SYSTEM: Please welcome Carl who just joined the chat.

Carl: Good morning

SYSTEM: Please welcome Sungold who just joined the chat.

Sungold: Good Morning

SYSTEM: Please welcome ProducerBadBob who just joined the chat.

Sungold: I have to give a huge shout out to fire Chief Gerry Gray! We had a couple of concerns in our neighborhood with the coming fire season. I called Chief Gray and he referred me to Fire Prevention. He personally came out and checked out the situation, called me on his cell telling me he was looking a

Sungold: the situation and it was of concern. He got it taken care of and asked me to let him know when the homeowners got it fixed. Very impressive service to the community

ProducerBadBob: wow kudos

SYSTEM: Please welcome Dave who just joined the chat.

Dave: My sungold cherry tomatoes are about one half inch. Should be ripe in a week or two with these warm days.

SYSTEM: Please welcome Jennay who just joined the chat.

ProducerBadBob: Welcome Jennay

ProducerBadBob: hey Dave

Dave: My mandarin and navel oranges will give me no fruit this year. Heavy rainstorms, which I thought might break the skylights, destroyed all the blossoms.

ProducerBadBob: :( dave

SYSTEM: Please welcome Jennay who just joined the chat.

ProducerBadBob: if your audio is not playing close your browser and re-open it that fixes the issue most of the time. You may have to click the play arrow at the top on some systems

Dave: My citrus trees are growing like crazy since they aren't putting any energy into fruit. Should give me about five years of growth this year. I will have a record peach crop.

ProducerBadBob: Redding has a long standing reputation for outstanding women's softball teams, who remembers the Redding Rebels?

Guest: world champions at least a couple of years

Sungold: We had a record lemon crop, 1,226 lemons off of our one tree. Needless to say, we had in trimmed back by 1/3. It already has a huge crop growing again. Orange tree is loaded too for the first time. It is about 5 years old now.

Sungold: My tomatoes have lots of blooms, three days ago I did not see any tomatoes yet. Of course, the Sungold cherry is loaded with blooms

Sungold: Tomato plants got a little beat up with the heavy rains but they will be OK. I have to remember to keep cutting the bottom branches that are touching the soil

Sungold: Two heirloom squashes are doing well, big flowers emerging from the middle a few days ago

ProducerBadBob: Got a great crop of foxtails and wild oats going... >

Dave: The trick to early tomatoes is growing them in black plastic pots on the porch. The soil temperature is much higher than in the ground, so they get a head start. Then when the nighttime lows are above 50, plant in the garden.

Sungold: I got a volunteer crop of the most beautiful dark purple lettuce this year. It is growing like crazy and I cannot keep up with it. Seeds just hid for a few years until the rain this winter brought them back to life. Best lettuce I have ever had.

Dave: I hate foxtails. $750 vet bill. Most of the dogs at the vet office that day had foxtails in nose, ears, eyes, paws. They can even get in the bloodstream and into the spine, brain and lungs.

Sungold: Yikes, spray those babies off your property.

Sungold: My hubby walks our dog and he has strict instruction to keep her out of weeds, and not drink gutter water, or eat walnuts that have blown into the street.

Dave: The dogs which run with their nose just above the ground have the worst problems. Generally, those breeds have long floppy ears like beagles and bassetts

Sungold: And not to pee on the neighbors lawns!!

Sungold: Yep, we have a Havanese, long ears, and she is a Hoover....sniffing every inch of ground

Dave: Hope the vet talks about foxtails. They are still green now, but when they start going to seed, this could be an awful year for the dogs.

Sungold: BB, where did the wild oats come from?

ProducerBadBob: We live out off placer, critters come tromping through the foothills spreading every kind of grasses.

Sungold: Ah, do you have dogs?

ProducerBadBob: Also quite a bumper crop of Poison Oak, and we resorted reluctantly to chemical warfare (Roundup) to deal with that. Just the one beagle cross.

