Newsom, Bass may face recalls due to lack of preparedness in fire fallout

January 16th, 2025

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SGT
January 16, 2025

Salty Ginger Talk Newsletter

January 16th, 2025

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CURRENT EVENTS

Newsom, Bass may face recalls due to lack of preparedness in fire fallout

 Our take: The wildfires raging in California have been a top story for over a week. Dry conditions coupled with raging Santa Ana winds created the perfect environment for the fires, which have raged in the LA area for over a week.

A big part of the story continues to be questions about the government preparedness and response to the fires. Despite warnings from multiple sources about the possibilities of significant fires, Bass left LA for a diplomatic trip to Ghana days before the fires started. Newsom has been criticized for mismanagement of preventative measures like controlled buring of lands to prevent the spread of fires, removing dams that led to less water being available to fight fires, and not pushing utility companies to take more measures to prevent fires that spark from the power infrastructure.

There are growing calls for both Newsom and Bass to be recalled. Newsom has had several recall initiatives launched against him during his tenure, all unsuccessful.

We think it would be difficult for Newsom to be recalled, as many (probably rightly) view the fires as a local issue, with LA and the surrounding municipalities most responsible for responding and controlling the situation.

Bass, however, may want to start updating her resume. She has consistently failed to show leadership or good decision making during this entire process. Starting with her decision to leave the country days before the fires, despite making a campaign promise to not take any trips during her tenure, Bass has fumbled the ball every time it has been handed to her.

After the fires have been handled, we think the attention and outrage that many feel will focus directly on Bass.

COURTESY: NEWSWEEK

Cleveland, Browns ownership sue each other in continued fight over future stadium location.

Our take: The Cleveland Browns were a fixture in Cleveland for decades. Despite several hard luck losses in the playoffs in the 80’s, the Browns enjoyed a fervent fan base that lived for their games.

In the 90’s, a dispute between then owner Art Modell and the city over the condition of Municipal Stadium where the Browns played their home games, led to the team packing up in the middle of the night and moving to Baltimore.

The NFL awarded a new franchise to the Browns the next year, and the new Browns were back in place a few years later. Part of the deal for the new Browns franchise was a new stadium built for the team, some of which was funded by tax payer money. Everyone was happy, and despite a lack of success on the field, the beloved Browns were embraced by their fans.

Fast forward 25 years, and the honeymoon is definitely over. The Haslam family, the now owners of the Browns, are determined to build a new sports complex in Brookpark, a suburb just south of Cleveland. The city of Cleveland is determined to fight this move. Both parties have filed law suits against each other, claiming each side does not have rights that the other side are certain they have.

We know 2 things for sure. First, it would be great to be one of the attorneys representing either side over the next couple of years. You can guarantee they are going to get paid. Second, this will drag on for several years very publicly. It will be interesting to see how it winds up, as it will set precedent for many sports teams who find themselves in the same situation.

Across the country, many cities have used tax payer dollars to build stadiums to attract or maintain existing professional sports teams. Despite the teams being owned by private organizations, the cities and counties have spent hundreds of millions of dollars to support the teams, and they think they have a right to tell teams where they can/cannot conduct their games.

We are not sure who is right or wrong, but we look forward to watching this one play out.

COURTESY: MSN

Biden snaps at reporter for Trump question at one of his few press conferences

Our take:  Since taking office, Joe Biden’s mental acuity has visibly deteriorated. Those closest to him saw it firsthand and consequently kept access to him under tight control, forgoing decades of precedent and refusing to do press conferences or sit-down interviews unless the circumstances were just right.

After a disastrous debate against Trump, they could no longer keep up the facade. Biden was forced by his party to drop out of the race, famously supporting Kamala Harris in the process, leading to Donald Trump’s election win in November.

One thing not many have talked about is that Biden is still, in fact, the sitting president, responsible for many important things, including the tenuous situation in the Middle East.

Tension between Jewish and Muslim communities has existed for centuries. In October 2023, Hamas fighters attacked Israel, killing over 1,000 Israelis and taking several hundred hostages. Israel’s response has been brutal, leading to the deaths of tens of thousands of Palestinians, many of whom were civilians, women, and children.

The US is the de facto international enforcer around the globe. Many have criticized the Biden administration for not doing more to bring some kind of ceasefire or long-term solution to the situation. Many spokespeople, including Biden himself when he was allowed to speak publicly, have stated they have been pressuring Israel to come to the table to resolve the situation and end the loss of life. The consensus has been that Israel has largely ignored US influence, doing what they wanted to do in spite of the US not approving of their approach.

Now, a few months after the election of Trump, there are magically new ceasefire talks taking place. Gee, what is different now than in the past 4 years? The Biden administration claims this is exactly the same deal they have been proposing but could not get both sides to agree to.

Despite the narrative that Trump is an unstable dictator who will run the country headlong into a third world war, the international landscape during his first administration was relatively calm. No new wars were started, ISIS was defeated and ceded the lands they had occupied, North Korea and China were both quiet, and the Middle East was relatively peaceful.

Hamas and Israel most likely know that Trump is serious when he says he wants wars to end so people stop dying. Better to control your own destiny than to pick a fight with someone you cannot beat up.

Trump, in his normal fashion, is taking credit for the deal, despite not taking office yet. He has been meeting with world leaders and rattling the US saber since his November election win.

When asked at a press conference if Trump deserved any credit for the deal, Biden snapped, “Is that a joke? ”He then walked off stage, grabbed his chocolate chip ice cream cone, and listened to his wife read “The Very Hungry Caterpillar” on the ride back to the White House. OK—that last part is a joke, but it seems like it could have happened. We will be very happy next week when we no longer have to listen to this grumpy old man yell at kids to get off his lawn.

COURTESY: MSN

TIP OF THE DAY

The only way to get past your fears is to face them head on. Action is the cure for anxiety.

QUOTE OF THE DAY

“We become what we think about.” – Earl Nightingale

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