EARLY SUNNY EASTER. It’s not very often that St. Patrick’s Day and Good Friday come in the same week; however it’s nice that they both will be celebrated this year under gorgeous blue skies and relatively warm weather. I forgot my “green” on Monday, and that is when I realized it actually WAS St. Patrick’s Day. Then I got a text message from an Irish friend, and I knew that I was in trouble when I arrived at my office. If you’ve ever called me, then you know my bubbly overactive secretary greets every special day with a hearty “Happy Blank Blank.” So when I called into the office Monday morning to let her know I’d be late for my pinch, it was “Happy St. Patrick’s Day” coming into my ear…….and it was a happy St. Pat’s Day, even without the green.

As I begin this column, I’m ready for an Easter weekend like no other. Warm, blue, thoughtful, spiritual and happy, topped off with a dose of friends and family and some happy moments of food and fun. The resurrection of Jesus Christ is the principle feast of the Christian year, celebrated on a Sunday from March 22 to April 25 each year. So this year’s Easter arrives at one of the earliest times in recent memory, following the 40-day penitential season of Lent that started on Ash Wednesday. As we celebrate Holy Week, it’s important to remember where we came from, why we are here and where we are going……Whatever holiday traditions you enjoy, we can all still reclaim the real meaning of Easter in our lives and the lives of our families, remembering that Christ is in the limelight on this holiday and every day.

Have a wonderful Easter weekend!

STATE BUDGET MEANS SACRIFICES. California’s state budget deficit of $8 million and climbing is causing lots of havoc among city, council, school, university, hospital and medical budgets (to name the most vocal) because this state is short on funds in a very bad economic time. Anyone who thinks that any of these businesses and organizations can avoid being short on funds this year, is dreaming. All the lobbying and name calling in Sacramento won’t bring any more money into the state; and with high gas prices and plummeting revenues in many businesses and industries, this is certainly not the time to raise our taxes.

Many West Side residents are waiting for that “stimulus” package of at least $300 per person to arrive from the federal government in May; so none of us want to pay that much and more in taxes now. There may be a way to fund some of our education shortfall and find ways to cut expenses, but there is absolutely NO WAY to avoid this fiscal mess until the economy turns around and our home foreclosures stop.

The bright spot in our business world comes from our agricultural producers and processors. They continue to sell in a brisk market; however their costs of doing business are soaring, particularly in energy and feed costs. Corn and wheat prices have more than doubled in the past two years, and the prices at the supermarket will continue to go up.

We must find ways to cut spending at a time when increasing taxes won’t fly. This is one moment where our leaders – local, county, state and federal – will certainly be earning every penny they get!

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