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YJ Draiman for Mayor of Los Angeles 2013 - Dear Fellow Los Angelinos 10 comments
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Considering the growing polarization of political speech in the U.S. Words can be either powerful or controlling. When words are fear-based, generate feelings of hate, and promote separation and divisiveness, they are controlling. When words are love-based, generate feelings of empathy, and promote a sense of community and connectedness, they are powerful. Using words to evoke fear in order to control is on the rise.
When we watch the “talking heads” on TV, rudely interrupting each other, putting one another down, raising their voices, we are spectators to a word wrestling match designed to entertain as it plays on our fears. Humor is used derisively, to demean and impugn. It’s part of the sport. The “good” side is not hard to distinguish from the “outsiders,” and the host’s job is to be sure we get emotionally hooked rooting for his side.
Is this something we should be concerned about? Considering how deeply divisive some of the rhetoric used in these word fights is, and the lessons history teaches us about where this can lead if it goes unchecked, we need to stay alert. It has gotten bad and it is getting worse.
We have unemployment, trillions in deficit, inflation, foreclosures, and businesses closing down, loss of revenues due to over 20% unemployment - counting every one who is unemployed.
The pension costs are increasing dramatically eating revenues needed for other basic core services.
We must change the mindset of Americans - to buy Made in America.
We can produce better quality products at a very competitive price.
It is time to invigorate American manufacturing industry.
It is time to tighten the belt, reduce government, and increase American production and services.
Public confidence in the integrity of the Government is indispensable to faith in democracy; and when we lose faith in the system, we have lost faith in everything we fight and spend for.
YJ Draiman
Israel is not an occupying force - Israel has regained its own land
Contrary to world popular opinion, Israel is not an occupying force, extending its domain by annexing the land of her neighbors and maintaining an occupation force on somebody else's land by using brute military force to ensure her expansionist policies. Rather, Israel has acquired the land that is the subject of dispute by repulsing the invading armies of her neighbors. The framework of the Madrid Peace Conference/Process has been a work-in-progress revealing the Israeli attempt to comply with United Nations Resolutions to withdraw from the disputed territory, granted that she can be guaranteed future national Security. In the past 63 years, Israel has been assaulted three times (1948, 1956, and 1967) by her Arab neighbors when she never occupied a single inch of the land in question. Furthermore, by winning a war against aggressor nations, Israel has also won the legitimate right to annex the territory in dispute. I have never heard anybody discuss what would have happened if Israel lost any of those wars. Would the UN have held a conference to discuss the extermination of Israel, and erected a monument over their grave or something? Nevertheless, Israel has been a willing participant in the “land-for-peace” formula that is the basis of the Middle East Peace Process. This demonstrates the legitimate Israeli desire for peace and that Israel is willing to concede to give the disputed territory away, if it goes to a peaceful neighbor.
You cannot make peace with an entity that is not even willing to recognize you.
End of story.
The Qur'an 17:104 - states the land belongs to the Jewish people
YJ Draiman
Americans must wake up and take action to protect our liberty and way of life.
America must rejuvenate itself and become the huge industrial power it once was.
It starts by re-inventing the wheel and building manufacturing facilities in the United States that employ Americans who produce quality goods at a competitive price with space age technology and modernization.
Organized workforce and benefits has to be revamped to meet today's economic conditions.
Government and its bureaucracy must be reduced and streamlined. Rules and regulations must be revamped to be conducive to business growth and development.
This is a must in order to increase employment and bring back America’s economic vitality.
We could try to give tax incentives for products made in America. It brings revenues and employment, reduces financial drain on the government.
"It is cheaper to save energy than make energy"
YJ Draiman for Mayor of Los Angeles
YJ Draiman welcomes an innovative renewable energy zone approach which will create 200,000+ new jobs over the next 5-10 years.
