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Opinion
Voters have an extremely important decision to make in the upcoming election.
In the last few years the District Attorney’s Office has engaged in the practice of sentence bargaining. This has occurred in many cases where the defendant is clearly a risk to our community.
The district attorney has regularly agreed to admit offenders to probation (community supervision) with limited or no jail time.
This often occurs when a reasonable application of the rules of court clearly indicate that probation should be denied and or a prison sentence should be imposed.
Sentence bargaining is even occurring after some of these offenders violate their probation!
Steve Brown has pledged to use sentence bargaining only when public safety is not at risk, and not for those individuals who could never reasonably be expected to successfully complete probation.
His opponent has made it clear that she is not running to make these types of necessary policy changes and will instead maintain the status quo that is contrary to public safety.
I urge you to vote for public safety and justice! On June 5, 2018, vote Steve Brown for district attorney.
Steve Buchholz is the retired chief probation officer for Lake County, Calif.
In the last few years the District Attorney’s Office has engaged in the practice of sentence bargaining. This has occurred in many cases where the defendant is clearly a risk to our community.
The district attorney has regularly agreed to admit offenders to probation (community supervision) with limited or no jail time.
This often occurs when a reasonable application of the rules of court clearly indicate that probation should be denied and or a prison sentence should be imposed.
Sentence bargaining is even occurring after some of these offenders violate their probation!
Steve Brown has pledged to use sentence bargaining only when public safety is not at risk, and not for those individuals who could never reasonably be expected to successfully complete probation.
His opponent has made it clear that she is not running to make these types of necessary policy changes and will instead maintain the status quo that is contrary to public safety.
I urge you to vote for public safety and justice! On June 5, 2018, vote Steve Brown for district attorney.
Steve Buchholz is the retired chief probation officer for Lake County, Calif.
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- Written by: Steve Buchholz
As we should all be learning in these turbulent times, it is important to develop strong critical thinking skills and learn to research "news" stories of dubious origin.
Case in point: claims made by Marc Meuser (candidate for secretary of state) at the Lake County Republican Women's April 11 lunch meeting.
Quoting Meuser from the Leona Butts piece published in LCN on April 18: “I heard a news story that there are currently 11 counties in the state that have more than 100 percent voter registration."
There's your first red flag: "I heard a news story."
People who deal in facts (as opposed to "alternative facts") are usually less vague.
If Meuser were credible, here's what his next statement should have been: "Then I looked into it, and learned that this claim was made by a group that has never produced a shred of evidence."
But no, that isn't what Meuser went on to tell his audience... perhaps because he shares the same motivations as the group making that false claim.
Here's the truth:
Judicial Watch, the right-wing group that (in 2017) made the false claim of 11 California counties having more than 100 percent voter registration, was motivated by the desire to validate Donald Trump's false claim of millions of ineligible voters in California.
When challenged, Judicial Watch refused to share the methodology that resulted in that figure (refused to share any evidence to substantiate their claim, in other words).
The moment I saw Meuser's quote "I heard a news story …," I knew he did not pass the smell test. It only took 30 seconds to do an Internet search, wherein I found genuine news articles that provided the full background and facts behind Judicial Watch's false claims.
The moral of the story is... do your homework. It is important to vote, but even more important to inform yourself before voting.
Use your powers of critical thinking (and a healthy scepticism) to learn the truth behind claims you hear from candidates.
One thing you should always know is how candidates finance their campaigns. Open Secrets (www.opensecrets.org) is a good source.
Deb Baumann lives in Upper Lake, Calif.
Case in point: claims made by Marc Meuser (candidate for secretary of state) at the Lake County Republican Women's April 11 lunch meeting.
Quoting Meuser from the Leona Butts piece published in LCN on April 18: “I heard a news story that there are currently 11 counties in the state that have more than 100 percent voter registration."
There's your first red flag: "I heard a news story."
People who deal in facts (as opposed to "alternative facts") are usually less vague.
If Meuser were credible, here's what his next statement should have been: "Then I looked into it, and learned that this claim was made by a group that has never produced a shred of evidence."
But no, that isn't what Meuser went on to tell his audience... perhaps because he shares the same motivations as the group making that false claim.
