Letters for September 27, 2012

Depression: two views

Re “Staring down hopelessness” (Cover story, by Sarah Downs, Sept. 20):

I also live with mental illness. I have bipolar disorder with OCD, PTSD and anxiety issues. I can totally understand how Sarah Downs feels.

Before I was diagnosed in my early 20s, I suffered from really dark depression with suicidal tendencies. My parents and friends did not know what to do or how to cope with it, so they just ignored it.

I am now a standing member of NAMI, the National Alliance on Mental Illness. NAMI is another national program that is helping and has helped millions with mental illness. I would highly recommend this program to anyone who is trying to make it with a mental illness. There is hope!

Melinda Daniel
Chico

If it were easy for depressed people to just pull themselves up by their bootstraps and “face down depression,” we would have an ideal world. Anyone who can grab control of their life with a little therapy isn’t that badly depressed because otherwise they wouldn’t have the motivation to grab hold and work on their recovery.

That is the hallmark of depression: That people don’t have the emotional strength to just “come out of it.” I’m glad it worked for Sarah Downs, but just as with the weight-loss stories on TV that are supposed to shame people who don’t just “buck up” and fix themselves, so with depression: What works for one person may not be a paradigm that fits all people.

John Lorenz
Chico

Tough guys not needed

Re “Schindelbeck shoots first” (From This Corner, by Robert Speer, Sept. 20):

I’m glad CN&R picked this story up. We need sensible council members who are receptive to facts and evidence, not tough guys who seem to be impermeable to new information. As Toby is a member of the local Tea Party, I was not surprised to hear he thought this way, but I was surprised to hear it from him (what was he thinking?).

Even more surprising is how many well-known local businesses support this guy (a complete list can be found by visiting Toby’s election campaign website). Do the owners of these businesses know he is out saying this stuff?

Alex James
Chico

Stand up to the lies

Re “When is a lie a ‘big lie’?” (Editorial, Sept. 6):

Your editorial states that Goebbels’ big lie was used to create a destructive mythology surrounding Jews. Were you saying that sort of destructive mythology doesn’t exist today, because Obama isn’t a Jew?

Did you miss all the destructive mythology used by the Republican Party and the Tea Clowns, in particular? None of the negative propaganda is meant to do anything but foster hate and distrust for Obama. He’s not American, he’s a Muslim, he hates Americans, he hates white people. It goes on and on.

While they may not want to kill him, they do want to destroy him. They vowed to do or say anything to do just that.

Their tactics are exactly the same as Herr Goebbels’. One of the reasons the Nazis were successful was that no one stood up to the liars. John Burton did stand up and was taken to task for it. You need to apologize to Mr. Burton and let him know that what he did needs to be done over and over again. Otherwise history will repeat itself.

Bob Woodward
Magalia

These fees are needed

Chico City Council candidate Toby Schindelbeck’s proposal to “waive development fees and property taxes” repeats a failed attempt to waive fees once before.

This same proposal was debated years ago, and most civic-minded people agreed that any new housing development should pay for itself. It was determined that the most equitable way to do that was through fees collected from the developer to offset the costs of essential new infrastructure like roads and sewage, thus providing a means whereby new development pays for itself.

Of course the developer passes the cost of these fees on to the new homebuyer, and it’s fitting that the buyer pay for the infrastructure that goes with the house. If the development-impact fees are rescinded, as Mr. Schindelbeck would have it, the city will have to levy a tax on the general population of Chico to pay for the new infrastructure.

These are tough economic times, and many people are stretched to just maintain their own households. I ask Mr. Schindelbeck the same question I asked councilmember Rick Keene (who argued his own version of Schindelbeck’s proposal years ago): Why should my elderly neighbors on fixed incomes, the young couple who resurrected a fixer-upper, and those who have lost jobs pay for new development that will not benefit them and that they can ill afford?

Karen Laslo
Chico

Nielsen’s Achilles heel

Woodland, the apparent year-round residence of current 4th District State Senate candidate Jim Nielsen, is in the 5th District. The current 5th District state senator is Lois Wolk. If former state Assemblyman Nielsen has no intention of moving from his Woodland home and has designs on obtaining a California Senate seat, he needs to mount a campaign against Sen. Wolk and not attempt to campaign in a senatorial district that is clearly outside of his permanent residence area.

The four remaining District 4 Senate candidates, Dan Levine, Jann Reed, Mickey Harrington and Dan Logue, who all appear to legitimately reside within the 4th District, have a golden opportunity here and should engage in a “take no prisoners” approach in confronting Nielsen on his non-residency issue in their campaign literature and media outreach, during debates, as they go door to door meeting constituents and on their whistle-stop tours.

