Culver City Observer -

Many police departments throughout our country took part in celebrating National Police Week. In 2016 one hundred and thirty-five officers were killed in the line of duty according to the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Fund.

The Department of Homeland Security recently reported a sharp drop in the number of people trying to enter the U.S. from Mexico illegally. In April 2017 the number of arrests by the Border Patrol dropped 71 percent from the same time last year.

The Census Bureau which is part of the Commerce Department has begun to ramp it up for the 2020 population count. A massive test run began this summer will include 700,000 households in West Virginia, Providence, Rhode Island and Pierce County, Washington. These areas were chosen to test systems in cities, rural areas, military bases, American Indian reservations and in a variety of languages from Arabic to Vietnamese.

Life in the Baltic Sea has gotten so crazy that the Lithuanian President Dalia Grybauskaite has asked the United States to continue a military presence. It seems Russia is building up its forces in the region and started its military exercises in September. Now, NATO has 100 troops stationed there from Germany, Belgium, Luxembourg, Holland and Norway. Since 2014 our Army keeps a constant presence of 150 soldiers from its heavy tank brigade.

Some counties have so many economic problems you want to send them a boat load of Aleve. Take for example Germany whose economy is so strong and their trade surpluses so massive that they don’t’ know it they should refund money to their tax payers or spend additional funds on domestic projects.

The Chinese automobile market has dropped by 2.2 percent year over year to 2.08 million in vehicle sales. Their government raised the purchase tax from five percent to 7.5 percent.

In the last year or so the price for houses and condos in Culver City has gone up so fast its unbelievable. To keep the momentum the financial industry will probably make mortgage loans for 40 years. I clearly remember my parents when they purchase their house in 1951 had a 20-year loan and paid $67.00 per month.

Voters in Little Rock, Arkansas rejected a proposed 14-year property tax extension to help pay for school improvements. The special election on May 9 showed 65 percent of the voters opposed extending the tax to 2047.

A rumor going around town is our school district wants to float another bond issue and the Culver City Council wants to extend Measure Y. As you recall Measure Y increased the sales tax by ½ cent and is scheduled to go away automatically after ten years of which five years is left.

Now comes their dark secret the Council and the Board of Education supposedly are going to work feverously to get these tax proposals on the next ballet because when you see the next property tax bill you will get a heart attack, and don’t forget the tax on gasoline went up 18 cents a gallon on November 1.

In my opinion the Dixie cuppers want those who were in their residents in the 1970’s when Prop 13 went into effect to leave. Perhaps your property tax is $1600 while your neighbor who moved in recently is paying $6000 per year. You don’t have to be a Culver City High School graduate to see what’s happening.

Can each of us express gratitude to the American Indian veteran for their 200-year history of tribal patriotism and military service in America’s foreign wars? The American Indian Alaska Native Veterans Memorial Committee will erect a 12-foot bronze sculpture of an American Indian wrapped in a U.S. Continental American Flag named “The Gift” to be placed in the Riverside National Cemetery. “The Gift” is a profoundly passionate piece of work by the renowned artist A. Thomas Schomberg and will include 12 soaring, bronze eagles on pedestals.

The purpose of the memorial is to honor the extraordinary contribution of American Indians and Alaska Native veterans in service to the country’s military. Currently, one out of every four Indian males serve in the military and 11 ½ percent of the women.

For AIAN Veterans who wish to participate as tribal flag corps, drums, dancers, singers and spiritual leaders contact Committee Chairwoman Sharron Savage (951) 306-5656.

New state figures show the rate of people killed with guns in California went up last year, reversing years of decline that began in 2008. There were 1,368-gun related homicides in 2016, up by almost 200 from 2014 when such killings fell to a historic low the California Department of Justice said the figures from State Capitol show guns were used in 72 percent of the Golden State’s homicide last year.

By the time you read this the California High Speed Rail Authority should have decided which company will design and operate a train segment from the Central Valley to Silicon Valley. The five-year $30 million contract is being pursued by German, Chinese, Italian and Spanish companies. Does anybody really believe your President will give California money when needed?

Do you remember this columnist who wrote when we were voting on the last Culver City Unified School District bond issue that it would be far cheaper to completely tear down and rebuild every building on every campus?