Silicon Valley voters LOVE TAXES - The Results are In !

As I predicted.... [see previous post for lead-up]

 It's Official !  

Silicon Valley / South Bay   (California)   voters  LOVE TAXES!

It's a Landslide!  EVERY NEW TAX PROPOSED WAS APPROVED !!!!

[from Election Results: http://www.sccgov.org/elections/results/nov2010/ ]:

Measure A ("Parcel Tax, Santa Clara County") : YES (58%)

Measure B ("Fee, Santa Clara Valley TA") : [ Pay more to the DMV? SIGN ME UP!] ... YES (52%) ['fee' = 'tax' ]

Measure E - Parcel Tax, Foothill-De Anza CCD : YES (58%)

Measure G - Bonds, San Jose/Evergreen CCD : YES (58%) [bonds = future tax]

[...and a host of similar bonds-for-schools, all approved... ]

[...and this one has a title that's an instant classic: ]
Measure N - Occupancy Tax, City of Campbell

Measure T - Utility Users Tax, City of Mt. View : Oh, hell YES! (70%)

Measure U - An Additional 10% Tax on top of 9.25 % sales tax and Business Tax!
[" We love it; tax the fuk out of em! "]  : 78% YES


OMFG. Seriously. What's wrong with you people?

Like Paying Taxes? Then you'll LOVE San Jose CA !

Residents (and guests) of San Jose (Santa Clara County) California pay more in total taxes than almost anywhere else in the entire country.

This is from the combined effect of 9.25% sales tax (combined state + county taxes), income tax, property tax, and a wide range of 'hidden' taxes (explained below; for "guests", there's the sales taxes, special hotel and airport taxes, and other hidden taxes specially designed for business conventions, etc...)

The odd thing is that, year-after-year, San Jose residents (or, at least, the ones who bother to vote) keep voting to increase the taxes they'll have to pay.
And I'll bet you a dollar  (which will cost you  $1.46 after state-and-local-taxes and program fees)  that in the General Election on November 2nd  the increased taxes applied by Santa Clara Measure A and Measure B will be "approved"...

Is it because they don't remember (or don't know) that they already approved a bunch of new taxes over the last 5 or 10  years?    Or is it because that the 'Measures' , when looked at in isolation ,    always seem like a small cost to pay   for   whatever noble cause is the subject that year   ("hospital closing!" Ka Ching!; "children's healthcare!" Ka Ching!; "police and firefighters! public safety!" Ka Ching!; "public transportation improvements that never materialize!" --   Ka Ching! "enviromental protection!" Ka Ching! )?

...

But going back to the hidden taxes I mentioned:

'Hidden taxes' represent a large part of our local-government's "operating budget" (read "salaries"); they consist of the combined effect (cost)  of
a huge number of taxes in the form of  "fees" and other charges (e.g. for "licenses")  applied by the city, county, and state which are deliberately obscurred in a way that makes the total-amount-paid  virtually impossible for the average person (or business) to calculate.

These taxes can also be thought to include  costs where a commodity/good/service is taxed multiple times (as in taxes paid by the manufacturer, then by the distrubutor, then by the business-owner, then by the 'end-consumer'),  
and costs paid to 'regulating' or 'administrating' government-agencies (in addition to the normal taxes which are already supposed to fund those beurocracies) which are associated with governmentally-mandated 'health and safety' (or similar) programs when they are of dubious benefit and/or overly-beurocratic .



 The bulk of what I call 'hidden taxes'  come not only from the more obvious taxes, which are actually listed as "tax" on things like utility bills and "registrations" (cars, pets, et al.), but also innumerable fees which are taxes- prententing-not-to-be taxes (seperate line items on bills, licences, registrations, etc. -- ranging from 'administration fees' to 'late fees' or 'business fees'--, or even in the form of some tickets/citations, when they are excessive or unreasonable  in a way that indicates that they are designed less for 'punitive discouragement' and more for income generation  ...).

 
The hidden taxes also include double- and triple- taxation effects which an average person doesn't realize they are paying; for example, in the increased cost (and corresponding increase in Sales-tax-paid!) of items bought  (like gasoline, or cigarettes) or services paid for (like cable/satellite TV, or internet service, or rentals), 
or the increased cost effect passed-on by business to end-consumers caused by the set of taxes and fees each business has to pay.  

