Opinion
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- Written by: Gloria Hovde
Job hunting these days means sitting in front of your computer for endless hours and uploading resumés and filling out job applications … online. Even the well-intentioned folks at the Employment Development Department will advise you to “go to indeed.com or edjoin.com or caljobs.com or ___.com” No people are involved. All job vacancies lead to a Web page.
These are job sites that take their listings from other job listings like Monster.com or Hotjobs.com that take their listings from … well, you get the idea. Often the job you’re interested in no longer exists. If the job does exist, you are told to “Apply Now.” That usually means you have to upload your resumé to their Web site. Your resumé is then added to a giant database of resumés that include thousands of job applicants from all over the nation if not all over the world.
Once in a while, a job listing will actually take you to a company’s Web site. That just happened to me. I found out Oracle Corp. has job openings at their facility near Ukiah, not too far from Lake County. Hallelujah! Progress at last!
So I clicked on the “Apply Now” button. Once at the Oracle iRecruitment Web site, I uploaded my resumé, then was asked to copy and paste potions of the resumé to their own application. Except that once finished, the job matches included positions all over the world, including Bangalore, India. Mmmm … too far away from Lake County.
Five minutes later, I received an email from Oracle iRecruitment asking me to click on a link to verify my registration on their Web site or my registration would be deleted. Except that the link didn’t work. So I emailed my ISP. Tech support said it wasn’t at their end and to contact Oracle informing them that the link didn’t work. So I did. And the next dsay received a response in German.
I long for the days when you could walk into a company or employment agency not far from where you lived and hand them your resumé. It was nice to be acknowledged, to be able to look into the eyes of another human being and discuss the possibilities.
Gloria Hovde lives in Lower Lake.
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- Written by: Aqeela El-Amin Bakheit and Rick Mayo
Chief Alan McClain was on hand to draw the winning ticket which went to local supporter, Kevin Ness of Clearlake.
We appreciate the overwhelming support from local community patrons and the business community.
Thank you again for making this fundraiser a success.
Aqeela El-Amin Bakheit is president of the local NAACP branch and Rick Mayo is first vice president. They both live in Clearlake.
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- Written by: Wanda Harris
In the next few days four members of the Lake County Democratic Party will head for Denver and the most exciting Democratic National Convention ever. The group headed by LCDCC Chair Rebecca Curry, includes Wanda Harris, LCDCC Immediate Past Chair, Sunol Westergren, chair of the Lake County Democratic Club and Wendy White, Obama supporter from day one.
Each of us has secured a spot as volunteer for one or more of the many events happening over the next week. In addition, we have signed up for Emily's List 2008 Convention Event, featuring Nancy Pelosi, Hillary Clinton and Michelle Obama, the National Women's Political Caucus Reception featuring members of Congress Sheila Jackson Lee of Texas, Loretta Sanchez of California, Diana De Gette of Colorado and Debbie Wasserman-Schultz of Florida, and we will be marching in honor of Hillary Rodham Clinton as we celebrate the 88th anniversary of Women's Suffrage.
This will be the fifth Democratic National Convention I have had the opportunity to attend, the first being Mondale-Ferrero in 1984 and my favorites 1992 and 1996 Clinton Gore both of which I attended as an honorary guest of the United Steelworker's Union whose International President at the time was George F. Becker who was married to my sister Jane until his death in 2006.
Watch here for updates from Denver.
Wanda Harris lives in Hidden Valley Lake.
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- Written by: Doug Willardson
My name is Doug Willardson and I am a volunteer supervisor for the local chapter of the statewide ProtectMarriage Coalition, a broad-based coalition of organizations, churches and individuals, sponsoring a November ballot measure, Proposition 8.
Proposition 8 would amend the California state constitution to ensure that "only marriage between a man and a woman is valid or recognized in California." Proposition 8 is not an attack on the gay lifestyle; it is about preserving marriage. Proposition 8 does not take away any rights or benefits from gays or lesbians in domestic partnerships, which under California law, "shall have the same rights, protections and benefits" as married spouses. (Family Code Section 297.5)
I support Proposition 8 for several reasons. First, I believe that four judges should not redefine marriage contrary to history, the Bible, anatomy and the will of the majority of California voters. The people, not judges, should define marriage.
Second, I believe that if Proposition 8 is not passed my civil rights can and will be infringed upon. The free speech rights and the rights of conscience of Californians everywhere will be jeopardized. As evidence of this, just this Wednesday, the California Supreme Court ruled California doctors who have religious objections to artificially inseminating same-sex couples can no longer refuse to treat them. This ruling is the first of its kind in the nation.
And finally, I believe that a family with children raised by both a mother and father is and has been the fundamental unit of society from the beginning of time. Children raised in homes nurtured by the legal, communal and spiritual bonds of marriage between husband and wife are much more likely to become happy, productive members of society. (Schneider, 2005)
I invite all those who are interested in supporting Proposition 8 to join with me in a grass roots effort to "get out the vote." A kickoff meeting will be held on Wednesday, Aug. 27 at 7 p.m. at St. Mary's Catholic Church located at 801 N. Main St., Lakeport, for anyone who is interested and lives in zip codes 95453, 95451, 95485, 95464 and 95458. We will let you know how you can best get involved at a level you are comfortable with.
Volunteers are needed to walk, phone, record, monitor and distribute. If you are unable to attend the meeting, or have additional questions please email me at
Proposition 8 is a simple and straight forward voter initiative to define marriage as between a man and a woman. Please help your friends and neighbors spread the importance of voting YES on Proposition 8.
Doug Willardson lives in Lakeport.
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