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Letters
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- Written by: Evan Willig
“Facts are stubborn things; and whatever may be our wishes, our inclinations, or the dictates of our passion, they cannot alter the state of facts and evidence.”
This statement was made by Founding Father John Adams as “Argument in Defense of the Soldiers in the Boston Massacre Trials” in December 1770. Whatever we may think or what passions we may hold about John Adams defense of British Soldiers involved in the Boston Massacre, this statement instructs us even to this day.
Many times newspaper opinion pages are filled with letters to the editor or opinion pieces claiming certain “facts” or “things easily confirmed to be true” when they are nothing more than one person's spin on current events and history or outright misrepresentations of the facts. You need not accept anything that I or anyone else may present as facts at face value. Organizations like FactCheck.org can be used to sort through the constant drum beat of babel chucked up by biased media, political advertisements, opinion-based blogs and the opinion pages of newspapers.
For example, a recent letter to the Record-Bee stated, among other things, that “This year, for the first time in history, seniors got no COLA increase in Social Security although their health care tax increased. Meanwhile Thompson got himself $3,000 more COLA per month.”
A little research at FactCheck.org can be used to analyze of this combination of fact, misrepresentation and lie.
FactCheck.org: “Since 1975, Social Security's general benefit increases have been based on increases in the cost of living, as measured by the Consumer Price Index. We call such increases Cost-Of-Living Adjustments, or COLAs. Because there has been a decline in the Consumer Price Index, there will be no COLA payable in 2010.”
So based on a three-decades-old law there will be no Social Security benefit increase this year.
FactCheck.org: “Most Medicare premiums haven’t gone up this year at all. For 73 percent of seniors, the basic Medicare Part B premium remains at $96.40 per month. And for all but a few of the rest, the increase will be $14.10 per month.”
The reason some Part B premiums went up has to do with the complicated formulations of law which can be further researched at the Center for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) Web site.
FactCheck.org: “The fact is that Congress voted in March to give itself a zero pay raise in 2010. The language is in Public Law 111-8, the Omnibus Appropriation Act for the current fiscal year, which was signed March 11, 2010.”
So it’s just a plain lie to say that Congressman Mike Thompson got himself $3,000 more COLA per month.
Left, right and center, we all have opinions. Expressing those opinions is the cherished right of all Americans. Disrespecting your audience with falsehoods is a choice.
Evan Willig lives in Cobb.
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- Written by: Michelle Scully
I had an hour to kill in Kelseyville last Sunday morning and decided to run a few errands I’d been putting off, as I don’t make it to Kelseyville very often (which is actually kind of pitiful on my part as we live in Lakeport!).
There’s been so much negative publicity about Lake County lately, generated by those outside of the county and some within, that I wanted to share some positive thoughts about our community instead.
With this free hour I … saw lots of people enjoying coffee and pastries served outside at Grace Evangelical Free Church before the service … filled up my car at Two Jacks Gas station and was impressed by the courtesy of the employee … had an awesome latte at Studebakers, which was the perfect temperature and as good as any coffee anywhere … stopped in at Perlz and found some cool stuff to repair some jewelry with and was impressed by the breadth of classes they offer and the talent of local artisans … washed my car for only $2.50 and was offered help by the owner who had observed me trying to get my wrinkled dollars to go into the change machine … went to Kelseyville Lumber to buy some plants and was amazed at all the people enjoying themselves in Woody’s Café inside … watched a group of people walk leisurely down Main Street and stop to watch the creek go by under the bridge … all this action and vitality within an one hour’s time and the distance of less than a mile.
Why share this? I will readily admit that I moved to Lake County grudgingly. I will also be the first to say that I have always been impressed by the people here; their commitment to this community, their connectedness to their community, their willingness to put effort into their community, whether fifth-generation pioneer family or newcomer. Perhaps it was that unexpected hour that helped me see anew some of the wonderful things about Kelseyville and Lake County in general.
It’s easy to get caught up in the comings and goings of our lives and sometimes our appreciation is dimmed in the process because of the “busyness” of our lives. It also seems to have become the norm in our society to express the bad things we think about each other while keeping silent on the good. It’s become easier to make anonymous comments on a keyboard than it is to take time to get outside of our houses and participate in life – real life with each other.
Yes, we do struggle with our economic viability, as does most of our country unfortunately. We do live in a rural area but that does not equate to us being relegated to a stereotype. There are so many things to appreciate about our beautiful rural county and the people who inhabit it with commitment to it and kindness towards each other. I wanted to give well-deserved credit where credit was due.
Kelseyville – thanks for the wonderful hour!
Michelle Scully lives in Lakeport.
