If Cicero was right that if you have a garden and a library you have everything you need, then maybe Contra Costa County isn’t doing so bad after all.

Seems that just when you maybe thought that the county library system had surpassed reinvention, it outdoes itself again. Little wonder, then, that the 26-branch organization is in the running for national library system of the year honors. We’ll know that outcome, incidentally, in early May.

According to the National Center for Education Statistics (February 2011 revise), California has more residents and public school students than any other state, e.g. 1.7 million more students than Texas. California also has the highest percentage of English learners in the nation (about 25 percent), most of which (85 percent) speak Spanish.

Educating children of illegal aliens is the single largest cost to taxpayers, approximately $52 billion annually, with the majority of cost falling on state and local governments. California also allows undocumented students to pay the lower, in-state tuition rate at public colleges.

Although California spending on corrections, police, fire, health and hospitals has consistently been well above the national average, public welfare and higher education spending was close to the U.S. average and highway expenditure below average every year.

California’s unadjusted per pupil expenditure had been below the national average. In 1989-99 spending was 89 percent of the average and ranking 33rd. rising to 25th by 2001-02. Since then, on a per capita basis, the state spending on K-12 education has been slightly above the national average.

About two-thirds of spending goes toward instruction (salaries and benefits for teachers and instructional aides), which is a little more than the national average (67 versus 65.8 percent). California spends a larger proportion (11.8 percent) on administration than the national average, which is 10.8 percent.

California teachers make relatively high salaries, ranking first with a average salary of $65,808 in 2007-2008. However, the cost of living here is higher than elsewhere. Teachers are also responsible for instructing considerably more students than their counterparts in most states. California falls below the national average in spending on operations, e.g. counselors, librarians, clerical staff, custodians, principals, facility maintenance, energy bills, food services, student transportation, etc.

The bad news is that, according to former California State Superintendent of Public Instruction Jack O’Connell, the dropout rate is unacceptably high, especially for African American students (34.7 percent in 2007 – 2008) and Hispanic students (25.5 in 2007- 2008), compared to a white dropout rate for the same period of 12.2 percent and an Asian dropout rate of 8.4 percent.

Antioch Riverview Garden Club had their plant sale on Saturday, April 2nd at the Antioch Library on 18th St.

Perusing political files from 2003, I was surprised to see that many of the political issues being debated in Sacramento now are the very same issues being discussed back then: excessive public employee pensions and the need to cut costs in California government. Little progress has been made since then.

The reason things remain the same is because Democrat legislators, beholden to unions who can “get out the vote,” aren’t looking after the public’s best interests. That’s why, once again legislators like Senator Mark DeSaulnier (D), who represents Contra Costa County in the state legislature, are singing the same old refrain, which goes like this: “If you don’t vote for the proposed tax increase, tax extension, bond measure, etc. the legislature will have to make major cuts in social programs, which will affect Californians in need.”

I say bring it on. More and more taxpayers are waking up to the fact that we’re being played for suckers.

Assembly Speaker John A. Perez (D) said last week that the list of suggestions pertaining to tort reform, civil service reform and tax reform submitted by Republicans moved the parties further apart. Here are a few of the many proposals on the Republican list:

* State and local employee pension reform. Equal share of pensions costs between employer and employer, base pay (salary only) to determine final retirement benefits, no spiking and no double-dipping (drawing a full time salary and pension from the same employer).

* Cost-effective analysis of proposed major regulations and legislation.

* Sending cap based on CPI and population with revenues above cap going to pay down debt, and building of a 10 percent rainy day reserve.

* Education reform. Last in, first out reform, allowing layoffs, transfers, etc. to be based on teacher performance instead of seniority. Extend deadline to notify teachers of layoffs and tenure status, giving school districts more time to evaluate their budget situation and send out more accurate notifications.

* Realign policy implications for law enforcement as entire budget is based on saving $5.9 billion by shifting services to local level with no plan for how to fund locals after taxes expire.

A stumbling block for Gov. Jerry Brown should he succeed in putting his tax initiatives on the November ballot are several proposed initiatives now in the process of qualifying, which will give taxpayers the choice to limit the growth in state spending to the combined growth of population and inflation, institute a cap on retirement benefits and require state and local employees pay an equal share of pension costs.

Only question I have pertains to how the inflation rate in California will be calculated. The Federal Reserve Board is estimating the common trend rate of inflation for consumer prices – excluding food and energy prices!

I asked my wife to pinch me. Like the rest of the audience at St. Ignatius of Antioch Church on March 26th I was transported and could have been dreaming. Indeed, I wasn’t in a vaunted metropolitan cathedral or a celebrated concert hall.

Instead, for the price of a free will offering at the gem of a neighborhood church on Contra Loma Blvd.,  I was enjoying world class music and a cake and champagne  reception in the latest installment of the Friends of Music series.  I know of no other church in the East Bay offering this kind of program, an eclectic combination of religious and secular music that brings in blue-ribbon talent.

Though a dedicated following has built, the Series still remains the best kept secret in Far East County. Allow me, then, to dispel any possible apprehensions; it’s not a churchy or parochial event; the only thing being preached is the love of music and the openness to community.

The organ alone made the visit worthwhile. It is equivalent to a 110 rank organ but has hundreds of additional sounds stored in the midi. Choosing  the incomparable Johann as a subject was a special treat on the instrument. The performance brilliantly underscored Bach’s intellectual depth, technical command and unsurpassed artistic beauty. Bach’s music creates not only puts the senses to flight but studying it creates awe at his integration of symmetry, numbers and pure mathematics.  

