Letters

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Written by: Dan Felperin

Published: 22 August 2011

During World War II in a famous national speech, President Franklin D. Roosevelt said, “We (Americans) have nothing to fear, but fear itself!”

I couldn’t agree more. In these challenging economic/social times it is quite natural and understandable to be uncertain about the future, but scared? Come on!

We Americans have it better than the vast majority of the humans on the planet. The USA is arguably the world’s leader in quality of life (individual freedoms), innovation, etc.

In my considered opinion, the key to our national energy security is in personal responsibility embodied in a concept I am calling “concerted consumerism.”

If one believes that global economic prosperity is driven by consumer spending, then the concerted focus of that spending would provide a sustainable venue for “good” businesses (pro-community) to thrive and “bad” businesses (wanton multi-national corporations) to wither and die, a la Darwin.

Case in point: Why would the most democratic society on Earth choose to be “slaves” to (foreign) fossil fuel? When the real solution rests with our individual decisions to invest and support goods, products and services that extricate us from outside control and manipulation.

As of this writing, any person or business can invest their capital (or credit worthiness) into energy efficiency and renewable energy technologies.

With local community-based financing, positive cash flow is immediate. These renewable electrical systems lock-in utility rates, hedge inflation, “zero-out” net energy consumption over time, and provide the only sustainable way that we the people have at our disposal to leverage our energy investments for the highest perpetual rate of return using the existing grid infrastructure to our advantage all-the-while.

Now for transportation; I can remember waiting in (“odd/even”) gas lines in the 1970s when OPEC came up with their first oil embargo.

At that moment, I realized that we Americans could kick our oil dependency if we had the collective (concerted) will to do so.

I have personally made renewable energy investments in my own building infrastructures and continue to reap benefits everyday. I feel good about doing my part and being mostly energy independent.

But it’s not just me, there are literally thousands of other fellow citizens in California and elsewhere that are also doing it! And guess what, here come the plug-in hybrids and electric vehicles just in time.

With the surplus electricity I generate at my home and business, I am free to charge up my electric VW (HRBEE1). It won’t be much longer until one’s very own solar power plant will not only heat, cool and light home and business, but will also provide the sun fuel for their new electric transportation

(~98 percent Energy-Free).

When we collectively understand that our safe, secure and sustainable future starts today, the days ahead of us will be brighter ones! We have nothing to fear, but we better get started NOW.

Dan “the Solar Man” Felperin lives in Cobb, Calif.

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Written by: Phil Smoley

Published: 19 August 2011

In response to Patrick Lambert’s “Disrespectful of Sponsors” regarding controversial questions some of the contestants randomly picked at last week’s Miss Lake County Pageant (should Ronald McDonald retire, and should Obama deserve to be reelected), I agree completely that controversial questions of this nature should not be part of the pool of questions. The unlucky contestant who picks a controversial question out of the bowl risks alienating a large segment of the audience no matter how they respond.

McDonald's should not have been singled out on the obesity question. It could have made the same point by using “fast foods” in place of a specific company. Whoever wrote that question was not thinking clearly, or worked for Burger King. In the case of our local pageant, the question was all the more inappropriate since one of the major sponsors is our local McDonald's.

Many will remember the treatment of Miss California in the Miss USA Pageant in 2009. She articulated her position very well, yet that may have cost her the crown, in addition to vile attacks from some who did not agree with her, including from one of the judges.

People are supposed to judge the contestant on how well they articulate their position and not on whether one agrees or disagrees with the answer.

But by including these type of questions, it invites personal prejudices to cloud objectivity, and it’s unfair to the contestant stuck with that question. Not everyone can put personal prejudices aside to remain objective.

The questions themselves are not chosen by the local pageant. The organizers were just as surprised as everyone else when the questions were asked.

The questions come to the local pageant from the state pageant and are sealed to prevent questions from being leaked. Thus, it is misplaced criticism to blame the local pageant for the choice of questions.

The local volunteers who poured their hearts and souls into making our local pageant a success do not deserve to be unfairly blamed for these silly questions.

Because it is these types of questions that the contestants may face at the higher levels, it is not wise to attempt to shield them from these controversial questions. What good is sending one our girls to the next level if they are not able to respond to this type of question?

It would be a travesty for the local pageant to attempt to shield the contestants from these questions locally knowing full well they will be sending the winner on to an environment where they will be faced with answering them.

Unless it gets changed from the top, the only option is to do away with the local pageant, which is not a viable option.

In my opinion, the contestants who drew the controversial questions handled them very well, taking a lemon and turning it into lemonade.

Even though I did not personally agree with their answers, I felt that they articulated their answer, maintained their poise and kept smiling, a difficult thing to do when having to answer a divisive question in front of a large crowd.

I believe the experience will make them stronger candidates in the future, and it gave the ultimate winner a taste of what she may face at the state level.

Aside from dragging on a bit long, and a few small snafus that are common at any volunteer run event, my impression of this year’s pageant was nothing less than amazing. Every girl did great, and the little princesses were a hoot.

The hard work and dedication by the volunteers that put it on was evident throughout, and Lake County should be proud of its pageant. They all deserve our highest praise and thanks.

Phil Smoley lives in Lakeport, Calif.

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Written by: Daniel Chadwick

Published: 18 August 2011

I am very disturbed by the new new medical marijuana dispensaries ordinance approved by the Board of Supervisors.

This small group of people just put out of business five companies that have been operating for over two years.

The right for one zone to have C2 commercial zoning but not the other zones is a clear attempt for a supervisor to use his power to move his agenda forward instead of listening to their entire group of voters. They voted with the 400 who constantly pound their phone and emails.

So what just happened is the chamber of commerce just got exactly what they wanted so the 400 from their group just stomped on the other 65,000 voters.

Is this justice or a clear example that there are a few supervisors that must be voted out?

We need some help to get the word out. We will not settle for this we. Will get enough registered voters to repeal this with a legal petition signed by enough registered voters to repeal it.

Also we will start a campaign to show that Supervisor Jim Comstock does not care that 21 business owners signed my petition that stated they don't want us to move; in fact, they want us to stay and continue to bring people and money to the other local businesses.

I believe if a supervisor goes against what the local voters want and against what local businesses want he should step down as they are not doing what they were voted in to do.

Daniel Chadwick runs the H2C medical marijuana dispensary in Middletown, Calif.