Hunter Biden’s art poses major ethical problem

• July 30, 2023

When President Barack Obama offered the job of secretary of state to then-senator Hillary Clinton, the offer came with a condition. Obama insisted on an ethics agreement that would limit foreign donations to the Clinton Foundation, and he demanded the right to approve all of former President Bill Clinton’s paid speaking engagements.

The reason is obvious. It’s a problem to have an open conduit for large amounts of money to be paid to the family of a powerful public official, especially when the the value of whatever is being provided in exchange for the money is completely subjective.

And that brings us to Hunter Biden and his remarkably quick success as an artist.

Business Insider reported last week that the president’s son has earned at least $1.3 million from his art since becoming a professional artist two years ago. One anonymous buyer purchased 11 pieces for a total of $875,000.

In 2021, the White House said a negotiated ethics agreement with the Georges Bergès Gallery would ensure that the buyers’ identities would be secret from the public and the artist, to avoid the appearance of influence-buying. But Business Insider learned that Hunter Biden himself told at least three people the identities of two of the buyers.

Elizabeth Hirsh Naftali, appointed by President Biden to the prestigious Commission for the Preservation of America’s Heritage Abroad, is one of Hunter’s art patrons. She was named to the commission in July 2022, about eight months after the Georges Bergès Gallery held Hunter’s first art show in Hollywood, where his rookie paintings were priced as high as $500,000.

Hirsh Naftali has contributed $13,000 to President Biden’s 2024 re-election campaign and this year has given $36,500 to the Democratic National Committee. White House visitor logs show that she has been at the executive mansion 13 times in the past 18 months. A Biden administration official said the art purchase was not the reason for Hirsh Naftali’s appointment, and it’s not clear when she bought the artwork or how much she paid for it. What is clear is that Hunter knew.

Hunter also knew that one of the purchasers was entertainment attorney Kevin Morris, whom he met in December 2019 at a fundraiser for his father. The New York Times reported in May 2022 that Morris loaned more than $2 million to the president’s son to help him pay off back taxes in the midst of an IRS criminal investigation. In a courtroom on Wednesday, a negotiated plea agreement with the Department of Justice collapsed when the judge’s questions prodded prosecutors to admit that Hunter Biden could still face charges in connection with large payments he received from foreign entities, possibly violating foreign-lobbying and money-laundering laws.

Congressional investigators have obtained bank records and IRS whistleblower testimony that point to a pattern of large payments to members of the Biden family for nothing of visible value. The House Oversight Committee has been trying to get records of the Biden art sales from the Georges Bergès Gallery, but Bergès has so far refused to cooperate.

In July 2021, just as the Berges Gallery was preparing to market Hunter Biden’s paintings, the gallery received an unusually large “disaster assistance loan” from the Small Business Administration in the amount of $350,000.

This is the very picture of an ethics problem.

​ Orange County Register 

Never forget ideas of Milton Friedman

• July 30, 2023

Tomorrow marks the 111th birthday of economist Milton Friedman, one of history’s most consequential free-market advocates. Heeding the work of Friedman this year reminds us how much more sound and sustainable the nation’s policies could be.

Born July 31, 1912 to working class immigrants from Hungary in New York City, what made Milton Friedman unique not only was his grasp of economics, but also his ability to simply explain complex ideas.

What Milton Friedman understood better than most was that individuals, with private interests and expertise, were best able to advance society.

“Nobody spends somebody else’s money as carefully as he spends his own,” he said. “Nobody uses somebody else’s resources as carefully as he uses his own. So if you want efficiency and effectiveness, if you want knowledge to be properly utilized, you have to do it through the means of private property.”

While others of his time advocated for redistribution and central planning of sorts, Friedman argued competition would be the catalyst for success. He understood that merely having good intentions is an inadequate basis for sound public policy.

“When government — in pursuit of good intentions — tries to rearrange the economy, legislate morality, or help special interests, the cost come in inefficiency, lack of motivation, and loss of freedom,” he said. “Government should be a referee, not an active player.”

Later in life, he would apply this concept to his ideas for education reform.

Friedman’s advocacy of school vouchers continues to linger in debates over how best to serve students. According to a Public Policy Institute of California poll, most Californians, and most Black and Latino parents by even larger margins, support his idea of giving vouchers to parents so they can choose where to send their children to schools.

Milton Friedman passed away November 16, 2006. But his ideas live on. Friedman’s ideas transcend a generation and he laid a theoretical framework that should be used today as an intellectual defense for many of the unwise policies being advocated in Washington and elsewhere.

A version of this editorial was originally published in the Orange County Register in 2012.

