January 28th, 2010 08:51am

iPad or Kindle? Call me (still) undecided.

by PeteGolis

Well, we survived another Apple product roll-out and lived to tell about it. After months of build-up, we now know that Apple’s tablet, the iPad, is pretty much what everyone said it would be. As with all things Apple, this event provoked the usual legions of admirers and detractors. When it comes to Steve Jobs and his company, there are not many folks in the neutral camp. “iPad gets mixed reaction … Read More »

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January 24th, 2010 11:35am

More on Santa Rosa school budget cuts

by PeteGolis

This week’s column – here – reviews how public education in California began to decline after state government was handed the purse strings. The column focuses on the grim choices facing the Santa Rosa Board of Education – but note that Santa Rosa’s situation is anything but unique. Up and down California, big and small school districts face draconian choices because of dwindling state support. The Santa Rosa school board will … Read More »

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January 11th, 2010 12:45pm

Hey, you want to serve on the city council?

by PeteGolis

In the fractiousness of our hometown politics, no one acknowledges a simple reality: Unless you are drawn to long meetings, endless paperwork and  being on the receiving end of personal insults, serving in elective office is not many people’s idea of a good time. The job is often thankless. And sometimes the choices don’t come with off-the-shelf answers. My column – here – focuses on the dilemma facing the Santa Rosa … Read More »

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January 9th, 2010 10:37am

What is the real unemployment rate?

by PeteGolis

Friends shared an audio of former Labor Secretary Robert Reich’s speech last month at Congregation Shomrei Torah in Santa Rosa. In his talk, Reich noted that the official unemployment rate fails to account for people working part-time, for people who have given up hope of finding a job and for people who are paid less than they were in their previous jobs. The real jobless rate, he said, “is closer to … Read More »

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