Who I Speak For and Who I Represent

Who I Speak For
and
Who I Represent

Lately I have been under attack by the Barwest Kool-aid Club who have been using the lies generated by Barwest Liar-in-Chief Tom Shields that I am a paid political hack for "the other side". They have been using this smear campaign to silence me along with putting pressure on me from Dale supporters who think I should not talk about local corruption at the Council Meetings, due to my position as the President of the local Democratic Club.

In the past, they have been successful in silencing some local gadflys through their employment. Since I am self employed as a consultant, it is more difficult for them to use that leverage. So I wanted to set the record straight and do so at the Council Meeting during the Public Comment segment of the Agenda. I prefer to speak from the heart and not off of pre-written statement. However, when you are limited to three minutes and you have lots of stuff to say, I didn't want to leave it to chance. So here is what I wrote and spoke at the September 17 Council Meeting.

Public Comment
by
Larry D. Halstead

"I want to begin my comments with some much needed clarification as to who I speak for, and who I represent when I speak at this podium. Put simply, I speak only for myself, not the local Democrat Club, or any other person or organizations of any kind. All of my comments are my opinions and mine alone.

From early on, I have made a pattern and practice of speaking out on issues for which I have strong convictions including: the environment, civil rights, human rights, and now Ancestral Rights. In doing so, I have a track record of taking strong views against government corruption, corporate wrong doing, influence peddling, and tyranny at all levels. As such I am a strong supporter of public participation and citizen oversight.

I make these clarifications because in the efforts to silence me those with special interests have attempted to use my positions with civic organizations against me. This tactic will NEVER succeed. For me, speaking out is way more important than any positions I may hold.

To those who are offended by my comments and my accusations of local corruption, I make no apologies and offer only this warning: You are guaranteed to be even more offended by my comments here tonight and from this point forth. To those that would defend local corruption and attack my constitutional rights, I can only say that I have no concern for your opinions or the venom of your letters to the editor. My comments are not meant for your ears and I have no fantasy about winning you over to my point of view.

To those concerned citizens that care about government accountability and local democracy, I have yet another clarification directed to your ears only. You should know the truth of my passion for Ancestral Rights which I will share with you during the casino update.

For now, I want to address the vicious self serving lies about me being generated by Barwest Liar-in-Chief Tom Shields, and perpetuated by school board member Julie Clemmer, along with Los Coyotes representatives Shane Shapparosa and Tina Johnson. None of those lies have any basis in fact whatsoever.

For the record, I do not represent ANY Native American tribes or any gaming interest of any kind, not now, not ever and I have never been paid a single penny to represent them nor have I received any input from them.

To the San Manuel Tribe, I want to publicly apologize that you were dragged into this local battle that you never wanted any part of anyway. You made the one time contribution to my campaign after I solicited your assistance in fighting for Ancestral Rights locally, to offset the hundreds of thousands of dollars Barwest has spent in effecting the outcome of our elections and to control policy here in Barstow.

With these clarification out of the way, it is now time to speak some real truth!"

PLEASE DO Contact Our Leaders in Sacramento!

NOTICE
ACTION ALERT!!!

Please Do Contact Your State Representatives: Support Ancestral Rights! Do it TODAY!

As part of the BarWest Media Blitzkrieg and All-Out Lobbying Campaign to resurrect the compacts that were long ago pronounced Dead on Arrival, liar-in-chief Tom Shields is asking Barstow residents to contact the legislature. I agree, but for quite the opposite reasons.

The Big Lagoon Tribe has already pulled out of the project in favor of doing a casino project of their own by their reservation in Humboldt. The Governor has already ruled that the Los Coyotes Tribe did not qualify for the project on their own. The City of Barstow’s own lobbyist, Nick Medieros, has blamed the total lack of enthusiasm on the part of the Governor as the principal factor responsible for the failure of the compacts. Even the two authors of the bill have acknowledge that they are dead and that their support was always reluctant and half-hearted.

Of course we know that it was an insider deal that got the Governor stuck with this Reservation Shopping albatross in the first place. We NOW have the benefit of first hand experience about the BarWest style of buying influence. We NOW know about the corrupting nature of the billionaire Detroit developers that make a practice of violating Ancestral Rights while they peddle their Reservation Shopping schemes.

Please DO Contact our leaders in Sacramento!

TELL THEM: That you want them to say no to the Assault on Ancestral Rights.

