Letters
- Details
- Written by: Bob Bridges
His mismanagement of the state’s recycling fees we are all charged whenever you buy a bottle or can of water, soda or beer has not been in the news.
The state’s recycling laws require that either stores buyback containers or there needs to be a nearby buyback center. Newsom has not enforced this law but continues to collect CRV fees.
As a result of this failure the state is sitting on hundreds of millions of dollars in CRV fees and you have no close or convenient place to redeem the money you have paid.
He needs to either enforce the law and give us convenient places to get our CRV fees back or get his Democratic legislature to repeal CRV fees and quit illegally taking our money. If he spent more time doing his job and less time at the French laundry this problem wouldn’t exist.
Another issue the media has missed is Gov. Newsom’s closure of many of the state’s conservation camps.
The camps house state prisoners who have historically provided a significant amount of low-cost firefighters to support Cal Fire and protect our state from wildfires.
The new tax-funded firefighter positions that Gov. Newsom now brags about are simply replacing the prisoners that have been turned loose on early release in the state while the taxpayers pay for their replacements. It looks like the taxpayers have lost twice.
Two more reasons to recall Gov. Newsom.
Bob Bridges lives in Lakeport, California.
- Details
- Written by: Debbe Blake
George Road is a rough, dirt, one lane road plus dead-end road. Families along this road will have the impact of commercial cannabis vehicles traveling right close to their homes, seven days a week up to 24 hours a day. Sure Mr. Gustafson says he can use Mathews Road as entrance but have not seen any written word.
Families who reside on George Road have children, chickens, dogs, cats, horses, sheep, cows, etc. How will they be protected from the commercial trucks driving down the road, I am sure they will stop for children (maybe) but animals, probably not happily.
The odor from cannabis, dust, fuels, fertilizer, running of generators, lighting, etc. due to this project is unthinkable to me. It is bad enough to drive around Lake County now, the nauseating skunk smell makes you sick, and more to come?
What are you thinking when we are going into another drought and fires that Lake County is still recovering from? Do you think that the families who live out there will be happy when they turn on their faucets to receive no water? What about fires? Is the fire department going to be available to protect the families or the cannabis?
I thought we were trying to be wine county; we also are venturing into antiques stores. This is a long way from bringing in visitors to enjoy our county. We will now be known as Humboldt Lake County, known for cannabis, not clear skies, lake, fresh air, views of the green hills, wineries, and antiques shopping. What we will have is cannabis outdoors or those great looking white huts to look at and shop at.
I realize that Lake County is looking for the revenue, but would officials want to live there? I would not. There is plenty of empty space out of public housing space, go into those areas, away from us.
Just a thought.
Debbe Blake lives in Lakeport, California.
- Details
- Written by: Brad Rasmusen
Children who participate in these programs, particularly underserved kids, are much more likely to get a strong healthy start in life that puts them on path to begin school ready to learn.
That path leads to improved graduation rates and educational success, which in turn drives down crime rates and strengthens a community with productive, law-abiding adults.
The evidence is clear from a public safety perspective. Kids who don’t attend preschool programs don’t receive the social and emotional skills they need early on, and are twice as likely to be arrested for crimes down the road. Preschool programs are more important than ever because of learning loss brought on by the pandemic.
California should support and prioritize Pre-K in a way that reflects that reality so that all children and families have access to these programs.
Brad Rasmussen is chief of police of the city of Lakeport, California.
- Details
- Written by: Jason Kishineff
No, it's not. I have heard this so much over the last couple of weeks. It might sound nice, because if the system were on trial, there would be a resolution, there would be accountability for 500 years of genocide, slavery, cruel policing laws, atrocious immigration laws and more. But it's not.
During the trial, evidence will be heard relating to one murder. The court will be subject to the same set of standards and laws that have always systemically favored white people with money, and police officers especially so. The court will not hear arguments about the system in general, or relating to other cases. The Judge MAY make a statement after the trial that indicts the system, but the Judge will have no authority to sentence anyone other than the accused, or change the system in any way other than the case itself setting any precedent that it might.
Security has already been increased around the trial, because if the Judge does not sentence Chauvin harshly enough, or worse let's him walk away, there will be chaos and anger. The system will be guilty of being racist, of being sexist, of being classist and of being ableist no matter what the court rules.
And even if the court rules against Chauvin, even if he is sentenced to life, he will be a token prosecution, a scapegoat. The criminal injustice system isn't going to change without changing the laws and without accountability, so that those who refuse to enforce existing laws are exposed and dealt with.
If the criminal justice system really WERE on trial, it would be found guilty and sentenced to replacement.
Jason Kishineff lives in American Canyon, California.
How to resolve AdBlock issue?