“From city halls to county courthouses, from the State house to the White House – bureaucrats control our lives.  Public servants who often try to become our masters.  People whose salaries we pay, but what goods and services do we get?  On Sierra Wave’s Bureaucrat Beat, we’ll report what they’re up to.”  That’s the Bureaucrat Beat declaration of dissatisfaction, but as you may know, Bureaucrat Beat talks about so much more.

lagoon

66 million gallons of water in this pool.

For heaven’s sake, don’t show anybody in Los Angeles a picture of the Crystal Lagoon.  It’s the worlds largest outdoor swimming pool. Located in San Alfonso del Mar resort in Algarrobo, Chile, the pool holds 66 million gallons of water.  Probably have to dry up Klondike and Diaz Lakes and who knows what else to keep the pool filled.

Speaking of pools, one of the Bureaucrat Beat Newsroom wags flew over Los Angeles the other day and gasped at the site of all those little aqua blue rectangles down there – LADWP’s job to keep all those pools filled!! Speaking of Klondike Lake, LADWP has conceded to keep it open 7 days a week into September.  See, it does pay to speak angry truth to power.

Question: Why would any good parents allow a politician to kiss their baby??? Considering what the politician might have been previously kissing!!!

Hear about the new social media, RedFacebook???  Mark Zuckerberg might feel slightly embarrassed ( or horribly mortified) by the fact that his company has been sued after going public.  Outraged shareholders claim insider trading.

This is no inside info if you saw NCIS and Jamie Lee Curtis playing, I don’t know – some tough broad in clandestine service.  She can sort of get away with hawking Activia, but this role does not flow well!!!

Had to take a momentary break when the newsroom phone rang.  It was a (wretch, scream, gag) robocall!!  I don’t care how noble the cause, these computer calls are rude.  This time it was the No on Prop. 28 committee.  They say the measure is a scam to actually increase the terms of state legislators, although the proposition claims to decrease terms.  Is there anyone in politics who doesn’t lie and not even feel a bit of shame?

According to internet sources, Prop. 28 would indeed increase the term limits for California State Assembly from 6 to 12 years and increase terms for State Senate from 8 to 12 years.  However, the ballot language says the proposition would allow service of up to only 12 years in one house and a total of 12 years as a state representative.  The way it is now, the darlings can serve up to 14 years on a combination of both houses.  Why not get the job done and create a part-time legislature with very severe term limits and put an end to the power and money chain and failed budgets.

Kind of scary when the generally compromised legislators make decisions like they did recently.  They passed a bill in the State Senate that sets up guidelines for self-driving cars.  Sounds reckless. But,  Senator Alex Padilla who sponsored the bill said human error is the cause of almost every accident.  Yes, we are talking about vehicles in control, not people.  Might be all right.  Maybe. Kind of.

Hey, we’re not alone in our profound skepticism about state legislators.  A new poll conducted by USC Dornsife/ Los Angeles Times found that California voters continue to back Governor Jerry Brown’s higher taxes but do not trust the legislature and state government, in general, in how they might handle the new money.

Lots of yada-yada over the teenager in Mammoth Lakes who allegedly hacked the school computer and changed kids’ grades for money.  Our website comments raked the issue over the coals with every angle of crime and punishment.  Mammoth does not stand alone in such sins.  News reports say federal prosecutors claim a New Jersey mayor and his adult son hacked into websites of political foes who worked on his recall. The mayor and son face more than 10 years in prison.

Here’s a one-liner we thought we would throw in just to get your blood back up near the boiling point.  The LA Times reported that profits at big U.S. companies broke records last year as did CEO pay.  The top person in a typical public company made $9.6 million last year.  Guess who’s money is paying them.  Yep, ours.

With that, this is Benett Kessler signing off for Bureaucrat Beat where we await your word on our lives in the Eastern Sierra and beyond.

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