Lawyers Blow

I was going to write something serious and heartfelt. Then I read something that needed me to rip it. So here goes.

Lawyers blow. And that is being nice. Yes, I can say that. I am one. Just so we are clear, this is one of my first posts: http://randomrants08.blogspot.com/2009/03/larry-bodine-is-marketing-goon.html Read it. Laugh. Its still freaking funny.

What the hell is wrong with lawyers? I blog. They BLAWG. I flog someone. They FLAWG. I call them a douche bawg? Yes, that is a douche bag lawyer. What is a douche bag lawyer?

Lets start with any lawyer who insists on "telephoning" me instead of just picking up the phone and CALLING ME. Are you getting paid by the syllable? Seriously. There is no reason to use telephoning as a verb. Its a noun. Its a fucking telephone. If you have to use a 25 cent word, oh wait, that makes me seem like I am 68, there has been inflation. If you have to use a dollar word when a twenty five cent word will do, you are a douche bawg lawyer.

You are a douche bawg if you add an extra letter. I dont care if you were born north of the border. I dont care if you are the Queen's son. Its honor, not honour. Its humor, not humour. You do not have to add letters to sound intelligent. Do you want to know how to sound intelligent? Speak like you are an actual, live, human being. Speak like you know how to carry on a conversation with the guy next door, around the corner or standing on the street corner. That piece of paper in that ridiculously expensive frame doesn't mean you are too good to talk to someone. Adding extra letters when you are writing, or using that lame fake accent, just makes you sound like an idiot. Or, in my world, you are a douche bawg.

If you think you write a blawg and not a blog, you are a douche bawg. Its a blog. I dont know what it stands for, but its not a blawg. You are not special. Go tell Jane Smith you write a blawg. Seriously, send her an email and watch her laugh so hard she pees her pants. You sound pretentious. No wait, you sound worse than pretentious. You sound like my wills and trusts professor who was calling on poor Jesus and kept pronouncing it "Jee-zuhs." His name was not Jesus, and you do not write a blawg. Freaking idiots.

You might be a douce bawg, if you think attorney marketing is the end of the world. Its not. People need to know about us. And if we cant tell them we exist, then they may never know their options. Sorry. You arent going to convince me the world is a worse place because consumers can find out they have options. You are going to convince me that you are an idiot if you think marketing is bad. So let me get this right: cigarette manufacturers could advertise for year, alcohol manufacturers can advertise, but I can't tell people what services I offer? Seriously, did you smoke too much Mary Jane last night? Or are you just that full of yourself, douche bawg?

You are also a douche bawg, if you think I have to work at a big law firm to be a good attorney. I dont care if you have 80 attorneys, 800 attorneys or are .8 of an attorney. What matters is how you treat your clients, how you treat your fellow attorneys and what kind of human being you are. If the first thing you tell someone is "I am an attorney" you are also a douche bawg. It is not a reflection of who you are, but it is what you do. And if what you do is so important that you need to work at a big firm to think you are cool, then great. But you are a douche bawg.

Fuck, I am so tired of attorneys who think they are so freaking cool. Its a job. Its a job you may get paid well to do. But you still put on your pants one leg at a time. You still drink and eat and shit and everything else the rest of civilization does. Dont think you are so special that the world should bend down and kiss your oversized, stinky feet. You are not that special. You are not that cool. And I am so tired of you thinking you are. Its my job from 8 to 5. Its what I do. I like helping people. But stop thinking you are sooo special. Oh, and Mr. I just graduated from law school, no you do not have offices in 4 states and no you are not nationally known. You are some piece of crap who thinks its fine to not grant extensions to other attorneys, not show professional courtesy and not understand when I am done kicking your scrawny ass, that you are still worthless until you realize that this has no bearing on how the world sees you.

Am I clear? Of course, after writing this, I realize that none of the douche bawgs will actually read this. Damnit.

What the hell is wrong with these people? Blawg? Flawg? How abouy douche bawg? Yes, that is a douche bag lawyer who thinks

Being a father

So tonight was an interesting night. We did some cleaning up of the house. It made me think and that is always a bad thing.

I found a tin that Tyler made. He was probably 4 when he made it. That big smile of his and him sitting on his Sit-N-Spin and spinning and spinning and spinning and spinning until I was dizzy watching him. Neither one of us could throw it away. He probably doesnt remember making it. I sure as heck dont remember him making it.