​ Orange County Register 

Angels’ Taylor Ward out with multiple facial fractures

• July 30, 2023

TORONTO — Taylor Ward suffered multiple facial fractures after being hit in the head with a pitch on Saturday, and that amounted to good news.

Manager Phil Nevin said all the tests on the Angels outfielder showed that there was no damage to his eye.

“It’s the best possible news we could get after what happened,” Nevin said Sunday, adding that Ward was in “good spirits” when he saw him on Saturday night, at the hospital and later at the hotel after he was released.

The Angels aren’t sure when Ward will be back, or even if it will be this season. Ward remained at the Angels hotel on Sunday. He was placed on the injured list on Sunday, replaced by infielder Kevin Padlo.

Nevin also said that Ward was contacted by several players around the majors, including some who had suffered similar injuries.

“I think that gave Taylor some peace of mind that he will be back and be as good as he was,” Nevin said.

Toronto Blue Jays right-hander Alek Manoah, whose pitch hit Ward, also communicated with Ward, Nevin said.

“Alek feels terrible,” Nevin said. “You saw his reaction on the mound. Certainly there was never a moment where we’re thinking he’s trying to hit him at all. That’s not what happened. You feel for someone like that on both ends. You know, it’s tough to go through. It’s a complete accident. We know that there’s no ill will, but he reached out. He wanted to talk to Taylor.”

As the Angels turn their attention to putting a lineup together without Ward, they have no easy solutions for the outfield.

Mike Trout, who is recovering from surgery to remove a fractured hamate bone, is still not swinging a bat, although that could begin in the next few days. Jo Adell, who is out with a strained oblique, still hasn’t started baseball activity.

When Nevin was asked why the Angels called up Padlo instead of a true outfielder, he said: “We talked about a few guys.”

Nevin made it clear that their priority at the moment is offense.

“The most important thing is to get the best bats in there as we can,” Nevin said. “We’ll figure out the defensive side. I know that’s not what you want to do with it, but to be able to score enough runs, we’re gonna have to put them in the right places and maximize what we can do offensively.”

Luis Rengifo, who has been hot at the plate for more than a month, can play outfield. Brandon Drury, who is expected to come off the injured list on Thursday, can also play the outfield.

On Sunday, the Angels put Trey Cabbage in center, with Mickey Moniak in left and Hunter Renfroe in right. Nevin said Cabbage is more comfortable in right or center than left, and they didn’t want to move Renfroe.

All of this might only be an issue for another two weeks or so, until Trout comes back. The Angels also might be able to swing a trade for an outfielder to plug the hole until Trout returns.

“We’ll make it work,” Nevin said.

BOUNCING AROUND

Right-hander Chase Silseth is a reliever again, the latest change in a tumultuous season.

Silseth began the season as a starter in Triple-A. He came to the big leagues and found some success in relief. The Angels then moved him back to the rotation, back to the bullpen and then back to Triple-A to start. He came up to the majors to start, and now is headed back to the bullpen because of the Angels’ acquisition of Lucas Giolito.

“It’s not a bad thing,” Silseth said. “I’m just keeping my foot on the pedal, just competing at the end of the day. I’m excited to go out and pitch.”

Silseth eliminated a couple pitches from his repertoire when he was down at Triple-A the last time, and Nevin said he thinks that will make him more effective in whatever role they choose.

“I know how I want to attack hitters, lefties and righties,” Silseth said. “Hopefully I can come in and get that uptick in velo and and keep it. Just stay in my mechanics instead of just letting it rip.”

DEFENDING THE TRAINERS

Watching how Angels athletic trainers Mike Frostad and Eric Munson handled Ward’s situation on Saturday prompted Nevin to acknowledge how they have come under fire because of the team’s rash of injuries. Nevin said they don’t bear any responsibility for the injuries.

“They’ve been outstanding,” Nevin said. “I know they’ve taken some heat, which I take personally. I don’t like hearing that stuff. Injuries happen. When guys get hurt, they treat them. It’s just the way it is. Some teams have more than others and it’s certainly not their fault that guys get hurt. But they’ve treated them and gotten them back on the field as best they can.”

NOTES

Moniak’s hitting streak ended at 18 games on Saturday, so on Sunday he showed up to the ballpark with a buzz cut. Moniak said he had wanted to get a haircut earlier, but didn’t want to do it while he was in the middle of a hitting streak. …

The Angels currently have 17 players on the injured list, the most in the majors.

UP NEXT

Angels (RHP Griffin Canning, 6-4, 4.46) vs. Braves (TBD), Monday, 4:20 p.m., Trust Park, Bally Sports West, 830 AM.

