Thread: Santa Cruz Mayor Declares Lou Dobbs Boycott

About 13 years ago my daughter drove Senator Farr in a 4th of July parade. My 3 year old grandaughter was in the front seat with a little American Flag. Senator Farr spent the whole time taking pictures of her and trying to get her to wave her flag; but she wouldn't. When she was seated in the grandstands next to Senator Farr she came alive waving her flag at all of the bands and floats. Senator Farr made the comment that she was a real politican, she knew when to play to the public.

Well Senator Farr that little 3 year old is now 16 and finding out how hard it is for a legal Amercian to get financial help for college. She has seen what you and our politicans have done to California and our educational system. I say shame on you Senator Farr, you failed that little girl just as you have failed the rest of the legal children of California.

Originally Posted by MontereySherry

About 13 years ago my daughter drove Senator Farr in a 4th of July parade. My 3 year old grandaughter was in the front seat with a little American Flag. Senator Farr spent the whole time taking pictures of her and trying to get her to wave her flag; but she wouldn't. When she was seated in the grandstands next to Senator Farr she came alive waving her flag at all of the bands and floats. Senator Farr made the comment that she was a real politican, she knew when to play to the public.

Well Senator Farr that little 3 year old is now 16 and finding out how hard it is for a legal Amercian to get financial help for college. She has seen what you and our politicans have done to California and our educational system. I say shame on you Senator Farr, you failed that little girl just as you have failed the rest of the legal children of California.

Good post, MontereySherry! Have you and your daughter contacted Senator Farr lately with that story???

I hadn't thought about it, but I think I will. I have been on the computer for the last week trying to find a good college for her. It is amazing how many scholarships there are for hypenated Americans or illegals. Here in California it looks like all the Cal grants are on hold. She is a good student and we will pay whatever it takes to get her an education, but I don't think it will be in California.

I would do it to Sherry and I would let the Mayor know your feelings too.

And, don't be afraid to remind him that class sizes have increases dramatically and average test scores have plummeted in recent years too.

Hey PhredE I have two grandaughters that will be entering college in 2009, one wants to be a nurse and one wants to be a doctor. We want to get both out of California and the schools look great in Oregon. I know how Oregonians feel about Californians and that is my only concern. What is your honest opinion?

Sherry, well, we're only about 1/2 as hostile toward Californians as we're rumored to be.

Seriously, I could write a book about all that but will spare everyone the diatribe here. Short advice: travel with a low-key demeanor, appreciate the good things, take the 5th amendment on those things which are not seen as equal or desirable as CA. Definitely don't complain (I was tending toward another stronger word for that) about the weather!

She'll be fine.

OK, I can't resist spewing a little on this topic:


In my particular case there are really so few 'natives' left that the long-time native hold-outs are becoming rather rare anyway. Overall, the first big 'wave' of in migration from CA came in the early-mid 70's. That's when Portland changed a lot. Some say it's a good thing, others disagree.

Then, as the economy evened out, the growth subsided - well, until about the late 80s and early 90s. Then another big wave of people moved in. Although, in all fairness, the second wave was more varied in that people came from all over not just CA so much. East coast people showed up in droves during that time too.

Now, try to understand or empathize with we locals who are rather hesitant to embrace the wave of new migration (eg. the 'we're coming to help you and know what's best for you' type of people). Why? Well, for one, the locals that are trying to remain and enjoy this place that people have fought so long and hard to make a decent place to live are under simultaneous assault on two basic fronts:

1). Good jobs are either disappearing or are not being created (Lots of mid-crappy ones sure, good ones - no) AND
2). The Portland metro area (about 25th largest in the country at last check) is one of only 3 large metro areas in the country which has property values still constant or increasing.

So, yep, that's right - fewer jobs, higher housing costs, and, oh yeah, add more people into the mix while you're at it too! - Heck, it's not a double-whammy, it's a triple whammy!

Also, FYI, my neighbors consist of:

A Ukrainian family, a California transplant, a Kansas/California transplant,
a local woman with an English husband, one old-time transplant from Mississippi, one family I don't know anything about (newbies) and one native Oregonian couple. I suspect, this pattern is typical here in the local area for most people as well.

PhredE - I understand completely, believe it or not that is how a lot of old time Californians feel. My husband and my family came to California before the gold rush and my husband's grandfather was born in a covered wagon in Oregon. I grew up on the coast and crave the salt air and tranquility I felt as a child.

PhredE....you just described California....and this is coming from a native Californian.