Jeff Pelline's Sierra Foothills Report

“As low as President Barack Obama’s approval ratings might sink, Americans say he’s at least better than former President George W. Bush, a new poll shows,” according to Politico.com.

“In fact, 48 percent of respondents said that Obama is a better president than Bush, says a Thursday Time poll. Only 37 percent think that Bush performed better than Obama, while 7 percent put their performances at roughly equal.

“While Obama’s approval rating is down to 44 percent, with 50 percent disapproving, many respondents still said they found him ‘tough’ and empathetic.

“Questioned about whether “Obama cares about people like yourself or not,” 59 percent said they felt he did, and 37 percent said they believed he didn’t.

“Democrats were also deemed more able to deal with ‘the main problems the nation faces’ over the next few years than Republicans. Forty-two percent agreed with that notion, while 31 percent said Republicans were better suited.

“The poll also revealed that the Occupy Wall Street movement was more widely supported than the tea party movement, with 54 percent of respondents saying they had a “somewhat favorable” or “very favorable” view of the Occupy Wall Street demonstrations, while only 27 percent said that same about the tea partiers.”

The rest of the article is here.

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“A 3-year-old boy is missing in the Nevada County town of Washington and possibly spent the entire night outside in the cold,” according to News10.

“According to the Nevada County Sheriff’s Department, Davyn Wilkison wandered from his home in Washington on Wednesday around 2:00 p.m.

“More than 31 volunteers spent the night searching for Wilkison and will return to the rural forest around Washington to continue the search Thursday morning.

“The child was last seen wearing a white t-shirt, blue jeans and white sneakers. Anyone who may have seen him or has any information on his disappearance is asked to contact the Nevada County Sheriff’s Department.”

The rest of the article is here.

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For the second time in two weeks Newmont Mining has sent a “sustainability” press release to The Union that has been dutifully posted on the front door of its website.

“Newmont appoints COO, sustainability chief,” reads the latest one. The byline: “Newmont Mining Corp. Special to The Union.”

“Newmont named to sustainability index for the fifth year,” read a previous one, a special to The Union.

We all know that Newmont bought the North Star parcel in Grass Valley for a water treatment plant, as first reported here.

But you have to wonder why Newmont is pushing so hard on the “sustainability” p.r. front. I doubt it’s out of pure altruism.

We all know that Emgold — a Canadian penny stock — is trying to reopen the Idaho-Maryland Mine in Grass Valley, but it doesn’t have much capital.

Will Newmont get involved in the project?

By shoveling p.r.-minded, “sustainability” press releases at The Union, trying to show all of us their corporate stewardship, you’ve got think more seriously about Newmont’s motives. It would be silly not to.

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Of course they do. Romney, the GOP front-runner and likely GOP presidential candidate, is a dyed-in-the-wool Wall Streeter.

Pretty shrewd folks, those “lefties,” eh? That’s what’s eating at the hard right and tea partiers — that got outplayed on the “grassroots” front.

I haven’t changed my mind that Obama will be elected to a second term. Who’s going to beat him?

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Last month I wrote about the revolt brewing on water bills in Nevada City. It is here.

The silence on the issue, from Nevada City Hall, the media and elsewhere, has been deafening. But that hasn’t stopped the complaints.

At Wednesday night’s Nevada City Council meeting, several residents spoke up and complained about the rates. Some have seen a doubling of rates or more.

Nobody on the Council or from the City Hall staff exactly embraced their concerns: all legitimate and well stated. Instead, they said the rates would be reviewed in February — a one-year mark for sure, but also the dead of winter when water use is minimal.

Later in the meeting, the city manager stated that a “raw” NID water contract was up for renewal at the New Year, so water would be discussed at an upcoming meeting. Still, you didn’t feel a sense of urgency that matched the concern of the residents.

I wonder if the better solution is to buy treated water from NID rather than fool around with the complications, cost and requirements of a city water treatment plant.

In fact, this option should have been discussed at the time of the proposed rate hike as a “Plan B.”

You can be sure the issue won’t go away.

BTW, also at the meeting, as expected, the city will forge ahead in studying plans for a warming center — but nobody would commit to a location. I hope they don’t wait too long to come up with a plan.

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