Bits and Pieces 37

After what seems like an entire summer of travels and adventures, we are finally back at home and ready to spend some quality and quantity time NOT TRAVELING!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IHlyEoGXUUc

is the link to a Youtube view of the wedding ceremony of my son David to the former Pamela Stacey Platt, held on August 2 at the Chapel of the Shangri-La Resort on Viti Levu, Fiji.

The blond fellow standing near his brother is our Daniel. Both Groom and Best Man attended the ceremony with just their bare feet on. Their dad-me, visited Florsheim Shoes before jetting to Fiji. I didn't know bare feet were appropriate for a wedding in Fiji.

Now that we are back, I can turn to more R.P.V.-related things.

I still need to learn much about many of the candidates running for the three seats on our Council.

I will allow for the fact that I won't be voting for Barbara or Don and it is highly likely I would not vote for a candidate who doesn't have years and years-to-decades of experiences with R.P.V., if you get my drift.

Marymount is now in another "Awkward" position because of yet another possible violation of R.P.V. municipal code(s) regarding the taping of a show for the MTV network in the college's existing library.

A letter from the city was sent to Marymount College officials regarding the taping. I have a copy of that letter (naturally) and it will be interesting watching Marymount officials continue to deal with this matter.

One Marymount official who probably should have been well informed about this claimed the taping was conducted for the college's new Bachelor's Degrees program. I have been thinking about how big to type "HA!" on this blog and in other writings.

As our Super Shuttle passed the Palos Verdes North housing facility owned by Marymount, on our way to LAX to go to Fiji, I notices it was not without 'kids' being there.

What also struck me is that these 'kids' looked to be younger than college-age students. I wondered if Marymount was conducting some kind of summer camp for cheerleaders or some other group of high school-age kids.

There is certainly nothing wrong with having a summer camp environment at P.V. North, for whatever purpose it might be for, but it is something telling should Marymount continue its quest to place dorms on its P.V. Drive East campus.

With the "Awkward" situation at Marymount's library this summer and other allegations of possible code violations and possible breaches of agreements, the prospect of having summer camps where high school students attend cheer camp or band camp, while residing in dorms on Marymount's main campus should be causes for further consideration.

Now a word or two about the new library Marymount has plans to build on its campus.

I recently learned there is a difference between the number of volumes carried at a two-year college brick and mortar library as compared to a library of a four-year college, with post degree studies.

I don't really believe Marymount officials will actually build the library planned with the approval of The Marymount College Facilities Expansion Project and its same plans under The Marymount Plan. Those two plans were constructed during the time Marymount was still considered to be a Junior College well into the future, as many believed.

So, taking into account the differences between libraries of two-year colleges as opposed to a first rate library of a four-year college also offering post graduate studies, the multiples of numbers of volumes necessary between the two types of libraries are in, according to one study.

If Marymount actually were to build a 'brick and mortar' 'first class' library for the students body it seems to be seeking, the number of added volumes required to fully do that is NINETEEN TIMES the number of volumes needed to be added to create a 'first class' four-year+ library.

It seems to me the plans for the library, even using The Marymount Plan fall far too short, in this case.

I am going to continue to debate those who decry or seek major changes in the pay and benefit issues regarding R.P.V. Staff members.

I will continue to ask and even demand that all residents are provided the opportunities to know where they tax dollars are going and how much in pay and benefits city employees receive, but I am not going to call for any lowering of any pay or benefits, at this time.

It seems to me that too many folks, namely Republicans, seem to want to lower the pay, benefits and union rights of governmental employees.

What I believe they fail to appreciate is that in the case of our city staff members and other employees of government groups, these workers are being payed up to and possibly more that 30% LESS than workers in the private sector.

If we want excellence from our city workers and having them demonstrate loyalty to our city through many years of service, I feel we owe it to them to pay them as much as we can WITHOUT now considering cutting back on their benefits and opportunities.

This is an unveiled dig at Republican thinking that we have viewed in other governments recently.

Taking away from those who have provided great service to us with pay and benefit packages that are less than what might be offered in the private sector is not something we should be doing, especially at this time, I feel.

I want all of our worth staff members able to stay employed in our city and hopefully they will spend some money in our city.

If our city's staff have CalPERS, it might not matter much longer, anyway. If another credit rating agency cuts down the AAA rating the U.S. has, CalPERS has in its guidelines that it must divest itself from U.S. Treasury Bonds and that could spell disaster for CalPERS, its beneficiaries and our nation, I feel.