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#  From Washington DC to Sacramento, CA … Ignoring the Fury?

March 14 2016

Written by Ken Alpern.

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POLITICS--Fury in the GOP as the two leading candidates are two iconoclastic outsiders (Trump and Cruz), and fury in the Democratic Party as the Bernie Sanders folks decry a fair shake against the candidate who is "supposed to win" (even if she is the first potential female President).

Fury at our tone-deaf governor and leaders in Sacramento as they continue to focus on the wrong transportation and education projects that Californians want, while Californians are increasingly aware of the greater costs of retired state employees than our current state employees (you know, the ones who are supposed to fix our roads, teach our students, and provide police/fire protection?).

Fury at our Mayor and City Council leaders who are trying to make nice and show they "get" our lack of faith in City government, and are trying to create DWP "reform" without any Neighborhood Council representation (and NOTHING says reform like the words "Herb Wesson and the Los Angeles City Council").

Fury at Trump rallies, and fury as Black Lives Matter protesters interrupt Democratic (and now Trump) presidential speeches and rallies.

Meanwhile, our President (and his army of media and "true believer" legions who have yet to acknowledge his flaws) is telling us that America is just fine.

Juuuuuust fiiiiiine.

We've never stopped being great. We've never needed "hope and change".

Yes, that horrible Bush-monster got us into the Great Recession, but that's over with, right? There's no "Second Great Depression"...because that would be crazy talk!

And our "Unemployment Rate" wouldn't lie or distort the facts...because that would be crazy talk!

And the rising price of prescription medicines, utility rates, and rents--haven't you HEARD, our inflation is rate is LOW!

Look at all those protected "best and brightest" of the corporate world! Look at all those protected public sector employees who retired in their 50's! THEY are happy, so why aren't YOU?

Nah, fury is for "The Unwashed Masses" and "The Poorly Educated". Your college degree and your decades of work experience with virtually no earnings increase, or even an earnings decrease is NO reason to lose it, or lose hope, or presume things aren't changing for the better.

Just relax. Take a breather. Go on a vacation with your ample savings account balance. Live it up!

Not to worry...our leaders are taking great care of us. Aren't you relieved to know that YOU are being taken care of?

Don't waste your time on fury--just go to Facebook and see a few sweet animal videos...that'll clear your mind and put a smile on your face. Now don't you feel better?

*(Ken Alpern is a Westside Village Zone Director and Board member of the Mar Vista Community Council (MVCC), previously co-chaired its Planning and Outreach Committees, and currently is Co-Chair of its MVCC Transportation/Infrastructure Committee. He is co-chair of the CD11Transportation Advisory Committee and chairs the nonprofit Transit Coalition, and can be reached at*  <alpern@marvista.org>***.***  *He also co-chairs the grassroots Friends of the Green Line at www.fogl.us**.** The views expressed in this article are solely those of Mr. Alpern.)*

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