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Jim Buckley's avatar

People should know that the DEI position being offered by SB County comes with a starting salary from $137,000 to $177,000. And, naturally, I comes with all kinds of benefits and perks, raising the cost to taxpayers to at least $300,000. Asking for higher taxes of any kind is an intolerable injustice in light of the crazy spending the city and county promote. No doubt a Santa Barbara City/County DOGE would help set things right... Maybe even (do I dare say it?) a tax reduction or rebate would be in order?

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Howard Walther's avatar

An FBI agent GS-12 makes between $74,441.00 - $96,770.00 and puts into perspective

how utterly pathetic this SB DEI salary of $137k to $177k is.

https://www.federalpay.org/gs/2024/GS-12#google_vignette

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J. Livingston's avatar

Salary vs. salary plus benefits plus pensions. Fun with numbers, for political manipulation.

Never lose sight of the fact tax payers are on the hook for the entire government employee compensation package, not just what the government employees often claim is their paltry take-home portion.

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J. Livingston's avatar

EG: SBUSD -Teacher (2023) (Transparent California)

Regular pay: $103,864.00 Other pay: $32,453.00**

Total pay: $136,317.00

Benefits: $37,277.00

Total pay & benefits: $173,594.00

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J. Livingston's avatar

So does a, SBUSD teacher (at the high end) make $173,000 a year (salary and benefits), or only $103,000 (salary only) a year? Enough to live in Santa Barbara and be competitive in hiring, or not? (**Other pay may include teaching during the summer - by choice, instead of only teaching the typical 9 month year. Unknown. )

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Bill Russell's avatar

If you had the FBI experience, I've had, you'd pay the FBI agents "zero." Kash Patel as the new FBI director, looks like a guy that will "eat" the bad FBI guys and spit out their bones! Don't compare FBI agent salaries to SB employee salaries, it's an insult to the SB employees. I know what I experienced and who done what, don't tell me I'm wrong!

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Polly Frost's avatar

We taxpayers should refuse, but we should also offer a greater prize than winning this DEI position - a one-way ticket to the South Side of Chicago. After all, we know that's the real goal of anyone applying for this job: to help people of color, so let's send them where they're needed.

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Earl Brown's avatar

DEI - what crap. Not sure where they're needed, but . . . outta here!

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J. Livingston's avatar

Goal? Expand government payroll and Democrat-voting loyalty numbers.

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DLDawson's avatar

DEI…just one of the array of tactics deployed to collapse Our Country…pray for Team Trump!

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Bill Russell's avatar

When Trump is in office, I have a beef to settle with the City of SB which involves many, including the now-corrupt FBI which for the past three years is involved with a character assassination of me. They have been defining me while not asking me one question during this time period. They are very slick thugs, but not that secretive about what they are doing. They scramble my emails, as an example.

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Thomas John's avatar

I'm with Polly?

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Bill Russell's avatar

Check elsewhere in this thread for my response. I can't get too much text here.

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Polly Frost's avatar

?

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J. Livingston's avatar

Does Laura Capps affirmatively support inclusion of political conservatives? How will she ensure their place in all community wide discussions going forward. Or is she tainted by her own party's misperception that conservatives are racist repressives; instead of mavens for fiscal accountability ala DOGE. Tell us more, Laura.

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Pat Fish's avatar

The phrase " Immigrants are and will be safe and supported here." comes dangerously close to declaring sanctuary status. Oh Hell no.

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Jeff barton's avatar

If illegal, newcomers should be regarded invaders, not immigrants. If Capps is refering to illegals, she is absolutely declaring sanctuary.

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Polly Frost's avatar

Yep. You're right, Jeff.

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J. Livingston's avatar

I posit, without direct proof, 50% of teacher union members would lose their jobs if borders were closed. This would be a fatal blow to the state's current political power structure.

