Letters
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- Written by: Evan Willig
Lake County Democratic Party recommends a no vote on Proposition 7, the Renewable Energy Generation Initiative.
California cannot afford to once again jeopardize the economy of our state by accepting a flawed electrical system policy. A portion of your electric bill today goes to pay off the costs that resulted from the ill-conceived deregulation law of the1990s. We cannot afford a repeat of that disaster.
Proposition 7 would mandate California utilities use renewable energy for 50 percent of electrical energy production by 2025.
A 50-percent mandate may well be beyond the ability of power producers, electrical grid operators and utilities to deliver with reasonable prices and reliably. Proposition 7 does not adequately address the size, complexity and cost of the huge infrastructure building program required to achieve its goal. The state has made great strides in increasing the amount of renewable energy, but to force the rate of growth required by Proposition 7 is not in keeping with the concept of a sustainable economy.
Many of the renewable technologies that will come online to meet the energy requirements of the future are still in the very early stages of development and must be given the chance to grow organically. California should move towards a renewable energy future that rewards efficiency, reliability and cost effective delivery of green power.
By locking in a 10-percent price premium and requiring a two-thirds vote to modify, Proposition 7 cannot respond to a renewable energy industry that is experiencing rapid growth and technological innovations. California can and should set far-reaching and aggressive renewable energy goals; but they must be based on a thoughtful and deliberate electrical system policy.
Proposition 7, though well-intended, is the wrong plan for our state. No on Proposition 7.
Evan Willig is vice chair of the Lake County Democratic Central Committee. He lives in Cobb.
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- Written by: Patricia An Schmidt
The medical profession is trained with the conviction to heal and save lives. It's almost like "breaking the rules" when the patient becomes terminal and unable to respond to available treatments. I have met and witnessed an oncology doctor emotionally overwhelmed at having to find the words to say, "The tumor started to grow back, and I feel ..." His/her life-saving recommendations "have failed," but not really. Efforts to heal is now over.
I believe to give the patient and the family information they want and need helps define what is necessary to prepare for the final moments of life and the continuing process of living IN grieving for family and friends. Hospice is highly recommended, however, the gray area leading to that decision can be filled by this act (AB 2747). Note: Some people may think hospice is "giving up." It is not. Hospice lays down a foundation of the reality of the dying process wrapped with compassion for the parties involved.
As far as Sen. Sam Aanestad saying, “ ... a humane way to deal with people who are dying." Do we deal with a woman giving birth? The lifecycle starts with birth and continues THROUGH death. This statement may not be understood by some people. A patient deserves the dignity of the living-through-dying process as well as the family, who must survive and must expect to be treated the same way when it's their turn to face this cycle of life. Dignity is the key word.
Patricia An Schmidt lives in Lakeport.
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- Written by: James BlueWolf
I thought long and hard before writing this but decided I had to. As a native in this country, I want to point out that our people have long honored our vets – even since before the US was born. We honored our vets who fought for our peoples against other Native nations, we honored vets who fought in the Revolutionary War against the Americans, we honored our vets who fought in the French-American conflict, we honored our vets who fought in the Civil War, we honored our vets who defended our homelands against US forces and vigilantes, and we have continued to honor our vets who fought in World Wars I and II, in Korea, Vietnam, Grenada, and both Gulf Wars including Afghanistan.
My brothers were Vietnam vets – two were Seals and one was Marine Recon. One thing about them –they never spoke much about their service and would have never allowed someone to call them a “hero.” They preferred the term “survivor” or “veteran.”
All my bros received Purple Hearts and two received multiple medals for injuries received. One made medical history by having the ribs that supported his heart blown out of his chest. He survived, brushed the sand off his still-connected heart, tucked it up underneath his shirt, stood up under fire and carried the wounded soldier next to him back 100 yards under fire to safety. Yet he would never have put up with someone saying he was a hero. That was his job. He signed up for it. He was only a “survivor,” a veteran.
My other brother was forced to lie down, after being shot and bayoneted, on a huge ant hill and let the ants crawl in and out of his nose mouth and ears to convince the VC he was dead so they didn’t execute him after his unit was overrun. The next time he was shot twice behind enemy lines and had to wait three days for rescue. The copter that came for him was shot down at 200 feet and he was the only one who crawled out the flames alive. It took another four days for the ROCS to come get him out. Seven days with two bullets in his side and a helicopter crash to boot. But he too would never tolerate the word “hero” and didn’t like to talk about his service.
Now, John McCain, who I once respected for his service, seems to be basing his whole qualification for being president on his “hero” status and his “war record.”
Let’s look at that record. John Sidney McCain lost five – count ‘em, five – military aircraft in his career. The first was lost while he was practicing his landings in 1958; the second when flying too low and getting tangled in power lines in the Mediterranean; the third in a “flame out’ after coming back in a trainer from an Army-Navy game; the fourth occurred while he was waiting for takeoff on the USS Forestall, where he was hit by a friendly errant missile; and the fifth during only his 23rd combat mission when he was shot down by a surface-to-air missile over Tru Bac Lake near Hanoi.
According to his own testimony he broke down after four days without medical treatment and revealed complete details of his mission and what he knew of American operations to come. After they found out he was an admiral’s son he was sent to a hospital not available to normal American POWS. He gave at least one interview broadcast by Hanoi saying he bombed civilian targets and had received exemplary medical treatment.
McCain served only 20 total hours in combat in his entire career in Vietnam. He received 28 medals –about a medal and half for every hour of combat. One of my brothers had over 8,000 hours of combat and the other had nearly 14,000.
My brothers also had a creed – never be taken alive. For John McCain to be enjoying hero status, and being considered for the highest office simply because he endured captivity only cheapens their memory and their sacrifices.
James BlueWolf lives in Nice.
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- Written by: John Daniels
I am in favor of this change and would like to hear other comment.
John Daniels lives in Lakeport.
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