An ambitious project that will transform the way universities, business and industry collaborate, and establish Los Angeles as a world leader in the research, development and design of next generation renewable energy technology, was announced today, January 31, 2011. Spearheaded by the Draiman economic development agency, Draiman Enterprise, and National Technology Renewable Energy Zone, will be established in the city of Los Angeles with the Universities of Southern California Technology Innovation Development at its heart.
A large parcel of land will be allocated to set up the renewable energy enterprise zone site, which will be within the boundaries of Los Angeles. There will be an academic center which will be transformed into a center of excellence for academic research, commercialization and industry collaboration.
The renewable energy zone initiative, which would span further than the confines of the City of Los Angeles and include Southern California, is expected to create 200,000 + new jobs over the next 5-10 years and give a boost to the Los Angeles economy through further industry academia collaboration and inward investment.
Draiman enterprise Chief Executive YJ Draiman said: “This new vision of the Renewable energy Technology Innovation Center will be the cornerstone of Los Angeles Technology and Renewable Energy Zone. YJ Draiman’s vision for The Renewable energy Zone is to provide a breeding ground for ambitious companies to harness cutting-edge research, access the best people and develop the products which will shape the renewable energy industry of tomorrow.
“Southern California has already claimed a place on the renewables map attracting energy heavyweights and pioneers in the solar and wind sector and we believe that by establishing this zone we will help reinforce Los Angeles position as a location of choice for the rapidly expanding renewables industry.”
YJ Draiman said: “The Universities in the Los Angeles area’s Technology and Innovation Center is a transformational project for Los Angeles, building on California’s great tradition of innovating new technologies and developments in fields; including energy and engineering while creating and supporting hundreds of jobs. Through this collaboration, the aim is to quadruple the scale of research program investment in Los Angeles in areas key to economic growth by up to $10 billion + in five-ten years. “And now, as an integral part of Los Angeles Enterprise’s new Technology and Renewable Energy Zone, which aims to establish Los Angeles as a premier location for inward investment into world-leading technology and renewables research and development, we have the potential to deliver huge economic and social benefits, not only in Los Angeles but nationally and beyond.”
YJ Draiman said: “The Technology and Innovation for renewable energy zone will help transform Los Angeles and Southern California. By capitalizing on our leading, industry-relevant research, the renewable energy zone will attract billions of dollars of inward investment to the city of Los Angeles, drive global businesses, create jobs, and support the development of our highly-qualified graduates and postgraduates. “As a leading technological hub of Universities, they are committed to sharing knowledge to address challenges that affect every area of society, including energy, health, manufacturing and economics. The renewable energy zone will forge new levels of collaboration between researchers, the public and private sectors to accelerate the pace of research and development and deliver benefit to companies, the economy and Southern California.” The collaborative approach with the Universities, Los Angeles Enterprise and existing pioneering renewable energy leaders means that companies locating in the zone will have access to government support and some of the world’s best industry and academia in the fields of technology, engineering and energy. The project represents a supportive government and business environment where companies locating in and around the zone may be eligible for additional support for job creation, innovation and staff development, delivered through various California Enterprise schemes.
When the need arises we will establish facilities within the existing Zone that offer temporary accommodation for prospective tenants until construction of the research center is complete or, if required, a purpose-built industry engagement building is created within the Zone.
Renewable energy Zone is designed to draw on Southern California’s existing competitive advantage by providing the right business environment for the renewables industry to continue to grow and further develop. Recent announcements from industry leaders have reinforced Southern California’s position as a world leading city in solar, wind research and development. A leader in energy innovation with unrivalled human and natural resources in renewable energy, Southern California is building on its rich history of oil and gas exploration and developing an infrastructure to cement its position as a world class location for international companies looking to invest in renewable energy and Energy efficiency.
YJ Draiman for Mayor of Los Angeles
If you read the Constitution, it's rooted in the desire to limit the ability of government's ability to mess with you, because that was a huge problem. It can still be a huge problem. But it assumed that people would basically be raised in coherent families, in coherent communities, and they would work for the common good, as well as for the individual welfare.
