My budget cut ideas:
There are 329 Unified Districts, 561 Elementary 88 High School and
76 other. Some are State funded some are local tax based.
These could be consolidated and reduce average district administrative salary $67000 average superintendant. $ 137000 and cut salaries and buildings in half or more. I could cut $ 30 million in two months
For example Let us sell the $ 38 million + dollar Taj Mahal palace that houses less than 250 employees of the Capo District for $2o million. A good leader could assess which employees are the best and Capo moves into Saddleback offices by Fall of next year. This would be state wide and rolling closures.
Special Education needs a big haircut. I know this is unpopular but special interest groups, Mediators, Lawyers and "numbered Plans" have created a monster whereby a student is given sometimes two full time aids to follow them around school and tag team.
If we don't cut we are doomed.
Taking 10% from a teacher's paycheck is not how a financially savvy CEO would slash.
California is going to face junk bond ratings and be bankrupt.
I am not keeping my children home tomorrow. I am going to stand with a sign with Arnold's phone number (916) 445-2841 and will someone please post the phone numbers for the board members- maybe all parents need to call and tell them to put the building up for sale today.
If the Board is so wasteful to hire guards with guns they had better all quit. That is the quickest method to start a riot.
Why has the Board failed to ask parents to come down and stand up peacefully to make certain our children are safe? I will come, I will get my neighbor and my Mother – Capo Board of Trustees you need to take some classes on negotiating before you hire guns.
4/12/2010
Laguna Lap Band Surgi & Medical Marijuana Kiosk
CNBC and Ben Bernanke say the Recession is over. The stock market is 11017 today.
I don’t buy the Great Recession label it is the trough of the second Depression. I try to keep it positive and find solutions and maybe this sounds crazy but kiosks for what Americans are buying maybe could keep us afloat?
I just don’t buy it. Just as I won’t buy Dior, Gaultier, or Prada right now. Orange County retail has not come back. It’s not the disaster that residential is because landlords and banks aren’t evicting major tenants. ICSC states statistics of less than seven percent vacancy but I drive Pacific Coast Highway daily and I see about 20% of the storefronts with “for lease” signs. Those vacancy blemishes are even seen by the Irvine Company and Koll Company.
For example: restaurants. I thank heaven my favorites are still open: Jack’s in Dana Point, Dizz’s, the Splashes Bar, Sapphire, and Mayur are all still active and serving wonderful meals. However, my personal best list does not include the sector most likely to survive (which is anywhere that sells lunch and a drink for under five dollars). In about a year more than one hundred restaurants have closed in Orange County. I am sure I missed some so please comment and add your input.
1. Champagnes Newport Beach
2. Finbars Italian Kitchen in Rancho Santa Margarita
3. Sandella’s Flatbread Bakery in Aliso Viejo
4. Brea closures: Carvao Grill, Club 330, Market City Cafe.
5. Irvine-based Juice it Up Woodbury Town Center
6. Train Wreck Pizza, Los Alamitos,
7. The Front Porch BBQ in Huntington Beach
8. Fatburger, Quiznos and Extreme Pizza Trabuco
9. Quiznos in Westminster, Fullerton Tustin Orange
10. Yogen Fruz in Brea
11. Baja Fresh in Newport Beach at The Bluffs
12. Jody Maroni’s at The Block in Orange
13. Piccomolo Italian Ice Cream sWoodbury Town Center.
14. Lakeview Cafe in Placentia,
15. Fusion Roll and Sushi Costa Mesa.
16. The Carl’s Jr. Fountain Valley
17. Quiznos in Santa Ana,
18. Pacific Whey Cafe Ladera Ranch.
19. Haute Links in Irvine and Lake Forest
20. Sandbox Sports Bar in Huntington Beach
21. Bill’s Burgers 2 storesSanta Ana
22. 5 MaggieMoo’s ice cream shops)
