Letters for September 11, 2003

Third parties aren’t third-rate
Unless you vote yes on the recall, there is no reason to vote for any of the candidates running. Cruz Bustamante recommends a no vote on the recall, thus making a vote for him meaningless and indicating he is not a legitimate candidate. He is running only to take votes away from legitimate third-party candidates and make sure that a third-party candidate does not become governor.

Arnold won’t debate until he knows the questions to be asked and someone has written a script for him to memorize.

Register by Sept. 22 and vote for Huffington or Camejo, the only two legitimate candidates for change in the election.

Norm Dillinger
Chico

Enough is enough
I can’t believe my eyes, CN&R condemning the “kids” of Chico for casually floating down the beautiful Sacramento River on Labor Day weekend? Say it ain’t so. These poor “kids” are doing what they do best. Being hypercritical in action. Most of the horde that will be floating the Sac this Labor Day, peeing, defecating, littering and engaging in lewd acts, are the same “wackos” who line up when a tree is felled or a little bird is forced from his home by evil developers in Chico.

Well, all I can say is, “Live it up, kiddos.” My tax dollars are paying for the loans and grants that statistically 40 percent of you will default on. It also goes to pay those state workers who clean up your mess afterward. And the rest are living off Mom and Dad’s dime and don’t care anyway. So, CN&R, don’t bash these “kids” for being kids.

If it were a real problem they themselves would protest … themselves? Yeah, right.

Joseph Fitzgerald
Chico businessman

Republicans don’t care
The Republican Party has been on a mission for some time now to usurp democracy. Its leaders have become extremely cutthroat as they win elections, discrediting the opposing party and demanding Republicans all speak with one voice on issues. It is a slow coup that is bad for our form of government and harmful to the people who are supposed to be governed by representation.

The Republican Party should more accurately be called the Capitalist or Corporate Party, as they want corporations to run the country, with disregard to the welfare of the people. It is becoming a dangerous situation, and it is imperative to change parties in office periodically to give us fairness and balance. Please become aware of strategies and tactics that they use and think critically and vote according to what is best for the people, not for the Republican Party or corporations.

Roni Lawrence
Magalia

Command performance
We are proud that University Public Events/Chico Performances is an active community member, and we search for ways to educate children about the arts available to us in Chico. In our beautiful town, there is much to do that will keep you and your family well within your spending limits.

This season, Chico Performances is pleased to once again join with the School of the Arts to offer the Chico State Kids Club for children up to 12 years of age. The benefits of a Kids Club membership include five music, dance or theater events at the university, a free T-shirt and an official membership card.

This season Chico State is presenting several shows perfect for the whole family. And this year, Enloe has Medical Center joined us a major sponsor of the Chico State Kids Club. Throughout the years Enloe has served its community with pride, and this donation demonstrates its commitment to the family. Its financial support makes it possible for our youth to experience the magic of live performance.

For more information on the Chico State Kids Club, please contact the University Box Office at 898-6333.

Dan DeWayne
Chico

Troop support
I would like to thank everyone for their kind words and donations for my brother, Garth, after reading his letters from Iraq [“Hello From Baghdad,” CN&R, Aug. 14].

Thanks to the News & Review and the many businesses and individuals who donated money for the goodies: Sierra Nevada Brewing Company, Jennifer Bestor, Suzanne Stewart and Christian Gerke, Hasan & Malama MacNeil, Richard and JoAnn Mondon, Jack and Cheryl Yoder, Susan Chin and Lisa and Jeff at Postal Plus (who donated the shipping costs). Because of them I was able to send three big boxes of nuts, trail mix, jerky, candy, drink mix, power bars, fruit leather and a Yahtzee game (for those down times) last week and I will be sending another batch for Christmas!

If you would like to donate, it will still be put to good use (absolutely 100 percent of your donation will go to Garth’s platoon in Iraq). Please send to: P.O. Box 5024, Chico, CA 95927

My thanks and gratitude for all of your help. It made me feel like we could actually do something to brighten my brother and his friends’ day in such a bleak situation.

I would also like to thank Tom Walsh of the Sacramento News & Review, which is running the story this week.

Anna Talbott
Chico

Reagan Redux
I’m having doubts about Arnold S. running for governor. The last time we had a rich Republican movie actor as governor, the state went into a downward spiral. Reagan hated UC Berkeley students (I went to Berkeley in the late 1960s) and decimated the UC system. He was a lousy governor and a lousy president. Reagan put this country $7 trillion in debt and set the cause of civil rights back 30 years.

Arnold’s qualifications seem to be nil. His dad was a Nazi (my dad was a U.S. Marine in the Pacific during WWII); his movie The Terminator was stolen from writings of Harlan Ellison and Predator was ripped off from The Most Dangerous Game, a story written by John Collier in 1924. Arnold’s taken steroids (how dumb can anyone get?), his education seems to be lacking (I guess he doesn’t think too much of college), and he seems to be running for governor as an ego trip. The only commonality Arnold seems to have with John Q. Citizen is that he smoked pot and likes sex.

The single largest voting bloc in this country, however, is older white women, and they like to vote for movie stars. I have a strange sense of foreboding. If we’re going to have pop icons as governor, I guess Britney Spears can be our next secretary of education. Then we can learn to shake our booty.

Michael M. Peters
Red Bluff