At least she didn’t mention trains.
But when Assembly member Cathleen Galgiani spoke at the dedication of the new Japanese internment memorial at the Merced County Fairgrounds, she kinda went off into the woods. Her speech started off OK and then it veered ... off the tracks (so much for no train references). When she mentioned how the interment memorial saddened her, she was on track.
But then she started talking about the Haitian earthquake and how that too made her sad. Huh?
Then she took one more rhetorical step into the deep end when she said the Japanese interment tore families apart just like the earthquake in Haiti.
“To think back about how many families were torn apart at that time, we are seeing so much news about the destruction in Haiti,” she said, connecting the two disparate events. “We don’t even know how many (Japanese-Americans) were ever reunited again.”
The only problem with Galgiani’s reasoning is that all or most of the Japanese-Americans who were held at the fairgrounds, at least, came there with their families. They most definitely weren’t separated.
Facebook and mittens
A recent visit to Sacramento by Leadership Merced was more than simply informative -- it was downright funny. Or at least it tried to be. The levity began when the One Voice coalition -- made up of local governments -- handed several state officials keepsakes. They were oven mittens, yes mittens, that had One Voice/MCAG (Merced County Association of Governments) written on them. The One Voice delegation said the mittens were for protection against all the "hot issues" they handle. OK, Lips is not laughing.
At least she didn't mention trains.
But when Assembly member Cathleen Galgiani spoke at the dedication of the new Japanese internment memorial at the Merced County Fairgrounds, she kinda went off into the woods. Her speech started off OK and then it veered ... off the tracks (so much for no train references).
When she mentioned how the interment memorial saddened her, she was on track. But then she started talking about the Haitian earthquake and how that too made her sad. Huh?
Then she took one more rhetorical step into the deep end when she said the Japanese interment tore families apart just like the earthquake in Haiti.
"To think back about how many families were torn apart at that time, we are seeing so much news about the destruction in Haiti," she said, connecting the two disparate events. "We don't even know how many (Japanese-Americans) were ever reunited again."
The only problem with Galgiani's reasoning is that all or most of the Japanese-Americans who were held at the fairgrounds, at least, came there with their families. They most definitely weren't separated.
But that was just the beginning of their visit to the state capital. When the Mercedians were in the state senate to see the body in session, they peered down at a local lawmaker doing less than important business on the taxpayer's dime.
State Sen. Dean Florez of the 16th District, which stretches from Fresno County to Tulare County, was busy keeping up with friends, or maybe working on his next campaign.
Leadership Merced members spied Florez on Facebook. Lips called Florez's office and was told he does indeed have two accounts: a personal page and a campaign page. Lips supposes that his surfing Facebook is a sign why he wants to be lieutenant governor; it's a job that is less than demanding.
A sad goodbye
Lips has learned Merced County's minder, er, spokesperson, Katie Albertson is retreating across the Rockies because her husband has a new job.
Albertson declined to elaborate about her imminent departure to Texas, but Lips can't help but speculate about her political motivations. As a former Republican campaigner, the move may be motivated by Albertson's, and the right's, ideological designs to shrink government. One less employee means Merced County's government is that much smaller. Way to be part of the solution, Katie!