But there was no way we could get rid of it. Its Tyler and right now we hold on to everything Tyler we can. I guess that is what you do when you can't physically hold on to him. I guess this is the next best thing. Kind of. I dont really know. It sucks.

Then I think back to my childhood. I dont know what my dad held onto. Probably nothing. He was gone more than he was home for the first 14 years of my life. By the time he was home, he needed more help than he had ever needed. Yes, he taught me soccer. He passed that love to me. But where was he when I needed him? Where was he when we had family life or whatever nonsense they called it back then? I never got that talk from him because he wasnt there.

Now, I am a dad. Kyle is 10 and its time for that talk. I dont have that experience to look back to and he isnt here now for me to ask him "Hey dad, how would you handle this?" But I dont get that. So I am stuck having to make crap up. I dont know what to say. I guess its not the biggest problem in the world.

I look at my kids and I realize choices I have made as a father are a direct result of my dad. I yell too much. I know. But he yelled. I have vivid memories of that. I also have vivid memories of the belt and of my mom saying "Wait until your father gets home." That is when you knew you went too far. Of course, sometimes that wasnt for a week or two so things had time to settle down. Sometimes mom called dad on his trip to tell him. First time I dropped fuck at home she called him. That was a bad call. And I know I shouldnt yell, but I get upset and I channel my dad. Bad? I dont know. It is what it is.

But I also see that I have made other choices. He made the choices he made based on his childhood. He grew up and things were tight. He put himself through school. He then took jobs that allowed him to provide for his family the way he thought he should. And if that meant he was around as much, then so be it. It was the right choice for him.

I have consciously made choices to be home for my kids. I want to be there everyday to talk to them about school or life or chores or whatever. I want to be involved so I pick them up at school. I am fortunate that I have the flexibility to do that. But I know I worked hard to get to the point where I could have that flexibility.

So here I am. 38 years old. A father of 4, even though sometimes it feels like 3. Of course, some days it feels like 14. I laugh, I cry, I try, I fail, I succeed. I just wish I felt like those successes were more often than those failures. I wish I could be more like my dad, but less like my dad.

I know he let me try things that I thought I might like. I play a mean game of street hockey because of it. So, I try to let my kids do things like Boy Scouts or dancing or ice skating that I don't do or didn't do so that they can have those experiences. I think its part of my job as a dad.

I just wish he was here to help me figure this out. There is no manual. There can't be a manual. You cant possibly know whats in store for you the first time you hear that you are going to be a father. You cant know the second time, the third time or the fourth time either. Hell, I was pretty sure I would only have two kids. Then I was really sure I would have 3 kids. Four kids? Thats just idiotic.

But I wouldnt change it for the world. Each kid is different. Each kid is special. Each kid is unique. Each kid is a challenge. I just think sometimes being a dad is underrated. I think its underappreciated. And I think I wouldnt change it for the world. I just wish it was easier, that I had my dad to lean on during these hard times and that someone could tell me just once that these crappy decisions we have to make as a father are the right decisions no matter how much they hurt.

I became a father before I became a man. I know that. My hope is that my boys will learn from me and be better fathers than I am. My hope is that when they are 38, fathers, husbands, men, they will look back like I am tonight and realize that I made mistakes like my dad before me, that I loved them like my dad loved me, that I tried my best like my dad tried his best, and that they will love me like I love my dad.

Heros

Here I sit in the afternoon with some work to do but I need to get something off my chest. So I blog. Is it weird? Probably.

Charles Barkley once said he didn't want to be nobody's role model. Or he didn't want to be your kid's role model. Enrique Iglesias can be your hero. (Yes, my musical taste runs that far.)

I don't want to be your role model, your hero or anything else. Really. I don't. I can't be. I don't want to be your knight in shining armor. I don't want to swoop in and save the day. I don't want you to think of me as your rescue hero or any other hero.

I am me. Flawed and all. And man am I flawed. I guess people say it in a way that they mean it to sound like they appreciate someone. You change someone's tire and they say "You're my hero."

Screw that. I am not a hero. I am some schmuck who went to college for way too long and learned a few things that I now use to support my family. I use that ridiculously expensive education plus my 38 years on earth plus the lessons I learned from my dad and I do the best I can. Sometimes, quite frankly, the best I can isn't good enough. I am glad I can make you feel better. I am glad I can resolve some problem for you. But how the hell does that help me? It doesnt help me resolve my issues. It doesnt act as some cosmic karma that resolves my issues.

