Letters 12/3/2024

• Non-Responsive PG&E & McGuire
• Answers, Please
• Covid Did It
• Getting What We Deserve
• The Wholesome Kelsey
• Wither Bernie
• McGuire’s True Colors
• Priscilla Hunter, The Other Stuff

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NON-RESPONSIVE PG&E & McGUIRE

Dear Editor,

PG&E the Good, the Bad and the Ugly

First, the Good:

When these winter storms hit the Pacific Coast with lashing winds and heavy rains and we inevitably lose power it is generally restored promptly and professionally by the men and women who are PG&E employees.

Now for the Bad:

The vegetation management operations which are ongoing throughout the year are a case study in waste and inefficiency on an unprecedented scale. The crews, subcontractors all, are never the same company, and yet they come into our rural communities driving all the newest and shiniest trucks that money can buy. Each crew has one or two men out of their troop who seem to know what is going on, but the rest appear highly unmotivated and untrained. They often arrive in force and do maybe an hour of work, then they split having pruned a few insignificant branches while large dead and dying trees stand looming over the power lines year after year. Recently they came out, took down power lines and felled one of three dead trees which had been marked for removal years ago, leaving big sections laying around all akimbo. Then the armada six of trucks headed down the road having left the other two dead trees growing within ten feet of the one removed, though clearly marked for removal as well. Pure and simple waste and inefficiency.

And the Ugly:

Just one look at your monthly PG&E bill reveals the ugly and outrageously high cost, just about the highest in the nation, of electricity. Don’t try to march into your local PG&E office to complain and try to get some answers. Corporate has gone into hiding, Fort Bragg shuttered its office years ago. Too much bother for them to deal with the customers who fund these bloated administrative salaries through the ever higher rates we pay.

What about our representatives in Sacramento? You would think they would be able to help us with this issue. Nope, two letters to Senator McGuire’s office explaining the situation received no response at all. Apparently they are as powerless as we are.

A common excuse that the vegetation management teams put forth is the failure of the California Coastal Commission to act in a timely manner when applications for removal of hazardous trees are submitted. Meanwhile the redundancy of checking and rechecking the work of other checkers involved with the process of maintaining line clearance safety standards leads to an endless and haphazard parade, accruing maximum costs with minimum efficiency. As we all suspect, these costs are then passed along to the public, who are dependent on electricity supplied by a Monopoly.

Sincerely,

Tim McClure

Fort Bragg

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ANSWERS, PLEASE

Editor,

Just to set things straighter, there are FOUR LLCs buying up property in Point Arena, all in Utah, All with the same Lawyer/Agent.

Some of the Members listed are Also buying property under their own name.

As well, the majority of buyups are Left Empty. Even Flourishing Businesses are bought, emptied, and left that way.

One was not for sale, so it was Leased by the Rep, and Then LEFT EMPTY. This happened to be popular with the Local Kids!

No one seems willing to answer a simple question: What is the Agenda, and Why is everything (nearly) left empty. The only answer so far

is that these buildings are in such disrepair, it would cost a fortune to upgrade. OK! SO….. WHY do youall keep on Buying More??

And WHY do you shut down businesses that are active, popular and flourishing??? Answers Please.

Carol Williams

Point Arena

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COVID DID IT

Editor:

Many reasons have been put forth for why Kamala Harris lost the election. But underneath them all, I think the factor that determined the last two presidential elections was COVID.

Donald Trump was riding high until early 2020. Then COVID hit, and things started going downhill for him. Through his mishandling, thousands of extra Americans died. And beyond his control, worldwide supply chains broke, causing global economic problems with increased unemployment and inflation. The result: Trump lost.

After Joe Biden took office, world economies were still in disarray. The global rate of inflation rate didn’t peak until 2022, and consumer prices remained considerably higher than under Trump. Then Harris became the candidate. She couldn’t overcome these lingering COVID-originated headwinds, and with many polls showing the top voter issue was the high cost of living, she lost too.

I think one could conclude from this it was actually COVID that determined the outcome of the last two presidential elections. Conversely, it’s likely that without COVID, we might be saying “goodbye,” not “hello,” to Trump, who would be finishing his second term.

Sherman Schapiro

Eureka

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GETTING WHAT WE DESERVE

Editor:

For a long time, i.e., since I learned to think for myself, I’ve had little respect for our undemocratic system. But I’ve been able to blame progressive failures on the two-party system or the silly and arbitrary rules of the Senate or the politicization of the courts or the Electoral College. But there’s always been the sanctuary of the popular vote — the truly democratic system of one-person, one-vote. Until now. We truly deserve what we get.

