Letters to the editor for the week of 2/26/20
Guidelines for letters
All letters must contain an address and phone number. Only one letter per week per person will be published; only one letter per person per month regarding the same topic will be published. Feather Publishing does not print third-party, anonymous or open letters. Letters must not exceed 300 words. Writers responding to previously published letters may not mention the author by name. The deadline is Friday at noon; deadlines may change due to holidays. Letters may be submitted at any of Feather Publishing’s offices, sent via fax to 283-3952 or emailed to [email protected]
Demo house
For six months our neighborhood has been waiting for the fire damaged home on Samantha Drive to be demolished. I feel as my neighbors that enough time has gone by for any investigations to have been done. I have talked to the city about it and there seems to be a wait and see mode. I feel bad for the owner for their loss but it is both a hazard and blight for it to remain. Some action would be appreciated.
Marc Nieminen
Portola
Reorg loss
I was saddened to read of the “reorganizing of the American Valley Community Services District, that entailed the discharge of the two individuals Mike Green and John Selby.” Though I don’t personally know either of these two people, my wife commented that she had worked with Mike Green years ago and what a nice, hardworking and pleasant person he was. My first thoughts were that Mr. Green, only eight months from retirement, was now to be set adrift with apparently no income and being so close to retirement, minimal earning potential. Not knowing the details or the background, it is impossible to know what circumstances could have caused such an apparent ruthless and uncaring decision to be made. It seems to compare to President Trump’s methods of “my way or the highway” with no concern for what’s morally right. I’m hoping I’m wrong.
Charles Bonfield
Quincy
At work with flu
I had an experience in Quincy the other day that inspired this letter. While checking out in one of the larger stores, the clerk was coughing so I asked if she had a cold, she replied she was just getting over the flu she had for two weeks. I asked why she was serving the public, the reply was, “I can’t afford to take time off work.”
You employers who don’t give your workers paid sick days shame, shame on you. If our economy is so great, how is it workers serving the public can’t afford to stay home when they are contagious? The flu can be lethal to the elderly. Just one more reason why Democratic Socialism is looking better and better to a growing number of Americans.
Frank Kortangian
Graeagle
Support Mike Grant
Currently, my dad, Mike Grant, is running for District 2 Supervisor in Plumas County. I’d like to offer my opinion as to why I believe he would make a great choice. Growing up, he was by far the hardest working person I know. Even still to this day, he is constantly running around to get things done. As long as I can remember, he works long hours, weekends, birthdays, holidays, late nights and early mornings, constantly striving to do more and do better. He would work hard not just to accomplish a task, but to understand what it was he was doing and why it had to be done. In doing this, he would often find simpler and/or better ways to complete the same task. Though he would never take a short cut to try and get off early.
Throughout my childhood and to this day, he serves the county in the Plumas County Sheriff’s Office and with Search and Rescue. Even now he sacrifices days and nights to help those who are lost, hurt or in need. He is the kind of person who will do everything he can to help another, even if it means sacrificing time with family and friends. He taught my brother and myself this and has always held us to a standard that, quite frankly, has greatly benefited us in our careers. He is one who will stand by your side and stand up for what is right, even if it means that someone else doesn’t agree.
I can honestly say I that I am extremely proud of what he has done and what he continues to do every day for us, the Sheriff’s Office, Search and Rescue and for everyone in the county. I can think of no one more honest, loyal, and determined to be elected to such a position. Please take this into consideration, as he will be the person who will be there for you.
Brandon J. Grant
Hawaii
Bill Powers for supervisor
I met Bill Powers several years ago while volunteering with the Sierra Buttes Trail Stewardship. Chances are, if you attend an event or non-profit function in the Portola area, you will see Bill lending a helping hand. He frequently donates his time to many important community causes, and has devoted himself completely to supporting and strengthening Portola and the surrounding areas. Serving as a Portola City Council member for many years, he has immersed himself in the workings of local government and is the only candidate who readily has the skills and abilities necessary to jump in and represent District 1 on the Board of Supervisors. Bill is responsive to and cares for his community. He always answers his phone and makes himself available to hear from his constituents. If elected, he will make District 1 his full-time responsibility and I trust him completely with the task. We need an experienced, thoughtful, and proactive leader for District 1. Bill Powers is that leader.
Heidi Rose
Portola
Life threatening
Scientists theorize that planet Venus once had liquid water and was able to sustain life. But that was wiped out due to runaway CO2 buildup in its atmosphere – Venus’ global warming.