Here's the truth:
Judicial Watch, the right-wing group that (in 2017) made the false claim of 11 California counties having more than 100 percent voter registration, was motivated by the desire to validate Donald Trump's false claim of millions of ineligible voters in California.
When challenged, Judicial Watch refused to share the methodology that resulted in that figure (refused to share any evidence to substantiate their claim, in other words).
The moment I saw Meuser's quote "I heard a news story …," I knew he did not pass the smell test. It only took 30 seconds to do an Internet search, wherein I found genuine news articles that provided the full background and facts behind Judicial Watch's false claims.
The moral of the story is... do your homework. It is important to vote, but even more important to inform yourself before voting.
Use your powers of critical thinking (and a healthy scepticism) to learn the truth behind claims you hear from candidates.
One thing you should always know is how candidates finance their campaigns. Open Secrets (www.opensecrets.org) is a good source.
Deb Baumann lives in Upper Lake, Calif.
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- Written by: Deb Baumann
I am a relative newcomer to Clear Lake, having come in 2012.
We like this area and the proximity to family in the Bay Area.
We looked for two years, all around the lake, before choosing our home in Clearlake.
As beautiful as this part of California is, it’s disheartening to hear the talk from citizens about all the problems in our county.
I recently served on jury duty and overheard many discussions about the sad state of affairs here.
If people put as much energy into lifting up the county, as they do bemoaning it, what a transformation we could make.
And I’m not talking about spending money.
I’m talking about pride in the place we have chosen to live.
My husband and I support a local nonprofit, Citizens Caring 4 Clearlake (www.CC4CL.org), and we pick up trash. Every day, members of our group walk the streets of Clearlake, picking up litter, lots of it.
We are almost professionals, after clearing more than 66 tons of litter and recycling from the streets of Clearlake in 2017, all by volunteers.
The difference shows. The city, C & S Waste Solutions company and local businesses help us dispose of garbage, mattresses and tires.
People comment on the progress we are making.
Universal garbage collection begins here in April, and we hope it will make a huge difference in how much trash is left around the city.
It’s a simple thing; start at home, adopt a corner, street or neighborhood to clean.
We can make a change in Lake County if we all pitch in.
Citizen’s Caring 4 Clearlake is proposing “create a wave” in Lake County.
On the second Saturday of every month, volunteer in cleaning up an area around the lake.
Through Adopt A Highway, CC4C cleans the west side of Highway 53 from Lower Lake to 18th Avenue. There are plenty to choose from.
Invite a friend or four. Bring your children. Show you care about where you live. Do something. Show the love for our wonderful home.
Molly Lang lives in Clearlake, Calif.
We like this area and the proximity to family in the Bay Area.
We looked for two years, all around the lake, before choosing our home in Clearlake.
As beautiful as this part of California is, it’s disheartening to hear the talk from citizens about all the problems in our county.
I recently served on jury duty and overheard many discussions about the sad state of affairs here.
If people put as much energy into lifting up the county, as they do bemoaning it, what a transformation we could make.
And I’m not talking about spending money.
I’m talking about pride in the place we have chosen to live.
My husband and I support a local nonprofit, Citizens Caring 4 Clearlake (www.CC4CL.org), and we pick up trash. Every day, members of our group walk the streets of Clearlake, picking up litter, lots of it.
We are almost professionals, after clearing more than 66 tons of litter and recycling from the streets of Clearlake in 2017, all by volunteers.
The difference shows. The city, C & S Waste Solutions company and local businesses help us dispose of garbage, mattresses and tires.
People comment on the progress we are making.
Universal garbage collection begins here in April, and we hope it will make a huge difference in how much trash is left around the city.
It’s a simple thing; start at home, adopt a corner, street or neighborhood to clean.
We can make a change in Lake County if we all pitch in.
Citizen’s Caring 4 Clearlake is proposing “create a wave” in Lake County.
On the second Saturday of every month, volunteer in cleaning up an area around the lake.
Through Adopt A Highway, CC4C cleans the west side of Highway 53 from Lower Lake to 18th Avenue. There are plenty to choose from.
Invite a friend or four. Bring your children. Show you care about where you live. Do something. Show the love for our wonderful home.
Molly Lang lives in Clearlake, Calif.