This issue is surely Jim Nielsen’s Achilles heel.

Mark S. Gailey
Chico

Ritter’s record shows convictions

The primary goal of the city of Chico is to provide services to its citizens, and we believe Chicoans should elect to the City Council individuals like Tami Ritter, whose résumé reflects this type of experience and dedication.

We met Tami soon after moving to Chico, and we were impressed by her frankness and her professionalism. As our friendship with her has grown over the past six years, we have also been blessed to know her warmth, her humor, her ability to listen, and her fearlessness in voicing what needs to be spoken.

Tami cares deeply about our community, and her professional record reflects her convictions. A professional mediator, Tami has already served Chico as executive director of both Habitat for Humanity of Butte County and the Torres Community Shelter.

We see Tami as a person of the highest integrity; she will be a quality addition to the City Council.

Jeremy and Amy Miller
Chico

Morgan wants action

Re “Chamber of politics” (Newslines, by Tom Gascoyne, Sept. 20):

I sat in the audience on Sept. 14 listening to all the City Council candidates speak their peace on what needs to happen in Chico for the next four years. Only one stood out to me, a Chico native, established businessman and professional, Sean Morgan.

Sean has never been in a political office, but he got it. He didn’t have to read from his notes to tell us what needs to happen in Chico. He knows what he can do and cannot do. Some spoke from their hearts, but would be temperamental behind the scenes, and others wanted to hug and make it all better. Sean just wants action and explained it eloquently.

Sean’s advantage is obvious: He knew Chico in its prime, he knows people that can help him make it happen, and he has a business sense that others do not. He understands the employee side and knows the needs of the citizens.

Frankly, I was embarrassed to see the candidate selection. It is time, Chico—we the citizens need to listen, know and vote! Our city, our county, and our country need voters to take action to make the change. Meet your candidates.

Reanette Fillmer
Chico

Study, then vote

With elections coming up, I urge voters to do their homework and be able to look past the predictable glittery signs and catchy slogans. I learned long ago that there was little correlation between the slogans, the promises, and the eventual success of the candidates.

There is no foolproof way of knowing how effective someone will be besides studying their previous success or failure. I tend to do that. If I have studied, I vote. If I know nothing about the candidates or propositions, I don’t.

Things are not good in the Chico we grew up in. We know that. There is more violence, our infrastructure needs help, and our local schools have declined significantly in recent years. I will study each candidate for City Council, read the propositions, ask questions, and avoid the usual propaganda.

In city government, I want more people like Jim Walker, who listened and was willing to put his neck on the line even if he was in the minority.

We can’t affect the presidential race much, but local races are critical. I have seen our home values adversely affected because of the poor schools here. Some terrible school board members are leaving, so let’s at least put in the time to get some movers and shakers in the CUSD this time.

Do you know who is running for Assembly or Congress? Find out. Study. They don’t get there without our vote. “Throw the bums out,” is actually the only slogan worth remembering.

Pat Young
Chico

Freedom to travel

Re “Court of the absurd” (Guest comment, by George Gold, Sept. 13):

What you should have done is simply ignore the unenforceable revenue request. What are they gonna do, refuse to renew your registration and license?

You don’t need either to exercise the common-law right of travel. Travel is a common-law right that cannot be licensed, nor is it subject to registration. Any who attempt to subject our rights to licensing or registration are tyrants who should have their blood shed to feed the roots of the tree of liberty.

Wallace Freeman
Killeen, Texas

Romney nails the ‘Muslim thugs’

The chickens have come home to roost. So much for leading from behind. Our embassy staff in Egypt issued an apologetic letter for an “inflammatory movie production” before the embassy was attacked. At the same time, we had just given Egypt $1.3 billion in aid.

While the Egyptian Muslim Brotherhood visits the White House, at the invitation of Obama, our embassy burns. And Obama is campaigning in Las Vegas. He missed all the security briefings (five) in the week before Sept. 11, which should have triggered warnings about possible Muslim violence.

Thank you, Gov. Romney, for publicly placing the blame on the guilty Muslim thugs and standing up for American embassy sovereignty. We need you, Mitt Romney.

Eric Schumacher
Chico

Mitt’s not the man

No Mitt! We must not allow this man to get elected. I don’t care much about politics and was not planning to vote, but please, no. The lesser of two evils means less evil, no?

Charley Kidd
Chico