2018. 17 DEAD.

SUTHERLAND SPRINGS, TEXAS: NOV. 5, 2017. 25 DEAD.

LAS VEGAS: OCT. 1, 2017. 58 DEAD.

ORLANDO, FLA.: JUNE 12, 2016. 49 DEAD.

SAN BERNARDINO: DEC. 2, 2015. 14 DEAD.

ROSEBURG, ORE.: OCT. 1, 2015. 10 DEAD.

CHARLESTON, S.C.: JUNE 17, 2015. 9 DEAD.

WASHINGTON, D.C.: SEPT. 16, 2013. 12 DEAD.

NEWTOWN, CONN.: DEC. 14, 2012. 26 DEAD.

AURORA, COLO.: JULY 20, 2012. 12 DEAD.

The Sad, Disgusting and Evil Truth. America is a Gun

The president has ordered flags to be flown at half-staff across the country until May 28.  Biden called on the US to turn its collective pain into political action following Tuesday’s shooting. “Where in God’s name is our backbone, to have the courage to deal with and stand up to the lobbies? It’s time to turn this pain into action,” he said.

Sadly the president is in the minority.  Americans love guns more than they love their children, their relatives, or their neighbors.

If I were a young man today I would be emigrating to another democracy. The UK, Scotland, Ireland, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand come to mind as they all speak my native language.

The United States is a Deadly Place

All 19 children shot at a Texas elementary school had a heartbeat. Where’s the righteous Republican “pro-life” outrage?

California Governor Newsom calls inaction on gun violence a ‘choice’ after Texas school shooting. He is correct. The United States congress has made the choice to sacrifice lives in order to ensure that everyone can own any firearm they want.

So while President Biden called on the US to turn its collective pain into political action following Tuesday’s shooting. “Where in God’s name is our backbone, to have the courage to deal with and stand up to the lobbies? It’s time to turn this pain into action,” he said. That won’t happen.

If it was going to happen it would have happened after the killing if 27 adults and elementary school children in Sandy Hook elementary school in Newtown, Connecticut December 14, 2012.

If we can’t go to a food market, a church or a park without fear of being killed is this a country to live in? Death rate from firearms in Canada is about 2 per 100,000 people but in the United States the number is 12.

Why has this killing happened? Because we love guns more than we love lives.

Los Angeles is the City of Cars!

A state lawmaker from Los Angeles County has introduced legislation that would block freeway expansions in underserved communities across California.

Assemblywoman Cristina Garcia (D-Bell Gardens) said her bill would prohibit the state from funding or permitting highway projects in areas with high rates of pollution and poverty and where residents have suffered negative health effects from living near freeways. With crowded streets and freeways Garcia says people should be using public transportation.

Garcia is wrong.

This proposal to stop highway construction is a utopian dream by environmentalists that will impact the lowest paid workers who will be forced to have longer commutes to work in unsafe public transportation.

Like it or not California’s life blood is the automobile.  Los Angeles is the city of cars. More than our means of transportation to our jobs, cars take us on trips to our favorite destinations on the coast or the mountains.  While the Metropolitan Transit Authority is building new lines to reach more parts of the community the ridership on buses and light rail has declined in the past few years.

Arguments that freeways have impacted minority communities more than other part of Los Angeles just does not hold water.  Examples are the Hollywood Freeway that diagonally goes from Downtown Los Angeles to the San Fernando Valley.  The Golden State Freeway that parallels the railway line and original surface street highway in the San Fernando Valley.  The Harbor Freeway parallels Alameda Street from Downtown Los Angeles to Long Beach.  The Ventura Freeway paralleling the original U.S. 101 was cut through high priced home neighborhoods from Studio City to Woodland Hills.

Public transportation has too many issues.

– Crime on public transportation is a known fact for most people.

– Seating is uncomfortable.

– Bus service is infrequent and unreliable.

Angelinos love their cars.  They take owners directly to their destinations.  The seats are comfortable and the music or talk on their radios is their choice. 

Los Angeles is the city of cars and most of us love it.

LA Auto Show Entrance 2015