Nope, my fucking issues are still there when I am done solving yours. Getting some piece of crap debt collector to stop harassing you is great. I am glad. But that doesn't make me a hero. It makes me a guy who happens to know the law better than the next guy. It makes me a guy who can write a letter and scare the crap out of people. It makes me a guy who could barely passing legal writing because I don't have a big enough vocabulary but can write a letter to normal people because they don't use twenty five cent words either. (Are they worth like a Susan B Anthony by now?)

So you are welcome for whatever you think I have done for you. I assure you its nothing special. I assure you I don't move mountains, I can't part the Red Sea and I can't even float in a pool of water. I assure you that if I didn't solve it, the next guy (or gal) would solve it, hell, maybe even faster and better.

I am not your hero. I dont want to be. I am just Jon. Thats all I want to be and if that isnt enough, then Im sorry.

Profile - David Casarez

Here is my first profile of someone who is an inspiration. Its interesting how you meet people in life. I met David, or Staff Sergeant Casarez in the early summer of 2011. I was working on Soccer for the Cure and posted something on Twitter. One thing lead to another, or, more likely, one retweet led to another and David tweeted about my event. We exchanged tweets and emails and I learned part of his story.

So, here is David’s story, which as best as I can tell, is being told for the first time. In 1992, an 18 year old knew everything. I am sure most of us can relate to that – I know I can. So, unlike those of us who went to college to find ourselves, and found beer, girls or who knows what else (I found a roommate on probation from the State of Washington for Grand Theft Auto who decided to sell coke out of our dorm room and not the cola kind), David signed up for the US Army. He was assigned to the most deployed regular army unit in the world – the 10^th Mountain Division. Three years later, David had seen the world, learned to be responsible, was disciplined and could pay for college. So, he did what anyone would do, went to college and became a law enforcement officer.

Then, on a day when we all know where we were when the news came, David did what most of us didn’t. He enlisted in the Army again. Yep, on 9/11, when I was still in law school and working, when Pat Tillman felt a pull of patriotism, David did as well. Not only did David go back, he requested to join a battalion that would be deploying to battle. So while I was busy opening my law firm, while many of us were several years out from September 11 and moving on with life, David was patrolling the mountains of Afghanistan looking for guys who scare the crap out of most of us. He spent three more years in the infantry, into his mid 30s, before he switched to the medical field. David has done things and saw things that most of us want to pretend don’t exist.

Then life reared up its ugly head. You know the book “Why do bad things happen to good people?” Yeah, well, this is one of those stories. While serving our country and protecting our freedom, David started having minor headaches. He passed out one night and ended up in the ER. He was referred to an army doctor who was a few months from retiring. After ordering a ton of tests, one test showed a kidney problem. The blood test was connected to the x-ray. The x-ray was connected to the sonogram. The sonogram was connected to the CT scan. The CT scan was connected to – well, it showed two malignant cells on his right kidney. A few weeks later, David was having surgery to remove renal cells, part of his diaphragm and ¼ of his kidney.

Now we are five years later. David is healthy, more fit than most soldiers, runs 5K races and, of course, still plays soccer! David stays in the Army and is thankful for the care he received – “the best treatment in the world,” as he says. But he is also a self described sports nut who has started a sports blog. While harder than he thought it would be, David said “But like my fight against Cancer, I didn't allow myself to quit and stuck with it. I'm small potatoes compared to some bloggers, but I love it and find it relaxing.”

In addition to his blog, his service in the military, he is involved with the 24-Hour Walk-for-Cancer Survivors Marathon in Germany. Service members from all over the Heidelberg area signed up to walk a 5-10-15-20-or-25 miler in support of cancer survivors. David has coached soccer for over 15 years, and while asked to coach in select leagues, he sticks with the military's Child & Youth Services league – think YMCA in the military. While the skill level may not be the same, David stays with them because “ the way I see it, military kids go through a lot when their parents are in the service. Much of it we don't see, such as deployments, separation due to military commitments, change of schools every 2-3 years. It's hard on a kid to live the military life. That is why they have a special bond with each other.” This isn’t just some saying. David knows that his daughters have sacrificed as well, but they “stood strong all these years while I was jumping from assignment to assignment. Seeing the commitment the kids make for the parents, motivates me to give right back to them by coaching. I've been fortunate enough to play higher levels of soccer throughout the world, the least I can do is give my skills right back to the military kids and train them properly for the next level.”

David is an all around good guy. He is an example of the fine men and women in our military. And, despite serving his country, he went back when he felt the call. He went to the places we don’t want to go to keep his country safe. He stayed despite his cancer diagnosis and continues to give back through the 24 hour walk and coaching soccer for the military kids. David is an inspiration to me.