J. Chris Kuhn

Santa Rosa

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THE WHOLESOME KELSEY

Editor:

Accompanying the Bartleson-Bidwell Party, and with her husband Ben and Kelseyville namesake Andrew, Nancy Kelsey crossed the Sierra Nevada in 1841 Reportedly, she was the first white woman to do so. In 1846, it is said she was called upon to sew the first Bear flag, derivatives of which are seen in classrooms, courthouses and flagpoles throughout California to this day. For her contributions to the flag, Andrew Kelsey’s sister-in-law became known as the “Betsy Ross of California.” Interesting the connections one finds when scratching the surface of history.

Dave Delgardo

Cloverdale

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WITHER BERNIE

AVA Readers:

I would like to know your. thoughts on Bernie Sanders, I see he is trying to rally the troops to deal with the crushing loss, I like Bernie a lot, I admire his plucky spirit, and consistent focus, but I can’t help but feel a little betrayed, maybe like a bride left at the altar. I mean it felt like he had us there, he/we were an actual threat to cult blue status quo, and I feel like he blinked and bent the knee. So I would like to encourage you to publish an essay with your thoughts.

Thanks,

Chris Skyhawk

Fort Bragg

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McGUIRE’S TRUE COLORS

Editor:

In a recent letter to Editor of the Press Democrat, Ed Booth highlights an important issue that is being pushed by state Sen. Mike McGuire — the elimination of the rail right of way up to Willits.

I too ask why the senator would push to permanently demolish the opportunity to revive regional train service to Willits, and then to Fort Bragg, by ripping out the tracks.

Recently I attended his town hall in Windsor where I asked a serious question about our newly funded rail line. I spoke to him about the importance of keeping the rails in place from Cloverdale to Willits, i.e., rails with trails to protect our future regional transportation options. This has become a more important issue now that we know SMART will be operating to Healdsburg within the next few years, and then Cloverdale.

Rather than discuss this issue, the senator reacted negatively, going into defensive mode about his trail.

With SMART progressing rapidly, it is time that North Bay residents look seriously at what they see as their future transportation needs. As Booth writes and I support, “save those tracks, bring them back to life.”

Richard C. Brand

Santa Rosa

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PRISCILLA HUNTER, THE OTHER STUFF

To the Editor:

Priscilla Hunter has just passed away, and the tributes are pouring in. Folks have a tendency to romanticize the dead, but let's not forget that back in 2006, a four-year investigation into the Coyote Valley Band of Pomo Indians led to federal charges against seven former tribal leaders, including Priscilla Hunter.

Ms. Hunter was charged with stealing from her own people.

I'll explain.

In the 2006 indictment, former chairwoman Priscilla Hunter, former historian Michael Hunter, former vice chairwoman Iris Martinez, former secretary Darlene Crabtree, Michelle Campbell and former council members Fred Naredo and Allan Crabtree faced 39 charges of theft, misuse of funds, conspiracy, obstruction of justice, tax evasion and failure to file tax returns.

The indictment accused the defendants of using $35,000 in tribal casino funds to make contributions political candidates and organizations. Some of the defendants allegedly shred documents to cover up their actions and impeded an audit of the casino.

The defendants were also accused of using tribal funds to buy personal items like hockey tickets, art, cable television services and airline tickets. The defendants were also charged with tax evasion and failing to file tax returns. Finally, the casino itself was used for money laundering purposes.

The charges smacked of racketeering, pure and simple.

All of the former tribal leaders named in the indictment were ousted two years earlier in December 2004 vote that came months after a federal raid of the tribe's casino and several homes.

And there may be more.

Maybe.

A double homicide of two tribal members from 2004 also remains a cold case. The two victims were killed “execution style” in what seemed to investigators to be a “professional hit”.

Charles “Buzzy” Mitchell, then 66, was killed outside his house, according to then-Captain Kurt Smallcomb of the Mendocino County Sheriff's Office (MCSO).

Charles Michell's son, Nolan Mitchell, then 34, was shot to death while he slept inside the home, Smallcomb said. Nolan had been shot more than once.

“They were definitely targeted,” Smallcomb said.

To date, no suspects have ever been identified. Early leads amounted to nothing.

What the MCSO knows is that the killings occurred sometime in the late hours of Oct. 31, 2004, or in the early morning hours of the next day, at the home the father and son shared on Orr Springs Road.

Both men were members of the Coyote Valley Band of Pomo Indians. Charles was a reformer who was running for tribal office and had been politically active up to the time of his death — particularly about tribal corruption issues and controversial tribal land development issues, according to Smallcomb.

So, what happened? Were former tribal leaders under indictment involved in murder for hire? Was someone else guilty?

Who killed Charles and Nolan Mitchell?

No one will ever really know. No one can ever really know what happens here in Mendocino County. No one can ever really know what happens here behind the “Green Curtain”.

But after serving on four grand juries and having worked for the MCSO, I can say with reasonable confidence that local politics are corrupt, and people get away with murder.

John Sakowicz

Ukiah