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- Written by: Jody Galvan
Don Anderson is unassuming and quietly confident. Listening to Don you get the distinct feeling that he’s old school. By that I mean, if he gives you his word and offers a hand shake, that’s a deal you can take to the bank. Why do I make this observation?
Don Anderson listens more than he talks. And when he talks – he doesn’t back down. For example, Don wants to open an office in Clearlake. His opponents, Jon Hopkins and Doug Rhoades, don’t like the idea. Well, if you live anywhere in the south county area – and even if you don’t – you surely understand the area is underserved. His nay-saying opponents had a multitude of reasons why they didn’t think it was a good idea, like things are working just fine the way they are. Don was not dissuaded making the point that a leader makes priorities and budgets on that basis.
Unlike his opponents, who don’t seem to have any specific plans to bring some sunshine on their office, Don Anderson will institute both an open door policy and a citizen’s advisory board. After the now infamous Dinius case, I don’t understand why anyone would not want to involve the public in a meaningful way.
I will say Don Anderson’s opponents present well – that is they seem practiced in public speaking. That’s fine, but to do a job well, especially a leadership job like district attorney, you need to be more than a smooth talker. You need to perform well under fire – real fire that is, not just hyperbole.
I found out Don has been under fire, and in a way his opponents have not. A case in point is the implication made by Jon Hopkins that his opponents were afraid to fight for public safety, to which Don said, “Don’t look at me when you say fear of fighting for public safety. I’ve got more scars from my days as a deputy sheriff than you can know. I’ve been attacked many times, shot at twice, and shot once. I can tell you fear never has and never will stop me from doing the right thing.”
I also found out that Don was shot apprehending the killers of Sgt. Richard Helbush, his friend and co-worker. Based on this I don’t think anyone can question Don Anderson‘s courage under fire. It sure made me confident that Don will not only take on tough cases – but he’ll win.
There’s one last thing I want to share about Don Anderson. He does about 20 percent of his work pro bono. So, while his opponents are boasting their memberships in clubs and organizations, Don is out quietly helping people – in a tangible way – for free.
I, for one, am tired of slick and glossy politicians – the ones full of empty promises, who love to ride on the coat tails of anyone who will make them look good. We don’t need polished; we need honest, intelligent and capable.
The only one in the pool of candidates running for district attorney that I’m convinced will be true to his words and convictions, and who will not turn his back on you, is Don Anderson. If you haven’t already done so, take a good look at him. I did and he’s got my vote.
Jody Galvan lives in Middletown.
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- Written by: Linda Juntunen
The Lake County Fire Safe Council would like to express our sincere thanks to everyone who made Lake County’s first Wildfire Safety Expo a success.
The support from our local fire protection districts was wonderful, and we’re deeply grateful for their participation and assistance. Having all the districts participate in the event was truly exciting. We especially appreciate their time and effort in helping to organize this first-time event.
Our thanks to Cal Fire, the U.S. Forest Service and the Bureau of Land Management for their strong support and help in making our first event such a success. The expo was a great example of the partnership of local, state, and federal fire protection agencies coming together to serve the local citizens, and it was inspiring to see.
When it comes to partnerships, we can’t say enough about what a pleasure it was to work with Kelseyville Lumber. We’re grateful for the use of their facility, and value the assistance they gave from the planning phase, and throughout the day of the event. We look forward to working with them again, and are thankful for their generosity and belief in the Wildfire Safety Expo. Thanks also to Woody’s Café for offering that wonderful outdoor barbecue! As always, the food was great.
To the County of Lake, and the businesses, agencies and organizations that participated; thank you so much for helping our community be better prepared for this year’s fire season. We’ve already received many positive comments about the information, products, and services that were displayed at the expo, and we thank you for spending the day with us. We look forward to working with all of you next year.
Congratulations to Dan Critser of Kelseyville for being the lucky winner of the weed trimmer that was raffled during the event. We’re especially grateful to the estimated 500 citizens who took the time to visit the Wildfire Safety Expo. They were able to learn what they could do to protect their homes and help our firefighters.
As residents of Lake County, we know that fire season is not to be taken lightly. We appreciate those residents who understand that they should not rely on the fire departments alone to protect all the homes in Lake County. Visitors to this event made the effort to learn what they could do to help their homes survive a wildfire.
To our firefighters; to the men and women from our local, state, and federal fire protection agencies … thanks to all of you for the job you do, and for your dedication and commitment to protecting communities not only during wildfire season, but all year long.
We sincerely hope that the Wildfire Safety Expo helped Lake County’s citizens learn more about what they need to do to help you do your jobs. Most important, we hope they learned what they can do to help keep you safe.
Linda Juntunen is coordinator for the Lake County Fire Safe Council.