TELL THEM: That you want to put an end to the climate of corruption that they have created in Barstow.

TELL THEM: That we support Native Americans and their fight for self determination through Indian gaming on their Ancestral Lands

TELL THEM: That they should ignore our sell-out Barstow Council Members who have been bought and paid for by BarWest and are now doing their bidding as paid lobbyist in violation of the Brown Act and in violation of all ethics and laws against conflict of interest.

AND FINALLY: Tell them that BarWest and these corrupt local politicians have stolen our democracy in Barstow and that we desperately need an investigation to restore ethics and the voice of the people in Barstow. Let them know we need their help so that the corrupt corporate influence is stopped now.

We need their help and the future of our city depends on you contacting them to tell them that BarWest does not speak for you and Mayor Dale, and the other two BarWest pawns do not represent your voice or your future.

For your convenience here is the contact information for the Senate President pro Tem Don Perata; Speaker of the Assembly, Fabian Nunez; and the list of members of the Senate and Assembly Government Organizational Committees:

Please DO Contact Our Leaders!
Let them know we need their help now!!!

Arnold Schwarzenegger
38TH Governor of CA
State Capitol Building
Sacramento, CA 95814
Phone: 916-445-2841
Fax: 916-445-4633
Email the Gov:
http://gov.ca.gov/interact





Cynthia Bryant
Chief Deputy Legislative Secretary
for Governor Schwarzenegger
She is the contact person that Barwest operatives including the Barstow politicians have been meeting with to lobby the Governor. When announcing her appointment, the Gov's 2003 press release described her as follows:


"Bryant has more than twenty years of legislative, political and legal experience. She is currently the director for the Senate Republican Office of Policy where she is the lead policy adviser to the Senate Republican Caucus.
A graduate of the University of California, Hastings College of Law, Bryant served as legal counsel to the Assembly Republican Caucus and as deputy chief administrative officer and legal counsel to the Assembly Rules Committee where she provided written and oral opinions in areas of legislative procedure, public contracts, political reform and civil service to Assembly Members and staff...Bryant’s appointment does not require confirmation. She is a Republican. "

Sabrina Demayo Lockhart,
Spokesperson, Deputy Press Secretary
(916)-445-4571








Senate President pro Tem Don Perata
D-East Bay
Senate District 09
Email: Senator.Perata@sen.ca.gov
Web site: http://dist09.casen.govoffice.com
State Capitol Room 205
Sacramento, CA 95814
(916) 651-4009







Speaker of the Assembly, Fabian Nunez
D-Los Angeles
Assembly District 49
State Capitol
P.O. Box 942849
Sacramento, CA 94249-0046
(916) 319-2046

Assemblymember.Nunez@assembly.ca.gov

CA Senate Governmental Organization Committee
[meets every 2nd and 4th Tuesdays at 9:30 am in Room 31 91.]

Senate GO Committee
(916)651-1530
1020 N Street
Suite 584
Sacramento, CA 95814

JURISDICTION: Bills relating to state government organization, horseracing public gaming, the National Guard, alcoholic beverages, and management of public safety emergencies and disaster response, and legislation permitting the use of state-controlled lands. Bills that have been considered by other committees having jurisdiction of the appropriate subject, for consideration of any question relating to state government.

Members:

Senator Dean Florez
Chair of the Senate Government Organization Committee
Senate District 16th
Email: Dean.Florez@sen.co.gov
http://dist16.casen.govoffice.com/
State Capitol, Room 5061
Sacramento, CA 95814
(916) 651-4016


Senator Jim Battin
State Capitol, Room 3060
Sacramento, CA 95814
Phone: (916) 651-4037
Fax: (916) 327-2187
Email: Jim.Battin@sen.ca.gov



Senator Abel Maldonado
State Capitol, Room
4082 Sacramento, CA 95814
Phone: 916-651-4015
Fax: 916-445-8081
Email: Abel.Maldonado@sen.ca.gov








Senator Gloria Negrete McLeod
State Capitol, Room 2059
Sacramento, CA 95814
San Bernardino Office
357 West Second Street, Suite 1
San Bernardino, CA 92401
Email: @sen.ca.gov




Senator Edward Vincent D-SD 25
State Capitol, Room 5052
Sacramento, CA 95814
Phone:(916) 651-4025
Fax:(916) 445-3712
Email: Edward.Vincent@sen.ca.gov




