TORRANCE TRIBUNE April 17, 2014 Page 11 One Man’s Opinion Another Man’s Opinion GOP Continues to Promote a Culture of Inequality Looking for the Torrance Tribune? You can find us at all the following locations as well as our Web site: www.heraldpublications.com Want a subscription? For $50 a year, we will mail a newspaper to your home. Just mail us a check. We will use the address on the check for your subscription address, unless instructions state otherwise. Mail the check to Herald Publications, 312 E. Imperial Ave., El Segundo, 90245. Please add “Torrance Subscription” in the memo line. 1-Naba Japanese Restaurant 20920 Hawthorne Blvd. American Tire 22940 Hawthorne Blvd. Anza Pacific Barber Salon 4330 Pacific Coast Highway Arco 23510 Crenshaw Blvd. Arico Hallmark 3856 Sepulveda Blvd. Artesian Car Wash 17500 Prairie Ave. Barnes & Noble 21500 Hawthorne Blvd. Benihana 21327 Hawthorne Blvd. Billy’s Deli & Cafe 5160 W. 190th St. Bottle Shop 2087 Torrance Blvd. Buffalo Fire Department 1261 Cabrillo Ave. Chamber Of Commerce 3400 Torrance Blvd. Chase Bank 2549 P.C.H., Torrance Chateau Liquor 4545 W. Sepulveda Blvd. Chinese Shanghai Restaurant 2880 P.C.H., Torrance Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf 21300B Hawthorne Blvd. Cop-A-Tan 24231 Crenshaw Blvd. Courtyard Torrance 1925 190th St. Cousin Vinny’s Cafe 5150 W. 190th St. Creative Cuts Int’l. 21217 Hawthorne Blvd. Crest Restaurant and Bar 1625 Cabrillo Ave. CVS 1303 Sepulveda Blvd. Dee Hardison Gym 2400 Jefferson St. Del Amo Car Wash 20505 Hawthorne Blvd. Del Amo Professional Pharmacy 21320 Hawthorne Blvd. Dino’s Burgers 1975 Torrance Blvd. El Camino College 16007 Crenshaw Blvd. El Pollo Inka 23705 Hawthorne Blvd. Fox Drug of Torrance 1327 El Prado Ave. Frank’s Liquor 1601 Cabrillo Ave. Froots 21219 Hawthorne Blvd. Griffith Adult Center 2291 Washington Ave. Hamilton Adult Center 2606 W. 182nd St. Hof’s Hut 23635 Crenshaw Blvd. Infiniti South Bay 3233 P.C.H., Torrance Jack’s Pizza 5007 P.C.H., Torrance Ken’s Market 901 Inglewood Ave., Redondo Bch L. A. Fitness 3550 W. Carson St #404 La Cocina 4438 182nd St., Redondo Bch. Lingley Chevron Extra Mile 23420 Crenshaw Blvd. Little Company Of Mary Hospital 4101 Torrance Blvd. Little Company Of Mary Medical Cntr 4201 Torrance Blvd. Manee Thai Massage 24020 Vista Montana #A Massey’s House of Flowers 25929 S. Western Blvd. Miyako Hybrid Hotel 21381 S. Western Ave. Old Torrance Coffee & Tea 1413 Marcelina Ave. Pacific Porsche 2900 P.C.H., Torrance Palos Verdes Bowl 24600 Crenshaw Blvd. PCH Smiles 2740 Pacific Coast Hwy. Pediatric Therapy Network 1815 W. 213th St., Suite 100 Power Volvo 3010 P.C.H., Torrance Ralphs 1413 Hawthorne Blvd. Ralphs 5035 P.C.H., Torrance Rascal’s Teriyaki Grill 5111 Torrance Blvd. Residence Inn 3701 Torrance Blvd. Seashore Chinese 5137 Calle Mayor Seafood Town Chinese Resturant 22922 Hawthorne Blvd. Shakey’s Pizza 5105 Torrance Blvd., Torrance Shorewood Realty 1009 Torrance Blvd. Snax Restaurant 4535 Sepulveda Blvd. South Bay BMW 18800 Hawthorne Blvd. South Bay Pain Docs 2557-A Pacific Coast Hwy. South Coast Retina Center 2601 Airport Dr., Suite 210 South End Racquet & Health Club 2800 Skypark Dr. Southeast Torrance Library 23115 Arlington Ave. Southwood Dry Cleaners 22232 Palos Verdes Blvd. Spires Restaurant 1750 Sepulveda Blvd Starbuck’s Coffee 5005 P.C.H., Torrance Staybridge Suites Hotel 19901 Prairie Ave. Street Faire Antiques, 1317 Sartori Ave. T.R.G. Real Estate Group 3480 Torrance Blvd. The Depot 1250 Cabrillo Ave. The Little Gym 21203 Hawthorne Blvd. Tony Roma’s 24301 Crenshaw Blvd. Torrance Bakery 1341 El Prado Ave. Torrance City Hall 3031 Torrance Blvd. Torrance Cultural Arts Center 3320 Civic Center Torrance Historical Society 1345 Post Ave. Torrance Library 3301 Torrance Blvd. Torrance Library 4805 Emerald St. Torrance Police Dept. 3300 Civic Center Torrance Police Dept. 3624 Artesia Blvd. Torrance Produce Market & Deli 1303 El Prado Ave. Torrance Recreation Center 3341 Torrance Blvd. Tortilla Cantina 1225 El Prado Ave. Toyota North America 19001 S. Western Ave. Tucker’s Market 3690 Newton St. Vince’s Spaghetti 23609 Hawthorne Blvd. Volunteer Center 1230 Cravens Ave. Wahoo’s Fish Taco 3556 Torrance Blvd. Walgreens 2690 P.C.H., Torrance Walgreens 4142 P.C.H., Torrance Walgreens 2976 W. Sepulveda Blvd. Walgreens 2321 Hawthorne Blvd, Redondo Beach Walgreens 22930 S. Western Ave. Walmart Neighborhood Market 19340 Hawthorne Blvd. West End Raquet & Health 4343 Spencer St. Western Museum of Flight 3315 Airport Drive ‘Y’ Not Burgers 22940 Hawthorne Blvd Yamabuki Restaurant 23863 Hawthorne Blvd. YMCA Torrance-South Bay 2900 E. Sepulveda Blvd. By Gerry Chong The man with the slicked-back hair, the mustache and goatee, and the glowing red eyes knows a great deal about the human condition. Knowing today’s popular leaders don’t use their names--just their initials--he goes by BLZ-Bub. He knows too that to retain his popularity, he needs a stage or platform where members of the social media can find him 24/7. So he created a comedy club painted completely black--a place where performers can reflect the theater of the absurd that is required to live in Obama’s America. Beginning his shtick, he begins: “Hey, hey, folks, did you hear that the Exalted One issued another Executive Order? He proclaimed that it is illegal for companies doing business with the U.S. government to