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​ Orange County Register 

Women’s World Cup: Columbia upsets Germany; Morrocco gets 1st ever win

• July 30, 2023

SYDNEY (AP) — Manuela Vanegas scored in the seventh minute of stoppage time as Colombia upset Germany 2-1 at the Women’s World Cup on Sunday.

The defender headed in to settle a thrilling game and put her country on the brink of advancing to the knockout stage.

Alexandra Popp had scored an 89th-minute penalty and seemed to have earned two-time champion Germany a 1-1 draw after 18-year-old Linda Caicedo had struck a stunning opener for Colombia.

But Vanegas came up with a late twist to huge celebrations from Colombia fans who dominated the Sydney Football Stadium crowd.

The Germans thought they’d secured a point after Colombia goalkeeper Catalina Perez was penalized for bringing down Lena Oberdorf in the box.

Popp, who scored twice in her country’s 6-0 rout of Morocco in its opening game of the tournament, fired straight down the middle to level the game.

That had disappointed the crowd, which passionately cheered Colombia on throughout and erupted after Caicedo’s goal in the 52nd.

The Real Madrid teenager had suffered a health scare earlier in the week, but produced a moment of moment of magic to score her second of the tournament.

It was all the more special coming after she’d dropped to the ground holding her chest in training during the week.

Caicedo scored from distance in the 2-0 win against South Korea on Tuesday. But while that goal involved an error from goalkeeper Yoon Young-geul, on this occasion it was all about individual brilliance.

Collecting the ball from just inside the area after a corner, she worked her way into space by bewildering two German defenders in a fast-stepping move before lashing a shot into the top corner.

Caicedo, followed by her teammates, charged toward the corner to get closer to the crowd as it went wild.

Germany has never failed to advance from the group stage of the World Cup. It is still expected to beat South Korea in its last game of Group H, but will likely have to settle for second place.

The runners up at last year’s Euros should have been ahead in the first half when Popp was guilty of missing the target with a with a volley from close range shortly before the break.

Earlier Lina Magull had the chance to test Perez from close range, but mis-kicked and the opportunity was wasted.

In the last games in Group H, Germany faces South Korea and Colombia plays Morocco, with three teams still able to advance to the knockout stage.

Morrocco 1, South Korea 0

ADELAIDE, Australia — Morocco made history in multiple ways during its victory over South Korea.

Defender Nouhaila Benzina became the first player to wear a Hijab in a World Cup game at the senior level, and her teammate Ibtissam Jraïdi scored the Atlas Lionesses’ first World Cup goal. The Moroccans scored in the 6th minute and were able to make it stand up for the remainder of the match.

After a lopsided 6-0 loss against Germany, the victory keeps No. 72-ranked Morocco in contention to advance to the knockout stage of the tournament.

Morocco scored its first ever World Cup goal in the sixth minute when Jraïdi met a cross from Hanane Aït El Haj with a glancing header toward the far post.

South Korea had the majority of the possession but was unable to translate the advantage into many scoring opportunities. Its best chance at equalizing came in the 87th minute when 16-year-old New Jersey resident Casey Phair pushed a shot just wide of the post. Phair, the youngest player to appear at a World Cup, went on as a late substitute.

Morocco becomes the first Arab Nation ever to win a game at a Women’s World Cup and remains in contention to advance to the round of 16.

South Korea is all but eliminated from the tournament after its second loss of the tournament.

Switzerland 0, New Zealand 0

DUNEDIN, New Zealand — New Zealand outshot Switzerland and even moved goalkeeper Victoria Esson into an attack position several times, but failed to break a 0-0 tie and became the first host nation to be eliminated in group play in tournament history.

The Football Ferns are co-hosting the World Cup with Australia, which must win Monday against Canada to avoid its own early elimination.

Switzerland advanced to the round of 16. The Swiss also played to a scoreless draw against Norway, but won the group with the draw against New Zealand, coupled with the Norwegians’ simultaneous 6-0 rout of the Philippines.

New Zealand controlled the pace for long stretches of the match and had its chances to score, outshooting Switzerland 12-3. Jacqui Hand knocked a shot off the right post in the 24th minute.

All 25,947 seats at Forsyth Barr Stadiums were filled — the only one of Dunedin’s six tournament matches to sell out. The raucous crowd stomped and cheered all night, to no avail.

The tournament began July 20 with New Zealand upsetting Norway 1-0, but the Ferns failed to score from the 48th minute of that match through two more games. They lost their previous match 1-0 against the Philippines.