23. Westbay Cafe Huntington Beach
24. TCBY (frozen yogurt) in Laguna Niguel
25. Greek Garden Grill in Orange
26. The Arches, a Newport Beach institution
27. Ho-Toy’s Chinese Cuisine in Trabuco Canyon
28. Peet’s Coffee in Anaheim Hills
29. Daphne’s Greek Cafe at the Orange and Santa Ana
30. The Beach House in Dana Point,
31. Cold Stone Creamery in Santa Ana
32. McDonald’s closes at Fashion Island
33. Waters Restaurant and Mezzanine Restaurant, both in Irvine
34. Lugatti’s Italian Grill in Huntington Beach
35. Champps in Irvine
36. The Pleasant Peasant
37. Topz in Santa Ana and Orange
38. Red Mango Fullerton and Laguna Niguel.
39. The Juice it Up Irvine
40. Johnny Rockets in Lake Forest
41. Carl’s Jr. Fullerton
42. Sumo Sushi Irvine
43. Bliss Froyo in Orange
44. The Black Angus Fullerton
45. Cold Stone Creamery Orange
46. Golden Spoon Yogurt s
47. Bistro West Tustin
48. The Wicked Garden Dana Point
49. Table Ten Fullerton
50. Mel’s Drive-in in Seal Beach
51. Jason’s Downtown Restaurant
52. Beach Berries in Costa Mesa
53. Burger King Laguna Niguel
54. Yum Yum Costa Mesa.
55. Wienerschnitzel in Mission Viejo
56. Go Roma at Tustin
57. The Clubhouse at South Coast Plaza
58. Via de France at The Shops in Mission Viejo
59. Vessia Ristorante in Irvine
60. Pasta Pomodoro in Huntington
61. Charo Chicken Irvine
62. Contodo Mexican Grill
63. Z Pizza in Foothill Ranch.
64. Mesa Grill in Santa Ana
65. Bob’s Kabob in Foothill Ranch
66. Sushi 5 Tustin,
67. Stella Cafe in Corona del Mar
68. Baja Fresh in Anaheim Hills.
69. Dickey’s BBQ in Irvine
70. Gen Kai Dana Point- fire?Red Robin Stanton
71. Baja Fresh in Santa Ana
72. Blue Coral Seafood & Spirits in Fashion Island noone seems to make it in that pad-
73. Karuta Restaurant in Buena Park,
74. Brea Mall :;Arby’s , Volcano Tea House, Teriyaki Palace.
75. Purplefeet Dana Point
76. East Avenue Bistro in Tustin
77. Blue Fish in Santa Ana has
78. Mustard Cafe Mission Viejo and Orange.
79. Cask ‘n Cleaver Orange,
80. Starbucks in Brea
81. Haru Izakaya in Tustin
82. Shore House Cafe in Huntington Beach and San Clemente
83. Gen Kai in Irvine
84. Peking Garden in Orange h
85. Savannah Supper Club in Costa Mesa
86. Yamabuki Anaheim
87. Thai Spice in Lake Forest
88. Wendy’s at Foothill Ranch
89. Cherry Berry Lake Forest
90. Juice it Up Anaheim i.
91. R&D Deli Grill & Catering in Lake Forest
92. Black Angus Lake Forest and Tustin
93. Izakaya Zero, Huntington Beach,
94. Islands, Laguna Hills.
95. Kona,Sunset Beach,
96. East Avenue Bistro in Tustin
97. Bobby McGee’s in Brea.
98. Ono Ono Hawaiian Barbecue in Rancho Santa Margarita.
99. Fresca’s Mexican Grill i Foothill Ranch
100. Sizzler in San Juan Capistrano
101. Juice it Up and Pasta Bravo Market Place in Irvine)
102. Hof’s Hut in Orange
103. Raku Raku Lake Forest.
104. Triple S restaurant in Tustin .
105. Mama and Papa’s New York Pizza in Fullerton
106. Alvarado’s Kitchen in Anaheim Hills is closed,
107. Bristol Farms,
108. Aldo’s Ristorante in Orange
109. El Torito Grill in Mission Viejo
So where does this lead me? What businesses will survive? Laguna Beach and San Clemente are against national chain brands entering their markets. The national brands looking to expand are those such as Bed Bath and Beyond and Discount Retailers. As much as my teenage son would support a Game Stop store in Laguna, I just don’t see it ever getting through the planning commission. My teens have always been the best stock pickers and crystal ball economists. .My eldest teen Blair could have told you Rock & Republic was out of style twenty four months ago. Perhaps our City Planning might consider a sporting goods supply (not surf but baseball football and teen boys sports clothing) and a small version of Forever 21? If they don’t we are going to be seeing billboards for LAP Band surgery centers and Medical Marijuana Doctor stores. Perhaps we can put them in kiosks or mobile homes and disguise them just for tax basis? All written with a light heart to brainstorm solutions.
I don’t buy the Great Recession label it is the trough of the second Depression. I try to keep it positive and find solutions and maybe this sounds crazy but kiosks for what Americans are buying maybe could keep us afloat?
I just don’t buy it. Just as I won’t buy Dior, Gaultier, or Prada right now. Orange County retail has not come back. It’s not the disaster that residential is because landlords and banks aren’t evicting major tenants. ICSC states statistics of less than seven percent vacancy but I drive Pacific Coast Highway daily and I see about 20% of the storefronts with “for lease” signs. Those vacancy blemishes are even seen by the Irvine Company and Koll Company.
For example: restaurants. I thank heaven my favorites are still open: Jack’s in Dana Point, Dizz’s, the Splashes Bar, Sapphire, and Mayur are all still active and serving wonderful meals. However, my personal best list does not include the sector most likely to survive (which is anywhere that sells lunch and a drink for under five dollars). In about a year more than one hundred restaurants have closed in Orange County. I am sure I missed some so please comment and add your input.
