Quote of the Day - Philosophy of Futility

"The goal for the corporations is to maximize profit and market share. And they also have a goal for their target, namely the population. They have to be turned into completely mindless consumers of goods that they do not want. You have to develop what are called 'Created Wants'. So you have to create wants. You have to impose on people what's called a Philosophy of Futility. You have to focus them on the insignificant things of life, like fashionable consumption. I'm just basically quoting business literature. And it makes perfect sense. The ideal is to have individuals who are totally disassociated from one another. Whose conception of themselves, the sense of value is just, 'how many created wants can I satisfy?' We have huge industries, public relations industry, monstrous industry, advertising and so on, which are designed from infancy to mold people into this desired pattern."

-- Noam Chomsky

Quote of the Day

Oh Lordy The Conventions Are Almost Here

I'm not anti-convention even if they are just theater, but when 15,000 journalists show up to cover an event which should be covered by pointing a camera at the podium and turning it on, feel free to roll your eyes at the cries of anguish about declining journalism budgets.
by Atrios

Quote of the Day

“There are two novels that can change a bookish fourteen-year old’s life: The Lord of the Rings and Atlas Shrugged. One is a childish fantasy that often engenders a lifelong obsession with its unbelievable heroes, leading to an emotionally stunted, socially crippled adulthood, unable to deal with the real world. The other, of course, involves orcs.” – Kung Fu Monkey

Speaking of Orcs . . . Strategy of campaign as battle zone will soon commence as Jerome Stocks has officially entered the 2012 city council election.

The one thing that unites Encinitas voters across all kinds of party lines and differences is simply this one thing we all can agree on together, it's time to end Stocks council career. There are so many opportunities in our communities going unexplored and unsupported.

Quote of the Day

 "rugged individualism" ? . . .
"It's nothing but a political banner to cover up greed." Mitt's dad George Romney

From Rolling Stone . . . .As a CEO he would give back part of his salary and bonus to the company when he thought they were too high. He offered a pioneering profit-sharing plan to his employees. Most strikingly, asked about the idea that "rugged individualism" was the key to America's success, he snapped back, "It's nothing but a political banner to cover up greed." He was the poster child for the antiquated notion that corporations have multiple stakeholders: the workers that breathe them life, the communities in which they are situated, and the nation to whom they owe a patriotic obligation – most definitely and emphatically not just stockholders, as Mitt and his defenders say.

Quote of the Day

"We didn't have a quorum ---- everybody was out of town," Stocks said.

That was a lie.  We contacted Teresa Barth and found that she was in town even though NCT stenographer Barbara Henry did not contact Councilwoman Barth to verify if Stocks statement was true. Yet she dutifully quoted Stocks and wrote this article regarding the 1st Amendment violation denial of Maggie Houlihan's image on the back of the Art Banners brought forward to the council March 28 by Ian Thompson, the late Houlihan's husband.  He said at that meeting he'd file a law suit if the vinyl stickers covering Maggie's image weren't removed or if he hadn't heard from the council by Friday, April 6th.  Somnolent Henry wrote,

On Friday, Thompson said he was willing to wait until Wednesday for the council's decision, but said he wasn't optimistic that a majority of the council would vote to lift the restriction. He said that it was evident the council wasn't taking the issue seriously because members hadn't agreed to discuss the issue before his April 6 deadline. However, the mayor said Friday that he wanted to hold the discussion in a special council session a week earlier but couldn't do so because of the Easter holiday.

Residents spoke up - even in the post's comments - about three of the majority seen at an egg hunt on Saturday.  Yes, that makes it a lie. Mayor Stocks is no stranger to lies and Barbara is no stranger to skipping any and all fact checking or hard questions.

The Union Tribune also quoted Stocks,

For Mayor Jerome Stocks, Wednesday’s meeting will also afford him an opportunity that he said he hasn’t had yet.

Ha! The stifled one, Stocks, entirely running the show yet somehow without opportunity.

“We will need to wait and see what is said and done,” he said of the possible outcome of Wednesday’s closed session. “One of the things I hope to achieve is a correct narrative of what’s occurred to date, and by whom.”

