I have been a strong proponent of reasonable city councilmen stipends for their diligent work in our communities; not an opponent. However, I have also been a strong advocate of limiting the council’s other unreasonable benefits and costs to their communities, such as the approximate $8,937.20 per councilman per year in Murrieta to join the Western Riverside Council of Governments (WRCOG) HTTP://WWW.WRCOG.COG.CA.US/ and other quasi-government clubs/identities that siphon the cities’ treasury. The total cost of these membership dues plus publications was $44,686 in the 2007/2008 budget. Membership and publications was only a small portion of the cost to the City of Murrieta for the city council. The total cost to the Murrieta taxpayers, including memberships, publications, health care, pensions, consulting fees, meeting fees, etc, for the five council members was about $280,305.00/yr (2007/2008 budget). This is an unreasonable and unacceptable amount.
When I heard that Ton Buckley, a Lake Elsinore city councilman, voluntarily deciding to decline his $400 per month stipend, I said to myself, what a refreshing good gesture in the right direction to show his constituents that local government is serious about cutting costs and limiting government’s expenses. Here is, finally, a man who wants to control runaway city budgets the same way that a responsible head of household would control his personal finances. Granted, $400.00 a month stipend per person is not of much concern (it’s mainly symbolic), but in unison with all the other councilmen, as per Tom Buckley when I recently spoke with him, acknowledged that it would afford the city a half-time additional needed employee.
Every qualified candidate who runs for city council is well aware that he/she is expected to put in a lot of “volunteer” hours. They should never expect to receive more than reasonable reimbursement for their expenses from the people that they represent; it’s the nature of the job. If they were expecting more, they should have reconsidered running in the first place. It is my personal belief that if any city official is that needy for $400.00, with all the temptation available to them, it could make an honest person susceptible to corruption. Many of these “volunteer hours” are spent going to various functions of goodwill for the city; I also attend many of these same functions as a concerned member of the community. I see these councilman constantly and I have no expectation or aspirations in being compensated; it’s the nature of being a contributing member of the community…it’s called public service.
One of the Lake Elsinore councilmen was complaining that he needed the stipend to pay for items he purchases on behalf of the city. But in fact, if a councilman makes a legitimate purchase for the city, there is a mechanism that allows the councilman reimbursement.
The Limited Government PAC (www.LGPAC.com<http://www.lgpac.com/), of which I’m chairman, as well as the National Tax Limitation Committee, supports such proposals as Buckley’s, especially at this time of national and local economic crises. Financial restraints such as Buckley’s proposal would make even Gov. Sarah Palin proud to be a member of our community, to know that there are civil servants that are looking out for the taxpayer and not for personal profit.
Tuesday, March 24, 2009
Wednesday, March 19, 2008
MORE LIES POSTED ON MORE BLOGS
Like Roy Holmgren from Murrieta, who recently filed a court order against Google to release the name(s) of those calling him a criminal online, my detractors lie on these Web sites like it's a hobby for them, hidden in a shroud of anonymity. The latest topping the Google search engine is: "Kowell is a stock owner in GCI or he stands to ... " from http://pipl.com/directory/people/Bob/Kowell.This is one of the three so-called major facts about me. No, I don't own stock in GCI (a newspaper company), nor do I own stock in what I think they meant by the article, GVA (Granite Construction), who owns the Liberty Quarry, nor do I gain anything by supporting the Liberty Quarry. These people didn't even get the stock symbol right, let alone the facts about the quarry. I support the quarry because it is the right thing. All the reports show it is the right thing and that it won't cause the environmental disaster its detractors say it will. In fact, it will lesson the environmental impact by keeping trucks off the road from other regions.Two city councilmen have told the Republican Women Federated club that they would support the quarry if the reports showed that the quarry is a positive step for Temecula. All the reports are in, and they say it is a positive step for Temecula. The city has done its own report, but for some reason, they have trouble publishing it. I bet it shows that the quarry is good for us.Bob KowellMurrieta
Tuesday, February 12, 2008
Tuesday, February 5, 2008
Don't Trust The Liberal Left
Bob Kowell wrote: You can’t trust the liberal Left. They have been responsible for the gradual destruction of the American Way. They are wrong on most issues including these: the war in Iraq, global warming, socialized health care, abortion on demand, marriage between one man and one woman, illegal alien voting rights, and many more. When the economy looks bad, they want to fix it with another government program. As the economy gets worse, they will push for more government interference including socialized government health care which will cripple everyone. They say they want freedom but want the government to control every aspect of our lives. They want change but don’t realize the change they want comes from the freedoms that conservatives cherish.When confronted with a difficult war that must be fought, they run away. They say they are for freedom but aren’t willing to pay the price which can be life itself. They don’t seem to believe that Islamic –fascism is a threat. Look at their hate speech against conservatives including myself even if there is no truth to it. They are much like the terrorists but use character assassination. They are truly bullies dressed in peace outfits. Listen to their speeches.The Murrieta./ Temecula Republican Assembly (www.MT-RA.com) wants to expose them for what they truly are; bullies. Our next speaker is on Feb 1 at Pat & Oscars. Come see Larry Greenfield, head of the Jewish Republican Coalition, speak on: “The American Way: Fighting Liberalism and Islamic Jihad” RSVP at Infobookz@aol.com.