Prop 98 guarantees steady funding for public education, regardless of open or closed borders. However, this base funding amount is either diluted or concentrated. Do we use Prop 98 funding to return the former excellence of California public education, or do we use that money primarily to only increase the numbers of dues paying teacher union memberships?

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Anne West's avatar

are you saying that our schools are full of the children of illegal immigrants?

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J. Livingston's avatar

Anne, citizenship status cannot not officially tracked, so no one can make that claim with any accuracy. At one time, one could make a reasoned guess based only on the imprecise surrogate marker language skills since they did track how many "english learners" were enrolled. But that tracking has now shifted to calling all students "emergent bi-lingual". English speaking students now attend Spanish-speaking only classes in their early years, and then Spanish speaking students gradually are exposed to English speaking only classes - thus both groups are now call "bilingual emergent".

With the promise making everyone bi-lingual will reduce the incidence of later dementia, according to local media reporting on this new policy. What happens to other native language speakers other, than Spanish and English speaking students. is unknown.

I suggest if the goal is emergent-bilingual, it would be more useful to put both English Speaking and Spanish Speaking students into full immersion Mandarin Chinese classes so they can best respond this planet's future demographic realities.

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Earl Brown's avatar

Forget all this crap - America for Americans. Foreigners - _out_ unless they they have filed the right paperwork and gotten permission to apply for citizenship.

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Thomas John's avatar

This source says 20% of all individuals under 18 in California were living in mixed-status families, meaning they were either undocumented themselves or living with someone who was

https://immigrantdataca.org/indicators/mixed-status-families?t

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J. Livingston's avatar

That USC data site has an odd narrative and bias, when one keeps drilling down for actual data of that also excludes what cannot be reliably reported.

Should US taxpayers be forced to educate citizens from other countries for 13 years with no means of reimbursement from their citizenship country?

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Bonnie Donovan's avatar

Per what I have researched YES.

Only because our Country wrote Everyone Will Receive a Free Education. So they used that to mean ANYONE....

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Polly Frost's avatar

Brilliant, Bonnie!

Laura Capps, sadly, is the supervisor of my neighborhood. In 2022 we all asked her to come to our neighborhood and hear our concerns about what was being okayed and planned for us. Miss Laura arrived dressed more for a UN meeting than a meeting of lowly citizens - in heels, her blonde hair coiffed, like a knock-off version of her nemesis Trump's daughter. She did her usual number: looking utterly bored while pretending concern. She fiddled with her flowing blue and yellow scarves, looking away towards Ukraine where they really needed her. If only we had been homeless people she might be able to feel our pain.

I used to think Laura was just stupid. After reading this letter I see how dangerous she is. She writes as though she is protecting Santa Barbara. She's really talking about seceding from the union. Albeit, a secession that would take place between getting her nails done and texting Al Gore for advice.

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Polly Frost's avatar

I feel like we citizens of Santa Barbara who don't go along with Capps should write an open letter to Trump saying we are appalled that she talks like this as though she's above the law and is assuming we all support her - and we don't. Where does she get off treating us like her little Red Army?

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Polly Frost's avatar

She should be fixing our potholes instead of warring with our president.

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Earl Brown's avatar

" . . . looking away towards Ukraine. . " Funny! :)

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Mike's avatar

Laura Capps is a carpetbagger Progressive Ideologue. When she could not win in District 1, she moved to District 2. She has no original thoughts and serves as a local mouthpiece for the democrat machine (which recently to a licking, at least nationally).

I have written her in the past asking for her to consider the needs of the 40% constituents who did not vote for her; but predictably she ignores my requests.

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Jami's avatar

Measures on the ballot to increase taxes / funding for various programs when our existing funds are being mismanaged in these ways and others is an outrage. Thank you SB Current for bringing this to light. I hope voters will note start electing people who know how to effectively manage rather than push their personal agendas.

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Howard Walther's avatar

I read this very disturbing article by Bonnie Donovan titled "A Message from Supervisor Capps"

and I quote from from Ms Capps Letter below>

“Beginning today, we will be even more vigilant to ensure the safety of all people, especially the most vulnerable. Immigrants are and will be safe and supported here. LGBTQ+ people are and will be safe and supported here. Women are and will be safe and supported here."