Senator Pat Wiggins SD-2
D- Santa Rosa
State Capitol, Room 4081
Sacramento, CA 95814
Phone: (916) 651-4002
Fax: (916) 323-6958









Senator Mark Wyland SD-38
N. San Diego Co. & S. Orange Co.
State Capitol #4066
Sacramento, CA 95814
Phone: (916) 651-4038
Fax: (916) 446-7382








Senator Leland Y. Yee, Ph.D. SD-8
D-San Francisco/San Mateo
State Capitol, Room 4048
Sacramento, CA 95814
Phone: (916) 651-4008

Assembly Government Organization Committee

Committee phone (916) 319-2531

Alberto Torrico - Chair Dem-20
(916) 319-2020
Assemblymember.torrico@assembly.ca.gov

George A. Plescia - Vice Chair Rep-75
(916) 319-2075
Assemblymember.plescia@assembly.ca.gov

Charles M. Calderon Dem-58
(916) 319-2058
Assemblymember.Calderon@assembly.ca.gov

Kevin de Leon Dem-45
(916) 319-2045
Assemblymember.deLeon@assembly.ca.gov

Noreen Evans Dem-7
(916) 319-2007
Assemblymember.Evans@assembly.ca.gov

Bonnie Garcia Rep-80
(916) 319-2080
Assemblywoman.garcia@assembly.ca.gov

Kevin Jeffries Rep-66
(916) 319-2066
Assemblymember.Jeffries@assembly.ca.gov

Lloyd E. Levine Dem-40
(916) 319-2040
Assemblymember.levine@assembly.ca.gov

Tony Mendoza Dem-56
(916) 319-2056
Assemblymember.Mendoza@assembly.ca.gov

Anthony J. Portantino Dem-44
(916) 319-2044
Assemblymember.Portantino@assembly.ca.gov

Curren D. Price Jr. Dem-51
(916) 319-2051
Assemblymember.Price@assembly.ca.gov

Jim Silva Rep-67
(916) 319-2067
Assemblymember.Silva@assembly.ca.gov

Nell Soto Dem-61
(916) 319-2061
Assemblymember.Soto@assembly.ca.gov

Van Tran Rep-68
(916) 319-2068
Assemblymember.tran@assembly.ca.gov

Letter to the Editor, Desert Dispatch - August 30

Letter to the Editor
Desert Dispatch
August 30, 2007

Citizen Oversight and Public Participation

If you read the Constitution, the Federalist Papers, or any of the writings of our founding fathers, the over-riding philosophy was about freedom. Their directive to all future generations of Americans was that freedom isn’t free and the price of freedom is eternal vigilance in protecting those freedoms. Freedom of assembly, freedom of speech, freedom of religion, freedom of the press, and all of those freedoms guaranteed under the Bill of Rights, must be preserved through public participation and oversight of their governments at all levels.

Thomas Jefferson said that: “Dissent is the highest form of patriotism!” Ben Franklin urged the people to be protective of your rights at all cost and added that: “Any society that would give up a little liberty to gain a little security, deserve neither!” Our founding fathers even advocated a violent revolution to take back the government from tyrannical leaders, which is the motivation for the Second Amendment with the right to bear arms.

Public Participation is the friend of any politician that is trying to do the people’s business. However, when special interest groups like Barwest start buying up influence, politicians like Mayor Dale start viewing public participation as a nuisance and those that disagree with their agenda as the enemy. Thomas Jefferson addressed this issue when he said: "I would rather be exposed to the inconveniences attending too much liberty than to those attending too small a degree of it."

I have had strong differences of opinions with Mayor Dale and his three vote coalition. Top of that list would be Indian Gaming as I am 100% convinced that the Barwest project will never ever succeed. And yet Barwest has bought influence and had some of our local leaders compromise the institutions in the process. They have corrupted our political process and violated our elections.

Whether the issue is economic development, community planning, green energy, youth activities, or environmental concerns such as the Hinkley human sludge threat, I do my research and speak the best educated truth that I can. But those who don’t like what I may have to say have chosen to make personal attacks on me and my family instead of sticking with the facts of the issues involved.

The BarWest Kool-Aid Club is now engaged in an all out campaign to smear me with lies, false accusations, and name calling. Tom Shields is actively involving his local groupies, to spread these lies at City Council meetings and in this forum. Space does not allow me to delve into my response to each and every one of their vicious attacks. But when you see the lies from Robert Vassuer, Charlie Moore, Julie Clemmer, and those that are certain to follow, please know that they are doing the bidding of this outside Detroit developer. You should also know that the truth will be revealed soon enough and the credibility of these attackers will be lost forever in the process.

