Tonight the Fulton-El Camino Recreation and Park District voted 3-2 to pull the plug on the Arden Arcade Fourth of July parade, which has been held every year since 2003. Why? The Fulton Avenue Association, which has helped fund the parade @ $2,000-$3,000 each year decided they wanted a Christmastime parade instead. The Park District will host an event at Cottage Pool instead of helping put on the parade.

Want to go to a parade on 4th of July? Go to Carmichael. They are special, you see. The Elks Club pays for the parade there. Important people show up there - maybe even a marching band! Arden Arcade, with 35,000 or so more people than Carmichael, just doesn’t merit a parade on our nation’s most patriotic holiday. Our community is invisible; we don’t matter. No one here needs to get fired up with patriotism on our national holiday, particularly not our recent immigrants. Besides, it’s fine if the car dealers don’t care enough to spend $3,000 on the community where they make beaucoup bucks, right?