Browse articles
The System Isn’t Broken, Our Politics Are: A Realistic Path to Healthcare Reform
America’s fragmented healthcare system is unsustainable and hits rural communities hardest. He proposes a practical hybrid model guaranteeing essential baseline care while preserving private insurance, simplifying administration, and stabilizing costs for long-term fiscal and rural viability.
Does James Khatami Really Live Here?
It turns out one Nevada City Planning Commissioner and City Council candidate may have a residency problem.
Why Engineered Belonging Carries Real Risks
University professor commends high school student Graham Gardemeyer’s civic voice but warns that ESB and STANDS risk engineered group conformity. Citing Le Bon, Arendt, and Desmet, he argues these programs prioritize artificial collective identity over independent thought, potentially deepening division and undermining critical thinking in schools.
The System Isn’t Broken: Our Politics Are: A Realistic Path to a Balanced Federal Budget
In Part Two of this series, Michael James Taylor outlines a pragmatic, non-partisan path to a balanced federal budget through targeted spending cuts, healthcare reform, smart immigration policy, productivity-focused growth, and restored fiscal honesty.
Fire Safe Council Directors Indicted in Sweeping Fraud Case; Jamie Jones Remains at Large
The unfolding criminal case against the leadership of the Fire Safe Council of Nevada County has taken a dramatic turn, with Executive Director Jamie Jones now the focus of an active manhunt following a wide-ranging felony indictment.
A Budget That Balances on Paper, Not in Structure
Nevada County’s $470M FY 2026–27 budget balances on paper but masks structural problems: reliance on one-time reserves, rising compensation, a quarter-billion-dollar unfunded pension liability, and new debt, reducing future fiscal flexibility.
The Missing Issue in the Superintendent Race
Nevada County voters face two qualified superintendent candidates, but the race overlooks a critical issue: long-term teacher compensation sustainability, pension liabilities, and fiscal responsibility. Resident urges candidates to address these before Election Day.
Investigate Fraud, Face Charges? The Controversy Over AB 2624
Why would any public official want to shield an examination of publicly funded institutions, hiding them from scrutiny?
Woke Indoctrination at Nevada Union: Echoes of the Hitler Youth and the Threat to Democracy
Wendy Willoughby and Olivia Pritchett’s woke equity policies on the Nevada Joint Union School Board mirror Hitler Youth indoctrination, replacing academics with identity narratives. This erodes critical thinking, fosters intolerance, and threatens democratic backsliding by producing citizens unfit to steward liberty.
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.”