The new title to this article should read "A Message to Santa Barbara - Your Family is NOT SAFE in SB especially if you are a women, man or child."

I made this statement before and will make it again. Any Women Sexually Abused here in SB and concealed, covered-up and swept under the rug? Any other Concealments Ms. Capps?

Again I will refer you all to former FBI Executive Tom Parkers article "Perceptions of Political Corruption Too Often the Harbingers of Stark Reality"

https://www.independent.com/2020/02/22/perceptions-of-political-corruption/

And I quote from same>"This is especially true when it comes to questioning the ethics or illicit acts of local government officials. "While spending nearly 25 years in the FBI and convicting a number of local, state, and federal officials on corruption charges, ..... For those of you who may not have knowingly experienced such behavior in your own community, and for purposes of this article, let me give you a quick homegrown lesson in what that malfeasance smells like."

Corruption DESTROYS whatever it touches.

Howard Walther, member of a Military Family

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Bill Russell's avatar

One problem now with the FBI is they work with the Dem cities. And they also look for "volunteers" to do their dirty work in attempt to keep their own hands clean. I know ...

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Howard Walther's avatar

Hello Bill you are absoletly correct that the FBI does use the talents of

NON-FBI individuals. Where you are wrong, at least in SB, is that the

DIRTY HANDS are the So-Called-Leaders of SB.

H

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Bill Russell's avatar

I'm assuming you've heard of the term "weaponized" with the FBI? One definition of weaponized is: "exploit for the purpose of attacking a person or group, or for spreading discord:

"they find it easier to weaponize the fear and uncertainty of national events" · "he spoke about the dangers of cynicism, and how it can be weaponized against us" There are so many players ... people know who I am ...

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Bill Russell's avatar

... An engineer friend in Ohio sent me an email using IT instead of it. The day before I was researching at night where the word IT had originated for the Segway before it was introduced. What my friend was saying was that he heard me using the term IT the night before. I never used the term with my Ohio friend. I think he got this info from TikTok.

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Bill Russell's avatar

TikTok I believe is broadcasting audio and video of me at our house. May not be doing that now. Overtime from my observations, the TikTok info spread by word of mouth ... might have to go to my ex SB neighbors on Laurel Canyon to find out more info. Pretty crazy, huh?

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Bill Russell's avatar

My hunch the FBI maybe trying to figure out now what to do. They may take the tact of saying they don't know anything about me. They could have me eliminated. There are a lot of people that know me out there that knows what's going on.

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Bill Russell's avatar

There's probably a requirement to advertise the position for an "Inclusion Initiatives Manager (Principal CEO Analyst Classification)," but they more likely have already selected the person within their organization, or a relative.

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JBizzle's avatar

The County CEO also pushed out a message to all County employees offering support and resources following the recent election for those who felt depressed, disenfranchised, disillusioned, sad and/or angry at the outcome. Interestingly enough, I didn't hear of a similar memorandum following the 2020 election. It appears inclusion and special attention is only reserved for certain, selected "privileged" groups. Institutionalized bias = bias.

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Earl Brown's avatar

I'm 'disillusioned' - do I qualify for 'resources'?

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Bonnie Donovan's avatar

Are you White? Are you a male? Then NO!!

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Earl Brown's avatar

Darn it - I shouldda been born a 'Commie-Dem of color'! :)

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Anne West's avatar

HAHAHAHAHAHAHA!

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J. Livingston's avatar

JB: How was this relayed to county employees? Is a documented copy available using a public records request?

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JBizzle's avatar

Email. Not sure on Q #2.

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J. Livingston's avatar

Thank you. Assume a public records request for the subject matter, time period and means production and scope of distribution would provide a hard copy. Ws this from the CEO by name, or by department.

