Letters for August 16, 2012

Protect the neighborhoods

Re “Noise neighbors” (Newslines, by Robert Speer, Aug. 9):

Neighbors should be the priority. Not the noisemakers. I feel that there should be no warnings (they know they are too noisy but know they can get away with it) and no graduated fine structure. Either it is illegal or not. Fine it as such. If there is a high enough fine, the incidents will be fewer.

I’m tired of being at the mercy of people who choose to play loud music and who are a public nuisance. Protect the neighborhoods instead of the noisemakers!

Cathy Porter
Moscow, Idaho

What would Gore Vidal say?

Re “Gore Vidal in Chico” (From This Corner, by Robert Speer, Aug. 9):

Amen, Bob. Too bad we don’t have such presences in today’s public discourse. Sadly, we are up to our ankles in elected “leaders” at the state and federal levels who are under the direction of sophisticated Big Lie Machines directed by folks and interests with lots of money.

But, as another article I read lately stated (for this year after centuries of repetition), “We get the government we deserve and desire.” Elected leaders and the vast majority of popular pundits and columnists (not you, of course) are happy to point out horror stories of the bad guys on the other side mixing examples that are apples and freight trains and totally lacking in factual and intellectual integrity but very long on emotional fear-mongering. Are there any approaching Gore Vidal on the national public scene today skewering power and being widely quoted?

A high-production quality film, Inside Job, narrated by the very popular Matt Damon, is virtually unknown by Joe and Josephine Average Voter. It showed both parties and lotsa powerful individuals and institutions knowingly led us down the idiotic trail that collapsed the world economy; many greedily and happily followed. Yet we continue to vote the “lesser of two evils” or “our guy” because the “other guy” is so horrible.

With Citizens United the Supreme Court is now clearly in on the game. God, I would love to hear Gore Vidal comment on all this; even William F. Buckley. I suspect they would suggest major structural changes.

Abe Baily
Chico

Trustworthy, loyal … tolerant?

Re “Badge of bigotry” (Newslines, by Robert Speer, Aug. 2):

As a scouting mother with two Eagle Scouts and 18 years of volunteering under my belt, the idea of such a wonderful guiding organization for boys teaching bigotry and exclusion is so bothersome to me. The kids do not support that policy; it is the self righteous and ignorant executives who insist on keeping it going.

My son was at the same camp with Cayle [Geiser] and was also hoping to sign up as a CIT with him next summer, but is now reconsidering because of how one of his favorite counselors, Tim Griffin, was treated.

I am so sad that there are so many young men who work so hard to reach the highest level in scouting and have had to hide who they are, whether it be gay or atheist, just to reach their goal. Sadder yet are the young men who have given up their hard-earned rank in protest!

It is time for the adults to truly start acting like kids, and perhaps it is also time to add “tolerant” to the Scout Law.

Janet Kelsey
Chico

For an update on this story, see Downstroke, page 8.

Supervisors got it right

Re “Board gets tougher on pot” (Downstroke, Aug. 2):

I agree with the Butte County supervisors’ new guidelines on pot growing that eliminate the co-op farms and bring us in line with Kings County policy regulations. Proposition 215 failed to keep a safe environment for neighbors, as the “black market” prices paid for use of this substance by the sick (?) will make it very dangerous to be exposed to pot robbers. It also will devalue any real estate adjacent to the co-op pot farm.

What our supervisors did was the right move to prevent a class-action lawsuit against Butte County by neighboring landowners of the pot farms. One professional pot farmer told me he expects a harvest of 2 1¼2 pounds of buds per plant, and he will grow up to 99 plants, at $150 an ounce. This makes the pot farms an easier target than a bank!

Tom Fitzwater
Oroville

Susan and her army

If you drive on Memorial Way, in front of Chico Junior High School, you’ve probably noticed the significant improvement to the greenway on the south side of the street. Gone are the overgrown bushes, dead trees and trash that have been part of that landscape forever. Thanks to one woman, Susan Mason, this strip is now cleaned up and made beautiful.

Yes, she had help, but Susan was the mainstay. You could see her there every Saturday, six or seven weeks in a row, with a different group of Chico State student volunteers. She organized and directed these students and then would set the example by working harder than any of them.