What's happened in America today is, too many people live in areas where there's no family structure, no community structure, and no work structure. And so there's a lot of irresponsibility. And so a lot of people say there's too much personal freedom. When personal freedom's being abused, you have to move to limit it. That's what we did in the announcement I made last weekend on the public housing projects, about how we're going to have weapon sweeps and more things like that to try to make people safer in their communities.
Truer facts were never posted. Peace, justice and liberty through musical expression.
Today turns into tomorrow and then the future is in your face. Make it happen, now is the time.
YJ Draiman wrote an article for the Los Angeles time’s summer 2011 issue.
My name is YJ Draiman and I want to be your Mayor. And here’s why.
Los Angeles is a City at a crossroads. It is where we raise our families, have our businesses and our homes. But every week shops close and we hear more complaints about parking, crime and taxes. Development ideas that have the potential to improve tax revenue, foot traffic and downtown charm with little risk to taxpayers require much attention before anything can move forward. There is discussion about making Los Angeles a greener healthier place to live, yet nothing changes. Our low-income population continues to struggle. In short, we are a place in need of attention, a place that needs its Mayor to be more than just a legislative figurehead.
A Mayor must be a leader, a person full of ideas for our future and an ability to make these ideas a reality. Los Angeles needs a Mayor who works and delegates. Our City Department’s job is to keep our municipality running smoothly and efficiently. They do not set the direction of our community. That is the job of the Mayor and the City council.
That direction must be accompanied by vision that will help the Los Angeles we love become the Los Angeles we imagine.
As an elected Board member, I have begun to tackle the problems we have by—working with my peers, merchants, residents and law enforcement to combat nighttime noise, litter and crime, resulting in reduction of crime in Los Angeles;
—working to fill empty storefronts and solve parking problems by improving signage, communication and parking stock;
—working with state, local and federal officials to create jobs and funding;
—working to improve recreation by spearheading the building of basketball courts, a new rowing dock and creating a boxing program for youth;
—working to get clinics in our schools and our neighborhoods to serve seniors and those
who struggle with medical care;
—working to replace our unsuccessful affordable housing law with a program that will help the poor and elderly.
My fellow Board members support me in my bid for Mayor because we share a vision. But someone must lead the charge. Our work must be advanced. We must have a beautiful green waterfront with plenty of healthy activity; we must find a way to reduce taxes and fees, encourage smart growth and lose our dependence on access revenue. We must see business flourish.
This election is a choice between moving forward and standing still. If you believe that
Los Angeles can do better, then I am the right choice for your Mayor
People, who know how to employ themselves, always find leisure moments, while those who do nothing are forever in a hurry.
YJ Draiman for Mayor of LA
Economic sustainability is the term used to identify various strategies that make it possible to utilize available resources to best advantage. The idea is to promote usage of those resources that is both efficient and responsible, and likely to provide long-tem benefits. In the case of a business operation, economic sustainability calls for using resources so that the business continues to function over a number of years, while consistently returning a profit.
In most scenarios, the measure of economic sustainability is presented in monetary terms. The worth of assets and resources in dollar figures is common, as is identifying the amount of return generated by the efficient use of those resources. The idea is to aid in identifying areas of the operation in which resources are not being utilized in the most efficient manner, and take the steps to correct the situation. At the same time, the proposed changes to the operation are considered in terms of their overall effect on the production flow, making it possible to address any potential difficulties later in the process before the changes are actually implemented. Doing so means engaging in a strategy known as cross-sectoral coordination, which involves identifying what impact changes in one area of the operation will have on subsequent phases of the production process.
True economic sustainability encourages the responsible use of resources. This involves not only making sure that the business is making a profit, but that the operation is not creating environmental concerns that could cause harm to the balance of the local ecology. By being mindful of the impact of the operation on the local community, the business is able to choose raw materials that are more environmentally friendly, and design a waste disposal strategy that does not damage the local environment. In the long run, attention to these types of details has the potential to increase the community’s investment in the continued operation of the business, and improve the chances for remaining a viable operation for a longer period of time.