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- Written by: Molly Lang
A friend of mine recently said that it’s funny how there are always just enough Democrat votes to pass the really horrible bills, but whenever there's a really great bill, they never quite have the votes.
It’s starting to become a well-known fact that corporations and the very wealthy (including those invested in weapons manufacturers) contribute financially to the campaigns of both "major" parties.
So now, the president is bombing Syria in response to a gas attack that some say there is no evidence of, or that there is no evidence of who may have carried it out, and just before chemical investigators can get there.
Our Democrat officials, including our own Mike Thompson, have been very public in their criticism, despite having voted to expand the already bloated war budget by more than $70 billion.
On top of this, when Trump struck Afghanistan last year, the sole elected Democrat to say one word against the action was Rep. Tulsi Gabbard from Hawaii.
This is what we on the real left (not the corporate centrist left that elected Democrats represent, but the true left) call the McResistance. It’s fake. Phoney. A show.
Remember the words of Carlin, "It’s a big club and you ain't in it."
The Syrian people have had ISIS killing them, the U.S. killing them, al Nusra killing them, even Russians killing them. Whether this alleged gas attack was real or not, or done by Assad or not, killing more Syrians is not helping Syrians.
Our government is only humanitarian when there is oil or rare minerals involved. U.S. foreign policy is outright imperialism. And this is not just the current administration. We have supported strongmen, dictators, drug lords and genocide for decades, and regardless of whether the president is Republican or Democrat at any given time.
The fact is that the war profiteers that have been pushing for this action since before the 2016 general election own the politicians on both sides of the field, as well as the news stations that have been pushing for war against Syria, Iran and yes, Russia for so long.
This is why it is important to vote Green. The Green Party puts people and planet before corporate profits and has non-violence built into its key values. And our society has become so violent.
I’m asking you to vote for change, instead of the 10-term corporate incumbent who has, during the course of the last few years, taken money from oil companies, all kinds of Wall Street investment firms, Walmart and weapons manufacturers like Raytheon and Lockheed Martin.
Vote Green. Rock on and be excellent to each other.
Jason Kishineff lives in American Canyon, Calif., and is a Green Party candidate for California’s Fifth Congressional District.
It’s starting to become a well-known fact that corporations and the very wealthy (including those invested in weapons manufacturers) contribute financially to the campaigns of both "major" parties.
So now, the president is bombing Syria in response to a gas attack that some say there is no evidence of, or that there is no evidence of who may have carried it out, and just before chemical investigators can get there.
Our Democrat officials, including our own Mike Thompson, have been very public in their criticism, despite having voted to expand the already bloated war budget by more than $70 billion.
On top of this, when Trump struck Afghanistan last year, the sole elected Democrat to say one word against the action was Rep. Tulsi Gabbard from Hawaii.
This is what we on the real left (not the corporate centrist left that elected Democrats represent, but the true left) call the McResistance. It’s fake. Phoney. A show.
Remember the words of Carlin, "It’s a big club and you ain't in it."
The Syrian people have had ISIS killing them, the U.S. killing them, al Nusra killing them, even Russians killing them. Whether this alleged gas attack was real or not, or done by Assad or not, killing more Syrians is not helping Syrians.
Our government is only humanitarian when there is oil or rare minerals involved. U.S. foreign policy is outright imperialism. And this is not just the current administration. We have supported strongmen, dictators, drug lords and genocide for decades, and regardless of whether the president is Republican or Democrat at any given time.
The fact is that the war profiteers that have been pushing for this action since before the 2016 general election own the politicians on both sides of the field, as well as the news stations that have been pushing for war against Syria, Iran and yes, Russia for so long.
This is why it is important to vote Green. The Green Party puts people and planet before corporate profits and has non-violence built into its key values. And our society has become so violent.
I’m asking you to vote for change, instead of the 10-term corporate incumbent who has, during the course of the last few years, taken money from oil companies, all kinds of Wall Street investment firms, Walmart and weapons manufacturers like Raytheon and Lockheed Martin.
Vote Green. Rock on and be excellent to each other.
Jason Kishineff lives in American Canyon, Calif., and is a Green Party candidate for California’s Fifth Congressional District.
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- Written by: Jason Kishineff