By Samuel Strait – Reporter at Large – August 2, 2022 We have raced past so many Cliff endings, leftist end of the world scenarios that my head can't keep up with the latest hysterical screechings of a leftist climate porn elitist. Seems we do not have to worry about "war with China", or even with Russia. Looks like our proverbial "bacon is already fried", at least according to a recent article in the UK's Guardian summarizing the findings in a recently published book by Bill McGuire. This is a man who fancy's himself as an "expert" in these things. McGuire, who is an emeritus professor of witchcraft and magic, err, geophysical and climate hazards at University College, whereever do they get these titles, has lowered the boom on mankind claiming we are all doomed. There is no going back, end of the line Jack, we are all toast. Except of course, if only we toe the line and recognize our "peril" we can "head off" our demise. Wait a minute, "head off our demise"? His book clearly states that it is impossible. We are past time for that. No more worrying about inflation, war, rising crime, abortions, famine, and a hundred other things that people worry about. His claims must have progressive/ leftists hysterical with grief. No time to change the world, right all the wrongs in the United States and the World. Just time enough for that end of the world "blow out"! We must all get to partying, because there is no tomorrow. Of course when Professor McGuire turns out to be wrong, I doubt he will apologize any time soon. Getting back to earth, you know it as reality, and not the fantasy world Mr. McGuire lives in, weather in August is, at least in the Northern Hemisphere, hot. Rain storms and flooding in the Mid West are not all that uncommon. It is called "weather". The West, if it does experience hot weather and low rainfall, has a tendency towards being dry. Water stored in reservoirs tends to be a necessity if you want to wash your car or water your lawn, something our Democratically elected Governor, Gavin Newsom, seems unacquainted with and has failed miserably to provide. Fire has and always will be a fact of life in most areas that do not manage their forests and brush lands properly. All of these basic facts are readily available to peruse, providing people can break away from their reliance on propaganda readily offered by media hacks, academia "experts", and fools like Gavin Newsom. Seems that we might have a few good years left before we have to begin the "end of the world" celebrations. In the meantime here on the local scene, there are a few things that we can be doing to make all of our lives more pleasant and perhaps keep a few more dollars in our pockets, not wasted by our local politicians on their skewed vision of what is necessary for us a "small rural" County to survive on. In November, Measures "U" and "T" will be on the ballot to reduce sales tax in the County and the City. By voting YES on both measures this could be a reality. Both governments have used money from the tax increase in an irresponsible manner to widen the gap between those that have, and those that do not. Those in the City passed their sales tax increase by a wide margin, nearly two to one, not understanding that what they have done is increase the inflationary burden on all their fellow citizens for things that are not necessities or will ever solve our basic service deficit. City and County leaders have used the sales tax increase to satisfy their wants and needs to be seen as "important" in the community. The showy results and increased levels and costs of government for the past year and a half have not satisfied the needs that the community who elected them wished for them to accomplish. We, as a community, cannot afford to offer raises and employ more government officials to be competitive with other jurisdictions, because it causes an imbalance between those that are in government service and those that are not. We cannot afford to "create" showy monuments to government that are not used or can be properly maintained in the future. Our "needs" must be more balanced to offer the necessities, not the show pieces that are being "planned" around Beach Front Park. Law enforcement, fire protection, and emergency services must be affordable rather than "grand gestures" of futility, that make no pretense of "getting any better". For they have not gotten any better. There has been over $4,000,000.00 removed from this community's pockets in one year to create "show" places of little use to most of us, substantial raises for City and County employees, and the hiring of more high dollar employees that we have for years managed to do without. There has been little effort on the part of those that "represent us" to understand what is a useful expense to the community and what is not. Until we have such leadership it is important to send a message to those that claim the title of representing us by voting YES on Measures "U" and "T" to reduce the tax burden on all of us in Del Norte County. Perhaps we all might just have enough in our pockets if the world does happen to go over a cliff in the foreseeable future to have that final celebration.