While the concept of economic sustainability is straightforward, there are potential obstacles that may be found in different companies. Resistance to change can often lead to a less than efficient use of available resources. A failure to track expenses and justify expenditures will also have adverse effects on the long-term stability of the company and limit the potential for economic sustainability. For this reason, companies sometimes work with outside consultants who can evaluate the business operation with relatively little bias and point out what needs to be done to improve the sustainability of the operation.
With economic sustainability, the goal is to establish profitability over the long-term. A profitable business is much more likely to remain stable and continue to operate from one year to the next. From this perspective, economic sustainability can be seen as a tool to make sure the business does have a future and continues to contribute to the financial welfare of the owners, the employees, and to the community where the business is located.
"Within all of us is a “lie detector”, a silent “inner voice”, that offers us the greatest potential to discern truth and reality. People have “fooled” experts with so-called “physical proof”, but the inner voice is never fooled. [The “inner voice” could also sometimes be termed as a “gut feeling”, “intuition” or “women’s intuition”- but it can also be much more than that.] You may not be very “in touch” with it at this time, but you can be if you want to. This inner voice is a part of God within you that knows what is true and what isn’t - if you will just “hear” it. It doesn’t “talk”, it is just a “knowingness”. The only reasons behind people not “hearing” their inner voice are fear, desires, and selfishness. If you can transcend those things even for a moment, you will have the most reliable source of discernment that exists. Even when all “external appearances” of truth say one thing, and your inner voice says another, you can bet that your inner voice is right"
Today we mourn the passing of a beloved old friend, Common Sense, who has been with us for many years. No one knows for sure how old he was, since his birth records were long ago lost in bureaucratic red tape. He will be remembered as having cultivated such valuable lessons as:
- Knowing when to come in out of the rain;
- Why the early bird gets the worm;
- Life isn't always fair;
- and Maybe it was my fault.
Common Sense lived by simple, sound financial policies (don't spend more than you can earn) and reliable strategies (adults, not children, are in charge).
His health began to deteriorate rapidly when well-intentioned but overbearing regulations were set in place. Reports of a 6-year-old boy charged with sexual harassment for kissing a classmate; teens suspended from schoo l for using mouthwash after lunch; and a teacher fired for reprimanding an unruly student, only worsened his condition.
Common Sense lost ground when parents attacked teachers for doing the job that they themselves had failed to do in disciplining their unruly children.
It declined even further when schools were required to get parental consent to administer sun lotion or an aspirin to a student; but could not inform parents when a student became pregnant and wanted to have an abortion.
Common Sense lost the will to live as the churches became businesses; and criminals received better treatment than their victims.
Common Sense took a beating when you couldn't defend yourself from a burglar in your own home and the burglar could sue you for assault.
Common Sense finally gave up the will to live, after a woman failed to realize that a steaming cup of coffee was hot. She spilled a little in her lap, and was promptly awarded a huge settlement.
Common Sense was preceded in death, by his parents, Truth and Trust, by his wife, Discretion, by his daughter, Responsibility, and by his son, Reason.
He is survived by his 4 stepbrothers;
I Know My Rights
I Want It Now
Someone Else Is To Blame
I'm A Victim
Not many attended his funeral because so few realized he was gone. If you still remember him, pass this on. If not, join the majority and do nothing.
Introduction
Rainwater harvesting is an ancient
technique enjoying a revival in
popularity due to the inherent quality of
rainwater and interest in reducing
consumption of treated water.
Rainwater is valued for its purity and
softness. It has a nearly neutral pH, and
is free from disinfection by-products,
salts, minerals, and other natural and
man-made contaminants. Plants thrive
under irrigation with stored rainwater.
Appliances last longer when free from
the corrosive or scale effects of hard
water. Users with potable systems prefer
the superior taste and cleansing
properties of rainwater.
