Mendocino County Today: Thursday, February 6, 2014

THE FEBRUARY MIRACLE?  Report from National Weather Service Eureka...

Periods of Moderate Rain Friday Night through Sunday Night

Rapid Rises Expected on Area Rivers

Impacts

• Main stem rivers will have rapid rises and increased flow, but will remain below monitor stage.
• Localized street flooding is possible during periods of moderate rain.
• Small streams and tributaries will also have rapid rises and increased flow but are expected to remain within their banks.
• Rock and mudslides along highways and county roads in mountainous terrain.
• Any on-going construction projects, that are taking advantage of the extended dry period, should implement erosion control measures to prevent erosion especially in the vicinity of rivers and creeks.

Forecast Confidence

• Moderate to high confidence for forecast precipitation amounts.
• High confidence for rapid rises on main stem rivers. Rivers will peak Sunday night into Monday morning.

Timing and Location

• Beginning late Friday morning in the coastal region of Del Norte County.
• Progressively spreading south and east Friday afternoon.
• Heaviest rain expected during the day Saturday and again Saturday night into Sunday morning.
• Then again Sunday night in Mendocino County.

Forecast Precipitation Amounts: Friday afternoon through Sunday night

• Smith River Basin........2.00 to 3.00 inches
• Lower Klamath River Basin...1.50 to 2.50 inches
• Eel River Basin......... 5.00 to 6.00 inches
• Mad River Basin....... 4.00 to 5.00 inches
• Van Duzen River Basin.... 5.00 to 6.00 inches
• Trinity River Basin....... 2.50 to 3.50 inches
• Upper Russian River Basin...3.50 to 4.50 inches
• Navarro River Basin...... 4.50 to 5.50 inches

Weather Summary

The upper level ridge that has blocked weather systems for the past three
months will shift farther to the west and a low pressure system will move
into the Gulf of Alaska. This will permit weather systems to move into
northern California. The link below depicts an atmospheric river extending
from Hawaii to the west coast and is valid Saturday morning at 4:00 am.
The rain is expected to move into Del Norte County late Friday morning and then spread southward and eastward during the afternoon. The heaviest rain is expected Saturday morning and again Saturday night into Sunday morning. There will a third round of heavy rain Sunday night in Mendocino County. The rain will taper off late Sunday night. Monday is expected to be dry.

http://talcott.wrh.noaa.gov/naefs/data/20140205_00/NAEFS_IVT_084.png

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JOHN PARDUCCI, pioneer Mendocino County winemaker, has died at age 96.

THE GRID is made up of three systems serving different areas of the country. In the past small glitches, including trees hitting transmission lines, have wrought havoc on the system, resulting in widespread blackouts. In 2003, 50 million people in eastern states and parts of Canada were left without power for days after a minor incident.

CONCERNS also focus on the fact many of the most important parts of the network are out in the open, often in remote locations, protected by little more than cameras and high fences.

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THE BELOW APPEARED yesterday on KPIX, and in prose by the SF Chron. Thing is, nobody has any idea how much water is diverted to pot and Sheriff Allman doesn't have the manpower to crack down on diverters even if he knew where they were. Tracking down diversions is time consuming and manpower-heavy.

DROUGHT: MENDOCINO TARGETS WATER-STEALING POT FARMERS

As California residents and businesses face the new reality of dwindling reservoirs and water restrictions, police in one California county are getting serious about water thieves — especially those who need the sweet stuff to feed illegal marijuana growing operations.

Mendocino County Sheriff Tom Allman told KPIX-5 that water thieves could be making off with up to 5 million gallons of water a day to irrigate thirsty pot plants. The growers have been known to drill illegal wells, secretly tap into neighboring water tanks, and even go so far as to pump water directly from local streams and irrigation canals into storage containers, Allman said.

The sheriff’s office will be stepping up enforcement as the high season of marijuana cultivation approaches. Anyone caught stealing water, Allman said, will be charged with grand theft of natural resources. — Kale Williams (Courtesy, the San Francisco Chronicle)

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ANIMALS SEIZED IN A HOPLAND CRUELTY CASE FINDING HOMES

by Tiffany Revelle

More than 100 farm and domestic animals rescued late January from squalid conditions at a Hopland home are in the process of finding new homes, according to officials.

