Last meeting...
Posted by Stephen Heath
Who knew Tom Campbell was an Elvis impersonator? Apparently that's just one of the former five-term congressman's many talents.
It was the second week a Republican politician had addressed the club and so President Beverly Brautigam issued the following disclaimer at the end of Campbell's remarks: "I would like to make it clear that the Rotary Club does not take positions on political issues and we do not endorse any candidates. The Program Committee extends invitations to prominent politicians on both sides of the aisle and we are always delighted when one of them accepts."
Campbell, who also served in the State Senate and most recently was dean of the Haas School of Business at UC Berkeley, addressed a variety of issues during his prepared remarks and the lengthy question period afterward—including the economy, immigration, financial regulation, health care, water policy and nuclear power.
"I'm not a CPA," quipped the holder of a doctorate in economics from the University of Chicago (Milton Friedman was his faculty advisor). "But this much I do know: don't spend more than you have.
"When it comes to the economy, there are two things the federal government can do. First it can restore confidence that it is not going to just keep printing money so that employers will hire people. Our current budget deficit is 12% of our Gross Domestic Product. Greece's budget deficit is 13% of their GDP. That's where we are at the moment.
"Second, it can bring back the Gramm-Rudman-Hollings Balanced Budget Act. It wasn't perfect but it was the right idea: don't do things you can't afford."
Introduced by Chair of the Day David Eastis, Campbell also talked extensively about the need to restore water to the central valley.
"We need more storage, including a new reservoir south of the delta," he declared. "We need to balance the need of endangered species against the needs of the human species and take care of agriculture, which is our state's greatest industry."
Dennis Dalton of Western Contract Furnishers was meeting sponsor, but gave his time to fellow Rotarian Mike Gilligan to discuss First Tee Sacramento, a nonprofit organization providing golf and life experiences to local youngsters.
Past-President Skip Lawrence announced that RCS currently leads Point West Rotary by 14 units in the annual blood donation contest between our two clubs. But he also said that Point West has scheduled the Bloodsource mobile donation unit to be at its June 4 meeting, which could result in Point West re-taking the lead. He said that we could cement a victory if everyone who gave blood when the mobile unit visited our club on April 26 did it again before the contest ends (donors of whole blood have to wait 56 days before doing it again, so people who gave on April 26 could do it again on or after June 22). Please contact Skip if you're willing to do that.
Denny Evans offered the thought for the day, which had to do with new beginnings—something Denny is about to experience himself. He announced that he had recently become engaged to be married. - SRH
It was the second week a Republican politician had addressed the club and so President Beverly Brautigam issued the following disclaimer at the end of Campbell's remarks: "I would like to make it clear that the Rotary Club does not take positions on political issues and we do not endorse any candidates. The Program Committee extends invitations to prominent politicians on both sides of the aisle and we are always delighted when one of them accepts."
Campbell, who also served in the State Senate and most recently was dean of the Haas School of Business at UC Berkeley, addressed a variety of issues during his prepared remarks and the lengthy question period afterward—including the economy, immigration, financial regulation, health care, water policy and nuclear power.
"I'm not a CPA," quipped the holder of a doctorate in economics from the University of Chicago (Milton Friedman was his faculty advisor). "But this much I do know: don't spend more than you have.
"When it comes to the economy, there are two things the federal government can do. First it can restore confidence that it is not going to just keep printing money so that employers will hire people. Our current budget deficit is 12% of our Gross Domestic Product. Greece's budget deficit is 13% of their GDP. That's where we are at the moment.
"Second, it can bring back the Gramm-Rudman-Hollings Balanced Budget Act. It wasn't perfect but it was the right idea: don't do things you can't afford."
Introduced by Chair of the Day David Eastis, Campbell also talked extensively about the need to restore water to the central valley.
"We need more storage, including a new reservoir south of the delta," he declared. "We need to balance the need of endangered species against the needs of the human species and take care of agriculture, which is our state's greatest industry."
Dennis Dalton of Western Contract Furnishers was meeting sponsor, but gave his time to fellow Rotarian Mike Gilligan to discuss First Tee Sacramento, a nonprofit organization providing golf and life experiences to local youngsters.
Past-President Skip Lawrence announced that RCS currently leads Point West Rotary by 14 units in the annual blood donation contest between our two clubs. But he also said that Point West has scheduled the Bloodsource mobile donation unit to be at its June 4 meeting, which could result in Point West re-taking the lead. He said that we could cement a victory if everyone who gave blood when the mobile unit visited our club on April 26 did it again before the contest ends (donors of whole blood have to wait 56 days before doing it again, so people who gave on April 26 could do it again on or after June 22). Please contact Skip if you're willing to do that.
Denny Evans offered the thought for the day, which had to do with new beginnings—something Denny is about to experience himself. He announced that he had recently become engaged to be married. - SRH