Letters for December 29, 2011

Hire her back!

Re “Newspaper carrier fired over holiday note” (Newslines, by Meredith J. Graham, Dec. 22): I am appalled that this lady was fired. I have received a letter every year from my carrier and have enjoyed what she has to say. And yes, I send her a tip. It’s Christmas, spread the love! I am ashamed of the Chico E-R!

Hire her back!

Marianne Bolling
Chico

What a cowardly way to fire someone, by leaving an envelope at the door with the roommate. We are hoping that some local business will hire this responsible worker, so that the E-R will be sorry they lost such a good employee. Laura deserves a better job than the thankless job of delivering papers.

Kathy Brooks
Chico

Maloney’s in the minority

Re “Such a deal” (Letters, by Marion Dearman, Dec. 15): Ms. Dearman complains about the substantial retirement check Chico Police Chief Mike Maloney has worked decades to receive. Dearman says it is no wonder California is so broke.

Here are some things Dearman did not mention: Maloney is among a minority of public-sector workers. The majority of public workers do not realize big retirement pay. The average rank-and-file public retiree draws about seven times less than what Maloney will receive.

People take government jobs and earn less pay than can be had through similar positions in the private side. Why? Mostly because of benefit packages government work can provide.

The financial problems in California should not to be laid upon public employees. For example, the monetary shortages state legislators face could be greatly reduced by focusing on changing the unfair tax-free status for huge corporations. The problem is not working persons accepting what is earned.

Before signing a petition, learn who funds it. One that states public employees don’t decide where union dues go is false. That option was set at the bargaining table. Those petitions are for the uninformed who think the working person is the problem, not the fat cat.

Danny Wilson
Oroville

Approaches to asthma

Re “Confessions of an asthmatic” (Healthlines, by Evan Tuchinsky, Dec. 15): Thirty years ago, after being stuffed up for two years straight, I was tested for allergies and then prescribed shots. I thought that was the way I had to go because the doctor said so. But, I tried acupuncture and after two sessions walked out clear, going back only for a refresher session the next allergy season and then never again.

My two sons, who were wheezy from birth and allergy prone, were too young for acupuncture, so I tried going to a chiropractor highly recommended by a friend for her kids’ allergy relief.

All these methods were combined with other tactics, like Neopot rinse, Oceana rinse, using only clean, cotton handkerchiefs (never Kleenex), letting mucus drain rather than blowing nose, elevating head for sleep, Chinese herbs, eating and drinking healthfully, exercising and breathing fresh air, etc.

The biggest revelation I had was that my body needed to have healthy blood and oxygen circulating and the conventional drug-induced stupor didn’t get me there. Alcohol, wood stoves, my cat were also triggers that hindered my lungs.

As a teacher, I see hundreds of kids either wiped out from the drugs or the lack of a good night’s sleep. I see parents trying to deal with their children’s condition the best way they know how: by following their doctors’ orders.

I urge our local allergy/asthma specialists to offer their patients alternatives to further suffering. Since that probably won’t happen, I urge everyone who has allergies and asthma not to give up on your body’s ability to nurse its way back to health naturally. It may be a long road, but it’s definitely worth the journey.

Liz Mosher
Chico

Confirmation wars

Re “Unconstitutional acts” (Editorial, Dec. 22): The GOP continued the accusations, recriminations and paybacks when the Senate recessed Saturday [Dec. 17] without considering any of the 21 well-qualified judicial nominees on its calendar, 16 of whom had unanimous Judiciary Committee approval.

This means that none will have votes until the Senate returns in late January, when [the federal judiciary] will have 85 vacancies, 10 percent of the authorized judgeships. Eight of the vacancies are in California.

The confirmation wars must end for the good of the nation.

Carl Tobias
Richmond, Va.

Editor’s note: Mr. Tobias is a professor of law at the University of Richmond.

After I stopped chuckling over your editorial about Republicans filibustering Obama appointees to the federal courts, it occurred to me that this would be a great subject for an investigative report, comparing the Obama appointees blocked by the Republicans with the 43 Bush appointees blocked by the Democrats.

Elden Cross
Chico

Kudos to the CN&R

I offer my praise to the CN&R staff for its Dec. 15 issue. Watching what I consider to be a transition at the CN&R over the past year is sort of like watching the return of the San Francisco 49ers. It is good news.

The issue had balance, crisp writing, some sharp debate in the opinion section, nice graphics, and all of the other amenities that it takes to put together a satisfying weekly newspaper. My kudos to all of the staff. It was especially nice to see the bylines of three current and former CN&R editors within a few pages of each other.

The Chico News & Review is a community asset that sets us apart from much of semi-rural and rural far Northern California. It gives us a journalistic balance not to be taken for granted.

Ronald Angle
Chico

News of Newt

Re “Fun Facts About Newt Gingrich” (This Modern World, Dec. 15): Tom Tomorrow’s cartoon was spot on. I was lighting designer for the Redding Convention Center some years ago, and after working a typical 12-hour day prepping the place (for a presentation by Newt Gingrich), I put my tired feet up on the sill of our control booth hidden way, way in the dark in the back as I ran lights. Newt stopped talking mid-speech and just looked in my direction, glaring. I couldn’t believe he was harassing me, but I put my feet down, and sure enough Newt started talking again.

Such megalomania is unacceptable. I thought about turning off the lights and sound and shutting him down, as we’ve done with others. Public servants are not supposed to be egomaniacs; they are supposed to be servants of the people.

I think what people don’t understand is that the job of president is way beyond the capabilities of any mere man, and people who run for president saying they’ll do this, that, one thing and another are liars.

If any candidate ever says, “The job’s too big for any man, but I’ll do the best I can to represent the people, not corrupt corporations, and I won’t use the job to feather my own nest,” I’ll vote for him. Anything else is a sham.

Mike Peters
Chico

No end to racism

Let’s get to the real beef: Racial profiling is nothing new in America, or Chico. If one is not white, they are profiled. When the Chico police say that they don’t do this, it is not reality.

I’ll give an example. I called the police about a neighbor with a knife. He had threatened me. When they arrived, they asked me, “Do you have a knife?” The officer looked at me as if I was the offender.

I am black, so my complaint did not mean anything. I filed a report, and I received a polite letter from the chief of police that they had investigated my claim and there was no substance to it.

Oh, how great is it that the police can investigate themselves? There are myths about black people, and they don’t end with the election of a black president.

I did not choose my color, but I just try to accept people as they are. America is a racist society, but it is not the only one. I have lived in many countries, and I only know this: Racism will not end.

Jerry Harris
San Francisco/Chico

Editor’s note: For more on this subject, see the From This Corner column on page 5.

Downtown host

During this holiday season the Downtown Chico Business Association invited me to be a host in the first year of its Hometown Hospitality campaign. I spent two glorious afternoons making my way through our beautiful and historic downtown assisting holiday shoppers.

People I met were grateful when I provided change for the meter, directions to stores and help getting packages to the car. I had a wonderful time and appreciated seeing the downtown stores and sidewalks filled with people preparing for the holidays.

As a council member who also serves on our city’s Economic Development Committee, I found it to be a wonderful opportunity to thank people personally for shopping downtown. Many people I talked with were surprised to learn that a dollar spent locally is recirculated in our local economy six times.

Imagine the impact if people all across our community made an effort to shop locally whenever possible!

Mary Goloff
Chico