Dave: My dog is a mutt, looks a bit like a German shorthaired pointer and runs with his nose about 2 ft in the air. Perfect for avoiding foxtails.

Sungold: We are getting coyotes in our area. A totally built up neighborhood (s) and all around us too. Don't know whey they are coming in here, except that a lot of cats are disappearing.

Sungold: They must be coming up the hill from Churn Creek bottom where there a a lot of farms. I saw one from my security camera system on my cell phone. It was sitting on my fence, it had been in our backyard!

ProducerBadBob: LOTS of Coyotes around me...and the occasional bobcat and mountain lion, even found some bear scat and of course the ubiquitous raccoons.

Sungold: They better not come in and eat my tomatoes or other stuff. I wonder if Haven traps them?

ProducerBadBob: along with lots of blacktails browsing on the fig tree

Sungold: I saw a few birds hanging around my blueberry bush last week, went out to investigate and the blueberries were all ripe. I had no idea they were ripe already.

Sungold: Not that I mind sharing, but my bush is still little and I wanted them all. Got two handfuls and that was it for the year.

Sungold: Get triple pane windows with Low E especially on the west side.

Dave: Everybody in my neighborhood has dogs, and they run free. It is out in the county. There is more coyote scat on the road. They are busy at night, only rarely seen in daytime.

Sungold: Do they bother the dogs Dave?

Sungold: I don't think dogs should run free except in a fenced in, safe area.

Guest: but the super delegates are not committed, if the email issue begins to play a more significant role, those delegates may make a big decision...Sanders against Trump ?...wouldn't be as much fun

Dave: The coyotes ate my cat a few years ago. There are some feral cats who are coyote smart. My dog is usually in at night. When there is a bunch of coyote howling, I close the dog door.

Sungold: We used to let our German Shepherd run free when we were on vacation. One time, we almost lost him when he decided to go down a cliff. Another time, he decided to chase a deer, did not come back for hours.

Guest: Sanders vs. Trump ? could be landslide...

Guest: who is on today at 8 ? anybody know ?

Dave: There will be a big backlash against talk radio. Rush and clones pushed Trump. The GOP will lose the white house, senate, three supreme court seats. Illegals will get amnesty. Rush and Ingraham should have retired ten years ago.

Dave: Thanks to Limbaugh, this will be a landslide election like Mondale.

Guest: Carl, you are strange and lonely...if that counts

ProducerBadBob: 8AM will Redding Police Chief Rob Poletti

ProducerBadBob: will be

Guest: sorry Dave...doesn't matter this year what these radio guys do...the people are finally fired up and it doesn't matter if its hillary or sanders...its not because Trump is an especially great candidate...just that he isn't a politician and the people are tired of the BS

Guest: we have all been asked to be involved in efforts that eventually didn't develop as a process in a way that is well received by the general public... not much Rob could do about it if the city developed a model that is easily second guessed

ProducerBadBob: To the scumbag, it's their "right" to break my window and take my stuff. To the Legal System, it's a "Minor Crime" to ME...it's $1000 or so out of my pocket. Yeah...minor.

Dave: Primary voters are quite different from general election voters, both D and R. Nuts like Trump and Sanders should not be considered at the conventions. Trump is 100% a creation of Rush Limgaugh and the extremists who listen to him.

ProducerBadBob: But if I were to catch the perp and beat him senseless with a stick...guess who gets charged with a crime?

Guest: Dave, anyone that would vote for hillary after all that she has done should really second guess their decision making process...they used to say the uneducated rednecks were the ones voting for certain candidates...its all in the kool aid for hillary... a despicable candidate and individual...we are

Guest: limited to extremes this voting cycle

Guest: socialist, a non-politician/bankruptcy expert and a person with absolutely no integrity or credibility....what a choice...lol

Dave: Like 70% of American voters this November, I will not vote for Trump. He has said at least a dozen things which disqualify him from the Presidency.

