Opinion
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- Written by: Tiffany Montano
It is time clear-thinking people put a stop to eco-terrorists alike the Center for Biological Diversity. It seems like they have discovered that they can stop more projects by litigation at the taxpayers' expense than they can by burning homes. There is no difference between these people and the ELF. If the Center for Biological Diversity or any other such group wants site surveys for the California red-legged frog or any other species they should be the one that pays for these surveys. Not the taxpayers.
The California red-legged frog is a prime abuse of power by these eco-nuts.
I came across a Web site discussing the California red-legged frog, http://www.calaverasenterprise.com/articles/2008/11/10/news/news07_frogg.txt.
"Basey came under fire from several people for his claim that the red-legged frog was the famed jumping frog from Mark Twain’s 'The Celebrated Jumping Frog of Calaveras County.'” Basey set the record straight after the meeting.
“In the 1970s, it dawned on me that if there was any truth to the Mark Twain story the winner of that contest would have to be the red-legged frog because bullfrogs did not exist in California until 1922,” he said. “I was making presentations across the state at that time, and said the jumping frog was a red-legged frog to make my speeches more interesting.”
So that is how the California red-legged frog came to be the frog represented in Mark Twain's story. Everybody seems to forget Mark Twain was a fiction author, not a frog biologist and therefore the story of the Calaveras County Frog Jumping Contest and the amount of frogs could just as easily have been creative license.
My husband David used to live in the area and as a musician performed during the Calaveras County Frog Jumps at the Avery Hotel. In front of one hotel the locals used sit around and spit on their quarters and bet on whose quarter the fly would land on first. These are good people but not rocket scientists. They may very well have had frog jumping contests or just as likely Mark Twain, (Samuel Clemens) started it. But that doesn't guarantee these frogs were the California red-legged frog or just a mix of tree frogs and toads.
Projects are delayed years due to environmental issues and at an extremely high cost to the taxpayer, the developer and ultimately to the purchaser, only to eventually allow the project’s completion. This results only in delaying much needed energy projects, does not stop development and does not protect any species.
Taxpayers spend billions constructing highways to nowhere to avoid a family of beavers, which by the way got ran over by traffic anyway, buying and rebuilding snake habitat, fighting fires in over protected and over managed forests etc. because of failed environmental policies. Why? To avoid law suits by eco-terrorists like the Center for Biological Diversity.
The California red-legged frog lays 2,000 to 6,000 eggs and lives for 10 years. They are on the threatened species list but why? As far as stocking the lakes and the environmental position they seem to think that introduced (stocked hatchery grown) fish are a threat to the California red-legged frog habitat but not natural fish. Who knew a trout grown in a hatchery had a different diet than brook trout! This is ridiculous. I assert that the mosquito is the mainstay of the California red-legged frog’s diet and therefore should be protected as part of protecting the California red-legged frog habitat.
I further propose that it is because of mosquito vectoring and the malathian used in vectoring is the real cause of the decline on the number (if there really is a decline) California red-legged frog and therefore I want all mosquito vectoring stopped and the mosquito be added to the threatened species list. I further propose that because humans are a mainstay of the mosquito’s diet that humans be added to the threatened species list.
This is the main reason Obama's New-New Deal won't work. He supports all these extremist environmental views. Just look at his Cap and Trade Legislation which Barbara Boxer says she will introduce in January, legislation which in his own words will bankrupt the coal industry and cause our utilities to "skyrocket." We need to prevent this. We need to overturn the NEPA, the Environmental Species Protection Act and anything else that is controlling development under protectionism mentality.
Tiffany Montano lives in Berry Creek, Calif.
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- Written by: Karin and James Green
Things are still rolling. I recently spoke with Kim Clymire, head of the county's Parks and Recreation Department, and he informed me of this:
"As you may know, the plans were developed at a community meeting held by Supervisor Rob Brown and me at the Riviera School,” Clymire said. “If the school board continues to support the project the plans will then be sent to the state architect for review and approval which is required because the park will be on school property. After that, they will go to the county Board of Supervisors for approval and then finally out to bid.
“Optimistically, we will go out to bid in the early spring of 2009,” he said. “In addition, since the county has budgeted $300,000 for this project and I estimate it will cost approximately $500,000 I will be submitting a park bond grant fund application in March of 2009 for additional funds. Those funds probably won't be available until 2010. In light of that, the project will need to be built in phases with the ball field, parking area and playground equipment as Phase I and the restroom as Phase II."
This has taken a while to get approved but I, as many Clear Lake Riviera homeowners are, am excited to see this finally happen! We desperately need a place for the kids here.
If anyone still plans on donating toward this project, please feel free to contact Rob Brown or Kim Clymire and also put the word out! If more people know about this,then maybe more donations will come in. Also they can email me at
Karin and James Green live in the Clear Lake Riviera.
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- Written by: Johnny Carney
I realize this is too simple a solution, especially since Veterans Affairs has been firmly entrenched in this blatant waste of money for many years. It's hard, or near impossible, to dissolve a bureaucracy. Such a pity.
Johnny Carney lives in Kelseyville.
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- Written by: Donna Christopher
I am a veteran. I am an Army Veteran, thus making me a bit of a “black sheep” in a family of Navy veterans. But they still tolerate me, they're a good crew.
It has been almost 34 years since I was honorably discharged. I did make use of my GI Bill educational benefits in the 1970s. I never had reason to apply for medical benefits through Veterans Affairs. My husband and I worked, had medical benefits and squirreled away money for retirement.
Well, as we all know, you make plans and the Creator laughs. John is now eligible for Social Security. Our CalCobra came to an end and the only thing offered to me was a plan that cost $677.77 per month for the premium and a $4,500 out-of-pocket deductible – at that point they would pay 70 percent of what they felt the charge should have been.
We tried to stay in that system but after six months found we were going broke very fast paying for a policy that really was of little use except as catastrophic insurance. A $2,100-a-month income doesn't stretch very far with Hubby's medical premiums running just over $500 a month, add the almost $700 per month to that – it left us with about $900 a month to live on. Ketchup soup anyone?
I finally broke down and filed for medical benefits from the VA. That was this past July. Having heard nothing I contacted the clinic in Ukiah. That is when Allan gave me the bad news. The bad news comes in the form of a little gem called the Geographic Means Test, an Executive Order signed by George W. Bush in January 2003.
In a nutshell, if I lived in San Francisco, I would be eligible for the medical benefits promised to me through Veterans Affairs. But I live in Lake County and am therefore not eligible. I cannot even reapply until next August 2009. Apparently President Bush believes a promise is predicated upon where you live.
I was not asking/applying for a handout – I made it very clear I would be most agreeable to paying a premium and a co-pay. I went looking for a hand-up, not handout.
Thanks Bush – for the backhand to the face of a veteran who actually showed up for morning muster.
Donna Christopher lives in Lucerne.
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