Archeological evidence attests to the
capture of rainwater as far back as 4,000
years ago, and the concept of rainwater
harvesting in China may date back 6,000
years. Ruins of cisterns built as early as
2000 B.C. for storing runoff from
hillsides for agricultural and domestic
purposes are still standing in Israel
(Gould and Nissen-Petersen, 1999).
Advantages and benefits of rainwater
harvesting are numerous (Krishna,
2003).
The water is free; the only�� cost is for
collection and use.
The end use of harvested water�� is
located close to the source,
eliminating the need for complex and
costly distribution systems.
Rainwater provides a water�� source
when groundwater is unacceptable or
unavailable, or it can augment limited
groundwater supplies.
The zero hardness of rainwater�� helps
prevent scale on appliances,
extending their use; rainwater
eliminates the need for a water
softener and the salts added during
the softening process.
Rainwater is sodium-free,�� important
for persons on low-sodium diets.
Rainwater is superior for�� landscape
irrigation.
Rainwater harvesting reduces�� flow to
stormwater drains and also reduces
non-point source pollution.
Rainwater harvesting helps�� utilities
reduce the summer demand peak and
delay expansion of existing water
treatment plants.
Rainwater harvesting�� reduces
consumers’ utility bills.
Perhaps one of the most interesting
aspects of rainwater harvesting is
learning about the methods of capture,
storage, and use of this natural resource
at the place it occurs. This natural
synergy excludes at least a portion of
water use from the water distribution
infrastructure: the centralized treatment
facility, storage structures, pumps,
mains, and laterals.
Rainwater harvesting also includes landbased
systems with man-made landscape
features to channel and concentrate
rainwater in either storage basins or
planted areas.
When assessing the health risks of
drinking rainwater, consider the path
taken by the raindrop through a
watershed into a reservoir, through
public drinking water treatment and
distribution systems to the end user.
Being the universal solvent, water
absorbs contaminants and minerals on its travels to the reservoir. While in
residence in the reservoir, the water can
come in contact with all kinds of foreign
materials: oil, animal wastes, chemical
and pharmaceutical wastes, organic
compounds, industrial outflows, and
trash. It is the job of the water treatment
plant to remove harmful contaminants
and to kill pathogens. Unfortunately,
when chlorine is used for disinfection, it
also degrades into disinfection byproducts,
notably trihalomethanes,
which may pose health risks. In contrast,
the raindrop harvested on site will travel
down a roof via a gutter to a storage
tank. Before it can be used for drinking,
it will be treated by a relatively simple
process with equipment that occupies
about 9 cubic feet of space.
Rainwater harvesting can reduce the
volume of storm water, thereby
lessening the impact on erosion and
decreasing the load on storm sewers.
Decreasing storm water volume also
helps keep potential storm water
pollutants, such as pesticides, fertilizers,
and petroleum products, out of rivers
and groundwater.
But along with the independence of
rainwater harvesting systems comes the
inherent responsibility of operation and
maintenance. For all systems, this
responsibility includes purging the first-flush
system, regularly cleaning roof
washers and tanks, maintaining pumps,
and filtering water. For potable systems,
responsibilities include all of the above,
and the owner must replace cartridge
filters and maintain disinfection
equipment on schedule, arrange to have
water tested, and monitor tank levels.
Rainwater used for drinking should be
tested, at a minimum, for pathogens.
Rainwater harvesting, in its essence, is
the collection, conveyance, and storage
of rainwater. The scope, method,
technologies, system complexity,
purpose, and end uses vary from rain
barrels for garden irrigation in urban
areas, to large-scale collection of
rainwater for all domestic uses. Some
examples are summarized below:
For supplemental irrigation�� water, the
Wells Branch Municipal Utility
District in North Austin captures
rainwater, along with air conditioning
condensate, from a new 10,000-
square-foot recreation center into a
37,000-gallon tank to serve as
irrigation water for a 12-acre
municipal park with soccer fields and
offices.
The Lady Bird Johnson�� Wildflower
Research Center in Austin, Texas,
harvests 300,000 gallons of rainwater
annually from almost 19,000 square
feet of roof collection area for
irrigation of its native plant
landscapes. A 6,000-gallon stone
cistern and its arching stone aqueduct
form the distinctive entry to the
research center.