Add to this charges  -- which, as money paid to the government, are actually taxes --   masquerading as Envirnomental (or similar wolf-in-altruistic-clothing programs) service-costs , such as the 'disposal fee' paid when every time you buy a tire ($10) or an LCD monitor/television (~$50),
or the costs of every automobile 'smog check' (one part goes to the garage -which is also receving tax-money, in various forms, as part of the program- the other to the government)... Then's there's the "CRV" (California/Cash Redemption Value) which is a tax you pay on beverages. Supposedly, it was made to encourage recycling, but it was designed for a time before recycling with the trash was widespread, and the system has been made so beurocratic, inconvient, inconsistant, and annoying *^(footnote)   that only a very small percentage of people ever get any of that money returned to them,-- but the government gets their money every single time, _AND_ gets the additional income when sales tax is applied to the CRV on top of the sales tax applied to the cost of the item!


And don't forget the regulation of things like 'insurance requirements' or "mandatory Earthquake retrofitting" (which requirements, incidently, have forced many small-business owners to close over the last couple of years; I've seen two shops myself that were here for over a decade)...

And this is only a partial list of the "hidden taxes", which are mainly there not to improve the lives of San Jose citizens, but are there to insure the continuing paychecks of innumerable local government employees and contractors.

--footnote--
* Every notice how every other state that has a cash-deposit on cans and bottles actually lists an amount? And I've lived in other states where being able to return the can or bottle to the place you purchased it for credit -- which is a much more convenient way of running the program, which actually means more items will get recycled -- was required as part of the program. Good luck trying to get your 10-cents back at a grocery in San Jose...

detectable ozone?

Most people can detect about 0.01 ppm (parts per million; "0.01ppm" = 1 part per 100 million) of ozone in the air;
detectable ozone typically has an odor reminiscent to chlorine bleach.
Exposure of 0.10 to 1.00 ppm produces headaches, burning eyes, and irritation to the respiratory passages.
Even low concentrations of ozone in air are very destructive to organic materials such as latex, plastics, and animal (including human) lung tissue.

 [--per: the source that is not to be trusted without corroborating verification]

...
"NOx" is meant to indicate 'oxides of nitrogen', which essentially is just  NITRIC OXIDE [NO] and  NITROGEN DIOXIDE [NO2].

When NO_x and  VOCs* react in the presence of sunlight, they form photochemical smog, a significant form of air pollution, especially in the summer.

* (volatile organic compounds;  see , for example, the "% VOC" listed on the side of a paint can.... Plastics, in particular, release "VOCs"...)

"Smog" does varying amounts of damage to lung tissue and reduction in lung function....

OXIDES OF NITROGEN (aka "Mono-nitrogen oxides")   form 'nitric acid' in the air....

....

"N95 rating" --- "N95" is a government efficiency rating that means the mask blocks about 95 percent of particles that are 0.3 microns in size or larger.

...
" How Gas Masks Work " | http://science.howstuffworks.com/gas-mask.htm
...
Bureaucratic gobbildly-gook  : http://www.cdc.gov/niosh/npg/pgintrod.html#mustread

SeaMonkey (Netscape) Browser Notes

{{ file under: notes , tech , web-browsers }}
-------------------------------------------------------

Open [link] in New Window= [Ctrl]+click ('left-click)

'about:config' > " .bidi" : "bidi" is short for "bi-directional";
(usage example: "bidi interface");
>> This refers to using languages that have text that goes from Right-To-Left, instead of (as English does) Left-to-Right.

For a list of 'about:config' settings, see
[http://kb.mozillazine.org/Firefox_:_FAQs_:_About:config_Entries] &/or
[http://kb.mozillazine.org/Category:Preferences].

---
Useful link (since the geniuses now have the
https://addons.mozilla.org/ URL automatically redirect to 'AddOns for
Firefox'...):

<a href="https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/seamonkey/"
title="https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/seamonkey/">Add-ons for
SeaMonkey</a>
---

<draft1: August 2010>

Air Quality Alerts, Smog Levels : do you know where to find AQ Info?

THE ODD APPEARANCE OF THE QUALITY OF LIGHT TODAY
(IN THE ABSENCE OF ANY VISIBLE SMOG LAYER OR HAZE)
PROMPTED ME TO TRY TO FIND INFO ABOUT
CURRENT AIR QUALITY MEASUREMENTS...

