No wonder liberals hold so many protests... They are FUN!!!

It’s incredible to think that a law enforcement worker might have lied to scores of police officers and firefighters by claiming to have cancer, eliciting sympathy and money and even putting together a false chronicle of her medical odyssey.

Proposition 1A is on the May 19 ballot. It was conceived by the governor and Legislature as a way of extending the taxes placed on us on Feb. 19 in order to close the state budget gap. What it really does is perpetuate the growth of state government at the expense of the taxpayers. While California has an ever-increasing loss of jobs and unemployment at 10.5  percent and rising — while Californians lose their homes and while California businesses leave the state — the only remaining growth industry is government.

While I want to commend Rick Aldine for the courage it takes to express his views in public (“A Simple Lesson In Socialism,” April 8), I, nonetheless, feel that his story raises more questions than it answers and, in the end, the socialism/classroom analogy is at best misleading. At worst, simply false.

Napa schools face any number of unhappy budget choices this year.

California celebrates diversity and individualism as virtues. But when it comes to public education, we try to stuff 6 million students from countless ethnic, cultural, linguistic and economic backgrounds into rigidly constructed curricula and expect them to adhere uniformly to arbitrary “standards.”

This letter is directed straight at the powers that be here in the Napa Valley.

(Editor's note: This archived too soon, causing comments to go away too. I will repost the previously-made comments later today)

One of my contentions about the cause of the recession has been that it has been brought about out of greed, the other issue being a lack of direction which leads to more greed.

What makes a good road trip/family vacation with your kids?

This week's Food Section main article features how to build healthy meals for a family while keeping that meal within a family's budget.

Left v. right, liberal v. conservative in a type-until-your fingers bleed death match.

Proposition 1A on the May 19 ballot proposes, among other things, extending the state’s sales tax increase for an additional year to help towards solving the state’s massive budget crisis.

Proposition 1B, the Education funding payment plan on the May 19 ballot, amends the state Constitution in regards to previously-passed Proposition 98 by requiring $9.3 billion in supplemental payments into the state’s k-12 education system ... among the issues Prop 1B covers.

Proposition 1C on the May 19 ballot, the Lottery Modernization Act, would allow the state to borrow money from state lottery profits to help with the massive state budget deficit.

Proposition 1D, the long-titled Protects Children’s Services Funding. Helps Balance State Budget act, would shift some $1.7 billion in the next five years from the previously-passed Children and Families First Act (a 50-cent tax on a pack of cigarettes with money going to early childhood development programs) to help balance California's general fund.

Yet another massively long title, Proposition 1F is known as the Elected Officials’ Salaries. Prevents Pay Increases During Budget Deficit Years Act.

Another long ballot title, Proposition 1E in the May 19 election, is the Mental Health Services Funding. Temporary Reallocation. Helps Balance State Budget Act.