The Advanced Micro Devices��
semiconductor fabrication plant in
Austin, Texas, does not use utilitysupplied
water for irrigation, saving
$1.5 million per year by relying on
captured rainwater and collected
groundwater.
Reynolds Metals in�� Ingleside, Texas,
uses stormwater captured in
containment basins as process water
in its metal-processing plant, greatly
offsetting the volume of purchased
water.
The city of�� Columbia, Nuevo León,
Mexico, is in the planning stages of
developing rainwater as the basis for
the city’s water supply for new growth areas, with large industrial
developments being plumbed for
storage and catchment.
On small volcanic or coral�� islands,
rainwater harvesting is often the only
option for public water supply, as
watersheds are too small to create a
major river, and groundwater is either
nonexistent or contaminated with salt
water. Bermuda, the U.S. Virgin
Islands, and other Caribbean islands
require cisterns to be included with all
new construction.
In Central Texas, more than 400 fullscale
rainwater harvesting systems have
been installed by professional
companies, and more than 6,000 rain
barrels have been installed through the
City of Austin’s incentive program in the
past decade. Countless “do-it-yourselfers”
have installed systems over
the same time period.
An estimated 100,000 residential
rainwater harvesting systems are in use
in the United States and its territories
(Lye, 2002). More are being installed by
the urban home gardener seeking
healthier plants, the weekend cabin
owner, and the homeowner intent upon
the “green” building practices – all
seeking a sustainable, high-quality water
source. Rainwater harvesting is also
recognized as an important water-conserving
measure, and is best
implemented in conjunction with other
efficiency measures in and outside of the
home.
Harvested rainwater may also help some
Texas communities close the gap
between supply and demand projected
by the Texas Water Development Board
(TWDB), as the state’s population nearly
doubles between 2000 and 2050 (Texas
Water Development Board, 2002).
In fact, rainwater harvesting is
encouraged by Austin and San Antonio
water utilities as a means of conserving
water. The State of Texas also offers
financial incentives for rainwater
harvesting systems. Senate Bill 2 of the
77th Legislature exempts rainwater
harvesting equipment from sales tax, and
allows local governments to exempt
rainwater harvesting systems from ad
valorem (property) taxes.
Rainwater harvesting systems can be as
simple as a rain barrel for garden
irrigation at the end of a downspout, or
as complex as a domestic potable system
or a multiple end-use system at a large
corporate campus.
Rainwater harvesting is practical only
when the volume and frequency of
rainfall and size of the catchment surface
can generate sufficient water for the
intended purpose.
From a financial perspective, the
installation and maintenance costs of a
rainwater harvesting system for potable
water cannot compete with water
supplied by a central utility, but is often
cost-competitive with installation of a
well in rural settings.
With a very large catchment surface,
such as that of big commercial building,
the volume of rainwater, when captured
and stored, can cost-effectively serve
several end uses, such as landscape
irrigation and toilet flushing.
Some commercial and industrial
buildings augment rainwater with
condensate from air conditioning
systems. During hot, humid months,
warm, moisture-laden air passing over
the cooling coils of a residential air
conditioner can produce 10 or more
gallons per day of water. Industrial
facilities produce thousands of gallons per day of condensate. An advantage of
condensate capture is that its maximum
production occurs during the hottest
month of the year, when irrigation need
is greatest. Most systems pipe
condensate into the rainwater cistern for
storage.
The depletion of groundwater sources,
the poor quality of some groundwater,
high tap fees for isolated properties, the
flexibility of rainwater harvesting
systems, and modern methods of
treatment provide excellent reasons to
harvest rainwater for domestic use.
The scope of this manual is to serve as a
primer in the basics of residential and
small-scale commercial rainwater
harvesting systems design. It is intended
to serve as a first step in thinking about
options for implementing rainwater
harvesting systems, as well as
advantages and constraints.
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