How to resolve AdBlock issue? 
Letters
- Details
- Written by: Nelson Strasser
And, I will grant the argument that the dominant ideology is always the ideology of the power structure: That is to say, that there are many poor people and middle class people in this country who see the world through the same prism as billionaires do. So, it will be hard to convince them that change is needed.
And, I will grant that there are sections of the middle class who do not even know there is a recession: I was in Los Angeles recently, and I was in areas where it rained money. Many people had large houses, new cars, and spent $50 to see a movie (with popcorn and sodas).
For them, “ it’s all good” (except of course for the fact that they and their children are breathing air with 400 toxins that exceed the federal guidelines). These folks have a stake in the status quo. They will be resistant to change.
And, I will grant that the history of third party movements in the United States would suggest that third parties are not a viable way to effect fundamental change.
So, I admit that electoral politics appear to be a reasonable way to effect change.
Change may come with Obama, but if the last four years are any indication, it will be a glacial pace. The folks in Lodi will have beach front property before anything meaningful happens to slow global warming.
Don’t be fooled by his rhetoric. He is not with us. Notice in his speech he did not even mention Occupy Wall Street.
I believe that the notion that we have to move way to the right and support Obama is a self-fulfilling prophecy: Because the country is conservative, we must be very measured in our demands in order to win elections, i.e., be conservative.
Instead of placating the forces of resistance, let’s be leaders and show the way. The beginning is easy: We have the concept of “occupy,” now all we have to do is occupy the Democratic Party. All that is required is a change of consciousness.
Nelson Strasser lives in Kelseyville, Calif.
- Details
- Written by: Lorrie Gray
On behalf of the Lake County Hunger Task Force, I would like to acknowledge and thank all of the individuals and businesses who made our 2011 Bountiful Boxes fundraiser such a rousing success.
It is with extreme gratitude that we thank Michelle Scully, who conceived of this project in 2010, and has been the instrumental reason we were able to carry out this project.
She contacted all of the donors, coordinated gathering the supplies, arranged for the location of the packing party, and served as chief cheerleader throughout. Without her efforts, none of this would have taken place.
The businesses and individuals who donated the boxes, pears, walnuts, wine and olive oil really stepped up with their generosity. All of the products donated were top quality.
We would like to sincerely thank Scully Packing, International Paper, Colleen Rentsch, Greg Hanson, Bullion Creek Vineyards, Lake County Wineries Association, Lake County Walnuts, Rosa d’Oro, Wildhurst Vineyards, Steele Winery, Chacewater Wine Co. and Olive Mill, Shed Horn Cellars, Guenoc Vineyards, Lake County Winegrape Commission, Sig Sigma Winery, Shannon Ridge Winery and Ceago Vineyards.
Thanks to Gloria Flaherty and the Lake Family Resource Center for loaning us their garage to use for our distribution. It was a warm refuge for the afternoon.
A thousand thank yous to the numerous volunteers that helped pack and distribute the boxes!
Kudos to Esther Stone, Gail Robello, Mary Beth Woodward, Sally Evans, Lou Denny, Ellen Sommers, Scott Sommers, Michelle Scully, Tammy Alakszay, and Toni Scully for enduring the cold temperatures in the packing shed to assemble 136 boxes.
The following day saw many of the same crew, with the addition of Colleen Rentsch to help us distribute them. Thank you all. The many hands made the work that much more fun.
A separate shout out to Scully Packing for the loan of their packing shed as our assembly location.
Thanks to Phillip, Toni, Patrick, Andy and Michelle for making the task easy to manage.
A huge thank you must go to the purchasers and donors who gave additional funds to the project.
The money they gave was turned into $25 grocery cards that were given to 17 Lake County residents in need of some help.
Finally, thank you to all of those who purchased the Bountiful Boxes. We hope you enjoyed the local, fine quality products that were inside. We hope to repeat the success this coming Christmas.
Lorrie Gray is a volunteer with the Lake County Hunger Task Force. She lives in Kelseyville, Calif.
- Details
- Written by: Randy Ridgel
Public-private partnerships, where government directs industry, is actually not a new idea; it is a key element of what was called fascism. Fascism, or the more extensive government control, socialism, grew from the Hope & Change promised by Hitler, Mussolini and Linen.
Unfortunately, Hitler’s and Mussolini’s Hope & Change brought about WWII and the destruction of Germany and Italy. Lenin’s Hope & Change resulted in 70 years of poverty, misery and fear for the Soviet Union.
Examples of the efficiency of their public-private partnerships in the automobile world were the duct-taped Yugo and the smoke-belching East German Trabant which competed so successfully with the privately produced Toyota, Ford and Mercedes. Even today everyone in America yearns for a beautiful Trabant.
Our Hope & Change has produced the successful entry of our government into public-private automotive business and has already delivered the Chevrolet Volt - which caught fire while sitting in a garage.
We must admit that no other American-built automobile, from Model T to Delorean, has ever exhibited such a spectacular performance. The Volt is part of Obama’s air pollution reduction program, but we must ignore the smoke it produces while burning in the garage.
Unfortunately, the Volt produced more heat than Solyndra, the solar panel company, even though our grand and glorious leader in Washington had dumped over a half billion dollars of our money into it as it was going bankrupt.
Well shucks, that’s one of the beauties of government investment. If it’s someone else’s money: Easy come, easy go.
If you’re impressed with the efficiency of our past public-private partnerships, just wait till Obamacare kicks in. You haven’t seen anything yet!
Randy Ridgel lives in Kelseyville, Calif.
- Details
- Written by: Karen Schaver
Dear Dog Owner,
The dog you dumped on the side of the road waited for you for weeks. I think you left him on the 5000 block of Highland Springs Road, and he stayed at the very spot he lost sight of you.
The week you left him there it was 27 degrees at night. Your dog looked like a pit mix. His coat is very thin as such dogs' coats are.
You left him out there because you didn't want him anymore. The thing is he didn't know that. He thought you were coming back to get him. The other thing is, he was undersocialized. He was afraid of people. You didn't raise him right at all. You didn't raise him well, and then you dumped him on the side of a road.
There were many of us who tried to get him to safety. People who drive that road to and from work stopped daily, offered food, treats, comfort. He would have none of it. He was certain you would come back. He didn't need us.
Animal control came during the day. Traps were attempted. Food was left. People stopped by. Nights were frigid.
Officer Morgan Hermann from Lake County Animal Care and Control told me the rest of the story. I noticed one day the dog wasn't there. When I went to work the next day I still did not see him. I waited a few days to call because I was afraid. I really didn't want to know.
Eventually I had to call Morgan.
I would like to say here that I believe that the puppy is better off euthanized than to live a marginal existence for a year or two with a person like you and then die a terrible death.
Seriously. Weigh the choices. A marginal existence and then to die, lonely, hungry, afraid and confused. What kind of life could this dog have had with a person like you? He knew what loyalty is, why don't you?
How can a person think that this death is better than being warm, fed and possibly adopted at animal control? If he had been euthanized at animal control it would have been because of people just like you who keep breeding pit mixes and in spite of the fact there are not enough homes for them all. If he had been euthanized at animal control, he would have died quietly, held by someone who cares, gently led to death.
Instead, one day your dog heard a car that must have sounded like yours. He followed that car for miles. After not leaving his spot for weeks, he followed that car all the way down Highland Springs Road to Ackley Road. There he was struck and killed by another car.
Your dog was killed by hope. Your dog was killed by loyalty. Your dog was killed by stupidity.
Karen Schaver runs Lake County Animal Services, www.LakeCountyAnimalServices.org, an award-winning Lake County, Calif., animal rescue organization.