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When Compensation and Pension Costs Outpace the Community
In Nevada County, public employee compensation has roughly doubled to $160,000–$170,000 per worker while median household income stagnates near $79,000. Meanwhile, the county pension system’s funding has dropped sharply to 63%, ballooning unfunded liabilities and straining future budgets.
The Evolving “Wall”: Recent Supreme Court Decisions Reshaping Religious Expression in Schools
Recent Supreme Court rulings are reshaping the “wall of separation” between church and state in public schools — expanding religious expression while testing the boundaries of government neutrality.
If It Doesn’t Balance Here, How Will It Balance in Washington?
Is Nevada County’s budget truly structurally balanced? No. Using one-time surplus to fund ongoing costs while adding staff and growing pension debt is not fiscal discipline—it’s postponing the problem.
Rallies Against America
“…the same people screaming this line in the streets are, in fact, doing the bidding of a foreign-born billionaire who is attempting to sabotage a duly elected president. Go figure!”
Stay in Your Lane: An Open Letter to the Nevada County Civil Grand Jury
“The Grand Jury serves an important function, but that function is not to direct school boards on what policies they should adopt.”
Why I’m Registering as a Republican and Why I’m Staying in the Local Arena
A longtime independent voter, frustrated by California's one-party dominance and local issues like housing costs and fiscal imbalance, registers as a Republican to restore political competition while continuing to run for Nevada County Supervisor.
Confidence Built on Applause is Fragile
“When a student studies hard, treats others with respect, shows up prepared, and learns to persevere through difficulty, that student begins to develop genuine self-respect. That kind of self-esteem does not disappear the moment life gets hard.”
When the Negotiating Table is a Targeting Opportunity for Regime Change
Allegations claim U.S.-Israel used Geneva nuclear talks, led by Jared Kushner, as a trap. Strikes soon after killed Iran's Supreme Leader, top officials, and 175 schoolgirls in a school—aiming for regime change through betrayal. Diplomacy fatally undermined.
Better Angels or Crowd Illusions? Distinguishing Civic Unity from Coercive Mobilization
Protests surging. Inspiring unity like Lincoln and JFK, or sliding into Le Bon’s suggestible mobs and Arendt’s lonely masses ripe for propaganda? The survival of American democracy may depend on knowing the difference.
The Gang That Couldn’t Shoot Straight: Consequences of War with Iran
Iran unleashes hypersonic missile barrages on Israel and U.S. Gulf bases after Khamenei’s assassination—Trump’s disastrous war, pushed by Netanyahu, cripples defenses, closes Hormuz, and ignites a devastating global energy and financial crisis.
Predicting the Most Likely Resolution of the Rise Gold–Nevada County Litigation
“In complex public-law disputes, that kind of pragmatic equilibrium—rather than total victory—is frequently where events ultimately converge.”
Gipsy Kings Featuring Tonino Baliardo in California this March
Tickets are on sale now. The new album, Historia, will be released on May 15th.
When the Money Dries Up: Nevada County’s Homelessness Strategy Is Built on a Fiscal Cliff
Counties across California, including Nevada County, have built permanent staffing and program obligations around temporary homelessness funding, creating a structurally unsustainable system that risks abrupt and painful collapse when the money inevitably runs out.
Sal Alberti, CPA, Announces Candidacy for Nevada County Auditor-Controller
Nevada County native and California Certified Public Accountant (CPA) Sal Alberti has announced his candidacy for Nevada County Auditor-Controller.
Shauneen Gracey Announces Candidacy for Nevada County Treasurer-Tax Collector
Shauneen Gracey has announced her candidacy for Nevada County Treasurer-Tax Collector in the June 2, 2026 statewide primary election.
The Governor’s Proposed 2026-27 Budget Overspends, Over-Allocates and Fails Californians
“Overspending is a chronic disorder in California. Fraudulent activities have been going on for so long that it has become de reguer.”
After Six Years of Watching, I’m Sitting This One Out; Supervisors Workshop
Nevada County’s annual Board of Supervisors workshop remains a repetitive, executive-controlled exercise that perpetuates vague, unending objectives instead of delivering focused, measurable results, and until the Board adopts a few clear, countywide priorities with real accountability and shared responsibility, this process will stay disconnected from the community’s pressing needs.
Protecting Fairness, Privacy, and the Future of Girls’ Sports
This compelling op-ed argues that preserving sex-based categories in school athletics is essential to uphold Title IX protections, ensure fair competition, and safeguard opportunities for adolescent girls, while offering practical accommodations for transgender students without compromising biological fairness.
High School Students March to Downtown Grass Valley in Fragmented, Profane Protest
High school students at Nevada Union High School walked out of class Tuesday afternoon, January 20, and marched to downtown Grass Valley in a protest marked less by a single unifying cause than by a broad—and often profane—collection of grievances.
Tahoe-Truckee Schools Forced to Join CIF, Prompting Community Backlash
District officials warned that an immediate move into CIF competition would create serious problems for students