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If the country is to curb deficit spending, cuts have to be made
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I love trees.

If you do and want more trees, you should know that the Turlock Irrigation District offers a shade tree rebate program that will offer you up to $20 for the price of a deciduous tree if planted on our lot in a way that it will cut down on your energy costs. The rebate program offers up to three rebates for as many five-gallon trees or larger per year. Trees planted on the north side of a home do not qualify for rebates because they don't shade your house (but they may shade the neighbor's).

To check out TID's brochure on the program, just walk into the Ceres office.

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I was gritting my teeth as I read Daniel Marsh's letter to the editor about Trump's budget slashing. As you should know, our new president is trying to get a handle on the federal government's overspending habits. The U.S. national debt is at $19.9 trillion and rising. Marsh is concerned about building "stronger communities rather than have more military spending and tax cuts." He said: "The budget proposal would decimate efforts to ensure access to food, medical care, and to provide opportunities for our most vulnerable members of our communities in order to fund billions more in Pentagon spending and massive tax cuts for the wealthiest people in our country."

The only real responsibility of the federal government is the national defense. And aren't you glad that, with the idiot dictator in North Korea running loose, that we now have a new missile defense system at Vandenburg Air Force Base that successfully intercepted an ICBM shot from the Kwajalein Atoll in the Marshall Islands? That means Korean missiles won't reach us here in California.

This is why the federal government never should have gotten in the business of healthcare. In no way is it a federal responsibility to pay for somebody's healthcare.

Massive tax cuts for the wealthiest? Considering how the top 20 percent of earners pay 84 percent of income taxes, says the Wall Street Journal, I'd say it's time for some equality.

President Kennedy, had he lived, would have turned 100 on May 29. A Democrat, he advocated lowering taxes as a way to stimulate the economy. (Those were the days when Democratic party leaders displayed common sense). When JFK was president, we were paying per capita federal taxes of what would equate to $4,121 today. Now we're at about $10,114 per capita.

When is enough enough, Mr. Marsh? When we're $30 trillion in debt and our financial house of cards comes crashing down?

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Someone should tell Maxine Waters to put a plug in it. She went on this meltdown tirade, barking about impeaching Trump but when Melani Bell suggested she wanted her impeached, Waters replied, "You cannot impeach a woman of Congress!"

If only her constituents would quit electing this buffoon.

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This state Attorney General we have is a piece of work. His name is Xavier Becerra and you might reconsider voting for him next time he's up. He's nothing but a Democrat activist. Just like Maxine Waters, he's hell-bent in fighting Trump on everything when he should be minding business in California. He's not attorney general of the United States. He's attorney general of California. I'm on his email list so I see every press release. When he's not squeezing every dime out of corporations for state coffers, he's pursuing his agenda of political correctness. He writes, "For California, there's no retreat in the fight against pollution. Today, we're more committed than ever to protecting our people, our planet, and our economy from all threats... including all the hot air that's blowing in from Washington, D.C. Our state intends to move forward on protecting our air and our climate regardless of what the federal government does or does not do."

Fine, continue with your sock-it-to-the-people and corporations tax and fee policies for that clean air while people in Mexico and other Third World countries burn garbage in the burn barrels every night. But he had to take it a step farther: "We will defend all of our laws, including California's vehicle emissions standards, anywhere they are challenged. We won't allow President Trump to ignore the law, or the public outcry, or the very real threat of climate change. I won't hesitate to protect those we serve. And if that means lawsuits, I am ready. If that means battling out in the court of public opinion, I'm ready for that, too."

Ignore the law? Isn't the president trying to change law? That's what chief executives do.

Some of us are unconvinced the planet is warming at the hands of man, rather that it has a natural cycle of warming and cooling. I believe in being good stewards of the planet but it appears Americans do far more than the rest of the world - and end up paying for it dearly in higher fees and taxes and more costly products.

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Sacramento Democrats to the rescue. Always, they think.

Senator Bill Dodd (D-Napa) doesn't think our kids are smart enough to figure out what fake news sites are and thinks his legislation will help.

He writes: "While information is more accessible than ever, many people lack the tools to identify fake or misleading news and information. By giving students the tools to analyze the media they consume, we can empower them to make informed decisions."

Note he didn't say lack common sense, which is what we're really talking about. Maybe it's just me but I can spot phony news sites on social media easily.

Why do I have this feeling that somehow he's attempting to not only shut down fake news and ad sites but more conservative-leaning networks like Fox News?

More than ever I believe the public schools are more about indoctrinating left-leaning causes than teaching common sense and skills to become productive in life.


Do you have any feedback about this column? Let Jeff know by emailing him at jeffb@cerescourier.com. He will read it, promise.