Page 4 January 16, 2014 One Man’s Opinion Another Man’s Opinion By Gerry Chong Watching the devolvement of Obamacare is like a rerun of the old joke about the fool who fell off the roof of a high rise building. The tenants on each floor could hear him shouting as he flew past, “So far, so good!” Arms windmilling as he dropped past the 50th floor, he recognized that the cancellation of 60-75% of the employer health plans would raise the number of uninsured by as many as 80 million people, so he postponed that mandate for one year. Deferring that disaster he shouted, “So far, so good!” Gaining speed and rocketing past the 25th floor, he realized that cancelling 50% of the individually held insurance plans would cost another 4.7 million plans. So he declared a moratorium on criminalizing those policy losers for another year. As window dressing, he focused on the two million who signed up for Obamacare without mention of the number who actually paid for their new policies. Again, the pain was delayed and papered over, so the diving fool shouted, “So far, so good!” By the time he passed the 15th floor, the program’s namesake was vacationing in Hawaii when the state acknowledged that it had spent $204 million on Obamacare and had signed up a meager 960 people. To be viable, Hawaiians declared it needed to sign up 50,000 people and businesses by June 30, 2014 or the money will have run out and the Joe’s Sports By Joe Snyder After several successful seasons, Leuzinger High’s boys’ basketball team is facing rebuilding with a 6-10 overall record. The Olympians, however, continued to own their cross-town rival Hawthorne as they coasted to a 60-51 non-league victory last Friday at Leuzinger. The game was close most of the way, although the Olympians led during most of the contest. Leuzinger led by just two at 25-23 at halftime and by eight (41-33) after three quarters, but had a big first five minutes of the fourth period with a 15-1 run to build a 56-34 lead that put away the Cougars (5-7). Despite the loss, Hawthorne finished with a flourish behind four three-point baskets by Markell Gray, who scored 15 of his team-high 16 points in the fourth quarter. “We had our ups and downs,” Leuzinger head coach Ali Parvaz said. “We won three of our last four Leuzinger Breezes Past Hawthorne Leuzinger’s Isaac Stell attempts a three-pointer in last Friday’s nonleague boys’ basketball rivalry against Hawthorne. The Olympians defeated the Cougars 60-51. Leuzinger visits Peninsula in the Bay League Friday at 7:30 p.m. Photo by Joe Snyder Finally, Somebody Steps Up to Prevent Mass Spying of Citizens program would not be economically viable. Only 49,040 to go, bro. “So far, so good!” As the 10th floor flew past, the human glider acknowledged that 40% of the new healthcare enrollees need to be healthy young people willing to sacrifice their income as a patriotic gesture to lower premiums for the poor and elderly. Alas, to date, patriotic young’uns comprise only 25% of enrollees. For shame, you whippersnappers. But the day is still young, so if young people will walk away from their parents’ plans and step up to buy their own, it could save the country. Otherwise, the wicked insurance companies will have to raise their 2015 premiums so high that no one can afford insurance. But then, it’s only 2014, not 2015, so the pain has not arrived. “So far, so good!” Now desperate, at the second floor, flapping his wings did not slow his descent. The Washington Post reported that one-third of the signups have a critical flaw: the government has failed to notify insurance companies of their new enrollees! Moreover, in August, just two months before the law became effective, the agency responsible for the law’s implementation learned that the building of the financial management system is “beyond its currently available resources.” Presumably, an increase in taxpayer funding would save the law for another day. “So far so good!”…or as Annie would say, “Tomorrow, tomorrow, tomorrow, you’re only a day away.” SPLAT! • By Cristian Vasquez Due to the repeated admission by federal administrators that there has been a widespread effort to spy on American citizens who are innocent of any wrongdoing, Senators Ted Lieu and Joel Anderson introduced a bill seeking to ban state agencies, officials and corporations that currently provide a service to the state from assisting the federal government in its efforts to spy and collect certain data on Californians. It is troubling and disheartening that the federal government has spent so much time and resources on domestic espionage of people who have done nothing wrong. It is even more frustrating that since the tragic events from September 11, there are leaders still willing to exploit the fears and anguish of the victims of that day to justify these types of espionage tactics on private citizens. Sens. Lieu and Anderson are taking a stand, for now symbolic, against such invasive practices. It is no surprise that the government, on any level, can spy on citizens. However, the steps that the NSA took to collect information on millions of citizens are as ridiculous as they are criminal. One report indicated that the NSA collected phone information on an estimated 317 million Americans. Of those citizens whose privacy was violated for no good reason, about 38 million are Californians. The NSA and President Obama’s administration can claim that these actions were taken in the name of national security, but the truth is that such an explanation is simply a copout. It is difficult for me to believe that 38 million Californians are involved in criminal activity. It is even harder to accept that 317 million Americans are such a threat to national security that we need