My definition of treason definitely includes those that would suppress public participation and dissent with financially motivated smear attacks filled with lies. Martin Luther King used to say that: “The only thing necessary for evil to flourish is for good people to do nothing. I would encourage all citizens, Republican and Democrat alike, to become more involved in citizen oversight at all levels of government.

It is imperative that we heed the warning of Thomas Jefferson when he cautioned that: "Experience hath shown, that even under the best forms (of government) those entrusted with power have, in time, and by slow operations, perverted it into tyranny."

Larry D. Halstead, Barstow

Note - Letters to the Editor are available on the paper's website starting the night before they appear in the paper. I have been reading them early there for awhile now. This piece did not show up the night before and as of this post is still not available online. Normally I might consider this a simple oversight but back during the campaign, the paper screwed up all of my advertising and my 'Candidate Responses' to their questions that they posed to all the candidates. The screw ups were so blatant and frequent that it was laughable. What makes this all highly suspect is that the paper has received tens of thousands of dollars from BarWest and their PAC not to mention a small fortune from the City of Barstow. Worse yet, Bea Lint, the Advertising Director for the paper, participated in the BarWest election of Tim Silva and Julie Hackbarth McIntire by secretly serving as their Media Adviser. When I confronted her on this, she claimed that she was dispatched by her editor to do so. The fact that this is a right wing oriented paper only reinforces their motives in always seeming to screw on on anything I submit.

Barstow Citizen Oversight on the Internet

When it comes to protecting our democracy, the drum I beat the most is Public Oversight. That means you simply pay attention to what your elected officials are up to and that way you know when it is time to take action when things go awry. In Barstow, before the internet and before Councilman Joe Gomez made a push to get our meetings on the internet, the only way to conduct this Public Oversight was to get your butt off the couch, turn off the TV and spend hours at a time watching meetings that can often get boring on many of the agenda items. But after fighting Joe Gomez kept pushing the idea, we now have the luxury of watching the meeting in the comfort of your home or office. Best of all, if you miss them when they are live, you can see them whenever you want. To the technically challenged like myself, I have broken down the steps necessary to do just that.

How to View City Council Meetings

If you live in the City of Barstow and have cable TV, then you can watch the Meetings of the Barstow City Council, Planning Commission, and Fire District, live on Chanel 6 and later as reruns. Otherwise, you can view them on the internet along with the agenda for the next meeting as follows:

1. Go to the Barstow City Website - http://www.barstowca.org/ or Click Here.

2. On the horizontal directional bar, click on “City Government” and then on the drop down menu click on “City Council”

3. On the new window there is a menu at the left of the screen, click on “Agendas and Minutes”.

4a. Regular meetings - On the new window there will be another menu on the left of the screen. Click on “City Council” or Click Here or cut and paste the following:
http://barstow.granicus.com/ViewPublisher.php?view_id=2

4b. Special meetings - On the new window there will be another menu on the left of the screen. Click on “Special Meetings” or Click Here or cut and paste the following: http://barstow.granicus.com/ViewPublisher.php?view_id=3

You will notice that the video for the Special Meeting of August 28, 2007 is broken into two different videos:

Special Meeting - Open Meeting Prior To Closed Session,
Special Meeting - Continued Meeting Following Closed Session

Skipping ahead when watching the video - Underneath the video screen is a time bar that will allow you to move ahead to any point in the meeting. Just below that time bar on the right is a time counter which tells you how many hours, minutes, and seconds into the meeting. Between now and the time that am able to become technically able enough to record and edit relative portions of the video, I will direct you there by giving the exact time at which the comments occur. For example if I mention something that happened and I cite the time as: [2:43:26] In that example, the comments I am directing you to watch would be two hours, forty-three minutes, and twenty-six seconds into the meeting.

For your convenience, there is a drop down window under the video that will allow you to “Skip Ahead” to another agenda item in the meeting. The complete Agenda and other relative documents are on the right of your screen.

Why Barwest is on the Attack

Why Barwest is on the Attack

TheVerifiableTruth.com
These videos were posted on YouTube.com and on theVerifiableTruth.com. The good people at The Verifiable Truth have been working to expose Barwest lies, deceit, and corruption on the national level as I have been on the local level. The difference is that they are much better equipped to deliver up-to-date coverage in a highly professional manner than my time and resources will allow me. For these reasons, I am deeply grateful to the role that they are playing. I really appreciate all they do and especially for posting these videos and the comments they posted with them.

