- Call It What It Is
- Opposed To Pot Garden Expansion
- The Rest Of The Bargain
- Cutting Waste
- The Orange Rampage
CALL IT WHAT IT IS
Editor:
The consequences of a coup d’état are catastrophic, but that’s what Donald Trump and his unelected shadow president, Elon Musk, are carrying out. People loyal to Trump, without qualifications for running government programs, are being nominated by Trump as heads of government departments. Government webpages have been taken offline, and funding has been suspended for programs critical for the welfare of American citizens, global health and security. Project 2025 alerted us to the plan, and it is being rapidly put into action.
The sooner we recognize this, the more likely we will be able to preserve our liberal democratic institutions.
But we cannot meet this civic responsibility unless we call a coup a coup. In condemning Trump, we will put him, and those who support him, on notice that the battle is on, and that we — the citizens of this democracy — will not forfeit our liberty, now or ever.
The news media will only serve the public interest if they are clear about what is rapidly transpiring. We implore our news media to help us save what is valuable about our nation, including the free press and freedom of speech and assembly. There is not much time to save what we love about our country.
Steven Delue and Beverly R. Voloshin
Petaluma
OPPOSED TO POT GARDEN EXPANSION
Letter to the Editor:
Presented the following at the Board of Supervisors meeting on Tuesday, 2/11/2025 re: item 4b- moving Cannabis to General Government Committee meetings. Please publish if you’d like. Thank you.
Like many residents of Mendocino County, I am concerned that our County government is not paying attention to the needs of the majority of the people. This has certainly held true for Cannabis issues. We have been trying to convey to you we do not want expansion and your response seems to be, let’s draw this all out by kicking the can down the road to the General Government Committee. The GGC had already been receiving monthly reports from the Cannabis Dept. What’s been lacking all along is inclusion of the general public for our input on anything Cannabis-related. One need only to watch the youtube video of a Cannabis Ordinance Streamlining meeting dated Sept 18, 2023. Not a GGC or BOS meeting, it appears to be run by the Cannabis Dept. and its stated intent was to gather public input. Sadly, only 3 to 4 members from the Cannabis community are in person or calling in via zoom. No one in attendance from the general public. We’re concerned many changes were made or streamlined from the Ordinance with little if any discussion with those of us most affected. A real eye opener as to the lack of the County’s desire to conduct open dialogue with all its constituency. We are hopeful this will change with this new board as there are still many cannabis issues to be addressed. We feel strongly, however, that the issue of expansion needs to be addressed sooner rather than later.
Our opposition to larger “Commercial” grows has been well documented over the past several years. To the point that we feel even our two new Supervisors are surely aware of the stance from both sides, the growers and the greater public. Neighborhoods have been negatively impacted leading to applications for CP (Cannabis Prohibition zones). The growers, their lobbyists and lawyers continue to push the envelope in hope of larger grows, with the help of County staff it would appear. The economic reality is there is a glut of product being grown not only in California, but all across the nation. This is what has decimated prices, so allowing more to be grown makes absolutely no sense. It will drive prices further down, use more of our resources and most likely increase nuisances to our neighborhoods. Local grape growers are in the same situation, but one doesn’t hear them saying they need to grow more. At the Oct. 2024 BOS meeting, local growers stated they do not believe even doubling the size of their grows is enough to make them viable. An indication that approving this expansion is not enough to make them happy and they will continue to want more. Many of them said as much during that meeting.
Switching all cannabis issues to the General Government Committee may have its place so long as all stakeholders, citizens at large included, have a place at the table. Kicking the issue of expansion down the road needs to be addressed now! It is time for common sense to prevail and the majority of the public to be heard over that of special interests. We would like to see a much more effective and thoughtful Board of Supervisors from here forward. We do believe this new configuration of the Board realizes changes need to occur. So please, assert your authority over that of your staff and special interests and vote in favor of “we the people.”
Frances & James Owen
Redwood Valley
THE REST OF THE BARGAIN
Editor:
Donald Trump says that if Canada became the 51st state Canadians would get lower taxes, more military protection and no tariffs. What he doesn’t say is that if Canada joined the United States, Canadians would also get more poverty, greater income and wealth inequality, less social mobility, more expensive and less accessible health care, higher infant mortality and lower life expectancy. Maybe the United States should join Canada instead. But I doubt they’d want us.
Harvey Kantor
Santa Rosa
CUTTING WASTE
Editor:
Watching the ranting and raving of politicians regarding the actions of an unelected bureaucrat to eliminate waste, fraud and abuse is ironic beyond belief. Three points:
Elon Musk is acting under the direction of an elected official who, as a major part of his campaign, promised that DOGE would be created under the direction of Musk, who would be doing exactly what he has been doing. A plurality of voters voted for the politician who made this promise and his program.
For as long as I can remember, politicians of every stripe campaigning for federal office promise, if elected, they will eliminate waste, fraud and abuse, typically when explaining how their proposed programs will be paid for.
Finally, most of the fraud, waste and abuse results from actions of unelected, long-entrenched bureaucrats functioning under their interpretation of legislation.
Jim Haberkorn
Santa Rosa
THE ORANGE RAMPAGE
Editor,
President Donald Trump’s appointees have adopted words and phrases meant to denigrate people and policies but convey no clear meaning or truth.
Matthew Vaeth, acting director of the Office of Management and Budget, said the government may withhold federal grants (under a now rescinded executive order) for programs that “advance Marxist equity, transgenderism, and green new deal social engineering policies.”
“Equity” is no longer a laudable goal because it’s “Marxist.” Now “transgenderism” is a political movement instead of people, and since it’s an “ism,” it’s OK to discriminate against them.
And Vaeth managed to denigrate “green,” the “new deal” and “social engineering” all in one packed phrase. This could lead to eliminating any “green” efforts to combat climate change or any of President Franklin D. Roosevelt’s New Deal programs, such as Social Security. “Social engineering” could cover almost anything.
Then there’s “wokeness,” criticized by the White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt. That means no money for any program that is trying to bring justice or a decent living to people.
The language of Trump and his appointees is meant is keep us from thinking critically and appeal to fear and prejudice.
Nancy Bartell
Berkeley
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