1. Champagnes Newport Beach
2. Finbars Italian Kitchen in Rancho Santa Margarita
3. Sandella’s Flatbread Bakery in Aliso Viejo
4. Brea closures: Carvao Grill, Club 330, Market City Cafe.
5. Irvine-based Juice it Up Woodbury Town Center
6. Train Wreck Pizza, Los Alamitos,
7. The Front Porch BBQ in Huntington Beach
8. Fatburger, Quiznos and Extreme Pizza Trabuco
9. Quiznos in Westminster, Fullerton Tustin Orange
10. Yogen Fruz in Brea
11. Baja Fresh in Newport Beach at The Bluffs
12. Jody Maroni’s at The Block in Orange
13. Piccomolo Italian Ice Cream sWoodbury Town Center.
14. Lakeview Cafe in Placentia,
15. Fusion Roll and Sushi Costa Mesa.
16. The Carl’s Jr. Fountain Valley
17. Quiznos in Santa Ana,
18. Pacific Whey Cafe Ladera Ranch.
19. Haute Links in Irvine and Lake Forest
20. Sandbox Sports Bar in Huntington Beach
21. Bill’s Burgers 2 storesSanta Ana
22. 5 MaggieMoo’s ice cream shops)
23. Westbay Cafe Huntington Beach
24. TCBY (frozen yogurt) in Laguna Niguel
25. Greek Garden Grill in Orange
26. The Arches, a Newport Beach institution
27. Ho-Toy’s Chinese Cuisine in Trabuco Canyon
28. Peet’s Coffee in Anaheim Hills
29. Daphne’s Greek Cafe at the Orange and Santa Ana
30. The Beach House in Dana Point,
31. Cold Stone Creamery in Santa Ana
32. McDonald’s closes at Fashion Island
33. Waters Restaurant and Mezzanine Restaurant, both in Irvine
34. Lugatti’s Italian Grill in Huntington Beach
35. Champps in Irvine
36. The Pleasant Peasant
37. Topz in Santa Ana and Orange
38. Red Mango Fullerton and Laguna Niguel.
39. The Juice it Up Irvine
40. Johnny Rockets in Lake Forest
41. Carl’s Jr. Fullerton
42. Sumo Sushi Irvine
43. Bliss Froyo in Orange
44. The Black Angus Fullerton
45. Cold Stone Creamery Orange
46. Golden Spoon Yogurt s
47. Bistro West Tustin
48. The Wicked Garden Dana Point
49. Table Ten Fullerton
50. Mel’s Drive-in in Seal Beach
51. Jason’s Downtown Restaurant
52. Beach Berries in Costa Mesa
53. Burger King Laguna Niguel
54. Yum Yum Costa Mesa.
55. Wienerschnitzel in Mission Viejo
56. Go Roma at Tustin
57. The Clubhouse at South Coast Plaza
58. Via de France at The Shops in Mission Viejo
59. Vessia Ristorante in Irvine
60. Pasta Pomodoro in Huntington
61. Charo Chicken Irvine
62. Contodo Mexican Grill
63. Z Pizza in Foothill Ranch.
64. Mesa Grill in Santa Ana
65. Bob’s Kabob in Foothill Ranch
66. Sushi 5 Tustin,
67. Stella Cafe in Corona del Mar
68. Baja Fresh in Anaheim Hills.
69. Dickey’s BBQ in Irvine
70. Gen Kai Dana Point- fire?Red Robin Stanton
71. Baja Fresh in Santa Ana
72. Blue Coral Seafood & Spirits in Fashion Island noone seems to make it in that pad-
73. Karuta Restaurant in Buena Park,
74. Brea Mall :;Arby’s , Volcano Tea House, Teriyaki Palace.
75. Purplefeet Dana Point
76. East Avenue Bistro in Tustin
77. Blue Fish in Santa Ana has
78. Mustard Cafe Mission Viejo and Orange.
79. Cask ‘n Cleaver Orange,
80. Starbucks in Brea
81. Haru Izakaya in Tustin
82. Shore House Cafe in Huntington Beach and San Clemente
83. Gen Kai in Irvine
84. Peking Garden in Orange h
85. Savannah Supper Club in Costa Mesa
86. Yamabuki Anaheim
87. Thai Spice in Lake Forest
88. Wendy’s at Foothill Ranch
89. Cherry Berry Lake Forest
90. Juice it Up Anaheim i.
91. R&D Deli Grill & Catering in Lake Forest
92. Black Angus Lake Forest and Tustin
93. Izakaya Zero, Huntington Beach,
94. Islands, Laguna Hills.
95. Kona,Sunset Beach,
96. East Avenue Bistro in Tustin
97. Bobby McGee’s in Brea.
98. Ono Ono Hawaiian Barbecue in Rancho Santa Margarita.
99. Fresca’s Mexican Grill i Foothill Ranch
100. Sizzler in San Juan Capistrano
101. Juice it Up and Pasta Bravo Market Place in Irvine)
102. Hof’s Hut in Orange
103. Raku Raku Lake Forest.
104. Triple S restaurant in Tustin .
105. Mama and Papa’s New York Pizza in Fullerton
106. Alvarado’s Kitchen in Anaheim Hills is closed,
107. Bristol Farms,
108. Aldo’s Ristorante in Orange
109. El Torito Grill in Mission Viejo
So where does this lead me? What businesses will survive? Laguna Beach and San Clemente are against national chain brands entering their markets. The national brands looking to expand are those such as Bed Bath and Beyond and Discount Retailers. As much as my teenage son would support a Game Stop store in Laguna, I just don’t see it ever getting through the planning commission. My teens have always been the best stock pickers and crystal ball economists. .My eldest teen Blair could have told you Rock & Republic was out of style twenty four months ago. Perhaps our City Planning might consider a sporting goods supply (not surf but baseball football and teen boys sports clothing) and a small version of Forever 21? If they don’t we are going to be seeing billboards for LAP Band surgery centers and Medical Marijuana Doctor stores. Perhaps we can put them in kiosks or mobile homes and disguise them just for tax basis? All written with a light heart to brainstorm solutions.