2012

Okay, so I have spent some time the past few days reflecting. I think we all do. One year ends, another one starts. What have we learned from the past year? What do we have to look forward to in the next year? What do we "resolve" to do differently, better? What should we leave behind?

Mix in to that some feelings I have been having about legacy. What is my legacy? What should it be? Maybe 38 is too young to think about my legacy. Maybe its too late? I dont think I know yet. I was driving the other day when two songs came on. It just so happened they came on after I had talked to my wife about how it is usually easier to do the wrong thing than the right thing. She is right after all. Think about it. How much easier would it be to do the wrong thing then by trying to live your life doing the right thing?

So in that frame of mind, I heard "Good Life" by One Republic. Its a good song. Anyway, one line goes "Sometimes there's bullshit that don't work now." That pretty much sums up my 2011. But the song ends "What there is to complain about." And they are right. 2011 was full of bullshit. I put up with what felt like more than my fair share. But, despite the mess, the problems, the idiots, the people who think their shit doesn't stink, I feel like there is little to complain about. I am healthy - relatively. I have a family that is mostly healthy. I have a little girl who has me wrapped around her finger. I have three boys who, despite all of their issues, are good kids who are growing up in a time that I don't know we fully understand. I have a wife who loves me despite all of the nonsense I put her through. I have friends who have been supportive and understanding. I have a house, a job, and transportation. I have food. I know that puts me somewhere above the bottom 50% of people in socio-economic terms. I know I have friends with wives who are sick, jobs that are not guaranteed, and homes that they have lost.

So after that, Evanescence came on. I know people discuss the meanings of songs all the time. This song, to me, makes me think of my dad. There isn't a line I can point to, but a general sense that makes me think of the loss of my dad. I think its this "And I held your hand through all of these years." For years, I would hold my dad's hand to steady him, to help him stand up, to walk him through some place. Now, I can't hold his hand anymore. I can't steady him, I can't help him stand up. I don't have that option. And, it sucks. It makes me sad. It makes me cry.

Where does that leave me? Whats my legacy? What was my parents legacy? Did they leave one? Is it me? Is it my brother? I don't know. I think my dad would tell you that his legacy was raising three kids who turned out to be decent people. Even if I don't talk to my brother, even if we don't see eye to eye, I think my dad would tell you he is a decent person. But I don't really know. We never got a chance to talk about it.

I think my mom would tell you that her legacy was my brother. Yep, I am pretty sure of it. He had the option of moving himself to San Diego when she got sick. I didn't. He had the ability to take her to her doctor's appointments. From my mom's perspective, he was the good son. Hell, not just from her perspective. Her sister, her sister's husband, my dad's brother and his wife, my brother, my cousins, the Rabbi who presided over the funeral. Hell, some of her friends probably think that. I know they do. Of course, none of those people know that while she was sick and needed her strength to fight cancer (by the way, Dear Cancer, still fuck you, Sincerely, me), I protected her from things that would have distracted her. I didn't tell her the details of my family's life that would have made things more difficult for her. I didn't tell her all of the bullshit I had going on. Why? Because that was the decision I made. And whether right or wrong, whether anyone agrees with me or not, that was my decision. And I don't regret it at all. Not one single bit. So, she may be right and her legacy may be my brother. But I know she would have done the same thing in my position.

But what is their legacy? My dad did a lot of good in his professional life. But at what price? It probably contributed to his Parkinsons - or maybe its easier for me to think that way then think of the alternative. It sure made it so he took more medication. He traveled and missed events, maybe not the major ones, but lots of other life events. He provided financially for his family. But I don't think that is it. My mom, who didn't work most of my life, provided a stable home. She took care of the 3 of us.

I just don't know the answer. I do know that all of this thinking has left me wondering what my legacy would be. If I died tomorrow, would anyone remember me for anything beyond my family and friends? And what would they think of me? Good dad? Good husband? Loudmouth who talked more than most people? I don't know. I have never asked and don't plan on it. (And no, don't post a comment telling me what you think. I don't really want to know that badly.)

So, I want to leave a legacy. I want something to leave behind that one day someone will say "He left the world just a little bit better than it was when he found it." I think I know what it is too.

Ever read those feel good articles in Sports Illustrated or Time or some other magazine? You know, once a year or twice a year they will write a story about some kid who avoided gangs while playing football or a girl who inspired her teammates before dying. Its always a feel good piece, a tear jerker. We all like those stories, but do we hear enough about them? Probably not.

