July 20 to July 26 26 , 2016 THIS WEEK! The official guide to Gay Palm Springs for 22 years.

THE LAST WORD by Greg Pettis
Well, when you thought it couldn’t get any
funnier (and scary) the Donald chose, got
cold feet and finally went ahead with naming
Governor Pence as his running mate.
Now we have two people with absolutely
NO experience in foreign affairs running
on a ticket for President and Vice President.
Additionally, one of the most anti-Gay tickets
in recent history.
Trump has said he will overturn the marriage
equality ruling of the Supreme Court
and Pence actually signed a religious freedom
bill in Indiana. Even Dick Cheney was
in favor of marriage equality. Pence has also
called on the defunding of Planned Parenthood
and reversing Roe vs Wade.
So, anti-gay, anti-women. Wonder who
they will hate tomorrow?
Now to be totally honest, I have been asked
to be a surrogate speaker for Hillary Clinton
during the campaign, so I am a bit biased,
but I am more terrified over what these
people will do us and to the country if, god
forbid, they got elected.
Oh the funny part was their original logo
that they had to scuttle within hours because
it looked like the T in Trump was buttf******
the P in Pence. You just can’t make up this
stuff!
National conventions are starting. Republicans
in Cleveland and Democrats in Philadelphia.
The Republicans are having a
hard time filling the speaking slots with
even the last two Republican Presidents
not even coming to town. The Dems have
announced Presidents Obama and Clinton,
Vice President Biden and Bernie Sanders
to name a few with Lady Gaga performing.
Thank goodness I’ll be in Philadelphia and
only suffering through Cleveland on the
television.
Locally, Palm Springs made headlines again
this week for two employees accused of misuse
of city vehicles. The City Manager suspended
the employees and an investigation
continues. I know they are having rocky
times, but the City will get through all this
negativity and come out stronger.
Most valley cities start election season this
week with filing opening for city council
and Mayor candidates. Watch for lots of
news in Cathedral City, Palm Desert, La
Quinta, Indian Wells, Indio and Coachella
as folks begin the process of signing up and
opening themselves up to the voters. There
will also be many local ballot measures in
Palm Springs and Cathedral City. Other
cities may follow suit. They have to decide
by mid-August to add to the ballot.
Get involved. Volunteer. Give a donation.
Your city – whichever one you live in needs
your participation. Now’s the time!
Greg Pettis is a 22 year city councilman in Cathedral
City. He has made his name in governmental circles
as an expert in transportation issues and is very active
in working on bringing passenger rail service to the
COACHELLA Valley. Greg was the first openly gay
elected city council members In Riverside County. He
has served on the boards of the National League of
Cities and the League of California Cities and as President
of the Southern CA Association of Governments.
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