Letters for July 19, 2012

Euthanasia is up to us

Re “In the dog pound” (Cover story, by Tom Gascoyne, July 12):

Unfortunately for this community, euthanasia is a fact of life. There are too many stray and unwanted animals, not enough room in the shelter(s), and not enough people adopting. How do we, as a community, fix this?

The answer is simple: spay and neuter. If you’ve already done this for your animals, educate others. When I see unaltered dogs and their guardians on the street, I talk to them about the importance of spaying and neutering. I give them resources (for instance, the low-cost spay-and-neuter clinic that BHS operates on Country Drive).

Also, talk to your friends and family who are considering purchasing an animal from a breeder about adopting instead. Some people are interested in a specific breed. Guess what? There are plenty of breed-specific rescues out there! Is your friend considering a golden retriever? Look up golden retriever rescues.

Pointing the finger at shelters and city representatives isn’t going to solve any problems. Get involved. Even better, if you want to see a drop in the number of cats euthanized at the shelter, trap-neuter-release cats in your neighborhood so they will stop breeding. It’s up to all of us to help, including you.

Sarah Downs
Chico

Downloadable dishes

Re “Hot dishes” (Chow, by Christine G.K. LaPado-Breglia, July 12):

Christine was so kind in her article about the Cooking to Impress Chicks app. I just wanted to give everybody else due credit, since collaboration was the key to making it all happen. TrailsVentures were the app architects, David Scott master artist, Thorn Hart, graphics genius. And we mustn’t forget Jewel Fryer at Socail Media Farm. We are now downloaded by folks in 55 countries.

Rosemary Febbo
Chico

What’s worse, noise or poop?

Who’s really calling the shots in deciding what’s important for the Chico police to focus on? A noise ordinance needs to be back-burnered when there are what some describe as “homeless people” trashing our waterways with garbage and human waste (yes, poop!).

It seems like all of Chico has decided to pretend there aren’t people camping (and yes, pooping) in every doorway in town. Some of these people are unfortunately homeless and trying, but the majority are drunks who feel it’s their right to trash anyplace they choose to dwell (and yes, poop there as well).

It’s gotten out of hand. These people need to be given a specific zone to camp with bathroom facilities. They do not need to be allowed freedom to just throw their garbage everywhere they please.

Somebody’s in denial of the problem if all they can focus on are goofy noise ordinances and such while these drunken idiots leave little brown piles by the creekside for our children to step in. Really, though, it’s better our public-service reps clean it up before people get sick!

V. Richard Troia
Chico

Discordant discography

Re “Disc-comforting” (Newslines, by Tom Gascoyne, June 28):

It was somewhat disconcerting to discover the recent discussion in the CN&R’s cleverly titled article about Peregrine Point Disc Golf Course. Between the lines of implied discrepancies, one could discern a discreet attempt to discredit disc golf, as well as discount the disciplined efforts of the Chico Outsiders.

Such discourse only discharges more discontent, missing an opportunity to discontinue the ongoing social-class discrimination, which of course, has always been the real source of discouraging discord concerning disc golf. “Discombobulated” may be a better title.

Gregg Payne
Prescott, Ariz.

War is the true enemy

Re “They also serve” (Cover story, by Jaime O’Neill, July 5):

Thank you for this thought-provoking article.

Why are we at war? Some of the answers are in the book, The Ruses for War, by John Quigley, an authority on international law and President’s Club professor of law at Ohio State University. He examines about 30 cases, beginning with the Korean War and ending with Iraq, where the U.S. used force. In each instance, he shows, the administration’s reason for why we went in later was proven to be blatantly false.

Then the Pentagon came out with a paper after the first Gulf War that said, “Our objective is to preserve U.S. access to the region’s oil” (N.Y. Times, March 8, 1992, p. A14). Of course, there are no U.S. government-owned oil companies. They are all privately owned, and they are now enjoying their new and favorable contracts [giving them access] to the Iraq oil reserves. So, apparently, we went to war for oil companies; not for freedom, not for honor, for the profit of a few oil companies.

The words of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., in his “Beyond Vietnam” speech, come back to haunt me. “I agree with Dante: The hottest places in hell are reserved for those who, in a period of moral crisis, maintained their neutrality.” There comes a time when silence is betrayal.

I am increasingly compelled to see war as an enemy. I am saddened to see many of my friends as neutral in this time of moral crisis.

Charles Withuhn
Chico

City’s finances ‘precarious’

The city of Chico recently passed a $42.7 million general-fund budget, 87 percent of which will be spent on payroll and benefits costs. Unfortunately, the finance director submitted a budget that fails to recognize all operating expenses, spends every dime of revenue that might come in during the fiscal year, and again proposes to spend more money than is coming in.

The city of Chico has spent down its financial reserves by millions of dollars in recent years. It can no longer afford to do so. And while the City Council continues to “invest” its time, employee time and city resources on diversity-action plans and plastic-bag bans, it fails to focus and prioritize city resources, and fails to appreciate the precarious financial condition of city finances.

Mark Sorensen
Chico

Editor’s note: The author is a member of the Chico City Council.

She’s a proud aunt

Re “Personal mission” (Newslines, by Jerry Olenyn, July 12):

I attended the luncheon hosted by MADD to honor North State law enforcement officers who were the top DUI-prevention and arresting officers in their jurisdictions.

I was very pleased to read your article about the recognition of this life-saving work, and the highlight of Paradise Officer Patrick Feaster, who was one of those recognized for his service.

I am very proud of nephew Pat.

Jane Dolan
Chico

Wolves and sheep

I became a member of the Republic for the United States of America (RuSA) and the Butte County Assembly in the Free State of California in April of 2011. During Bush Jr.’s second term, I had given up all hope in the process that moves despicable men into positions of power.

Then I met two men and a woman who came from out of town on their own dime and time to meet with those of us who were looking for a better way than that which is offered us every four years. I recognized qualities in those three that spoke to me of integrity and honesty, and as I struggled with the concepts of “the democracy” as opposed to “the republic,” they were available to me by phone to answer my questions and direct my search for information.

It became clear that I would have to educate myself about what being “an American” is in truth all about, when I understood this analogy: In a democracy, majority rules; so, when two wolves and a sheep vote on what’s for dinner, the sheep loses. In the republic, the sheep is protected from being its enemy’s dinner.

The Butte County Assembly in the Free State of California will have its monthly meeting on Tuesday, July 24, 6 p.m. at Round Table Pizza, 6038 Clark Road, Paradise. The meeting will begin with a 56-minute video with “the honorable senator from Nebraska” summarizing the history behind the UNITED STATES INC and RuSA. See www.buttecountyassembly.org for more information.

I urge readers to educate themselves, as I continue to do, about the true history of the “United States of America.”

Joanne Alden
Chico

All you need is (young) love

Re “The goodness of their hearts” (Greenways, by Christine G.K. LaPado-Breglia, July 12):

I think it is so awesome that these two young men are out to change the world. We need more people like them in the world. I am so proud to be part of the tribe!

Do good while looking good is an awesome statement. I personally own one of each bag, and my husband has the blue shirt; it is by far his fave.

Thank you, guys, for all your hard work. Don’t give up and don’t lose sight. Mark my words: Young love is here to stay and change the world. So much love and support coming your way!

Jenny Hammel
Ridgecrest