discriminate against women by paying them less than men. Moreover, he encouraged women to rise up and openly oppose discrimination by those Simon Legrees, those exploiters of women. So far, so good, right? Only problem is that the Obama Administration pays its female employees only 88 percent as much as men. So since this declaration is now the law of the land, should female government employees demonstrate, assemble and compare their salaries and benefits to their male counterparts? His voice rising, BLZ exhorted, “Rise up, you women! Throw off those yokes of tyranny, just the way Community Organizers dating all the way back to Saul Alinsky have begged you to do.” Covering his mike to keep from losing his composure, with tears of laughter rolling down his cheeks, BLZ continued, ”Know how Obamacare got to 7.1 million signups? Easy, they cancelled 4.7 million private policies, so that when enrollees ‘re-upped’ under Obamacare, they were counted anew. That’s like running a 26-mile marathon and being spotted just nine miles from the finish line. The first 17 miles were a ‘gimme.’ Cool, no? “Then, “continued BLZ, “Obama crowed that since last October Medicaid enrollment grew by three million. But isn’t that too few? Given the fact that, under Obama’s economic policies there are 46 million living below the poverty line, shouldn’t even more people be enrolled under this healthcare version of welfare? In Obama’s America, an economic tragedy is a welfare victory. To thunderous applause, BLZ hits his performance peak: “Here’s Obamacare’s news of the week. Since the initial sign-up period ended on March 31, most people cannot buy health insurance until the next sign-up period begins in January 2015! That’s right, unless you experience a life-changing event, like you were hit by a truck, you are frozen out of the government insurance marketplace. So much for reaching the goal of universal health insurance.” As BLZ-Bub reveals, life in Obama’s America is a tragicomic place. Government rules don’t apply to government. Finagling statistics is normal. Freezing insurance enrollment is a way to encourage enrollment. Up is down, left is right…literally and figuratively. So come one, come all. Giggle and cry at the BLZ-Bub Comedy Club, Obama’s America in microcosm. • By Cristian Vasquez Once again members of the GOP, in all their infinite wisdom, decided that a certain segment of the population should be treated different for reasons that only make sense to people within their ranks. On April 9, Senate Republicans blocked Democratic Sen. Barbara Mikulski’s Paycheck Fairness Act. The act sought to reduce workplace discrimination against women specifically with regards to equal pay. Democrats are claiming that Republicans oppose the bill and equal pay for equal work while Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell argues that the bill has more to do with the opposition pandering to the left than with providing equal pay for women. The truth is that the bill would make it difficult for employers to pay women less than men through additional regulations. In addition, it would make it easier for wronged workers to sue. Sen. McConnell and his Neanderthal Republican colleagues can try to paint the Paycheck Fairness Act as no more than an attempt by the Democratic Party to satisfy the left, but their opposition to this act is proof that the right appreciates some good old-fashioned discrimination. That is very frustrating coming from a group that prides itself in working hard to earn one’s share without special treatment. Yet, they are absolutely fine with having men earn more money for the exact same work that women complete. It is evident that any form of special treatment only disturbs these Republican Senators when it does not benefit their best interest. In the end, 44 Senators refused to allow a dialogue to take place. Every voting Republican was against all efforts to continue working on the measure. The message to women from the right is clear: no matter how hard they work, or how good they are at their jobs, women do not deserve the same pay as their male colleagues. During the past three election years, the Democrats have addressed the issue of equal pay for women and Republicans have opposed the idea each time. It is hard to understand why a group of well-educated individuals think in such a manner. It is unfortunate that such misogynistic attitudes within the right continue to thrive, despite the significant amount of successful women in the Republican Party’s ranks. Not even the possibility that such a law would benefit fellow GOP members was enough for these Senators to take the time to discuss the merits behind the act. I understand that we all think of the past fondly, but the Republican leaders have a fascination with only the bad elements of the past such as denying everyone equal access. These Senators are a disgrace to our modern society and they are committing a disservice to the voters. I hope that the younger Republicans rising through the party’s ranks don’t carry with them these same attitudes. As a country, we will only move forward at a much slower pace if we continue to allow for such discrimination thrive. • “Only problem is that the Obama Administration pays its female employees only 88 percent as much as men.”
Torrance 04_17_14
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