Culver City Observer -

By Neil Rubenstein

Observer Columnist

It was a beautiful day in Los Angeles; the temperature was four degrees below 80 with low humidity and a slight breeze as 100 of the faithful came together June 8, 2014 at the Proud Bird restaurant to honor Jackie Dupont Walker, Jackie Hawthorne and the Weissmans, David and Ruth.

At the 54th Assembly District Democratic Club Annual Awards luncheon, some Culver City residents honored in the past included Rick Tuttle, Honorable Megan Sahli-Wells (mayor), Honorable Jim Clarke (councilman), Ed Johnson and Mollie “Lee” Welinsky.

Ruth and David Weissman have been active in local and state Democratic Party progressive issues and elections for well over 40 years. The Los Angeles County Democratic Central Committee and the California State Democratic Party are fortunate to have two such dedicated participants.

No one could be happier than I seeing old dear friends such as David Cunningham II. Big Dave was an LA councilman representing the Crenshaw District when, in 1978, he ran in the Democratic primary for Congress. We spoke for 20 minutes.

Also, Judge David Cunningham III installed the officers. As I recall, the judge was attacked up at UCLA leaving a parking area.

I am honest when I say one of the many reasons I enjoy going to meetings such as this is because I get to see old dear friends again. As I have gotten older the months and years just race by, but June 8th I could spend time with Ed Johnson, the Manleys, Rosa Russell and others.

I am one of those – perhaps you are as well – who enjoys seeing a good campaign. The school bond election last April is a case in point. The proponents started early, stayed on point and covered every area of the city with a great organization. I met the president of the parents’ organization and told her much the same.

This month I plan to go to the Los Angeles county seat downtown and pull the last five years of my property taxes and do some comparisons. Each year thereafter I, like you, will be able to see how all taxes will go up, but especially how the school bonds will lift off to the moon as home values escalate.

Please don’t ask me to explain AB 32 which goes into effect on Jan. 1, 2015. With less than three months to go, you will soon be hearing more and more. All I know is it’s a carbon-style tax which goes on gasoline and can raise the price by 15 cents or 40 cents or more per gallon. Since it’s a state law, I wonder if our Assemblyman Sebastian Ridley-Thomas could help us out with an explanation.

Buy, buy, buy coffee when it’s on sale and tuck it away. Papa taught me in the summer to buy on sale and use it in winter. I, too, remember purchasing 48-ounce cans of MJB Coffee at Food Grant for $1.59. Presently our government is working overtime to help Central American farmers fight a devastating coffee disease. At issue is a fungus called coffee rust that has caused more than $1 billion in losses to the farmers.

In May 1944 some 70 years ago, Josef Stalin accused the Tatars, a Turkish ethnic group that ruled the Black Sea peninsula from the 15th century until Russia conquered it in the 18th century, of collaborating with the Germans and ordered their deportation. About 250,000 Tatars were shipped in freight cars to Central Asia, where more than 40% died of hunger and disease.

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