So, my goal for 2012, is a 64 feel good stories about real people. Stories you don't hear anywhere else. Stories that aren't being told by NBC or ABC or Time or Sports Illustrated or your local newspaper. 64? How did I come up with that? One story a week for 52 weeks plus a longer one per month for 12 months. That's right. 64 stories. I need your help. Email me or post a comment and tell me about someone whose story should be told. Who has inspired you or made a difference? Who has overcome an obstacle, not cutting off an arm to live while rock climbing, but some other obstacle? What stories do you want to hear? That will be my legacy.

Some thoughts on money

I don't care too much for money, money can't buy me love. (Not my original, thanks to the Beatles. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SMwZsFKIXa8) Or should we compare to The Baby's "Money" which goes "The best things in life are free/But you can keep 'em for the birds and bees." (Like two people will know this song so here is the Youtube for this excellent song! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YTirjVo8A0I)

So two things today really irked me about money and I figured this is as good a forum as anything else. Why? Because I can. Why else? Its my blog. Why else? Do I need another reason? No.

First, the California Assembly gave raises to their staffers - again. I know. These folks haven't received raises in a while, haven't had a cost of living adjustment, blah, blah, blah. Don't even give me this nonsense. Let me guess: we need to keep these talented people as well. Right?

Newsflash to the fine folks running the California Assembly: most Californians have not had a raise in years either. It sucks. Its crappy. Its called a recession. Actually, its probably a double dip recession, if not a depression. Do you know what happens in a recession? People lose jobs, pay is cut, benefits are cut. Yep, sucks. Do you know how we get out of a recession? We have to spend our way out of it - not giving our employees raises because they are such good people, but getting consumers to spend money at businesses. That gets business to invest the money and voila, recession starts to turn into gains. Then the economy improves.

Look, its been hard for these people who work for the Assembly. I mean, they must be out there every day using their hands, worrying about where the next paycheck is coming from, wondering how they are going to get health insurance for their families. Oh wait. Sorry. I got those people confused with working Americans. You want it hard? I have clients who live paycheck to paycheck and pay their bills with money orders because they don't want to bounce a check and have so little in their checking account that bouncing a check is possible. I talked to a guy this week who is a supervisor for a construction company and has had to lay off 40% of its employees. Unemployment is over 10% and that doesn't count the people who have just given up looking for a job.

People are out there every day working hard and wondering if their job will still be there in a week. The people who work for the Assembly know that they have a job and its not going anywhere. How do they know this? Because the one thing you can count on - politicians will put themselves last on the list of people who have to take pay cuts, lay off employees or do anything else that will not benefit them. Sad, but true. So these folks don't have the same worries as the rest of us. (Oh, and I don't really count me in there - I am fortunate enough to have a job where I can sit and write this nonsense during the day.)

Memo to the California Assembly: do the right thing and rescind the raises and show the rest of us that you actually care about California and not just your employees. Since these folks won't do anything, let me go to my next money grubbers.

Charities........what? Charities? How can that be? These folks ask for money. Nothing wrong with that, especially if the money is going to a legitimate cause. Breast cancer research or ending MS or helping the homeless. All great causes. I don't have a problem with any of them. So what is my problem?

Have you ever sent these people money? They send you a thank you letter back THAT ASKS FOR MORE MONEY. Yes. Thank you for your generous donation, now send us more money. WTF? How exactly is that supposed to make me feel? I just gave you money. I donated. I did my part, however small it may be. How about you just thank me and leave it at that?

Dear Michael, Thank you so much for the soccer ball for my birthday. I am going to put it up in my office with my other memorabilia. Now, please send me another one. Your friend, Jon

Could you imagine if someone actually sent a thank you card that said that? No. Miss Manners would go into cardiac arrest. Even I would be bugged by it. Yet, more and more charities are doing this and we aren't pissed off? Well, I for one am. Next time I send money to a charity and they ask for more money, I am writing them off and won't give them anything else. Done. Finished. No mas.

By the way, Hala Moddelmog, take a 10% pay cut and Susan G Komen for the Cure will have an extra $50,000 and won't need to ask me for more money. Simple!

MLS in Elk Grove? I think not

I had something real to rant about. I did. Honest. Then I sat down for lunch with my wife. PB&J on wheat bread with a pro-biotic chaser. Not bad. The wife makes the best PB&J sandwiches. So I break out my newspaper and what do I see - a story about my little town. I read said story. Said story is dumb. So here goes my rant.

