Letters for March 12, 2015

Bless the homeless helpers

Re “Brown-bagging it” (Newslines, by Tom Gascoyne, March 5):

Nothing bad ever comes from being there for someone. I’m making a conscious effort to forego keystrokes to the people who say, “Why do we feed them?” Instead, I recall children sharing food and smiles, because it’s worthwhile. You’re never too young to bring joy to someone, nor too old to warm people from the cold. God’s blessings to the youth in this article and for all the caring and loving people of Chico who make this place so special. Shalom.

Bill Mash
Chico

Frustrated by the noise

The noise pollution from the Silver Dollar Speedway allows no peace within my home whatsoever. I’m sure the boys who pour gasoline into their toys and carbon into the atmosphere feel they have a civic right to do so. They can drive in circles, getting nowhere, producing nothing except noise if they want to, so they say.

But their civic right is exceeding their civic responsibility. They don’t acknowledge that they live in a community and have an obligation to honor the residents of that community. I don’t know if noise ordinances are being broken. My frustration is not that laws are being broken, but that a small segment of the population assumes that their right to what they call fun trumps any other consideration.

The peace of our neighbors should be part of our social contract. If my music were penetrating my neighbor’s walls to the extent that the Speedway’s racket from 2 miles away penetrates mine, they would rightfully call the police and I would be asked to crank it down. I have no recourse to the noise that assaults me every weekend. Thanks for listening over the noise.

William Martin
Chico

Desperately seeking crosswalk

Re “Waiting to cross” (Newslines, by Tom Gascoyne, Feb. 5):

I was in the meeting with Ruben Martinez and I felt that he was telling us that the city will be in the black in a few years. Then he said we can get this closer to a resolution by going after bonds that would help pay for the crossing [outside the Work Training Center]. He also said that the city has other projects in the works and money has been set aside to pay for those. The city just can’t afford to put in a crosswalk until it’s in better shape.

I felt that this was just another delay tactic, so I talked to him afterward and told him that a stop sign at 23rd Street would work. It would provide a crossing as well as slow down traffic. It makes sense to put one there. I wonder how he would feel if he had to cross the street using a wheelchair? I would think he would change his priorities if he had to do that every day.

Someone is going to get hurt there, and I feel that it will happen before the city acts. We are saying there is a liability there, and if someone does get hurt, the city of Chico will have to take responsibility because its leaders now know just how dangerous it is to cross that street.

Zane Libert
Palermo

All about pot

Over the past few months since Measure A passed, I have read quite a few letters in this newspaper from those who refer to Measure A as “intimidation” and “bullying” from both the Butte County Board of Supervisors and Sheriff’s Office; preventing sick people from getting their medicine.

First, if someone wants to grow their own medicine, Measure A allows them to do so. Second, Measure A was passed by about three-fifths of the voters in Butte County. It wasn’t forced onto anyone; opponents had their opportunity to vote. Third, I went to a few of the public hearings concerning growing restrictions and the only “bullying” and “threatening” words I heard came from growers and their proponents telling the supervisors they would defeat or take legal action against any rules the BOS put forth.

Measure A is now law because of democratic principles, not bullying and intimidation. What it doesn’t do is allow people who need marijuana as medicine to be preyed upon by growers who give them 2-3 pounds of their much-needed medicine for the chance to raise and sell eight to 10 times more for the growers’ own profit.

By the way, I support the legalization of marijuana. I don’t support an underground economy that takes advantage of the ill and evades paying taxes within the disguise of humanitarianism.

Robert Catalano
Chico

Whether we like it or not, chances are good that California voters will approve a 2016 initiative to legalize marijuana for adults over 21. I have mixed feelings about this proposal and will need to see that medical marijuana patients retain their rights to grow their own medicine after recreational use is legalized before I will support this effort.

You will get a chance to voice your opinions before the initiative is drafted at the upcoming stakeholders’ meeting sponsored by the Emerald Growers Association and the Coalition for Cannabis Policy Reform. This is the only meeting scheduled for Northeastern California and it’s taking place from noon to 3:30 p.m. on April 10 at the Nevada County Horseman’s Association, 10600 Bubbling Springs Road, Grass Valley.

CCPR has been holding meetings throughout the state to unite the divisive factions within our movement in the hopes of avoiding a stalemate like in 2014, when warring factions within the cannabis community could not agree on a single initiative and consequently ended up with nothing on the ballot. This meeting is open to all members of the public.

Patricia Smith
Nevada County chair, Americans for Safe Access

Good question

Do they inhale at the joint sessions of Congress?

Stephen T. Davis
Chico

Environmental gathering

Do you consider yourself to be a part of the environmental community? I personally believe that coming together to talk about environmental issues is an important notion. It’s exciting to see how all the local organizations communicate with each other and do so much for the community.

There is one event that I look forward to where all the organizations come together and give insight on personal projects they’ve been working on. The part I look forward to the most is the ability to have that face-to-face interaction to discuss the significant issues that face our environment.

The Environmental Community Gathering—the final event of the annual This Way to Sustainability conference—is from 5:30-8 p.m. March 27 at the C.A.R.D. Center and I will most definitely be attending. This event is free for all ages and I certainly encourage everyone to come.

Neena Dhaliwal
Chico