Columnists

So far, Joe Biden's presidency has been a success. Recent polling showed his approval rating at 59 percent. Biden has done an excellent job handling the pandemic. He's managed to pass a significant recovery plan. And his administrative efforts have largely been successful.

The most recent Pew Research Poll (https://www.pewresearch.org/politics/2021/04/15/covid-19-policies-the-u-s-economy-and-the-vaccine-rollout/) found President Biden with 59 percent approval (39 percent disapproval) -- this rating is deeply split along Party lines, as only 18 percent of Republicans approve of Biden's performance in office. Interestingly, more voters support Biden in terms of issues than in terms of his personality. For example, about 37 percent of Republicans agree with him on some or "virtually all" issues. Given this finding, it's most important to evaluate Biden in terms of progress on specific issues. -more-

If License Plates Could Talk (Note: They Can!)

I recently spotted a car parked in front of the Berkeley Main Post Office with a license plate that read: LIFELIB. The driver returned from his visit to the PO as I was snapping a photo of his fashionable plate.

"Yes I'm a lifelong Libertarian," he confessed. And then he asked if I knew about Daniel Nussbaum's 1993 book, PL8SPK, published by Harper Collins. Turns out, I was already an admirer of Nussbaum's Platespeak, a 93-page book that retold classic tales (like Romeo and Juliette) using only quirky personalized license plates registered with California's Department of Motor Vehicles. Here are two examples:

The story of the Garden of Eden in Platespeak

'EVENADM CHOWDWN THAT TABOO SNACK
'YIIIKES' THEY SAY.
'LOOKITU! LOOKAME! GOGETA FIG LEAF.'
And here's the fable of 'The Emperor's New Clothes' (where no one has the nerve to point out the ruler's nakedness):
'CHEERZ ECHO THRU THEGREAT CAPITAL.
'LKNGUD EMP' 'WAYKUL ENSEMBL'
'FITS POIFEKT'' -more-

Poor Diets Given to Mental Health Consumers Revisited

My wife when younger was underestimated. She graduated from a very good college before the onset of her condition, yet when she became bipolar, she was subjected to treatment as "a dumb mentally ill person". For example, her worker at California Department of Vocational Rehabilitation, Linda, sent her to a training to become a motel maid. This was inappropriate. She is a highly intelligent and thoughtful person and my marriage to her is one of the primary reasons that I've done well.

People with psych conditions are routinely grossly underestimated. This is a disservice. Being mentally ill doesn't make you dumb or worthless. And it does not mean that you do not deserve good health and a long, meaningful life.

Those who oversee non-independent mentally ill people have misconceptions concerning food that should be given. I know of an organization that is generous enough to often deliver a free meal, and I've eaten some of them. The error is assuming we prefer high fat, high carb, over seasoned food along with sweets. This is not a healthy diet, and it is unpalatable. Some good pork was ruined by smothering it in a massive amount of seasoned salt. I re-grilled some of it along with some water, and repeatedly drained off the salty, artificially- or paprika colored water. The meat was salvaged to the extent that I could make an acceptable sandwich out of it. My preference is San Luis Sourdough. It is not whole wheat. Yet most of the whole wheat grocery stores sell is doctored up with excessive sugar and other unnecessary ingredients. -more-

I've had some amount of not-so-great behavior in my past. Some of it consisted of getting jobs that were over my head and then quitting when I was unable to fulfill the expectations of the job. This was a very unprofessional behavior and I regret it. Yet, in employment scenarios, it is hard for a medicated, mentally ill person to keep up with demands of most jobs. Additionally, it is difficult for us to relate on a personal level to coworkers and supervisors, since we may not have enough in common, and we may not know enough about how social interactions are done. Both of those factors are significant barriers to employment.

In 1989, I landed a job at Sears Service Center, Concord location, as a television repair technician. (The salary and benefits of the job were great.) Yet, I was really struggling with the job demands and with a coworker was critical and harsh toward me. Some of the other coworkers also weren't that nice. After work, when I'd been there for two or three weeks, the Loma Prieta Earthquake struck. The following day, there was no reprieve from the expectation to show up and do work; it was business as usual. The earthquake was the final bit of dust on the camel's back. -more-

Get the Money Out of (Gubernatorial) Politics

When it comes to putting a proposition on the State Ballot, California sets a high bar. To qualify, petition-backers must gather a number of signatures equal to at least 5% of the total votes cast for the office of Governor at the previous election. Gathering a million legitimate signatures in 180 days can wind up costing millions of dollars. Not surprisingly then, special interest groups and corporations have dominated successful initiative-qualifying campaigns in California.

But when it comes to running to become governor, you only need to gather 7,000 valid signatures. And if that's too much trouble, there's another option that makes running to occupy the Governor's Mansion far easier than trying to get a proposition on the ballot. As the Chronicle's Joe Garafoli recently noted: "All it will take is $3,916."

Yep. While it's costly and time-consuming to place a proposition on the ballot, you can flat-out buy yourself a spot as a contender to win the state's highest elected office!

With such a low bar, it's no surprise that previous recall efforts have drawn the attention of past-due-date celebrities and publicity seeking wing-nuts who might not be able to find 7,000 fans to sign a sheet but can scrape together a couple of thou. -more-