“We expected it to be really tough. New Zealand really tried everything they could, and I think we knew how to respond, especially defensively. We did a lot right,” said Inka Grings, Switzerland’s coach.

Esson moved into an offensive position several times in the last minutes of the match as New Zealand pressed for a winner. She managed a header off a corner kick but was off target.

Switzerland becomes one of two teams from Group A to advance to the round of 16. It’s only the team’s second time in the knockout round — the first was in the Swiss’ only previous Women’s World Cup in 2015. Switzerland will play either Spain or Japan from Group C, pending a match between those teams on Monday to decide the top two places in that group.

The New Zealanders’ failure to score put an end to their Women’s World Cup run.

“Just gutted, I think. Obviously we talked and we were proud of ourselves and what we’ve been able to accomplish, but at the end of the day we wanted to get out of this group stage and we just didn’t. It’s just black and white. So, obviously gutted,” said New Zealand midfielder Malia Steinmetz of the elimination.

Norway 6, Philippines 0

AUCKLAND, New Zealand — Sophie Roman Haug’s hat trick kick-started Norway’s dormant offense and sparked a blowout win over the Philippines moved the Norwegians into to the knockout stage of the Women’s World Cup.

The Philippines’ debut run in the tournament came to an end as Norway scored early and often, netting three goals in the first 31 minutes.

Norway’s spot in the round of 16 was secured when Switzerland and New Zealand played to a 0-0 draw. Norway and New Zealand were tied in Group A but Norway advanced on goal differential. New Zealand became the first host country to be eliminated in the group stage in tournament history.

Before the game, Norway had not scored in three consecutive Women’s World Cup matches dating to the quarterfinals of the 2019 tournament.

But Roman Haug one-timed a ball into the net in the sixth minute, and scored again 11 minutes later. Caroline Graham Hansen added a long-distance shot in the 31st minute.

Haug completed the hat trick in injury time.

“We’ve been talking quite a bit about having the first goal, then it will give us energy. We know in our attack, we are strong and have good combination play both on the right side and left side. Today was the day that, when we had the first one, we knew there could be more,” Norway head coach Hege Riise said.

In the second half, an Alicia Barker own goal in the 48th minute and Guro Reiten’s penalty kick in the 53rd minute extended Norway’s lead to 5-0. Filipina defender Sofia Harrison received a red card in the 67th minute for using excessive force, and the Philippines played the rest of the match a player down.

Eden Park was turned into a makeshift home match for the Philippines, as the Filipina fans screamed in unison any time the Philippines touched the ball, even as the deficit grew.

The Philippines were fresh off of a historic 1-0 win over co-host New Zealand that marked the first Women’s World Cup win for the debutantes.

“They showed some of their class today with their skill. They picked us apart and won a couple of battles in the air in the box early. We really released the pressure early and allowed them to, sort of, be a little more creative as the game went on,” Philippines head coach Alen Stajcic said.

Norway will play either Japan or Spain in the round of 16 next Saturday, depending on the results of a game between those Group C teams on Monday.

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​ Orange County Register 

Rep. Robert Garcia: 40 years of Pride and progress

• July 30, 2023

By Rep. Robert Garcia, Guest columnist

As the both the former mayor of Long Beach and the first openly LGBTQ immigrant to serve in Congress, I’m excited and proud to celebrate the 40th anniversary of Long Beach Pride this week.

Our city is home to a vibrant, diverse community, and it means so much to me that every year, this continues to be one of the largest events in Long Beach and brings our entire community together.

Long Beach Mayor Robert Garcia has launched a campaign for congress. As he looks to fill the seat Rep. Alan Lowenthal (D-Calif.) will give up at the end of 2022, he sat down for a talk with the Press-Telegram in Long Beach on Thursday, December 23, 2021. (Photo by Brittany Murray, Press-Telegram/SCNG)

Long Beach Pride is one of the best things about our city, and I know that for me and so many others, being able to see people like us — out and proud — has had a profound impact on our lives. It’s a historic celebration that highlights the strength and diversity of our community, how far we’ve come, and how important it is we continue fighting for equal rights and dignity.

I’m incredibly grateful to represent a city and a state that’s welcoming for everyone and supports our entire community regardless of who you are and who you love. But we also know this hasn’t always been the case — even in Long Beach.

Above all, I especially want to thank and uplift everyone whose tremendous work over the course of generations helped build the diverse, inclusive city we love today and I hope you’ll join me in celebrating them throughout Pride.

Pride is and should be a celebration. But we also can’t forget its history and the struggle for basic rights and dignity that continues today. We must also remember that we’re celebrating at a time when the rights of women, people of color, and the LGBTQ+ community are under attack from extreme forces.