Barstow Citizen Activist Gets it!
(from 6.4.07 Barstow City Council Meeting)

A citizen activist frequently spotted at Barstow City Council meetings, who often sites TheVerifiableTruth.com as a reference tool and alternative source of information, speaks out on the realities of future dual Indian casinos in Barstow being bankrolled by Detroit-based Barwest LLC.

Activist Challenges Mayor's Failed Casino Strategy
(from 7.16.07 Barstow City Council Meeting)

Mr. Larry Halstead, a citizen activist and former candidate for City Council who frequents the Barstow City Council meetings; rose during the July 16, 2007 Council meeting to challenge City leaders to acknowledge Mayor Lawrence Dale's failed six year Indian Casino strategy.

The activist challenged the Council to identify any independent third parties not under the influence of Detroit-based Barwest or either of its two tribal partners who express confidence that the parties will get their plans approved by the California legislature as Halstead reports he has found no one.

The activist put forth a challenge to the Council which has been silent on the matter following the directions of the Mayor. Halstead suggested they consider tendering their resignations when Barwest fails to win approvals by the latest deadline extension -- September 15th.

The parties have made no progress in the legislature since concluding negotiations on agreements with the Governor in 2005 nor been willing to make any changes to their plans. Their original plans for one Barstow casino owned by the Los Coyotes Tribe were denied by the Governor in 2004. The Detroit casino syndicators first began talking with Barstow officials about an Indian casino in 2001/02.

My Commentary

For two years or more now, I have been trying to bring some fair and balanced perspective on the issue of Indian gaming in Barstow. During that same period I have been up against the giant Barwest machine. Since the Detroit developer first set their eyes on Barstow, they used their money and power to buy up all of the old guard of Barstow as their strategy to do the impossible. As their project has met dire failure at every turn of the road, Mayor Dale has compromised his integrity, violated political ethics, and turned our city government into a public relations firm for the project that has absolutely zero chance for success. Along the way, Barwest started their own local PAC, Barstow Citizens for Real Economic Development (BCRED) and established a local builder with no political background, Greg Lint, as it's President. This PAC became the rallying forum for local leaders to get together and count the money, positions, and power that they were do to get if this project were to ever fly.

There has become an enormous divide between the lies, spin, and deceitful propaganda that is being passed by Tom Shields and the Barwest Kool-Aid Club at every city council meeting on one side. On the other side is the real story of why these compacts will NEVER succeed at the state and federal level. This side include virtually all other tribes (gaming and non-gaming tribes alike), the CA Senate and Assemble Government Organization Committees (that will not allow these fatally flawed compacts to move forward), and all gaming industry analyst. In essence, this side includes everybody that isn't part of the Barwest Kool-Aid Club.

But in the warped perspective which our city council meetings have become, the only representations of the real world have had to come out of my mouth. Chairman Charles Wood of the Chemehuevi Tribe is much to honorable and committed to the high road to ever respond to the sleazy politics of Barwest. The other tribes and gaming interest have been way too reluctant to get involved. They seem to be content to wait it out and watch Barwest go down in flames in the quagmire of false homes and deception that they have created.

Since I know that we will never get started on a legitimate project until the Barwest fantasy bubble has been burst and buried, I have taken it upon myself to use my background in political science and community activism to expose the full extend of corruption now running rampant in our city. Sure I would love some backup help in my efforts to shine some light but until that day, I am willing to be the target of Barwest. While I would have no problem being paid to represent any of the other tribal interest that has legitimate ancestral ties to Barstow, so far that has not happened and what you see on these videos is my volunteer efforts to bring just a little light in the Barwest ocean of dark deceit.

Citizen Oversight and Public Participation

Citizen Oversight and Public Participation

If you read the Constitution, the Federalist Papers, or any of the wittings of our founding fathers, the over-riding philosophy was about freedom. And their directive to all future generations of Americans to come was that freedom isn’t free and the price of freedom is eternal vigilance in protecting those freedoms. Freedom of assembly, freedom of speech, freedom of religion, freedom of the press, and all of those rights granted under the Bill of Rights, must be preserved through public participation and oversight of their governments at all levels.

