Page 8 July 20, 2017 City Council from front page the ordinary tasks in their current position as a result of injury or illness; industrial disability retirement, which covers safety members, as well as members of agencies that contract for said benefit. These members are also unable to fully engage in the daily tasks associated with their current position as a result of a job-related illness or injury. Employees entering service/normal retirement are also protected. Service retirement through CalPERS is a lifetime benefit that continues to cost associated agencies such as cities, public school systems and the California State University system millions of dollars each year. According to D.C-based think tank Urban Institute, in 2012 cities across the nation dedicated an average of nine percent of direct general expenditures to their respective employee retirement systems. In addition, the Federal Reserve Board estimated that by 2014 that unfunded state and local liabilities would account for 60 percent of governments’ annual revenue. Through Section 96.31 of the Revenue and Taxation Code, put into effect in 1985, localities were given the authority to impose a property tax rate that would fund the pension programs approved by a city’s voters on July 1, 1978. On August of 2013, the City of Inglewood was informed by the County of Los Angeles that Ordinance 2449 would no longer suffice for the property tax rolls. Hence, the City Council would need to approve an ordinance annually to approve the established tax rate. “The City’s Chief Financial Officer is authorized and directed to apply the tax proceeds produced by this ordinance only toward indebtedness incurred by the City in maintaining the level of retirement benefits that existed under the Fire and Police Retirement System and Employees’ Retirement System at the time of the adoption of the Charter by the electorate of this City in 1944 and amended in 1999, for all current and future employees,” states Section 4 of the Ordinance. “This ordinance constitutes an ordinance providing for a tax levy on property and may be adopted on the day of its introduction, and shall be effective upon adoption pursuant Article X.” • The Mayweather/McGregor Circus is Already in Town By Adam Serrao If you’ve ever been to the circus, then you know how that sort of thing goes. Clowns and animals parade around in a circle, doing tricks and stunts, all for your entertainment and enjoyment. There’s a different kind of circus in town, but instead of the $15 entrance fee and cotton candy, this one will charge you nearly $100 to watch from home. A price that steep certainly does its part to lift an eyebrow or two, but when Floyd Mayweather, Jr. and Connor McGregor take the ring on August 26 at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, there will be little need to lift an eyebrow, a wallet, or a remote. The publicity stunt that is for some reason taking the nation by storm is now in full effect and the two fighters at the center of the stage are proving just how ridiculous their charade actually is. Conor McGregor isn’t even the best fighter in his sport. Sure he has beaten Jose Aldo and Eddie Alvarez--and in doing so, supposedly took the UFC by storm. It’s not McGregor’s fighting skills that allow him to be so popular, though. It’s his loud, outrageous behavior that gains the mixed martial artist popularity. Let’s say that McGregor is the best UFC fighter to ever live. He has lost three times in his career, so he obviously isn’t…but for the sake of discussion, let’s assume he’s unbeatable in the sport of UFC. Even still, getting in a ring with Floyd Mayweather to box would be like asking someone from your local YMCA basketball court to play against LeBron James and beat him. There’s simply no chance, unless LeBron lets you win. Even though McGregor isn’t the best UFC fighter ever, he’s the biggest draw in the sport right now because of his antics and ability to throw water bottles at his competitors all while getting them fired up. Likewise, he gets his fans fired up too. To expect him to have any chance at all against Mayweather, though, when even the likes of the all-time great Oscar De La Hoya (and plenty of other alltime fighters) stood no chance, is like asking a first-time snowboarder to attack a double black diamond without falling down once. “You’re going to ask McGregor to go inside a boxing ring, where he has no experience whatsoever?” De La Hoya said of the fight that even he calls a joke. “He’s never laced up a glove. I call it a circus. I don’t think it’s fair for the sport of boxing.” De La Hoya is obviously concerned that the hype surrounding the fight will damage the sport of boxing that he loves so dearly. Even though the event that will take place will supposedly be a boxing match, neither McGregor nor Mayweather are concerned with the sport itself. The only thing that would get Mayweather out of retirement--as well as the only thing that Floyd Mayweather cares about in this world--is money. Not only has it become apparent that Mayweather is in trouble with the IRS lately and owes upwards of $22 million in back taxes, but he’s the same guy whose nickname is “Money” and likes to buy Lamborghinis that he’ll never drive just so he can look cool. The more than $300 million that he’ll get from this fight will do well to not only pay back the IRS, but also buy him a few more Lamborghinis to keep on his front lawn. McGregor, on the other hand, just had his first child in May. Knowing how much a child can change a person’s perspective on life, the more than $100 million that he will make from the publicity stunt that will be called a “fight” will do well to send him into retirement and set up his family nicely for the rest of their collective lives. Neither fighter is interested in actually fighting on August 26. McGregor even told an entire auditorium in London during the fighters’ last press conference the real reason why he signed up to dance with Mayweather. “Half a fight, let’s get that right. I get to quadruple my net worth for a half a [expletive] fight. Sign me up. You mean no one’s gonna kick, no one’s gonna knee, no one’s gonna elbow, and it’s against [more expletives Mayweather].” Despite the charade that some people are actually falling for, neither fighter is interested in actually throwing punches. They’re both only interested in the future and stuffing their pockets with tons of money that a fan base who thinks that it will see an actual fight will inevitably give to them. Don’t forget the fight that Mayweather signed up for against Manny Pacquiao that was also ultimately a letdown. This event will be more of the same. One click of the button to buy the pay-per-view fight will lead to an inevitably let-down fan base, walking away empty-danded from an affair that will only serve to make Mayweather and McGregor richer than they already are. The more Mayweather and McGregor appear on national television yelling at each other as if they hate one another, the more it becomes apparent that the two met in a back room, shook hands and decided that they would barrage each other with insults in order to drum up enough interest for their salsa dance at the end of August. There is no hate shared by the two fighters. There are even reports that they shared the same private jet on the way over to London. They can be seen smiling at one another--almost laughing at one another’s fabricated insults directed at each other as they sit perched on stage. There is no will to absolutely defeat one another within the boundaries that the DISH DEALS!! $49./99 mo. for 24 months ADD HIGH-SPEED INTERNET $14./mo. Switch to DISH and Get a FREE Echo Dot Control your TV hands-free with DISH Hopper + Amazon Alexa “Alexa, go to HGTV.” LIMITED TIME! Mention oer code FreeEchoDot Requires internet-connected Hopper® or Wally® and Echo, Echo Dot or Amazon Tap device. CALL TODAY - PROMO CODE: FreeEchoDot 1-877-781-4694 95 where available 190 Channels Now only ... Requires credit qualication and commitment sport provides. There is simply yelling and fake shaming on a level that more resembles the WWE than anything else--especially an actual sport. And it’s all done with the intent of getting us to believe that the two will actually work for their money when the time presents itself to do so. The fight between Mayweather and McGregor will be the highest-grossing match in the history of professional fighting. No matter how fake and artificial the pre-fight press conferences tend to be, people will still tune in and click “purchase” simply to see what will happen. It’s like the unfortunate car crash on the highway that most people simply can’t look away from as they drive by. So for now, let the two con artists barrage you with slanders and harsh words toward one another that will seem stronger than any other punch thrown on fight night will be. Once the fight does happen, though, and everyone walks away unsatisfied after the quick and manufactured dance around the ring, don’t say that you didn’t see it coming. • – Asixlion@earthlink.net Visit us online: www.heraldpublications.com
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