State legislators around the U.S. have passed hundreds of anti-LGBTQ+ laws in recent years — more than 75 in just the first seven months of 2023 — and the Human Rights Campaign has officially declared a state of emergency for the LGBTQ+ community. And now, extremists in the House of Representatives are taking aim at LGBTQ+ Americans no matter where they live.

Right now, thousands of Americans are forced to cross state lines to access gender-affirming care for their loved ones. State agencies are being asked to investigate LGBTQ+ history in our public libraries and schools. And some on the Supreme Court have even openly sugested that the constitutionality of same-sex marriage should be overturned.

I’m proud to have stood up to these attacks in Congress and introduced legislation protecting the rights and dignity of LGBTQ+ people, including the International Human Rights Defense Act, which now has more than 100 cosponsors.

My bill would permanently create the position of an LGBTQ+ global envoy in the U.S. State Department to ensure that — no matter who the president is — it’s the official policy of the United States to advocate on behalf of the LGBTQ+ community.

I will continue to fight so that everyone in our city, and elswhere, can live openly and be supported.

Happy Pride.

Editor’s note: Rep. Robert Garcia was elected to the House of Represenatives in November and is the first openly LGBTQ immigrant to serve in Congress. Before that, he was the first openly gay mayor in Long Beach’s history, serving two terms.

​ Orange County Register 

Why didn’t you vote, Orange County?

• July 30, 2023

The line of voters waiting to cast their ballots for the midterm election stretches into the lobby at the vote center in the Irvine Civic Center in Irvine on Tuesday afternoon, November 8, 2022. (Photo by Mark Rightmire, Orange County Register/SCNG)

A confession of deep personal shame: My daughter did not vote in the 2022 election.

She had just turned 18. Started college 400 miles away. Misplaced the mail ballot I shoved in her bag (amid threats that apparently weren’t threatening enough). Didn’t know much about the candidates. And just, you know, flaked.

Unfortunately, my daughter was in plentiful company. Only 54.7% of Orange County’s registered voters cast their ballots in November, a precipitous plunge from the last midterm election.

So what gives, Orange County? Why didn’t you vote?

It’s an intriguing question, and data from the U.S. Census Bureau sheds fascinating light on it. The answers vary widely from election to election and say a lot about how folks were feeling about everything from the candidates (we didn’t much like them in 2016) to the utility of mail ballots (many fewer of us claimed “out of town” as an excuse last year, but many more have been “forgetting” to return them).

Our passions are further captured in the O.C. Registrar of Voters’ turnout tallies.

The matchup between Joe Biden and Donald Trump inspired an astonishing 87.3% turnout in 2020 — perhaps the only people who didn’t vote were dead — while the midterm election in 2018 found a relatively stunning 71% of folks casting ballots (a stark exception to the “midterms have anemic turnout” rule, as voters eagerly sent their huzzahs or Bronx cheers to Trump two years into his presidency).

This begs the question: Should voting be mandatory, rather than voluntary?

Voter turnout in OC

2012 presidential: 67.3%

2014 midterm: 45.0%

2016 presidential: 80.7%

2018 midterm: 71.0%

2020 presidential: 87.3

2022 midterm:  54.7%

“What I can tell you is that whether a person will vote or not is highly correlated with years of formal education,” said Fred Smoller, associate professor of political science at Chapman University. “The higher number of years of school, the more likely a person is to vote. We also know that ‘vote by mail’ increases voter turnout.

“The ‘go-to’ explanation for low voter turnout is that people are lazy. Instead, we need to look at how to make our political system more user-friendly. Why is it often easier to buy something on Amazon than it is to cast an informed vote?”

Smoller has a much more charitable take than does Matthew Jarvis, chair of Cal State Fullerton’s Division of Politics, Administration & Justice.

Excuses, excuses

“I tend to make very little of people saying why they did something, and even less of their explanations of why they DIDN’T do something,” Jarvis said by email.

“In general, humans are quite terrible at explaining their own behavior. Psychological defense mechanisms kick in, and people tend to give answers that absolve themselves of fault.”

Example from the data: About 5% of people told the Census Bureau that bad weather stopped them from voting in 2022, and 7% said the same in 2020.

It did rain in O.C. on Nov. 8, 2022, but it did not rain on Nov. 4, 2020 (sunny, with a high of 77 degrees).

“When people were confronted with the idea that they had done something they ‘weren’t supposed to’ (voting is something we’re conditioned to believe is ‘good,’ and not voting is ‘bad’….), they gave an answer that they thought would absolve themselves,” Jarvis said. “Of course, since all our ballots are now able to be mailed in, that ‘bad weather’ excuse gets very weak … but they’re not thinking it through. A number of these folks will even come to believe these excuses.”

