Letters
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- Written by: Mary Borjon
Four hundred and eight persons participated in an informal poll offered at the Lake County Democrats’ Booth.
Participants were asked what issues motivate them to register and vote. They were then asked to cast three votes, one for each of their top three issues from 13 offered.
As a volunteer staffing the booth, it was gratifying to see that participants took their time and considered the issues before casting their votes.
In an era where increasing voter apathy is seen as a threat to our democracy, the issues that affect peoples’ daily lives will hopefully bring them to the polls in November.
Some people promote the idea that “if voting mattered, they wouldn’t let you do it.”
If that is true, then why is voter suppression so rampant in some states, and targeted at specific neighborhoods and populations”
Those who would suppress the vote are the very people who know that your individual vote does matter and can result in change.
Here is what mattered to 408 individuals who took time for some serious thought at the fair.
Reproductive rights including abortion: 214
Affordable housing: 153
Climate change: 147
Universal health care: 132
Sensible gun laws: 120
Threats to democracy: 97
Jobs and economy: 93
Immigration: 86
Inflation: 78
Crime: 61
Equality: 58
Education: 53
Infrastructure: 31
Mary Borjon lives in Kelseyville, California.
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- Written by: Gregory Sprehn
Citizens have choices. When it comes to lifestyle, that’s good. When it comes to regional issues, we got a problem. If one county decides not to mitigate fire hazards, we all got a problem.
You can mitigate all the fire hazards in, for instance, Sonoma County but one spark in any neighboring county can burn into Sonoma County without license.
Lake County can pretend to be the new State Of Jefferson, but unless it falls into the ocean and floats away, it is still connected to the mainland. Adjacent counties have to live with it.
Code enforcement falls to the county level on many issues. Homestead pump houses, like the one that started the Tubbs Fire (in Napa County) and burned through Santa Rosa, are regulated locally.
If the local authority fails to act, it isn’t just academic or political. It’s dangerous. When one county cannot afford to maintain fire safety margins, everyone is at risk.
We need regional code enforcement to stay alive.
Gregory Sprehn lives in Napa, Calif.
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- Written by: Dace McCarty
“Since corrupt people unite among themselves to constitute a force, honest people must do the same.” — Leo Tolstoy, “War & Peace.”
Dace McCarty lives in Upper Lake, Calif.
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- Written by: Barbara Christwitz
Here is article one: “Article 1 contains prohibitions against the development, testing, production, stockpiling, stationing, transfer, use and threat of use of nuclear weapons, as well as against assistance and encouragement to the prohibited activities.”
Finally, any direct or indirect "control over nuclear weapons or other nuclear explosive devices" is forbidden.
Thank you for getting the word out.
Barbara Christwitz lives in Clearlake, California.