“Dissent is the highest form of patriotism!”

Thomas Jefferson

Thomas Jefferson said that: “Dissent is the highest form of patriotism!” Ben Franklin urged the people to be protective of your rights at all cost and added that: “Any society that would give up a little liberty to gain a little security, deserve neither!”

The words of the founding fathers go as far as to advocate a violent revolutions to take back the government from tyrannical leaders. This was the motivation for the Second Amendment with the right to bear arms. The clear intent of that Amendment was that a well armed militia "being necessary to the security of a free State". A militia at that time was a voluntary people’s army that was formed to take back control over a territory or the whole country. The founding fathers knew that if we were not vigilant, then tyranny would certainly follow.
















Public Participation is the friend of any politician that is trying to do the people’s business. It provides them with valuable input and new ideas and how to create responsible and responsive government.

However, in this day and age of lobbyist and special interest, politicians have increasingly come to look at the public participation as a nuisance and those that disagree with their agenda as the enemy.


Thomas Jefferson addressed this issue when he said: "I would rather be exposed to the inconveniences attending too much liberty than to those attending too small a degree of it."

But modern day politicians have trended to ignore the warnings of our founding fathers and the underlying philosophy that drives the Constitution. Consequently, they have attempted to restrict and limit the public’s access involvement in the public process. These days there is almost always a time limit, usually three minutes, for which a citizen is allowed to speak on any issue. Bigger municipalities like Los Angeles have reduced the time limit to one minute. If you educate yourself on a particular issue and attempt to present an articulate argument, three minutes is almost never adequate to speak your mind.

What has developed is an us vs. them mentality where citizens are having to go to battle with their elected officials just to participate in the way that our founding fathers anticipated we should. Countless lawsuits have resulted while meanwhile citizens are routinely interrupted, cut off, and even arrested when they try and exercise their First Amendments. As a result, case law and legislative law has come to dictate the parameters of how a open government should operate.

The Brown Act has become the premiere over riding law on open government in California. Anyone that has followed any city council or county supervisor meetings is undoubtedly familiar with The Brown Act. Enacted in 1988, and is officially known as the Ralph M Brown Act and is actually part of the California Government Code, Sections 54950-54962. It was enacted to attempt to shed some light on backdoor politics and protect citizen participation and oversight.















The Brown Act basically states that all local governments must:
-Post notice and an agenda for their meetings, at least 72 hours prior to the meeting.
-Notify the media of special meetings.
-Hold meetings in the jurisdiction of the agency.
-Not require a "sign in" for anyone.
-Allow non-disruptive recordings and broadcast of meetings.
-Allow the public to address them.
-Conduct only public votes with no secret ballots.
-Treat all distributed documents as public.

City councils and county supervisors have increasingly tried to skirt these laws by taking agenda items into closed session. I have seen a rise in use of the closed sessions to “close-out” the public from what is going on in their government. Some politicians have remained true to public participation and the Constitution by resisting the use of closed sessions. One councilwoman in San Diego has refused to participate in any closed sessions at all.

Throughout my life I have been committed to speaking out on issues that I feel strongly about, and feel that I can add something to the debate. I make a practice of speaking out at council meetings, County Board of Supervisors, the State Capital or other public forums. I have also participated as an activist in rallies and demonstrations on those issues. I believe in writing “letters to the editor” and to your elected officials. I have also done a fair amount of talk radio which can be an excellent way to get your message out and participate in citizen oversight.

Here in Barstow, I have had strong differences of opinions, on a range of issues about policy issues of the Council, most notably the Mayor. Top of that list would be Indian Gaming as I am 100% convinced that the Barwest project will never ever succeed. And yet Barwest has bought influence and had some of our local leaders compromise the institutions in the process. They have corrupted our political process and violated our elections.

Some of the other issues I care about involve economic development, proper community planning, bringing green energy to Barstow, youth activities, local environmental concerns, and the Hinkley human sludge threat, just to mention a few. With the election last November of the two Barwest candidates, (Tim Sylva and Julie Hackbarth McIntyre) Mayor Dale now enjoys (and abuses) the power of having a guaranteed majority vote on every issue. I often find issues of public policy that I disagree with but I am under increasing personal attack for speaking out.

I always try to research any issue I speak out on. And I try to speak the best educated truth that I can bring to the “public comment and participation” segment of our Council Meetings. But those who don’t like what I may have to say have chosen to make personal attacks on me and my family instead of sticking with the facts of the issues involved. People that know me know that I will always speak my heart and with the passion of believing that it is the truth as best I know it.