Despite our enormous capacity for self-deception, though, telling patterns emerge, the experts said.

“I found the 2016 data point on the importance of unpopular candidates intriguing!” Bernard Grofman, distinguished professor of political science and former director of the Center for the Study of Democracy at UC Irvine, said by email from Oxford.

“Ditto for the 2020 finding that large number of voters thought that their vote wouldn’t matter (and, given the paucity of two-party competitive districts that year, they were quite right).”

Trump effect

Former President Donald Trump (AP Photo/John Locher, File)

Note that in the 2016 and 2020 presidential elections, folks offering the “my vote wouldn’t matter” answer shrinks dramatically.

“I would argue that’s a Trump effect; fewer folks thought that these elections were meaningless,” Jarvis said. “Ironically, of course, as Californians, they’re wrong in a very real sense — Trump lost California decisively in both 2016 and 2020 — and the chance that one vote would have made a difference are essentially zero.

“However, the other part of that answer — ‘not interested’ — is real, and people were interested in those years.”

“Too busy” is a common answer that bounces around a great deal, and not logically, Jarvis noted. It was cited often in 2020 — the thick of the pandemic — when a lot of people were decidedly not busy.

“This answer is likely sucking up a lot of defensive answers; when people couldn’t convince themselves it was one of the other reasons, this one is very comforting,” he said.

There was much fun to be had with the “I didn’t like the candidates” response. It hit a high when Trump faced off with Hillary Clinton in the 2016 presidential election. They were the least popular presidential candidates since political scientists started collecting data almost a century ago, Jarvis noted.

Even more interesting is the fact that this wasn’t widely offered as a defense in midterm year elections — perhaps because people don’t even know who the candidates are? “Plenty of data we have cements the idea that many people are not aware of much in our system besides presidents,” he said.

Steve Rocco (File photo by Mark Avery, Orange County Register/SCNG)

Who’s that running?

Chapman’s Smoller offers an illustrative mea culpa here.

Back in 2004, a mysterious character who always wore dark sunglasses, a knit cap and black clothes, ran for the Orange Unified School Board. He didn’t campaign. He didn’t show up for candidate forums. He didn’t say why people should vote for him.

No one could even reach him — but he was identified on the ballot as a teacher and writer. Based on that virtuous description, Smoller passed over the PTA volunteer/park ranger candidate and voted for the mystery man  So did 54% of voters, and stunningly, the mystery man won.

The gent’s name was Steve Rocco and he went on to live in O.C. political infamy.

From the Orange Unified dais, he rambled on about dark conspiracies involving charter schools, his father’s death and “The Partnership,” a diabolical cabal (that included The Orange County Register) trying to control the United States and kill Rocco for exposing it. “We’re living in a time of secret organizations and of corruption and mostly of dictatorship,” Rocco said at his first official school board meeting. “Aiding and abetting the drug and human cargo trade is only part of the problem.”

He refused to participate in closed sessions, have his fingerprints taken for district records, vote on many of the issues before the board, sued the district. Smoller felt so guilty over his vote that he made a short documentary — “Rocco the Vote” — about what and how it all happened.

All that many people knew about the race was the “teacher” description on the ballot. People were woefully uninformed about local races back in 2004 — and the contraction of local news organizations since then has only made things worse. These races get precious little coverage, if any at all, Smoller noted — many of his very educated colleagues saw the “teacher” designation and voted for Rocco as well — and there’s blame for the system itself.

Any fix?

There are a number of reforms that might help, such as penalties for politicians who lie (George Santos, anyone?), Smoller said.

A more rigorous official vetting of a candidate’s alleged occupation, as it appears on ballots, doesn’t seem like a terrible idea either.

International Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance, Sweden

There’s a strain of militancy in some of us that wonders if mandatory voting might spur people to take their civic duty more seriously. Casting a ballot is compulsory in 21 countries, including Argentina, Australia, Belgium, Bolivia, Brazil, Costa Rica, Greece, Luxembourg, Mexico — and Egypt, Honduras, North Korea and Singapore, according to the Central Intelligence Agency.

Advocates of mandatory voting argue that elected governments have greater legitimacy when more people participate. Critics say it’s inconsistent with democratic freedoms and translates into more blank, invalid and ill-informed choices.

Cleary there’s a reason most nations in the world don’t force people to vote. But my house is not a nation, and from here on, voting will be compulsory: If my daughter wants to get her tuition paid and the keys to the car and the sustenance to keep her alive, she will have to show me the “Where’s my Ballot?” notification that it has been received and counted first.

