"The Collapse Has Begun"

A couple of days ago, I received a news item via e-mail from former Congressman Dan Hamburg (1st Dist., CA). Dan scours the news and comes up with so much worthwhile stuff that I try to look at all of it. This one was titled "The Collapse Has Begun." I thought it might be by Noam Chomsky, but no, it was written by Jon Spitz for the Mendocino County Observer. Amazing! The Observer is the weekly newspaper in Laytonville, California, a town of 1,301 residents that straddles U.S. 101 one hundred and sixty miles north of San Francisco.

The article is a carefully researched and written analysis of the factors that leads to the inevitable conclusion that the U.S. economy is heading for a serious recession. I highly recommend you read the whole thing. Spitz concludes, “It looks to me like the post ‘Peak Oil’ socio-economic system being constructed by Bush is going to be like a feudal system of serfs and lords. The multi-billionaires who now own most of America will use their unprecedented levels of accumulated national wealth to buy the allegiance of mercenaries who will be used to keep all the rest of us under control.”

I was so intrigued by who this Jon Spitz is that called him. By the end of our conversation, I decided that along with the redwood trees that grow in Mendocino County, Jon is a national treasure.
Jon amid the redwood trees

Jon told me that he’s writing from a “lonely outpost,” publishing an article every other week or so for the Mendocino County Observer, a “mom and pop” operation run by Jim and Susan Shields, who do everything with a little help from their daughter, Jama, and Jim’s mother, Lois.

Jon writes on a wide variety of subjects, e.g., election fraud and Scooter Libby, and is grateful that the Shields give him a forum for his opinions on issues that aren’t typically covered in a small town newspaper.

I’m looking forward to featuring Jon’s articles in future posts.

Former Congressman Dan Hamburg rips into Mendocino County Board of Supervisors at August 14 impeachment hearing

On August 16, I posted County supervisors duck bobble and weave to avoid taking a stand on impeaching Cheney. Before the hearing, I interviewed former Congressman Dan Hamburg, which is available here.

I just received an audio clip of Dan’s presentation to the board, a thundering speech that was described to me by a Mendocino County resident as one of Dan’s best speeches. It starts a little before halfway through the clip. However, you might want to listen to the full clip because Allen and Els Cooperrider, active citizens in Mendocino County, also make important points to the board.

(photo of Dan Hamburg from the hearing)