In the future, I intend to continue speaking out on issues when I disagree with government policy. I am proud of my record of speaking truth to power. Martin Luther King used to say that: “The only thing necessary for evil to flourish is for good people to do nothing. I would encourage all citizens, Republican and Democrat alike, to become more involved in citizen oversight at all levels of government. I believe it is more import to speak out and protect the spirit of the Constitution, than it is to enter the popularity contest involved in worrying about the negative personal attacks from those ignorant and disrespectful of our American heritage. My definition of treason definitely includes those that would suppress public participation and dissent.

It is imperative that we heed the warning of Thomas Jefferson when he cautioned that:

"Experience hath shown, that even under the best forms (of government) those entrusted with power have, in time, and by slow operations, perverted it into tyranny."

Welcome Back and Yes, I’m Back too!

I started this blog back during my campaign for City Council of Barstow in last November’s election. I also started a website, BarstowPolitics.org. Both of these were meant to serve the needs of my campaign and then continue on as a forum to address political issues that I am somehow involved with.

By my own admission, I am not the most tech savy person on the planet. But I am also far from getting the award for the most technically challenged either. My VCR would still be blinking 12:00 if it were not for my wife. But I have figured out how to post my writing and pics to this blog.

Now being a webmaster is still just out of my range despite some minimal efforts to learn. I think I need to take a class because frankly I am tired of it getting in the way. When you don’t have the know-how, then you have to rely on someone who does and of course, that takes money. For those reasons, the website is not up right now but I do hope to have it back up and running soon.

My best intentions aside, by the time the campaign was over, I was totally involved in numerous projects involving code enforcement, economic development, and political networking, primarily with our state leaders. This is in addition to my regular life.

My wife Michelle and I are together the adoptive parents of eight children. These are all very special children, who by no fault of their own are born addicted to drugs and with a nine month history of substance abuse that includes: heroin, crack cocaine, speed, alcohol, and cigarettes. It was because of these children that we came to move to Barstow in search of more affordable housing. We are now involved with the establishment of The Earth Haven Foundation for Kids, a non profit organization that we are creating to bring attention to children like these and help address their needs. I promise to post a more in depth piece about this in the near future.

So between raising these children (ages 5-10), launching the foundation, my consulting work, my political involvements, and my ever present home/yard improvement projects, my time has been stretched thin.

The other factor in the continuation of my procrastination in getting back to this blog is due to my obsessive nature. Ever since the campaign, I have wanted that the first thing I posted was a,

Big Giant Thank you,

to all of those people that supported my campaign! I was so amazed and overwhelmed at the number and diversity of those people that were drawn to this campaign for a better community.

I am as proud of my Republican support as my Democrat support. My campaign was OUR campaign for change and for accountability in our local government. It is an effort that did not begin or end with my campaign. But the campaign did become a lightning rod for a range of issues that united people from all walks of life. Again thank you from the bottom of my heart. Without your support, my voice would not have been able to resonate with those citizens that are hungry for change. I still plan to write an in depth analysis and my experience of the campaign!

I am also committed to working on some post regarding my involvement with code enforcement, economic development, green energy, Indian gaming, and issues involving local politics. All of those items were already on my to-do list, prior to my attendance at the CA Democratic State Convention held in San Diego this last April.

That event was one of the most exciting weekends that a political junkie like me could ever experience. I met many of the Presidential candidates and many of our state and party leaders. I left there with enough material to keep me posting on this blog for months. I plan to do a post on each of these Democratic leaders and will post one of my own pictures with each entry.

The obsessive part of me has been putting off posting any new stuff until I can catch up on posting all of the aforementioned. Finally the progress addicted side of me has taken over. I am going to start with this general info post and follow with whatever is currently in the focus of my attention. When I get time, I will start posting the older stuff in what will be guaranteed to be random in order.

So thank you so much for dropping by. This blog is an avenue for my voice but it is about those issues that unite us in an effort to bring some progressive changes that effect us all. Please drop by as often as you get a chance. Pull up a chair and make yourself comfortable. And by all means, tell me your thoughts, criticisms, and suggestions. It is not at all important for us to agree on everything. It is critically important that we have the debate. I look forward to hearing from you soon.

For all you do to participate in the political process, I am deeply grateful!

Peace and Blessings,

Larry