Jeff Pelline's Sierra Foothills Report

I ordered a Roku streaming player to watch the MLB.com baseball games on television, not just my PC. This means all of them, from the Giants, to the Dodgers (with Vin Scully announcing the play-by-play) to the Cubs. For an extra $10, I signed up to get all the Reno Aces games streamed.

The Roku gadget costs $99 and also streams Netflix movies and Pandora internet radio via a home’s wireless internet connection.

If it works well for MLB.com, I’ll wonder why I subscribe to Comcast. Between a PC and a Roku (like an AppleTV device), there’s more and more to watch other than the boob tube programming.

It’s hard to believe we were debating the TV vs. the PC not too long ago. That battle is over.

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The Sierra Vintners Wine Trail, featuring a self-guided tour of 15 area wineries, is coming Memorial Day weekend. Sierra FoodWineArt magazine is a sponsor.

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I received this via email:

Terry Lamphier, Nevada County Supervisor for District 3, will hold a town hall meeting to present information on the County budget, its impact on County services, and other issues affecting Nevada County. He welcomes the opportunity to meet constituents, answer questions and listen to concerns. The meeting will be held at 6:30PM on Monday, April 18 at the Grass Valley Veterans Memorial Building, 255 South Auburn Street, Grass Valley.

The Board of Supervisors is the legislative and executive body of County government. The County serves as an arm of the state in providing critical health and human services such as public assistance, public health, child and adult protective services, child support services, Medi-cal, housing programs and veterans services. Other core services include infrastructure, roads, jail, law enforcement and land use and development within the unincorporated areas.

District 3 serves the Grass Valley area. If you are not sure which district you live in, please contact the Board of Supervisors office at 265-1480.

WHERE: Grass Valley Veterans Memorial Building, 255 South Auburn St., Grass Valley
WHEN: Monday, April 18, 6:30 PM.

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Editor’s note: Here’s what Rich Ulery of the local GOP Central Committee is writing on the local GOP website about Gov. Jerry Brown’s attempt to extend tax cuts. He ignores any GOP politician’s role (including our GOP governors) for California’s budget deficit problem. The highly partisan analysis reminds me why a growing number of people are registering as “Decline to State.” They’re done with party politics.

To Rich’s credit, he’s not a verbal ‘bombthrower’ or name caller like the minority of vocal locals who often fill the blogosphere. Over the years I never viewed political decision-making as “black or white,” or akin to rooting for a sports team. The world is too complex now, and different approaches and philosophies are required at different times. It’s no different from the business world. Some other perspectives to what Rich wrote are here and here.

“After reviewing the Democrat party’s justification for placing the tax extension initiative before the voters this June, I was reminded about a story my son told me a few years ago. He was in a store with my granddaughter when he firmly told her that there was no money for an item she wanted. Her response was ‘well, just go to the ATM!’ The Democrat Party has controlled the California legislature for the past half century. And what has that control given us? A $26B deficit, some of the highest personal income, sales, and corporate tax rates in the nation, unfunded billions in pension liabilities to our public employees, a dismal state credit rating, one of the highest unemployment rates in the country, an anti-business and regulatory environment that is driving employers out of the state, failing public schools, and a crumbling state infrastructure.

“The Democrat answer to their sorry management record is typical – go back to the taxpayers for more tax dollars! This despite the fact that the $10 billion tax increase imposed in 2009 was intended to be temporary, and California voters summarily rejected a one to two-year extension of those tax increases by a 2 to 1 margin a mere two years ago. Now the Democrats want the voters to decide on a five-year extension after they firmly said no to a two-year extension. If nothing else, I must admire the Democrats’ persistence – just keep going back to the voters year after year, hoping against hope that they’ll ultimately change their mind.”

The rest of the article is here.

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Alden Olmsted’s movie about his father, John Olmsted called “My Father who Art in Nature,” will play in Nevada City on April 13 at 5:30 p.m. at the Nevada Theatre. Tickets are available at the Nevada Theatre box office. Adlen is expected to make announce the details later today on KVMR. Local aturalist John Olmsted died last month and a stirring memorial was held, as I reported previously.

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“Stephen Smith, the Australian defence minister, apologised to Abdul Rahim Wardak, his Afghan counterpart, Abdul Rahim Wardak, on behalf of the 1,550 Australian troops based in Afghanistan’s restive Uruzgan province.

“I said, ‘I am ringing you, minister, because I don’t want this to lower our standing,’ he told ABC radio. ‘He said that in his mind, in his own view it would not.’

“The Australian military said it had launched an investigation into the offensive Facebook remarks, which included troops joking about running over and shooting Afghans. The defence force have warned that the comments could jeopardise the country’s mission in Afghanistan.

“Mr. Smith described the postings, in which Afghans are referred to as ‘ragheads,’ as appalling.”

The rest of the article is here.

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President Obama kicked off his 2012 re-election bid this morning with an e-mail to supporters and a video, saying “We’ve always known that lasting change wouldn’t come quickly or easily.”

The President’s Twitter page also stated, “today, we’re filing papers to launch our 2012 campaign.”

The video is here:

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