This is what is happening to Earth. It is the existential threat to our very existence and there is no denying it. Only the extremely ignorant and the psychotic wealthy fossil fuel executives, and their purchased Congressmen are the ones who deny this fact.
We don’t have 30 years or even five years, and maybe it’s too late altogether. If we want human life to continue to exist, we need to start today. This is Senator Sanders’ top issue and he needs to become POTUS.
Sanders receives the only ‘A’ grade on dealing with climate change with the Green New Deal being the signature policy. Addressing the runaway CO2/methane buildup not only would restore the CO2 balance, but millions of good paying technical and construction jobs would be created. Pollution controls would be mandatory resulting in cleaner air, water, and environment, and healthier people.
America invented and implemented technology could be sold around the world.
Solar power plants, rooftop solar heat and electricity production, windmills, geothermal and battery technology would comprise our energy system.
New and updated transportation system, including electric cars, trucks, buses and bullet trains, would make travel safer, faster and cleaner. Advance electric grids and local grids could be built to make distribution more efficient.
With 20 million new green jobs being created, more money will flow into our economy thus providing additional need for supporting businesses. More tax money will flow into our coffers that can stabilize Social Security and Medicare for All, and reduce the need for welfare.
The last time America had a life-threatening issue, it was WWII. Americans united against the common enemy. We transformed American manufacturing, patriotism and our standing in the world. This is what we need to do regarding global warming. We can trust Sanders to do what is right.
Mark Mihevc
Graeagle
Consequences of the Senate Acquittal
Many of us believe that the united action of GOP senators to acquit Trump will have enduring consequences for the future of American Democracy and the role of the “Constitution.” They have given free license to any unprincipled president who neither respects the Constitution nor the “Rule of Law” and is incapable of empathy, honesty, humanity or integrity.
The GOP majority senate has left Trump free tothreaten witnesses,withhold evidence,use the power of the presidency for personal benefit,eviscerate the “Balance of Power” and completely gut transparency and accountability in government. They have left our agencies and institutions vulnerable to alteration and the withholding of official data. The spread of misinformation and disinformation could be systemic. Politically manipulated data will render statistics and conclusions unreliable and worthless. Our allies are at risk and our enemies will be emboldened.
The firing of Vindman, Vindman’s brother and Sondland and the resignation of Yovanovitch, are clear messages that anyone who crosses Trump will pay a price. To protect himself from any further investigation, Trump has given Attorney General Barr authority to intercede in any investigation of the president. Trump’s conferring the “Presidential Medal of Freedom” on Rush Limbaugh, his pardoning of convicted criminals who have committed crimes similar to those of which he is accused, and Barr’s unprecedented interference in the lawful sentencing of Roger Stone conveys Trump’s message, “I reward my ‘friends’,”
His most recent firing of the acting intelligence director for warning congress that it is believed Russia is currently interfering in the 2020 election on Trump’s behalf says loudly and clearly: I will win this election by any means possible and don’t interfere!
Trump does not care about this nation, its people or future generations of Americans. He wants power regardless of who it hurts.
Trump must GO!
Faith Strailey
Quincy
Yesterday and today
During my years in college, studying such matters as international politics, philosophy and ancient history (before I became a part of it), a few of us met each day in an alcove of the cafeteria. We discussed the more serious events of the times: civil rights, McCarthyism, the HUAC, baseball. Gretel had survived four years in a Nazi concentration camp, Haig went on to become a professor at the University of Washington, Eli retired as a colonel in the military police, and so on …
The great Red Scare was mostly political nonsense. Communism (an economic system, for which I have little use) was being equated with the violent, corrupt political dictatorship in the Soviet Union. A major purpose of the hearings was to pretend that unionists were communists. Large corporations wanted to diminish the power of the unions. And, in large part, they succeeded. The civil rights movement in the mid 1950s was still a long way from its current standing. Shortly after leaving college, I traveled through the Old South. Nothing much had changed. Ignorance, insecurity and the need to feel superior to others is an ongoing problem.
What concerns me today is our failure to understand the enormous damage that is being done to our republic by this era’s self-oriented, money addicted, indoctrinated, cell phone and Internet users. Belonging and conformity have replaced personal initiative, personal responsibility and the well-informed opinions of individuals. Admittedly, those in my era failed to alleviate the causes of today’s problems, but the current focus seems to be upon the avoidance of both cause and symptom. If our experiment in a democratic republic is to continue, we will need to address the causes of our nation’s problems.
Wallace B. Eshleman
Quincy