Wednesday, January 23, 2008
Warming fear will hurt Africa
By: BOB KOWELL - Commentary
Seldom, if ever, has a former or present ambassador of the United States come to our area, the Temecula Valley. Ambassador Pierre-Richard Prosper will be the keynote speaker at an upcoming Republican event at Pat & Oscar's in Temecula.
The event is meant to shed light on genocide in Africa as well as other places in the world.
Prosper was U.S. ambassador-at-large for war crimes issues under President George W. Bush and served as a war crimes prosecutor for the United Nations International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda. He successfully prosecuted Jean-Paul Akayesu for his involvement in the Rwandan massacre of the early 1990s.
This was the first case of genocide since the 1948 Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide was enacted. Prosper also won additional life-sentence convictions for other crimes against humanity and was able to convince the court to recognize rape committed in time of conflict as an act of genocide and a crime against humanity.
A person like Prosper is uncommon. He, like others in history, has risen to the occasion. They help those who have no means of protecting themselves from those who would slaughter them. In places like Rwanda, Sudan, Zimbabwe and Uganda, it takes everything for a human being just to survive through the day.
That is why the Murrieta/Temecula Republican Assembly (www.MT-RA.com) is hosting an event that focuses on the disaster that is happening in Africa.
It was the Republicans whose founding purpose of freeing the slaves caused the Civil War and it's the Republicans, America's first civil rights party, who still carry the banner of freedom both here in America and around the world.
It was the Democratic Party that promoted slavery in 1860 and still promotes slavery to this day by its inaction, over-regulation, multiculturalism and taxation. A historical case in point about the differences in what the parties believe is that 82 percent of Republicans in the Senate voted for the 1964 Civil Rights Act, while only 64 percent of Democrats did.
The Democratic left is so misguided that its latest fear-baiting about "global warming" (still unproven that man causes a dramatic effect on climate) will only result in disregarding the poor in places such as Africa. Limiting carbon dioxide emissions at this time can only cause sprouting economies to fail, which will take the people that need help the most with them.
Some of the left are so arrogant that they don't want the poor of the world to progress into the modern age. They think that the poor are better living in poverty. These elitists of "progressive" thinking also support tyrannical governments such as the Palestinian Authority and even other more hideous governments over free nations like Israel.
When the ambassador comes, we also will be screening parts of the "Invisible Children" documentary about the plight of young children being forced into a rebel army in Uganda.
The event will take place at 6 p.m. April 6. RSVP with Adele at (951) 506-1999.
-- Bob Kowell of Murrieta is president of the Murrieta/Temecula Republican Assembly.
Seldom, if ever, has a former or present ambassador of the United States come to our area, the Temecula Valley. Ambassador Pierre-Richard Prosper will be the keynote speaker at an upcoming Republican event at Pat & Oscar's in Temecula.
The event is meant to shed light on genocide in Africa as well as other places in the world.
Prosper was U.S. ambassador-at-large for war crimes issues under President George W. Bush and served as a war crimes prosecutor for the United Nations International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda. He successfully prosecuted Jean-Paul Akayesu for his involvement in the Rwandan massacre of the early 1990s.
This was the first case of genocide since the 1948 Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide was enacted. Prosper also won additional life-sentence convictions for other crimes against humanity and was able to convince the court to recognize rape committed in time of conflict as an act of genocide and a crime against humanity.
A person like Prosper is uncommon. He, like others in history, has risen to the occasion. They help those who have no means of protecting themselves from those who would slaughter them. In places like Rwanda, Sudan, Zimbabwe and Uganda, it takes everything for a human being just to survive through the day.
That is why the Murrieta/Temecula Republican Assembly (www.MT-RA.com) is hosting an event that focuses on the disaster that is happening in Africa.
It was the Republicans whose founding purpose of freeing the slaves caused the Civil War and it's the Republicans, America's first civil rights party, who still carry the banner of freedom both here in America and around the world.
It was the Democratic Party that promoted slavery in 1860 and still promotes slavery to this day by its inaction, over-regulation, multiculturalism and taxation. A historical case in point about the differences in what the parties believe is that 82 percent of Republicans in the Senate voted for the 1964 Civil Rights Act, while only 64 percent of Democrats did.
The Democratic left is so misguided that its latest fear-baiting about "global warming" (still unproven that man causes a dramatic effect on climate) will only result in disregarding the poor in places such as Africa. Limiting carbon dioxide emissions at this time can only cause sprouting economies to fail, which will take the people that need help the most with them.
Some of the left are so arrogant that they don't want the poor of the world to progress into the modern age. They think that the poor are better living in poverty. These elitists of "progressive" thinking also support tyrannical governments such as the Palestinian Authority and even other more hideous governments over free nations like Israel.
