Yeah...and so, anyway...

First, Senator Nielsen's message to me: Senator.Nielsen@outreach.senate.ca.gov :36 PM (7 hours ago) to undisclosed recipients Dear Ms. Shortt: Thank you for contacting my office to convey your support of Senate Bill 622 (Monning), a bill to add a one-cent-per-ounce tax on various sweetened beverages.  I appreciate hearing from you and having the opportunity to respond. SB 622 passed the Senate Governance and Finance Committee on April 24 by a vote of 5-2. The bill subsequently passed the Senate Health Committee on May 1 by a vote of 7-2 and is now awaiting a hearing in the Senate Appropriations Committee.  I voted in opposition to this bill when it came before me in the Senate Health Committee. This tax is supposedly intended to compel individuals suffering from excessive weight gain or obesity to pay for the cost of the health services their related health risks may require; however, the tax also falls unjustifiably on those who ...

I didn't publish this post for almost two month because I wanted to find a quote that the Baha'i who first introduced me to the Faith told me about many years ago. Thanks to Chad Jones, who, in an extremely devoted and praiseworthy effort to be of service to both the Baha’i Faith and the world, recently updated that very invaluable Baha’i Writings  (and other religious texts) search engine, Ocean , I was finally able to find it. My Baha'i teacher, Don Erby, said that The Guardian of the Baha’i Faith, Shoghi Effendi, was talking to Rúhíyyih Khánum (his wife), about the role the United States would play in ushering in a new world that will be guided by the teachings of Baha'u'llah. During a fireside meeting during the mid-80s, Don paraphrased what the Guardian said: "America will lead the rest of the world to Bahá'u'lláh’s Administrative Order not because it is worthy, but because it is the most corrupt." Apparently, I reacted the same way his wife...