Here are my notes:

1. San Francisco Bay Area > Bay Area Air Quality Management District (BAAQMD) >
Data Display (current readings/ hourly readings) |>>
http://gate1.baaqmd.gov/aqmet/aq.aspx

~ shows OZONE readings, in parts-per-billion.

(= http://gate1.baaqmd.gov/aqmet/AQ.aspx ; "AQ" = 'Air Quality')

~ Example:
___ 'San Jose Central' :>>
http://gate1.baaqmd.gov/aqmet/AQSiteView.aspx?SID=7032

~ Negatives: >> doesn't specify details like at what level readings
are taken (ground-level/ atmosphere / top of buildings / ?),
>> DOESN'T DEFINE TERMS (e.g. do _you_ know what an Aetholometer is ? [*see footnote]
-----------------------------

<h2>
2. AIR NOW nationwide reports (recommended*)
</h2>

~ Example: Current Air Quality Index for SF Bay Area / San Jose:
http://airnow.gov/index.cfm?action=airnow.local_city&cityid=318

* (!) _ The AIRNOW website showed the 'level 2' conditions/advisory
(AQI # 61 for 'Particles/ Particulate matter' ) today when the
" San Francisco Bay Area (BAAQMD) Air Monitoring Network:"
did not. (because BAAQMD only shows ozone measurements)

[per EPA website]:
Q: " Are Ozone Generators Effective in Controlling Indoor Air Pollution?"
A: "Available scientific evidence shows that at concentrations that do
not exceed public health standards, ozone has little potential to
remove indoor air contaminants [and may be more harmful than helpful]"
>> "Ozone Generators that are Sold as Air Cleaners" |>>
http://www.epa.gov/iaq/pubs/ozonegen.html ]
(page also includes: ' What is ozone? ' ; ' How is ozone harmful? ' ;
' Is There Such a Thing as "Good Ozone" and "Bad Ozone"? '; etc. / et alia. )
---

*Per [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ozone]:
"...[ozone generators] produce nitrogen oxides [a.k.a. : 'oxides of
nitrogen'; 'nitric acid' ; (on 'smog tests') 'NO' ] as a by-product.
Use of an air dryer can reduce or eliminate nitric acid formation by
removing water vapor ..."
I.E. OZONE + WATER : generates NO
"... Use of an oxygen concentrator can further increase the ozone
production and further reduce the risk of nitric acid formation by
removing not only the water vapor, but also the bulk of the nitrogen."

<h2> Nitrogen in the Air </h2>

Information about 'NO' / 'NOx' (esp. as it relates to Smog, etc.) [EPA
website] |>>

_" Nitrogen dioxide (NO2) is one of a group of highly reactive gasses
known as "oxides of nitrogen," or "nitrogen oxides (NOx)."
Other _nitrogen oxides_ [NOx] include _nitrous acid_ and _nitric acid_. ...
While [the] EPA's 'National Ambient Air Quality Standard' covers this
entire group of NOx,
NO2 [nitrogen di-oxide] is the component of greatest interest, and the
indicator for the larger group of nitrogen oxides.
NO2 forms quickly from emissions from cars... In addition to
contributing to the formation of _ground-level ozone_, and fine
particle pollution, NO2 is linked with a number of adverse effects on
the respiratory system. ..."
[more | http://www.epa.gov/air/nitrogenoxides/ ]

<br>

"Road Surface Purifies Air by Removing Nitrogen Oxides, Researchers in
the Netherlands Find"
Dateline: July 2010
>> http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/07/100706082058.htm
" The air‑purifying concrete contains titanium dioxide, a
photocatalytic material that removes the nitrogen oxides from the air
and converts them with the aid of sunlight into harmless nitrate. "

<br>

[http://www.google.com/search?q=titanium+dioxide |>> results from
Google Shopping:
$18 w/ shipping:
http://www.organic-creations.com/servlet/the-936/titanium-dioxide-natural-cosmetic/Detail
; $16 ($16.19 with tax and shipping):
http://www.camdengrey.com/essential-oils/Raw-Materials-Salts-Sugars-Powders/titanium-dioxide.html?attribute=weight&value=1_lb
]

<br>
--- <br>

"Growth and Nitrogen-absorbing Activity of Crotalaria juncea under
Application of Excess Nitrogen." |>>
http://sciencelinks.jp/j-east/article/199918/000019991899A0600204.php