the NSA to spy on their phone calls. Conducting secret surveillance on a group of individuals involved with criminal activities is a legitimate security measure. In order to do so, there are several steps that must be followed, such as obtaining warrants and other paperwork that help maintain transparency throughout the process. The bill introduced by Sens. Lieu and Anderson attempts to preserve that process in order to maintain the privacy rights of every law-abiding Californian. Maybe I’m old-fashioned in believing in the Fourth Amendment to the United States Constitution and the right of Americans to not be subjected to “unreasonable searches and seizures.” In California, the NSA would rely on the services provided by the state and private entities to collect and conduct such surveillance. With the bill attempting to ban state agencies, officials and corporations providing any services to the state from giving support, from participating or assisting any federal agency in spying efforts, at least Californians will be more protected than your average American. The first step has been taken with the bill introduced by Sens. Lieu and Anderson. Maybe the rest of our elected officials in Sacramento can pass the bill and enforce it for the well-being of every Californian. • “He recognized that the cancellation of 60-75% of the employer health plans would raise the number of uninsured by as many as 80 million people.” going into league. Any win is fine. We won the games we’re supposed to win.” The Olympians were led by Davon Abner, who topped all scorers with 22 points. Isaac Stell added 14 points. Two days earlier at Lawndale, Leuzinger fell victim to the Cardinals for the first time, 51-45. On January 4 in the Division III Extravaganza at San Juan Hills in San Juan Capistrano, the Olympians downed the host Colts 61-44. During the week between Christmas and New Year’s, Leuzinger competed in the highly competitive Maxpreps Holiday Classic in Palm Springs, losing four of five. The Olympians lost to Catalina Foothills from Tucson, Arizona, 54-47, Rancho Cucamonga Los Osos, 35-33, and Oceanside El Camino, 63-59, before recording an easy victory over Garden Grove Orangewood Academy, 76-46. Ricky Bryant chipped in 11 points in Hawthorne’s loss to Leuzinger. A day earlier at St. Bernard in Playa del Rey, the Cougars topped the Vikings 48-44. Brian Ross led Hawthorne with 15 points. Marlon Towns contributed 12 points and Bryant had eight points. Leuzinger began the Bay League at Palos Verdes last Tuesday and will host Rolling Hills Estates Peninsula in its second league contest Friday at 7:30 p.m. The Olympians will play in the Martin Luther King Shootout at Price Christian High in South Los Angeles next Monday before resuming league at home against Mira Costa on Tuesday at 7:30 p.m. The Cougars started the Ocean League at home against Beverly Hills on Wednesday and will visit Inglewood Friday at 7:30 p.m. Hawthorne visits Morningside in Inglewood next Wednesday at the same time. LAWNDALE FINALLY TOPS LEUZINGER Over the past few seasons, Lawndale High’s boys’ basketball team was unable to defeat powerful Leuzinger, but this year the Cardinals finally got the edge. At Lawndale on January 8, the Cardinals picked up clutch plays to top the Olympians 51-45. The game was mostly seesaw and saw several lead changes. Lawndale was able to get fine shooting by R’Lando Beckles, who led the Cardinals (9-7) with 21 points. Six-foot-nine junior center-forward Chimezie Metu tallied 13 points and 18 rebounds. Abner sparked Leuzinger with 21 points, nine rebounds and five steals. Stell totaled 10 points, five rebounds and five steals, and Davonte Carr had seven points and seven rebounds. The Cardinals’ win over the Olympians came after close losses to them over the past two seasons. Last year Lawndale fell to Leuzinger by two points, and two years ago by four points. In the Cavalier Classic at Cerritos College last Saturday, the Cardinals topped Rolling Hills Prep from San Pedro 68-60. Lawndale led throughout the entire game. Metu sparked the Cardinals with 25 points. Beckles put in 13 points and Roderick Jones had nine. Jackie Davis led the Huskies with a gamehigh 26 points. Lawndale opened the Pioneer League at home against El Segundo on Wednesday and will be at home against Centennial of Compton Friday at 7:30 p.m. The Cardinals visit North Torrance in a key league game next Wednesday at the same time. HAWTHORNE, ANIMO BATTLE TO TIE So far, Hawthorne High’s boys’ soccer team is enjoying one of its best starts ever at 9-1-2. The Cougars are currently ranked fifth in the CIF-Southern Section Division IV and should be top contenders for the Ocean League championship. Last Friday, Hawthorne hosted small schools power Animo Leadership High from Inglewood, last year’s Southern Section Division VI and Southern California Division III champion. The Cougars ran off to a good start with a 2-0 lead only to see the Aztec-Eagles rally for two unanswered goals to forge a 2-2 non-league tie. Hawthorne took a two-goal lead in the 64th minute on a goal by Gardena Serra transfer Jeremiah Egujie on an assist by Francisco Alvarez. Animo, though, came back with two goals after a corner kick by David Esparza banked in the Hawthorne box. After a free kick, Ernesto Lopez drilled it on the upper right part of the net to tie the match. Edgar Navarro scored the Cougars’ first goal off an assist by Bryan Larios early in the second half. Hawthorne began the Ocean League at home against Beverly Hills on Wednesday and will visit Inglewood Friday at 6 p.m. The Cougars’ game against the Normans should be a matchup between two of the top teams in the league. •
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