Did it also offer admonitions about what it means to be neutral professionals, who chose to work for taxpayer-funded government operations?

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Bill Russell's avatar

To Polly and Thomas John: To say everything I need to say is like writing a book and you having to read it. It's really complicated. There was a lot of dots connected between Santa Barbara and Dalton, GA where the FBI harassment continues. Polly might want to write the story and make a buck or two <g>. My only guess the FBI hasn't grabbed me is they realized they made a big mistake, and a costly one. I would estimate they've spent millions of bucks on me. There's one thing about being myself, I know what I have done and haven't done. But between the City and FBI, they now know they really screwed up in so many ways, like lack of due process, planting stuff, fake evidence. There is definitely a political part to all of this, too. NOTE: I didn't have text room to place this message under your comments. This has happened before.

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Earl Brown's avatar

Hang in there Bill. Whoever Trump decides to replace that putz Christopher Wray, (I hope it's Kash Patel), you can bet is gonna turn the whole agency upside down for their efforts in his legal problems. Have your atty notify Kash of your situation right away so Kash can help you.

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Bill Russell's avatar

I'm waiting for Trump to get in and get his new staff operating. I've never talked this much in this detail since 2021 because I knew the Dems had a stronghold on me. I'm sure the local FBI guys are pissing in their pants, or they should be. It has been hell at times. Since the crooked contractor with a suspended license was Hispanic, he got into the action, too. I'm sure the contractor, Juan Cervantes, is free.

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Bill Russell's avatar

The Hispanic part of all this involvement introduced a lot of harassment, both in SB and here in Dalton, GA. Juan Cervantes definitely has connections with the Mexican Cartel in the Oxnard are. This dick even fondled my wife when he was working ... he didn't complete one of ten code violations, can you believe that. Very evil. He stole over $125K, and the City effectively booted us out.

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Anne West's avatar

yeah I just had the same problem not being able to comment and hit the 'reply' button.

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Bill Russell's avatar

Yes, I write a lot on Classmates.com and they only allow me short messages called NOTES. I don't know who's controlling the length of messages. Ya, here you can't hit the reply button if the message is too long.

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Bonnie Donovan's avatar

?

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Monica Bond's avatar

Bonnie, I am so glad that you commented on Ms. Capps letter to the editor! Like you, when I read it I had to do a rereading because I wasn't sure if I was seeing the words correctly. It was one of the worst letters I have ever seen an elected official put out to the public. What an asskissing sanctimonious bunch of crap. It is extremely worrisome to me that she, a county supervisor with powers that affect us all by a vote from her, is holding a position that she is abusing by selecting certain groups of people that she will stand by. and to hell with everyone else. I am hoping that one day we will once again have a Board of Supervisors that are really in it to improve Santa Barbara .

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Sawbilly's avatar

Typical of Santa Barbara — just as the whole country is finally letting go of the DEI trend and obsession, Santa Barbara decides that what we really need is yet more of it.

What a scam and a disaster DEI has been.

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Sawbilly's avatar

Why is a local official using her position to comment on stuff like this? Newsflash, Laura: we have a lot of challenges locally that need attention. Yes, it isn’t very glamorous. It’s concrete, small stuff, often completely non ideological, but it’s all very important — practically speaking — to your neighbors. Plus: everybody’s got an opinion about national affairs, we don’t care particularly about yours. Get local finances under control! Fix some potholes! Read Bonnie Donovan and learn from her what needs to be done around this town!

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LT's avatar

Laura Capps is a clear example of what’s wrong with our local politics. Born into SB royalty, her ascent into politics was a given and about as a “sure thing” as possible. Her Father, then her Mother, having both been elected to our local congressional seat, so obviously that seat should be rightfully hers someday, right? Talk about “white entitlement!” Capps is part of the Democratic political machine, whereby candidates are decided upon by Dem handlers well in advanced of elections.