>> >> Tree/plant species detail for Crotalaria juncea (a.k.a. C. Juncea; Crotalaria juncea L.), see :
http://www.worldagroforestrycentre.org/sea/Products/AFDbases/af/asp/SpeciesInfo.asp?SpID=618

~~~
respiratory: condensed oxygen:

"... the simplest <b> oxygen concentrator </b> is capable of
continuous delivery of oxygen using two cylinders, each filled with a
zeolite material which selectively adsorbs the nitrogen in the air.
..."

[in therapy :] " .. Oxygen has vasoconstrictive effects on the
circulatory system > [which] reduces peripheral circulation ... ...
when additional oxygen is given to a patient, additional oxygen is
dissolved in the blood ('plasma') ... but... dissolved oxygen in
plasma supports oxygen-starved ("embarrassed") neurons... reduces
inflammation and post-stroke cerebral edema ...

~~~
<h3>
Related
</h3>
1. FAQ at AirNow.gov |>>
http://airnow.gov/index.cfm?action=faqs.index
2. Soil (not Air) Nitrogen (N) and Plants : (Q: "What Does Nitrogen Do
for Plants?") |>>
http://www.ehow.com/about_4608777_what-does-nitrogen-do-plants.html
3. [US EPA:] " Ozone Science: The Facts Behind the Phaseout" |>>
http://www.epa.gov/ozone/science/sc_fact.html

~~
Keywords : nitrogen absorbing ;
Searches : "Ozone breaks down to oxygen quickly in water" ;
"electrostatic precipitators?" ;
(spelling: respratory ; condenced oxigen ; ...)
~~
[*footnote]: 'What is an Aetholometer?'
... Tony Hansen --at Berkley Labs-- ** designed a device called an
aetholometer **
that could, for the first time, make real-time measurements of the
vertical distribution of
***soot particles cast up into the atmosphere by the burning of coal and oil**."
[from the Berkley Labs page @
http://www.lbl.gov/Publications/75th/files/04-lab-history-pt-6.html ]

<end>

California Primary Election June 8 2010 Results

"Measures Submitted to the Voters" (from the "Official Ballot" for June 8, 2010)

... results from http://www.sccgov.org/elections/results/jun082010/ ;
summaries obtained from http://www.voterguide.sos.ca.gov/quick-reference-guide/13/ ;
a much more scannable version of results (see the following snapshot) can be found at
http://vote.sos.ca.gov/returns/props/59.htm
...

"Turnout":
* California population is around THIRTY-FIVE MILLION residents.
Approximate number of votes: about FIVE MILLION.
(Missing: 30 million people.)

* At the sccgov.org website, they don't make it clear that results and numbers (e.g. 329,596 people voted) are for Santa Clara county only.

* Total California precincts: 22,894; S.C. County precincts: 1,177 ...

=State Ballot Measures : selected notes=

Note : 'Measures' also apparently listed as 'Propositions'; e.g. "Proposition 13" = "Measure 13" ... Wonder how 'initiative statute' falls in their taxonomy of terms...

13: Limits on Property Tax Assessment, et cetera
"A YES vote on this measure means: Earthquake safety improvements made to unreinforced masonry (such as brick) buildings would not result in higher property taxes until the building is sold. ..."
Passed ; 87% "yes"

14: Increased Participation Rights for PRIMARY Elections
"Changes the primary election process for congressional, statewide, and legislative races. Allows all voters to choose any candidate regardless of the candidate's or voter's political party preference..."
Passed ; 54 % "yes"

17: [initiative statute] Auto Insurance Pricing based on Driver's History...

Rejected: 52 % "no"

HASHIGO (ladder) Construction Workshop

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梯子作り選手権＠飛騨古川: ちゅらぼし日記



... see also http://www.j-tokkyo.com/2009/03/03/12195.html


(from google image search: &q=%E3%81%AF%E3%81%97%E3%81%94%E7%AB%B9 (はしご竹) )

Voices of a Distant Star - exploring the kanji of HOSHI NO KOE

 

--- --

-voices of a distant star-

「星　の　声」

「ほしのこえ」

星  hoshi – star

声   koe – voice^[*1]
---

Produced and Developed
by Shinkai, Makoto:
 新海(しんかい)，誠(まこと)
 [



新：しん‐　= NEW;

+　海：うみ [カイ] = SEA / OCEAN; 

first name


誠Makoto : meaning ' Always-Faithful' (sincere); or  'True-Heart'