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​ Orange County Register 

Taylor Swift ticket prices, already sky high, likely to rise more as LA shows near

• July 30, 2023

Ariel Mahler was one of the lucky Swifties.

She scored a block of six tickets for the upcoming Taylor Swift Eras Tour at SoFi Stadium when they went on sale in the fall. Total price for the six: $1,519.

That’s $253 each for seats in section 233, with a straight-ahead view of the stage. And that price included the service fees, which can sometimes be as much as 27% of the ticket price, according to a U.S. Government Accountability Office report.

To score the same deal this week on Stub Hub, Mahler would have to pay $2,000 each for tickets in the same section — or $12,000 total. Yet, given the insatiable thirst the American public seems to have for Swift at the moment, there are certainly people willing to shell out that much to see the pop star during her six-show run in Los Angeles, which runs from Thursday, Aug. 3, to Aug. 9.

Rightfully, Mahler, a recent graduate of American Film Institute’s director’s program, said she feels good about the price she paid.

But, she said, she absolutely will not resell her tickets for the Aug. 8 show despite pressure from friends who are attending with her.

“There is no way I’m doing that,” Mahler said via phone on Friday, July 28. If the friends want to do so, she won’t stop them.

But that’s unlikely.

That’s because the Taylor Swift ticket phenomenon is unlike anything the live concert business has seen, according to Jed Weitzman, head of music at Logitix. Weitzman works with artists and venues to maximize ticket sales for live events.

Swifties tend to hold on to their tickets — as they see the shows as not “just” concerts.

“It’s a cultural thing,” Weitzman said of the special situation that is a Taylor Swift tour. And Weitzman would know. He’s been in the entertainment business for more than 30 years.

“When a show gets closer to being played off,” Weitzman said, “usually prices go down.”

The reason prices are so high, Weitzman said, is because Swift fans don’t want to sell their tickets. That means there’s less inventory on the market. Plus, he said, shows in major cities, such as Los Angeles and New York, command a higher price anyway.

The only single tickets below $1,000 currently available on the secondary market, as of Friday, were for seats in the upper tier of the stadium — with a view of the back of the stage setup.

And despite the controversy created in November when Ticketmaster had to shut down sales because of unprecedented demand and the flak they took about only letting “verified fans” purchase tickets, the plan did exactly what it was intended to do, Weitzman said.

Not everyone who wanted tickets got them, Weitzman acknowledged, but compared to other shows of a similar size, there were far fewer tickets available for resale on secondary markets such as StubHub and SeatGeek.

“The truth is that tickets got into the hands of fans,” Weitzman said. “Whether people want to realize it or not, fans actually got their tickets.”

The incredible demand for tickets, though, has caused another problem: scammers.

Ticket scams, of course, are not an isolated issue. The Better Business Bureau, for example, received 16,884 total complaints regarding ticket sales — including for concerts and sporting events — from January 2022 to this past February.

The boom in such scams, combined with the high demand for Swift tickets, prompted state Attorney General Rob Bonta to issue a warning to consumers on Thursday, July 27.

“Too often, bad actors take advantage of highly sought-after concert tickets and strip fans of their hard-earned money,” Bonta said in a statement. “Whether you attend a Taylor Swift concert or another event, avoid enduring a cruel summer by following the tips we provide.”

Those tips include researching vendors, knowing the return policy, protecting personal information and using only secured payment methods, among other advice.

Related links

For Taylor Swift fans headed to SoFi, Metro will run some trains late, add 2 free shuttles
Taylor Swift’s 6 SoFi Stadium Shows: What you need to know before you go
Ticketmaster cancels Taylor Swift ticket sale due to ‘demand’

But fans with legitimate, albeit expensive, tickets seem to be making the most of the pricey situation.

Hollywood resident Reagan Baylee purchased floor seats for the Aug. 7 concert. She gladly paid $2,100 for two tickets, she said, because it’s not just about one night. It’s about the lead up to the event.

Baylee, a marketing agency owner and content creator, has been posting about what she’s wearing to the concert since January, she said. She’s also been making friendship bracelets to trade.

Following the pandemic, Baylee said, “we’ve been craving a sense of community.”

On social media, Swifties are gearing up, trading ideas about the best bracelet beads to use and gluing rhinestones onto outfits, she said.

“That’s why I’m personally able to justify the high price,” Baylee said. “It’s just become so fun.”

Sure, she said, prices are crazy expensive. But, Baylee added, it feels as if people are really coming together — those from ages 6 to 60.