When the ambassador comes, we also will be screening parts of the "Invisible Children" documentary about the plight of young children being forced into a rebel army in Uganda.
The event will take place at 6 p.m. April 6. RSVP with Adele at (951) 506-1999.
-- Bob Kowell of Murrieta is president of the Murrieta/Temecula Republican Assembly.
Islamofascism, not warming, the enemy
Recently, Al Gore stated that the Iraq war was "the worst strategic mistake in the entire history of the United States" and "worse than a civil war."
These statements suggest that our Civil War was also a strategic blunder. Do his statements mean that freeing Southern black slaves was wrong and that trying to free the people of Iraq from a tyrant was wrong, as well?
Iraq was more of a threat to world peace than the Southern states. Even though the South attacked Fort Sumter first, they thought the North would just fold and sign a peace treaty. This would have left blacks in the South in slavery.
Most, if not all, Muslim countries harbor one brand of terrorists or another. They all, however, have one objective that both liberals and conservatives in America can agree upon: These terrorists want to destroy Western civilization.
In Iraq, Saddam Hussein hid terrorists in his country and, at a minimum, had all the precursor chemicals in stock to make chemical and biological weapons needed to kill millions of people. Most likely, his weapons were moved to Syria, as former Iraqi General Georges Sada wrote in his book, "Saddam's Secrets."
Gore is not thinking right in his statements. He's letting his anger over losing the 2000 election speak on his behalf; he has no vision or fortitude; he has spent too many days basking in the hot "global warming" sun and/or he is outrageously delusional.
If Gore had been elected president in 2000, we probably would not have fought in Afghanistan. We'd be running from our most significant problem, instead of facing it.
His issue of global warming is speculation; oil will be depleted before it could, if it ever was going to be, become a significant problem. For all of you who didn't know, we will be moving to alternative energy under the Republicans' energy plan passed a few years ago.
We can't just keep appeasing bullies and finding new programs that prop up our false talking points that keep us from facing the No. 1 enemy of humanity. That enemy is now referred to as "Islamofascism." We must face it fully as we did against the European fascists 65 years ago.
Appeasement will not work against these people. If we do not face them, we will be dead in the not-too-distant future, or we'll wish we were dead when we are forced to convert to a religion that is not of our choosing.
All this will happen much sooner than any global warming scenario. All our resources should be turned into our preparation to meet this challenge. If not, we don't have to worry about global warming, the border issue, roads, the gravel pit in Temecula, or anything else.
We are cooked if we don't answer the call. President Bush will be found right on Iraq as Lincoln was found right on the Civil War. We need to get it right, as well.
-- Bob Kowell of Murrieta is president of the Murrieta/Temecula Republican Assembly.
These statements suggest that our Civil War was also a strategic blunder. Do his statements mean that freeing Southern black slaves was wrong and that trying to free the people of Iraq from a tyrant was wrong, as well?
Iraq was more of a threat to world peace than the Southern states. Even though the South attacked Fort Sumter first, they thought the North would just fold and sign a peace treaty. This would have left blacks in the South in slavery.
Most, if not all, Muslim countries harbor one brand of terrorists or another. They all, however, have one objective that both liberals and conservatives in America can agree upon: These terrorists want to destroy Western civilization.
In Iraq, Saddam Hussein hid terrorists in his country and, at a minimum, had all the precursor chemicals in stock to make chemical and biological weapons needed to kill millions of people. Most likely, his weapons were moved to Syria, as former Iraqi General Georges Sada wrote in his book, "Saddam's Secrets."
Gore is not thinking right in his statements. He's letting his anger over losing the 2000 election speak on his behalf; he has no vision or fortitude; he has spent too many days basking in the hot "global warming" sun and/or he is outrageously delusional.
If Gore had been elected president in 2000, we probably would not have fought in Afghanistan. We'd be running from our most significant problem, instead of facing it.
His issue of global warming is speculation; oil will be depleted before it could, if it ever was going to be, become a significant problem. For all of you who didn't know, we will be moving to alternative energy under the Republicans' energy plan passed a few years ago.
We can't just keep appeasing bullies and finding new programs that prop up our false talking points that keep us from facing the No. 1 enemy of humanity. That enemy is now referred to as "Islamofascism." We must face it fully as we did against the European fascists 65 years ago.
Appeasement will not work against these people. If we do not face them, we will be dead in the not-too-distant future, or we'll wish we were dead when we are forced to convert to a religion that is not of our choosing.
All this will happen much sooner than any global warming scenario. All our resources should be turned into our preparation to meet this challenge. If not, we don't have to worry about global warming, the border issue, roads, the gravel pit in Temecula, or anything else.
We are cooked if we don't answer the call. President Bush will be found right on Iraq as Lincoln was found right on the Civil War. We need to get it right, as well.
-- Bob Kowell of Murrieta is president of the Murrieta/Temecula Republican Assembly.
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