This should be rich. Check it out for yourself, go to the Special (Closed) meeting at city hall today at 4:30.  Support Maggie Houlihan's husband, Ian Thompson or simply witness what the council majority might concoct (either during or following the meeting) regarding their "story" of this ruling to disallow the late councilwoman's image on the banners.  The narrative Stocks and Gaspar have already attempted is to foist all responsibility on the new city manager, Gus Vina.  Classy.

Update, 11:20 am: The Art Banner meeting is to be televised, according to the City Manager. Our Mayor wants a show or is being very open government.  You decide.

Update, 2:00 pm: Egg hunt was on Saturday, not Sunday. It's been corrected.

Quote of the Day

"Since you have 3 out of 5, you do indeed represent the greatest majority of the public." Jerome Stocks

Preceded by the verbal insurance coverage for all consummate liars is the phrase, "One could make the assertion that . . ."  This gives the Stocks the plausible deniability, to be able to walk away from a lie by first setting up the condition that the statement was actually quoting another or a theory or a even a mistaken argument.

Weasel talk.



Tonight is another opportunity to witness the Crony Club and Councilwoman Teresa Barth at City Hall. Big night for Firefighters regarding labor negotiations, big gift from Homeland Security and there is Councilman Muir, the ex-fire chief front and center this time around.

Quote of the Day

"I offer my opponents a bargain: if they will stop telling lies about us, I will stop telling the truth about them." ~Adlai Stevenson, campaign speech, 1952

Not that I believe Mayor Stocks or the his posse would or could stop.

Quote of the Day, Martin Luther King, Jr.

"When machines and computers, profit motives and property rights are considered more important than people, the giant triplets of racism, materialism and militarism are incapable of being conquered." A Testament of Hope (posthumously published essay).

Hat tip/Tony Kranz

Quote of the Day

"The only thing that can stop us now, Turko, is the county bureaucracy, but we're working on that. Our staff is in daily contact waiting for the final approval so that we can go to bid, award a bid and build this thing." Jerome Stocks

Mayor Stocks is doing what he does - blaming others - regarding Hall Property sitting empty for a decade instead of Encinitas having a park. KUSI "Turko Files" shows Michael Turko speaking with Tony Kranz, Kevin Cummins and Mayor Jerome Stocks in (tiny) video format. If this were a drinking game and you took a shot for every lie, for everyone and for everything Stocks blames for no park being built, you'd be cautioned not to drive right now.

Unable to embed video so you'll need to go to the source. Note, talking heads and advertisement precedes clip. Oh yes, and Michael Turko adopts the framing used by the council majority that NIMBY's (not in my back yard) are the wacky people complaining and keeping all good things out of reach. Well, no, he gets that one wrong and his opening premise.

Take a look at video archives of the many Hall property discussions in council meetings. (You can look forward to clips at this blog all year.) Really serious issues have been raised by a whole community of conscientious citizens, including leading scientists who live in our city. The council majority typically fights, forgets, deflects or otherwise fails to address or solve issues raised in any kind of timely fashion. Some local political history buffs in the anonymous comments lay out these verifiable facts at the Undercover blog. The consistent message to the community from this majority has always been and will continue to be told to sit down and shut up. On the other hand, I'll chalk Turko's characterization of a NIMBY problem as the one our Mayor supplied. We'd really like to see Turko continue to expose this story to the voters of Encinitas.

You'd think Our Mayor suspects we are all stupid or have no memory or ability to get the facts out to the voting public. He'd be wrong you know; a veritable mountain of wrong.

Update: Speaking of facts. Kevin Cummins has a a whole retrospective for you at Leucadia Blog.

Quote of the Day

Putting "a political likeness" on the banners "is simply not consistent" with city policy or the organization's temporary sign permit, Stocks said, adding that it would be the same if the pictures were of former President George Bush or former Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger.

source: North County Times today

Mayor Stocks' odd analolgy drew this response.

chris thomas said on: December 18, 2011, 5:21 am

No, this is NOT anything like putting up a banner with Bush or Arnold. They are not dead and did not serve over a decade on our council, was two time mayor, received the most votes when she ran for council and died in office. This is only citizens honoring the dedication of a fallen comrade.

If the situation were reversed, how would Stocks feel if he knew that some politician would fight to stop the community from honoring him.

Horrible, dishonorable form, Mr. Mayor.