So the story is this, in a nutshell. Fabian Nunez and some attorney are heading a group that wants to bring a Major League Soccer team to Elk Grove. The City Council is going to vote tonight and exclusive negotiating rights with this group. If you don't know Fabian Nunez, google him. If you don't know Major League Soccer, please stop reading this. Seriously. If you are reading this and you don't know MLS, you really shouldn't read anything I write. Really. I promise.

So where to start? Should we start with Fabian Nunez? Dude was Speaker of the State Assembly. Dude's son killed a guy. Yes, we all make mistakes. I have made plenty. Just ask my wife. But, murder, manslaughter or anything close to it? Not on my list of sins. But, I get it, people screw up.

Dad shouldn't be held responsible for the mistakes of the kid. I get it. I would hope not to be judged by what my kids do. But Fabian, and I can call him Fabian because I have seen him try to play soccer, used his influence to get his son's sentence commuted. That means shortened. Did it in a sneaky way that has generated two lawsuits. I'm sorry. I don't mind if you run out and use your money to hire the best attorney you can find. I would even refer you to a few of them. I don't mind if you hire the experts and pay the money to try to get your son found not guilty. That is our system. Right or wrong, if you have money and you can afford to do it, then you should hire the best person to represent you or your family. Good. Fine. But to use your political influence AFTER THE FACT to try to get your son a reduced sentence is wrong. Flat out wrong.

Look, we all can bust our butts and make money. I don't mind it. We can debate if Nunez ever busted his butt working, ever worked hard for the people of the State of California, ever did anything to earn money. We can debate how much money he has. But if you work hard or are Mark Zuckerberg and steal, er, borrow an idea, you can make money. That is fair game. But we all don't have political connections. We aren't all on a first name basis with the cheating former Governor. We all don't have his cell phone number and we can't get it. Thats playing dirty pool. Sorry. And it sits wrong with 99% of the country.

So, does the City of Elk Grove want to do business with this guy? Lets see we enter into an agreement and he doesnt like something, does he call Jerry Brown to get the new Governor's influence to change the rules? Does he ask the Senate President, who is a good guy even if I disagree with some of his politics, for help in dealing with the City? How on earth can you trust him? Let me guess - because he is a politician. No offense to any politician reading this, but I trust politicians as far as I can throw them, and unless they are on a TLC show called "Little Politician" I can't throw them that far.

But beyond that, MLS in Elk Grove? Really? Major League Soccer? Okay, a few basic points. First, Sacramento could not support the Sacramento Knights, a minor league indoor soccer team. Stockton, our neighbor to the south, could not support the Stockton Cougars, another minor league indoor soccer team. We can barely keep the freaking Kings in Sacramento (although one of their idiot play by play guys is the reason I won't support them). We have lost 2, or is it 3, pro football teams. Heck, San Jose lost the Earthquakes several years ago. Yet, somehow, Elk Grove is going to support professional soccer.

Elk Grove has a mall that hasn't been finished. Elk Grove has a ridiculous number of foreclosures. Elk Grove has unemployment around 10%. Elk Grove schools are struggling. Yet, these people are going to support a professional sports team?

Oh wait, I know, no public money will be used. Sure, and cows will fly over the stadium dropping ice cream to the fans. Chocolate or cookies and cream? Every sports stadium uses some public money.

Oh, I know, things are different here. Really? We can't get our freaking youth soccer leagues to play nicely in this town. I am the biggest soccer fan you will find. Wanna bet? Gladly. Pele autograph jersey in my office - I WIN! End of discussion. But I couldn't get this town to support a fundraiser for breast cancer. Of course, idiot Jon is now going to try a fundraiser for Autism Speaks. Apparently, I don't learn. Literally, I got the mayor out at my game. And that's it. The city? Very little support other than some great small businesses. The local soccer community? No support. At all. Coaches telling players not to come because they might get hurt. Yeah, they might get hurt crossing the freaking street too.

Look, MLS is a great thing. The quality is improving. We have some big names playing. But they can't support MLS in some big cities. What makes anyone think we can support it here? Seriously. Lets politely tell Nunez to take his political influence and shove it. We don't need MLS in Elk Grove. The list of things we need more is staggeringly long. Homes. Jobs. School funding. Support for local businesses. We don't need some washed up politician (who, by the way, would get schooled on the pitch by my 10 year old) and his cronies coming to our town to ruin it. This is a travesty and we should put an end to it now.