The evening featured a Concerto in A Minor, Cantata no. 51, Toccata and Fugue in D Minor, Fanfare, Minuet,  Sleepers, Awake A Voice is Calling, Prelude for the Suite Nr. 1 for Cello,  a breathtaking Ave Maria sung by Ms. Ferry and a surprising and scintillating rendition of Air played by jazz saxophonist Peter Graves.  Don Pearson put an exclamation point on the evening’s delight with an original composition written for the evening, a birthday Sinfonia.

The community is blessed by Don ‘s presence. He’s a superb organist and a renowned musical director who received national recognition for the music series he created in Denver at the nation’s fifth largest cathedral.  Thanks go to Rev Robert Rien, Parochial Administrator at St. Ignatius, accomplished organist and certified organ builder who had the vision to bring Don to our community and this exciting project to the East Bay.

Future Friends of Music events might include fun variations like silent movies with organ background. Expect the next performance in May or June. Check the Calendar of Events or Datebook or call (925) 778-0768 to be put on an email list. Don’t let this best kept secret remain foreign to you. It’s a treasure in our own backyard. waiting for you to simply open it. 

And to Johann, thanks for three and quarter centuries of joy. Happy birthday, Johann! Happy birthday, dear Johann! Happy birthday to you! 

One of former Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger’s last actions before leaving office was to commute or reduce the manslaughter sentence of Esteban Nunez, the son of a former labor leader, Assembly Speaker and political ally Fabien Nunez. His action lead to a reduction of Esteban’s prison sentence from 16 years to 7.

You may remember Fabien Nunez. He authored Assembly Bill 32, the so- called “Global Warning Solutions Act” which authorized the California Air Resources Board (ARB) to set the scoping plan for reducing greenhouse gas emissions (GHG) to 1990 levels via regulations, market mechanisms and other actions. Rules and mechanisms adopted by ARB are to take effect by January 1, 2012; the deadline for achieving the 2020 GHB emissions cap is December 31, 2020.

You’ve probably heard it referred to more frequently as “cap and trade” regulation. It’s been getting a lot of press lately e.g. a court in San Francisco has ordered further study of AB32 after environmentalists sued ARB saying failure to consider alternatives violated state environmental law.

The Cap-and-trade program gives polluters, such as a utility or refinery, a state permit allowing them to send a specified amount of carbon dioxide and other green house gases into the air. If the company emits less than its permit, it can sell its “carbon credits” to another company which has already used up its allotted amount of pollution, the logic of which I fail to comprehend.

What you may not have heard about, however, is the “Green Water Tax Proposal” drafted by students and consultants at the U.C. Berkeley Goldman School of Public Policy, reviewed by PUC staff and allegedly posted on their web site. (It’s not there now.).

The $3.4 billion surcharge or tax on energy related costs to pump and treat water would be implemented in 2012 in order to meet the administrative costs of implementing AB32. ( Note: It takes $1.1 billion to operate the entire State Water Project each year and the annual budget for the CA Dept of Water Resources is $3.6 billion.)

As Shakespeare put it, it appears that there maybe something rotten in the State of Denmark.

On March 8th, the City Council unanimously passed resolutions approving Letters of Understanding for the Antioch Police Sworn Management Association and the Antioch Police Officers Association (APOA).

As you probably know, both Antioch Police Sworn Management Association and APOA have a 3% at age 50 PERS retirement package vs. a 2.7% at age 55 for almost all other city employees (Pensions are calculated on wages earned during the final year of employment.)

Prior to the current economic woes and the growing unfunded heath and dental benefits for CalPERS state retirees, which as of June 30,2010, grew $8.1 billion from the $51.8 billion obligation identified in the prior year, Antioch employees paid zero toward their PERS retirement benefit. Which is why it was such an important factor in the city’s recent negotiations with all employee groups.

Employees in most units agreed to no raises in 2009, 2010, 2012 and 3% in 2013, in addition to a phase-in of employee share of payment for PERS. Here are some of the specifics of the deal Council cut with the Antioch Police Sworn Management Association and APOA.

The Antioch Police Sworn Management Association agreed to waive wages increases for November 2009, November 2010, March and November of 2011, March and November of 2012. Although waiving November 2013 wage increase, effective the first payroll periods after March 2013, March 2014 and March 2015 salaries are to be increased between 2-6%, the amount of salary increase to be based upon the existing four city survey of Concord, Pittsburg, Richmond and Walnut Creek, the city calculating the salary increase to bring members into second place.

The survey, however, will be limited to wage comparisons and won’t compare employee benefits, e.g. what employees pay into their health care coverage, retirement programs (such as PERS) or if they pay into Social Security. According to City Manager Jim Jakel, city employees are generally not paying into Social Security but do pay what he considers to be the Medicare portion.

The agreement also called for Police Managers to pay the full 9% employee share of PERS over a five-year phase in., extended their MOU to February 28, 2016 and included a Retire/Rehire Program, rather than upping the age of retirement to age 55!

APOA agreed to defer (not waive) the September 2009, September 2010, March 2011 and September 1, 2011 salary increases and begin paying 3% towards PERS as of July 1, 2011. Their concession agreement, however, ends on December 31, 2011, although their existing contract with the city runs till September 2013.

In addition, council granted them 2 extra holidays, meaning more officers will have to work overtime , allowing them to bump up their pensions when they retire. Increased overtime costs also mean less money for additional staffing.

Let’s hope the city has a tougher negotiator in their next round of contract talks with APOA . Frankly I think Council kicked the can down the road and should insist that APOA agree to a phase-in of the full employee share of PERS just as Antioch Police Managers did.