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Letters
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- Written by: Ed Calkins
This week I heard about the State of Jefferson and the movement to have counties from northern California and southern Oregon form a 51st state in the USA.
The presentation was part of the Dec. 2 Board of Supervisors meeting.
What a great plan. Of course, the devil will be in the details and there certainly will be lots of them.
However for those of us tired of being governed by the ultra-liberal population centers in the San Francisco and Los Angeles areas it is a goal worth chasing.
Being able to leave California while staying in beautiful Lake County would be priceless, truly a state of utopia. In Jefferson smaller counties that are all but ignored in California would finally have proper representation.
The presentation by Mark Baird was excellent. However I was completely sold on the Jefferson concept by the comments of Victoria Brandon, our local Sierra Club representative.
The satire she used was brilliant. She pointed out that should Lake County leave California we would lose all the advantages of Cap and Trade, carbon taxes and no longer be ruled by the California Air Resources Board. We would lose all of the climate change protection provided by the great state of California. I was sold on the concept.
Should such a small government state ever happen, Jefferson would certainly need some sort of immigration controls or the population would face the risk of soaring out of control.
While it is far from a done deal, it is a very strong grassroots movement that has a chance.
Check it out at www.JeffersonDeclaration.net .
Ed Calkins lives in Kelseyville, Calif.
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- Written by: Victoria Brandon
On Dec. 2 some Siskiyou County activists came to the Lake County Board of Supervisors meeting to make a well-rehearsed pitch for the creation of a proposed “State of Jefferson.”
Consisting of a dozen or so Northern California counties possibly augmented by a chunk of Southern Oregon, this new state would instantly become the most impoverished in the United States, bankrupt at birth.
Without the infrastructure of a modern economy – no east-west interstate highway or railroad, no deep water port, no significant airport, no major medical center or university (and next to no opportunities for higher education at all), and nothing remotely resembling a metropolitan area, its prospects would be most unlikely to get better anytime soon.
Proponents say the region is underserved by Sacramento despite receiving far more in state services than it pays in taxes.
After secession, the new state would continue to be geographically isolated, sparsely populated and economically disadvantaged, lacking the resources to fund public education, highways, parks, or law enforcement to anything remotely approaching an acceptable standard.
This is progress?
Why would anyone advocate for such a ruinous proposal?
Just look at the beneficiaries, starting with multinational resource extraction corporations. Without the protections provided by California’s strict environmental regulations, the region’s abundant natural resources would be ripe for the plucking.
As an even more significant motivation, rich political prizes – two US Senate seats and three Electoral College votes – would fall to the most reactionary wing of American politics.
Membership in a “State of Jefferson” offers no advantages to the residents of Lake County. So it was dismaying to see members of the Board of Supervisors taking the idea seriously, seizing the opportunity to make wisecracks, playing to the gallery of imported green t-shirted supporters and taking cheap shots at state government.
Rather than wasting time in this irresponsible manner, they should learn to work with our newly elected state representatives to obtain concrete benefits for our community.
Victoria Brandon lives in Lower Lake, Calif.
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- Written by: Jim Steele
On Nov. 26, Lake County Registrar of Voters Diane Fridley released the results of the final ballot tallies for all of the candidates in the Nov. 4 general election. With 55.8 percent of the vote, Jim Steele has been elected as District 3 supervisor. In response, Steele issued the following statement.
With gratitude and humility, I am pleased to announce victory.
After a long and, at times, difficult campaign I am eager to take on the challenges ahead.
It will take time to advance the causes we campaigned for, including those begun by the good work of Supervisor Denise Rushing.
I hope to bring a strong voice fueled by the force of engaged individuals and groups united in common cause to help shape the decisions for thriving communities and a healthy natural environment.
In the four years ahead, I look forward to working with all interested parties to achieve mutual goals that ensure a bright future for everyone that calls this beautiful county home.
As with most endeavors, it is the efforts of many that truly make a difference and I offer my sincere thanks to District 3 voters and the great people who helped with my campaign to make District 3, the lake and the county the greatest in the state.
Going forward we need to improve protection for the lake from invasive species, reduce the nutrient input fueling cyanobacteria blooms, improve the business atmosphere along the Highway 20 corridor, reduce domestic water costs and continue to make Lake County a destination for visitors as well as a wonderful place to live.
These critical goals will help shape the programs necessary to meet the many and diverse needs of our communities.
I hope everyone will stay engaged in shaping the path outlined in our campaign to represent District 3 and Lake County for the next four years.
There are still a few official steps to be taken before I am sworn in and begin service as District 3 supervisor on Jan. 9, 2015.
In the meantime, please feel free to contact me at 707-295-6198 if I can be of service.
Jim Steele lives in Clearlake Oaks, Calif.
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- Written by: Joyce Overton
Over 100 meals were served to the community at the Clearlake Youth Center for Thanksgiving.
The meal was prepared and served by Carolyn Parlet-Haas, Lorelei Gamble, Melissa Hicks, Melissa
Swanson, Brandy Clifton and their families.
They did a great job filling everyone up with a holiday meal.
Thank you St Helena Hospital staff and a special thank you to Dr. Arthur Bikangaga, Dr. Paula Dhanda and staff for all your hard work providing health checks to the community. Our hopes would be to continue these checks up on a more regular basic.
Thank you to NCO, Hunger Task Force and Karen Agoado for helping bring this all together.
Dr. Paula Dhanda also had her nonprofit, Healing Hands, hand out socks, hats and soaps, and donate to the Warm for the Winter program that will be giving warm clothing away on Dec. 13 in conjunction with the Rotary Dinner at Burns Valley School. That effort it still seeking donations.
Thank you for making this Thanksgiving special for everyone.
Joyce Overton is director of Lake County Youth Services, based in Clearlake, Calif. Call 707-994-KIDS (5437) for more information or to donate.