Tea Party Reporting at Laguna Beach Main Beach on Tax Day April 15th

I was disappointed at the Laguna Beach Independent coverage of the Tea Party at Main Beach on Tax Day April 15th. As an officer of the Laguna Beach Historical Society and Laguna Canyon Conservancy, I have frequently viewed what 125 people assembled look like. I estimated that about 500 citizens protested, not the "Nearly 200 demonstrators" "reported" by the Laguna Beach Independent.

Over the years, I have held many a sign at Main Beach, and this was the first where there was near continuous horn honking from supporters in cars driving by.
Protestors are concerned about the excessive spending of the Obama administration, that the idea of borrowing and spending leading to prosperity is not smart, but rather one that is unlikely to be successful. This "change" is an old idea tried many times in the past and a policy that has never been successful.

If tremendous government spending would lead to prosperity then Zimbabwe would be prosperous. If command and control was effective, the Soviet Union would be a super power.

The Laguna Beach Independent did not mention that it was a most cold and windy day. There were other signs that was not mentioned including:

See contemptible "Contemporary Tea Party" at http://www.lagunabeachindependent.com/news/2009/0417/front_page/004.html
"Nearly 200 demonstrators from around the county lined Main Beach on Tax Day, April 15, to protest an array of federal policies, one of similar events nationwide. Their signs included "Stop Socialism," "Send the Illegals Back Home," "Where is John Galt?" and "Taxed Enough Already." Only a handful of Laguna Beach residents participated."

Obama Intel Chief Says Interrogation Methods Helped Nation in Terrorism Fight - New York Times

See New York Times Tues., April 21, 2009 at http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/30335592/
Intel chief: Harsh techniques brought good info
Private memo says interrogation methods helped nation in terrorism fight

"WASHINGTON - President Obama’s national intelligence director told colleagues in a private memo last week that the harsh interrogation techniques banned by the White House did produce significant information that helped the nation in its struggle with terrorists.
'High value information came from interrogations in which those methods were used and provided a deeper understanding of the al Qa’ida organization that was attacking this country,' Adm. Dennis C. Blair, the intelligence director, wrote in a memo to his staff last Thursday.
Admiral Blair sent his memo on the same day the administration publicly released secret Bush administration legal memos authorizing the use of interrogation methods that the Obama White House has deemed to be illegal torture."

Global Warming? 1930s was Hottest Decade

What about August 2007 “New data published by NASA”
■ “Hottest year: 1934”
■ “Four of the top [hottest] 10 years from
the 1930s: 1934, 1931, 1938 and 1939”
■ “3 of the top 10 are from the last 10
years (1998, 2006, 1999).”
http://data.giss.nasa.gov/gistemp/graphs/Fig.D.txt

See Joseph Kleitsh's "Old Post Office" at Laguna Art Museum

I was recently reading "A Short History of Laguna Beach by Karen Wilson Turnbull which includes "John Nicholas Isch ran the livery stable. He also ran a grocery and was one of the early postmasters. Known for his trusting ways, he never locked up when he went fishing. Customers came in to shop and to pick up their own mail. They could pay the next time they came in. For a number of years, the only telephone in a town was in the store. The phone was connected with the Irvine ranch house, and messages could be relayed from there to the outside world."

The grocery store / post office was on Laguna Avenue and was immortalized by Laguna Impressionist Joseph Kleitsh in his painting "Old Post Office"

I recently went to the Laguna Art museum to see the current exhibition "Roger Kuntz: The Shadow Between Representation and Abstraction". There in the book store I was amazed to see Joseph Kleitsh's "Old Post Office".

It is quite a painting, and quite a thrill seeing it. The 1922-23 painting depicts a profile view of Nick Isch's general store and post office on a sunny afternoon. A man sits on the porch, and a dog regards the viewer from the steps.

Then I went upstairs in the Museum where there is an exhibition of historic art and I saw once again Joseph Kleitsh's "Old Post Office". At first I was a bit confused, but found out the one in the bookstore is a giclée available for sale unframed for only $325. I would encourage all Lagunas to see the exhibitions and see the quality of the giclée reproductions.