“The ticket prices are outrageous,” Baylee said, “but the experience is priceless.”

Indeed, Mahler and her group of friends are planning to make a night of it. Each plans to dress like a different era from Swift’s music, she said.

Mahler has been a Swiftie since 2014. For many of her generation, Swift’s lyrics help articulate both heartbreak and healing. She’s been a deep, deep fan because the pop icon helps her sort out her feelings, she said.

The aspiring film director respects Swift as not only a musician, but also as “a prolific writer.”

That’s where the tattoos come in.

Mahler has a goal to get 10 Swift quote tattoos on her right arm — one lyric from each of Swift’s albums. So far, she has four.

Around a scene of a yellow-brick road, she wears this quote from the 2008 “Fearless” hit “You Belong with Me:”

“What you’re looking for has been here the whole time.”

It’s not about tickets. For Swifties, it’s spiritual.

​ Orange County Register 

Turning 100: More thoughts on the possibilities of living longer

• July 30, 2023

Last week, we identified several changes and predictions that support living to be 100 described by Lynda Gratton and Andrew Scott in their book, “The 100-Year Life: Living and Working in an Age of Longevity” (Bloomsbury, 2016). 

For context, here are some statistics: In the U.S. there are about 90,000 centenarians; in California, that number is 8,000. And about half of the current five-year-olds can expect to live to age 100, the likely norm for newborns in 2050. 

The question is, “What has to be in place to support this 100-year life?” Here are several additional changes from last week that need to occur as recommended by the authors.

Recreation will be more important than creation: Leisure time during retirement years typically has meant having few if any deadlines; a time for travel; grandchildren; even sailing; playing computer games; watching a film; or just having fun. The authors suggest that with increased longevity and multiple life stages, leisure time may be the time to invest in creating a new lifestyle or in developing new skills. The new goal may be spending less leisure time on consumption and recreation and more time on investment and re-creation. 

The lockstep 3 stages of life will end: Most of us have lived by the three stages of education, work and retirement leading to a certain amount of predictability in our lives. The authors note that adhering to these three rigid stages, people do not have excessive opportunities or choices and companies or governments are not always able to response to what people want and need. Given the reality of living 100 years, the sequences of life will be determined more by individual preferences and circumstances, not by age. 

Younger for longer: Typically, we believe living longer means we will have more years to live as an older person. The authors disagree and offer an explanation. Based on information from evolutionary biologists, retaining adolescent features into adulthood will help promote flexibility and adaptability needed for a 100-year life. Additionally, they suggest older people will retain more youthful characteristics because of cross-age friendships since people of different ages will pursue similar life stages. From my perspective, this might eradicate ageism. 

There will be more experimentation: Neither individuals, communities, corporations nor governments have figured out how to support the 100-year life. To fill this vacuum, there will be more experimentation. The authors note the younger one is, the more likely one is to experiment. Midlife folks might be more likely to adapt to the traditional three stages of life experienced by their parents, they added. From my perspective, we should not dismiss the creativity of middle-aged folks to develop some of these new lifestyles. 

The expected battle from human resources departments: This flexibility and the multi-stage life may become a nightmare for companies who like conformity and easy-to-implement systems; they likely will resist change. However, the authors do believe that smart companies who want to attract the best and the brightest will realize the advantages and adapt their policies. This push to flexibility may become a battleground similar to battles about the length of the work week and working conditions during the Industrial Revolution, according to Gratton and Scott. 

The challenge for governments: Too much of the current policy is focused on the final stage of life using the traditional three-stage lens note Gratton and Scott. Policies need to expand to issues of education, marriage, working time and more. Clearly, financial security is critical over this long life. However, the authors advocate that governments need to pursue an agenda relevant to how people live their lives and how they work over a lifetime. 

A final issue addressed is equity. The authors are very strong in stating that “it is unacceptable that a good life should only be an option for a privileged minority” who have the income and education to develop the required changes and transitions. They recommend that governments begin to develop measures for the less fortunate to achieve the transitions and flexibilities for that 100-year-life. 

So, dear readers, I hope these changes and recommendations by Gratton and Scott help you think about extended life, its possibilities and how they might apply to you. Our communities, institutions and public policies have the opportunity to do what is necessary to capitalize and embrace this gift of time. We each have a role to play in how we develop our own life stages. 

Stay well everyone and remember kindness is everything. 

Helen Dennis is a nationally recognized leader on issues of aging and the new retirement with academic, corporate and nonprofit experience. Contact Helen with your questions and comments at [email protected]. Visit Helen at HelenMdennis.com and follow her on facebook.com/SuccessfulAgingCommunity

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​ Orange County Register