Culver City Observer -

I have a great idea to get money to the Culver City Unified School District, so the people won’t need to raise taxes again this year. Over the past 10 or 15 years, the Board of Education must have considered our piggy bank, as a way to balance their budget; look at all the money the Board give to Dr. Arnold. Maybe some one needs to be horsewhipped? Until, we vote those responsible out of office why don’t we put them on a bus and let them pan for gold along Highway 49.

A rumor has recently reached my ears. The ultra-liberal (oops I mean Progressives) are considering getting a lot of their friends to join the more moderate Culver City Democratic Club. Their plan supposedly will have their progressive friends wave their check books just prior to the election and can get their friends certified. The new people don’t need to be Culver City Voters Just Democrats.

It’s been almost 18 months since honest true blue Steve Rose passed away. Like many of you I knew him when he owned the shop on Sepulveda Blvd in Culver City. He was a man of integrity who delighted on informing me of all the poo poo going on around town.

The California State Controller’s office recently released how much you and your neighbors pay in California State taxes.

Culver City zip code 90230:

State tax liability average income $94,233

Number of tax returns $16,162

Average tax liability $5,382

Zip code 90232

Average Income $100,132

Number of tax returns $8,816

California state tax liability $5,900

Can you believe its been more than 38 years since President Reagan began firing all air traffic controllers who had gone out on strike?

Researchers in Wisconsin and Spain have developed a virtual camera that can see around corners.

Have you read the article in the New York Times dated August 6, 2019 entitled “Oil Wells Tied to Heart Defects”?

Living near oil and gas wells may increase a woman’s risk of having a baby with a congenital heart defect. Why can’t the city survey the citizens and see?

Researchers writing in Environment International reported on 3,324 infants born in Colorado from 2005 to 2011, comparing 536 babies with heart defects for sex, maternal smoking, race and ethnicity. They correlated maternal addresses with locations of oil and gas wells and estimated the intensity of maternal exposure (drilling, well completion, production) from three months before conception through the second month of pregnancy.

Compared to the one third with the lowest intensity of exposure, the one third with the highest were 70 percent more likely to have a baby with heart defect. The association was more prominent in rural than urban areas, perhaps because other sources of pollution in cities may mask potential harms from the drilling sites.

The study is observational and does not prove cause and effect. Still, there are plausible reasons for the association.

“The greatest suspect is the hazardous air pollutants that are emitted during the production of oil and gas, “said the lead author Lisa M. Kenzie an assistant research professor at the Colorado School of Public Health.

As a public health issue, the problem is potentially significant. Other studies have linked living near gas and oil sites to premature births, smaller babies, migraines and fatigue. About 17 million people live near these sites in the U.S., “Dr. McKenzie said.

It seems to me the Culver City City Council and especially our former lady mayor, Jozelle Smith would run tests and surveys. But it appears they just don’t care if we get to the bottom of this problem.

Time Magazine reported the number of trees planted in Ethiopia on July 29. 2019, in a twelve hour period was 353 million, a world record.

Many Americans are on pins and needles waiting for the month of December so they can travel to Lexington, North Carolina for the 36th Annual Barbecue Festival.

Wink Martindale just enjoyed his 86th birthday.

According to Consumer Reports the California Consumer Privacy Act is on track to become the county’s most sweeping privacy law when it takes effect on January 1, 2020. The law gives consumers the right to access, delete and opt out of the sale of personal data.

All weekly commentaries may treat the news with humor and satire. For those who missed an article, all my commentaries can be found at http://www.culvercityobserver.com; strolling down the page and underneath Opinion look for Rubenstein.