4/11/2010
Courage America
Fear in America. President Truman said, and I apologize as I mis-quote, "America was not built on fear. America was built on courage, on imagination, and unbeatable determination to do the job at hand."
I don't see Leadership inspiring courage today. Obama reads the letter from a young miner just days before the tragedy and repeats the lamplight prayer. He shakes his finger that we will get to the bottom of this. The next post is the bevy of legal experts who estimate settlement dollars. How ugly are we to send news crews to the funerals?
Our Administration on all political sides has become afraid of wealth and afraid of commerce. The Leadership tells us to trust them; they will get to the bottom of this and regulate every aspect of our lives.
I am sorry but work is hard. Creating, building, selling, inventing does not happen when you nap comfortably at the country club pool. The job in front of us is to buckle down, work twice as smart, and reach our hand to pull up our neighbors ( I mean our neighbors in the United States). Bring me inspiration, grant me bravery, God Bless America.
I don't see Leadership inspiring courage today. Obama reads the letter from a young miner just days before the tragedy and repeats the lamplight prayer. He shakes his finger that we will get to the bottom of this. The next post is the bevy of legal experts who estimate settlement dollars. How ugly are we to send news crews to the funerals?
Our Administration on all political sides has become afraid of wealth and afraid of commerce. The Leadership tells us to trust them; they will get to the bottom of this and regulate every aspect of our lives.
I am sorry but work is hard. Creating, building, selling, inventing does not happen when you nap comfortably at the country club pool. The job in front of us is to buckle down, work twice as smart, and reach our hand to pull up our neighbors ( I mean our neighbors in the United States). Bring me inspiration, grant me bravery, God Bless America.
4/08/2010
WHAT the .... is a CDO?
What will these guys say?Will America be listening?
"James L. Should have let us go broke?"
Chuck Prince says today he didn't really understand CDO's
"Without the CDO losses, which totaled $30 billion over six quarters, Citigroup might have performed as well as any other bank during the financial crisis," Mr. Prince my heart goes out to you that you didn't sell your CIT stock at the high, just as I lost my pension in the Federal take-over of Wamu.
Mine Government's survey says:
Complex loan products that consumers didn’t understand ( Americans were to dumb to read)
Credit ratings failed to show the risks contained in subprime-backed securities ( FICO can be monekyed with and Moody's is and was out of touch with reality it wasn't Alt A or subprime that brought us down it was guys who bought toys with the inflated value of their homes)
.Lack of incentives for institutional investors to check- THIS IS THE NUMBER ONE REASON For FAILURE (they relied on the credit ratings; A 27 year old MBA pushed blocks of loans without having any- no make that ZERO training in the loan business. They had no clue that the most important thing is a face to face application whereby an employee meets and vouches for the real borrower- certify it was called)
Predatory lending and borrowing (this is a joke doing a loan to persons who are shakey or unworthy takes far more time to make up lies than honest mortgage banking. Borrowers got the scam ideas from advertisers who still run "get rich quick ads with real estate no money down just follow my tricks and pay for my seminar," its a cultural lie in America- we are not entitled to win the lotto with no work ).
Significant errors in the models used by credit rating agencies to assess subprime-backed securities.(Creative accounting/Models based on statistics that can be played with and modified. Harvard Business professors pontificated to students about such nonsense. Mathmatics Grad students repeated the corporate montra that any monkey can orginate a loan)
So what do you think they will say?
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