Guest: what are you willing to bet on that 70% number ?

Dave: There are plenty of polls now and there will be a lot more by the conventions.

Guest: does the chief feel the hiring of the additional officers and CSO's will exacerbate the 'unfunded pension' issue we currently have ?

Guest: Dave...be confident...put your money where your convictions are ...lol

Dave: The Republicans would be insane to nominate someone who polls so badly against HRC. When the liberal media start hammering him for the stupid, disqualifying things he said, the outcome in November is obvious.

Guest: Dave...be confident...put your money where your convictions are ...lol

Guest: hillary is going to get ABUSED ! it will get very bad for her..and bill and the chelsea

ProducerBadBob: Guest can I get you to phone in with your question?

Guest: Bob, I can't. I am in a teleconference currently while I listen....shows you the priority I give your show...lol

Guest: I have to turn you down anytime I un-mute the conference...lol

ProducerBadBob: ah ok

Dave: I disagree with the Chief. The best solution is to put pressure on criminals and the homeless so they move to Butte, Yuba or Sacramento counties. The chief said they are home grown. It may or may not be true, but they are Californians and free to move to wherever they get the best deal.

SYSTEM: Guest just signed off.

Guest: come on Dave....whats the bet... you seem very confident that its going to be a landslide.... and the GOP would be crazy to nominate trump...lets make it interesting

ProducerBadBob: will TRY to get carl to see the question and ask it on air...short answer from the Chief is that he does not set benefit packages,

SYSTEM: Guest just signed off.

Guest: agree with you Dave on the criminal homeless point

SYSTEM: Guest just signed off.

Guest: he needs to be taken to the country and dealt with...no longer a constructive part of society

SYSTEM: Guest just signed off.

SYSTEM: Guest just signed off.

Guest: CARL....oes the chief feel the hiring of the additional officers and CSO's will exacerbate the 'unfunded pension' issue we currently have ?

Guest: does

SYSTEM: Guest just signed off.

ProducerBadBob: The answer was no off air.

ProducerBadBob: When I asked during the break.

Guest: county is 150 million in debt on pensions and the city over 300 million... why add to it...for any reason...its unsustainable

ProducerBadBob: Current hiring does nothing to change previous pension commitments

ProducerBadBob: new hires get different package

Guest: it all comes from the tax payers..."not a part of this decision " are you kidding ? hiring does nothing to change this....we only have enough money currently and in the future and yes they have a different package

Guest: but they still cost money WE don't have

ProducerBadBob: OK soooo no new hires...no new law enforcement officers?

ProducerBadBob: and as they retire don't replace them?

ProducerBadBob: and then ... what?

Guest: every resource we have is going to be exhausted trying to catch up with the hundreds of millions we are behind in pensions...and now we are going to use it by hiring more and committing ourselves to more

ProducerBadBob: OK...but services need to be provided...right?

Guest: Bob...it doesn't matter if where we are is unsustainable, which is the issue. this needs to be aprt of every conversation as decisions are made

Guest: but like past generations...we will need to do with what we have available..

ProducerBadBob: OK so break the contracts with all those with pensions...

Guest: ABSOLUTELY....we have a winner...lol

ProducerBadBob: So let's suppose that the federal government tells you (and this is likely) "Sorry, we done spent your Social Security and your Retirement on more important stuff...too bad so sad"

Guest: but the exit process from CALPers has been made extremely difficult, where BK is almost the only answer and even that is crazy

ProducerBadBob: Throwing people who worked in good faith under a bus does not strike me as a good thing. They did nothing wrong. you seem to imply that they did.

Sungold: You are aware that city employees pay a good share of their retirement from their own investments, aren't you? Cal Pers made a unwise decision years ago by investing the in the housing boom...those generally fail in a few years and folks loose their shirts

Guest: the 3rd largest pension in the nation has just filed with the Treasury Dept. to allow them to cut their pension obligation for current employees and current retirees

ProducerBadBob: The Democrat Socialist Dream...Equal Financial Misery For All.