For those of you who do not know Susan, this cleanup is not an isolated example. She is one of the hardest working community volunteers I know. She is dedicated to making Chico’s parks clean.

I usually don’t assume that I can speak for others, but in this case I will. Susan, for all the homeowners on Lindo Park Drive, for all the families in the Avenues, and for all the parents who park on Memorial to drop off or pick up their Chico Junior students, thank you. You’ve made all our lives a little brighter.

Also, to owner Phil Marino of Complete Tree Care and his crew, thank you for disposing of the huge pile of green waste.

Bob Evans
Chico

Editor’s note: The author is a member of the Chico City Council. He is up for re-election this year.

Law enforcement run amok

Re “Crossing a line?” (Newslines, by Tom Gascoyne, Aug. 2):

Hmm, Just one more example of gross use of power by law enforcement agents. This happens all across the United States everyday of the week. Remember what happened to that guy in Lake County, Fla., shot and killed by mistake in his own house? Law enforcement is acting more and more like the Nazis and SS did years ago. History repeating itself.

Chris Jones
Chico

Wintu ‘re-recognition’ story

Re “Ghost tribe” (Cover story, by Marc Dadigan, Aug. 2):

Perhaps the story about the recognition of the Winnemem Wintu tribe should actually be called re-recognition. Nowhere in various tribal re-recognition stories is it mentioned how tribal identity was lost in the first place.

These tribes sold and surrendered their tribal recognition in 1953, in the so-called urbanization and assimilation process. Nowhere will you find how much money the federal government paid to de-recognize these remnant bands. The money the tribes received to trade in tribal identities was squandered on the old Caddys strewn around Indian Country. The money paid out remains unmentioned in tribal hagiographies.

Then, in the 1980s, bingo parlors morphed into the Vegas-style house-banking casinos of the ’90s. Blonde Redding Wintus enriched by diluted racial heritage de-recognized half their brethren, thus doubling meager tribal stipends, often to the tune of $4,000 a month.

Meanwhile, the Paskenta Nomlakis successfully gained re-recognition by piously denying their casino schemes; searchlights now blaze Corning’s nighttime sky. The Paskenta band now resists the efforts of their brethren in Glenn County, where Grindstone Nomelaki re-recognition efforts are underway. Both sides of the Nomelaki family squabble are motivated by the same motive: sharing or not sharing casino claims.

Forgive me if I am skeptical of a tribe suffering 50-year-old buyer’s remorse, but the Winnemem Wintu’s claims became forefront only when Shasta Dam raising was proposed. The end game is to trade in tribal identity for another Caddy, I suspect. If journalism’s byline is to “follow the money,” why do today’s money fights remain as unmentioned as the assimilation payoffs of the ’50’s?

Charles Dada
Red Bluff

Monca says many thanks

On August 1, the Museum of Northern California Art reached its first complete year. The Board of Directors of monca wishes to thank everyone for your donations and for the support you have given us.

We will continue to present exhibitions as opportunities arise and will be expanding our educational outreach to schools and senior centers. Thanks go also to the collector, Reed Applegate, for making this all possible.

We continue our efforts for a permanent home and will keep you updated.

Pat Macias
Board President

Where China puts its money

China’s military budget is 1/10th of that of the United States. That allows for beneficial infrastructure/jobs programs. Admittedly, the Chinese have a long way to go, and the court of public opinion is still out as to the outcome of their guided economy. Presently, the economic health of both Europe and the Americas rests heavily on China’s growth prospects.

As I write, I wonder how our American students are being prepared and informed about the power equalization shift that is happening on our planet. It is difficult to believe that, when they have little in-depth knowledge of their own history and even less of past and present U.S. foreign policy, they can arrive at anything more than a nationalistic, parochial understanding of events in the world as they unfold. Arguably, this ignorance could promote further external danger as America attempts to adjust to changing world circumstances.

As for Chinese railways: Many new high-speed as well as connecting lines, similar to the European Union network, are planned, some underway, that will eventually link the entire country. Furthermore, no doubt funding will be available.

William Nichols
Manila

Editor’s note: Mr. Nichols is a former City Council member and mayor of Chico.