The notion of giving special attention, treatment or services to specific groups; LBGTQ and illegal immigrates are obviously more deserving than the rest of us, right? So what then about white, straight, males?…need not apply? The support of BLM in anyway with our tax dollars should be rejected and prompt a Grand Jury investigation. BLM rightfully should be classified has a radical, racist, anarchist, hate group. This is just another example of the shakedown of the rest of us!

The local political landscape is changing to liberal whites like Capps, forming alliances with liberal “Latinx” “Comunistas” such as Limon and Gutierrez in order to “protect” brown and gay folks from “evil whitey,” who ultimately pays for this scam.

The other “coalition” which enjoys special status and favoritism by way of our tax dollars is the bike lobby. You know, the group that prances around town in their tight fitting neoprene outfits, often traveling in hoards and sporting bikes which often cost tens of thousands. Yes, typically, white males, middle aged, high wage earners need our help to make sure their bike lanes are well maintained and in far better shape than the rest of us who depend on dirty, outdated, automobiles!

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Anne West's avatar

the whole 'gay' thing is such bullshit. I'm a gay woman. never have I felt that I am 'unsafe' here because of that. If anything, i may be slightly less safe for being a woman, but the idea that gayness has anything to do with that is crap. As for immigrants, we all love our hispanic community, the LEGAL ones.

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Polly Frost's avatar

Amen, Anne.

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CarsAreBasic's avatar

I'll dance around the DEI comment and point out transportation insanity of this current SB Council and the bull headed Goleta Council.

"...stating their aim to establish 91 miles of bike paths by 2030, boasting that they've already reached 98 miles." It makes no difference whether you are Left, Right or in the Middle. Think abut this Mayor Blum boasted Santa Barbara had 25 miles of interconnected bike paths and the ridership numbers were dismal. So now the City Transportation planners "boast" they have almost doubled the bike path numbers???? There are fewer bike riders now then when Blum, Schneider and Murillo were Mayors. Who's pocket is being lined?

Santa Barbara crows about an $800K grant for more stupid planning? Vision Zero is a zero vision plan and Los Angeles, Santa Monica with others stating it does not work!!!!!!!!!! Goleta Council has told its phone center to refuse any more complaints about destruction of Old Town Hollister.

It is getting worse. As the street grid is being hammered into dust, and it impossible efficiently to get around in Old Town where are the supposed "Swells" of the Riviera, the Mesa, and the San Roque areas who are now complaining loudly about street and parking destruction????

I'll cut this short with this statement. The privileged who ignored reality, ignored the growing intentional congestion placed on the streets by an uncaring and and obviously narrow minded council own this 100%. The only conclusion can be one their backed outcome, they don't care and refuse to acknowledge the cost of tearing out their their insanity will cost the taxpayers more then what it cost to destroy the grid. (but then again they will be gone after they fiddled while watching south county burn)

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J. Livingston's avatar

Being a pedestrian in this town has become increasingly perilous too, needing to dodge, bikes, electric bikes, cars and rough pavings. Are we pedestrians fewer in numbers than than the alleged bike lobby? Or have too many of us given up what used to be a nice healthy habit. This is first and foremost a walkable city, yet we encounter so few other pedestrians today. While real estate ads continue to tout a walkability score.

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Bill Clausen's avatar

Just curious, and prove me wrong if I am, but why aren't "progressives' speaking out against the horrific misogyny of Rap lyrics? (Googe Kanye West's "Carnival" and look at the lyrics he writes about Left-wing favorite Taylor Swift) And isn't it wrong that biological men can to into women's bathrooms, locker rooms, and sports? Could it be that the Left's obsession with racism and "transphobia" have worked at cross-purposes?

Also, what about workplaces where employees must show "inclusiveness" by referring to people by their "preferred pronoun" per DEI workplace policies? Per that, the Left lie to people,, lie about people, and are now forcing people to lie, or risk losing their jobs. It would be interesting to see what happens if someone loses their job for standing up for the truth by not saying that a biological man is a woman. It makes for a potentially huge lawsuit.

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