SYSTEM: Please welcome Sarah who just joined the chat.

Guest: SUN, thats exactly why this needs to be a discussion now...to protect these people who have served our community over the years

Sungold: That is the whole idea of working is to get a retirement so one can retire. There are many ways to achieve this and perhaps the City should look at some other ways to do it.

Sungold: I paid out a ton of money while working for the City and at the end put in another 1500 dollars for the time I worked part time and did not contribute.

ProducerBadBob: My wife put in 30+ years of federal service. She busts her butt. And there is this very real chance that the Feds will turn around and say "Sorry...can't pay you as promised...what are you going to do about it...accept the scraps we throw and be happy with it."

Guest: agree...but we still need to fix this....citizens are going to be amazed when they see how much paymenst to CalPers will increase each year for the next 10 years

Sungold: Yes, it happened to my brother...luckily he invested wisely during his work years and had the money to sustain he retirement nicely

Guest: the pension issue for Federal, state and local is going to begin to be the topic that just won't go away

ProducerBadBob: Meanwhile the LAWMAKERS...Those who RULE...think their sweet retirement incomes will be touched?

Guest: Carl. do you still wear that ankle bracelet ? in the shower ?

Guest: they know theirs won't be touched...and even if they are for some reason..most have padded their existence so much those payments are more of a surplus...

ProducerBadBob: No wonder they want all the guns........

Guest: but should there be a 'bail out' again...this time of the pensions...where will it come from...treasury ? who is nearly 20 trillion in debt already

Guest: discussions are already happening that would consider the idea of asking some of our largest debt holders to take a haircut on what they are owed...so we can begin to raise the fed rate

SYSTEM: Please welcome sflow who just joined the chat.

sflow: peter g youre eyes

Guest: thats the biggest reason the fed rate has not gone up....we can't afford it to...if we raise the rate, it will make the cost of our debt and payments to debt holders go up...

Guest: I really love this argument....its not going to make our pension issue any worse to hire more because that debt is from before and the new obligations are constructed differently..

Guest: I will tell some of my in-debted clients....I know you are already deep in debt but go ahead and buy that new car and commit to those new payments...that won't have any affect on your old debt..lol

ProducerBadBob: But what is the alternative? Stop having law enforcement and garbage pickup, water services etc?

ProducerBadBob: that seems to be your view...don't provide any services...

Guest: we all would love to have all the things being discussed... but we are broke. and if you are going to ask the tax payers for more of what they earn...it should be to get us out of debt

Guest: refi your house and pull money out of your equity...and even though you have significant other debt...use the cash you pull to put a down payment on a boat....great logic

ProducerBadBob: Not talking luxuries...LEO's aren't optional.

Guest: Bob...if you look at the trend of the general budget...you will see that the 'services' portion of expenditures is getting eaten up by the mass majority of employment costs and unfunded pensions and its growing faster now that Cal Pers is asking for more

ProducerBadBob: Did you miss the comment that we as a country spend TWICE on Health and Human services as RPD and SCSO COMBINED?

Guest: priorities... to me law enforcement is number one...make cuts in other areas

ProducerBadBob: what's wrong with that picture?

Guest: Bob, you are an internet guy and can confirm for yourself...take the time and let us all know if you think our path is sustainable...

ProducerBadBob: There is a problem...stipulated. A fundamental problem...but it's WAY above Poletti's paygrade.

Guest: county is much more sustainable than the city but because Redding is the hub to the county...they are connected and responsible for each other in many ways

ProducerBadBob: The FREE STUFF crowd doesn't quite grasp reality. "Take the money from the rich" works fine until you run out of rich.

Guest: I agree... but it should be on everyones minds...especially those that count on these budgets

Guest: which we are very limited on...'the rich' lol

ProducerBadBob: Destroying the wealth-makers in the name of social justice.... Eating The Seed Corn.