Earth Day has just past us and the Environmental Protection Agency with Scott Pruitt at the head, announced that clean air auto emission regulations are dangerous to our health!  How stupid do they think we are?   Well I guess pretty stupid since the country elected our morally bankrupt President.  The President meanwhile has directed via executive order to scale back or eliminate any of President Obama’s environmental strategies UNLESS they help create jobs.  Clean air – bye bye.  Clean water – so long!  It’s feeding time at the trough of the corporate world regardless of the damage to our nation and world.

Trump is off to Europe to meet with the heads of the western nations.  No one seems to know his agenda and what he wants to see out of this meeting, but ALL our allies have a singular message for him – “DO NOT UNRAVEL THE IRAN NUKE DEAL.”  The President can’t seem to make a decision.  Iran on the other hand has been clear – “walk away from the deal and we will restart our nuclear weapons program.”  Maybe that is what Trump is talking about – forget the damage to our environment – let’s create jobs – even if they are in Iran!  What a dope.

Another act of gun violence – this time at a Waffle House in Tennessee.  4 dead and many others injured.  Prior to the Waffle House the shooter was last seen near the White House.  Now if they saw him in DC and worried enough to monitor him – why did the authorities not stop him beforehand.  Oh, wait – it’s not illegal to have a AR-15 assault rifle.

This past weekend Nancy Pelosi and 15 members of Congress came to the desert to help raise money for Congressman Mark Takano (D-CA) of Riverside.  Mark is openly gay and has a great personal story to share if you get a chance.  Raul Ruiz was there of course, along with Jerrod Nadler, David Ciccilline and others.  Minority Leader Pelosi gave a great speech, rallied the troops and got us to take the checkbooks out.  She was funny, intelligent and certainly ready to become Speaker again.

Locally, Palm Springs City Council has voted to move toward district elections for council races, like Cathedral City and Indio.  They will begin community meetings and a professional demographer will begin to draw up suggested maps.

Cathedral City is beginning outreach meetings as part of the updated General Plan.  The meetings are open to the public and vital for the community to participate.  The dates and locations for the meetings are; May 1 at the Cathedral City Senior Center, May 8 at the Agua Caliente Elementary School, May 15 at Northgate Church and May 22n at the Cathedral City High School.  All meetings are from 5:00pm – 7:00pm.  Also on May 1 from 1:00pm -3:00pm there will be a workshop put on by the Mobile Source Air Pollution Control Board.  This will be the first of five meetings in Southern CA to determine how to spend over 16 million dollars for various clean air projects in the South Coast Air Quality Management District.  One such project that is being done now is to provide vouchers to change from gas powered leaf blowers to electric.  There is no cost to residents for this program.  Check at your city hall with the Environmental staff to see how you can get yours (or your landscaper).

That’s it for this week.  Remember to send me your questions or comments.  greg@gregpettis.com.

Keep fighting!  Keep resisting!