The 13-year-old boy who was living on the McNab Ranch Road land will get his dog back after both were removed from the 40-acre site where authorities rescued over 100 animals. The boy and his Chihuahua are moving to his father's home in the Bay Area, county officials close to the process said.

The Mendocino County Sheriff's Office served a search warrant at the home of Patrice Phillips Jan. 28 and seized 32 rabbits, 28 sheep, 25 chickens, 19 goats, five milk cows, four turkeys, four ducks, four guardian dogs -- also known as livestock dogs -- two cats, a goose and the Chihuahua.

They were found without adequate food and water and left in their own feces to fend for themselves in a two acre fenced area on Phillips' property when MCSO Animal Control officers and Hopland firefighters visited the property Jan. 13 to follow up on a call from a concerned neighbor. Authorities seized 10 Pyrenees dogs and a sheep that died of respiratory failure that night.

Percy, a 9-year-old Pyrenees mix, was among the animals rescued Tuesday from Phillips' property. He needs heartworm treatment that will cost about $1,000 before he can be adopted, according to Shelter Supervisor Sage Mountainfire.

"With an older dog like Percy, you're looking at needing to do bloodwork and chest X-rays as a preparation for heartworm treatment to make sure the dog's body, lungs and heart are healthy enough to be treated," Mountainfire said, explaining also that the county will need to hire a veterinarian to monitor the dog during treatment because of his age.

Percy is one of four guardian dogs taken from Phillips' property Tuesday. Guardian dogs -- not to be confused with guard dogs protecting property -- live with livestock, typically sheep, Mountainfire explained.

"They guard those sheep from predators," she said. "Often they're raised with the sheep from babies."

The other three guardian dogs taken from Phillips' land went to a foster ranch in Mendocino County with the livestock they'd been guarding, including sheep, goats, cows, turkey, geese, ducks and chickens. Mountainfire has the beginnings of a waiting list for people who want to adopt the livestock, and she's still taking names.

"I'm working with (Deputy) County Counsel Doug Losak in what will be the process for adopting the livestock," she said. "I'm taking names and interests of particular kinds of livestock that people are interested (in adopting), and then I will contact people as soon as the livestock are ready for adoption."

The shelter found homes for all 32 rabbits seized, with the ones deemed eligible as pets going to private homes and the rest going to a commercial operation where they will not be euthanized or used for meat, according to Mendocino County Health and Human Services spokeswoman Kristina Grogan.

"We're really glad we were able to get the rabbits adopted into appropriate housing so they didn't have to stay here in small cages," Mountainfire said.

Overall, she said she was pleased with the way the process moved as the Sheriff's Office worked to get a search warrant and partnered with the shelter to hammer out the logistics of where all the animals would go once they were seized.

Animal Control officers visited Phillips several times after the initial Jan. 13 visit to ensure the animals still on her property were getting proper care, MCSO spokesman Capt. Greg Van Patten said previously.

"It moved slowly enough, and the animals were watched carefully enough that it was done in an appropriate way," Mountainfire said.

To donate to Percy's medical fund or for more information about adoption, call the Mendocino County Animal Shelter at 463-4654.

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FELONY ADDED IN HOPLAND ANIMAL CRUELTY CASE

A felony charge of animal cruelty was recently added to 39 other criminal charges against a Hopland woman accused of animal neglect after more than 100 animals were rescued last week from squalid conditions on her land.

The Mendocino County District Attorney's Office added to the misdemeanor complaint filed in court against Patrice Phillips, 59, a felony charge that she deprived the animals of the food, water or shelter they needed. The charge is on top of 39 misdemeanor counts filed against her Jan. 17 that stem from incidents dating back to May, including a charge of animal neglect and other public nuisance-related charges.

"It was the number of animals deprived of necessary sustenance," said DA's office spokesman Mike Geniella of the reason for the change. "The scope is so large that they now believe the case is worthy of felony prosecution."

Phillips, who was arraigned on the 39 misdemeanor charges last month, is due back in court in about three weeks for further arraignment on the added felony.

Authorities responded to her home Jan. 13 in response to a call from a concerned neighbor and found the animals -- including sheep, goats, cows, dogs, cats, geese, turkey, ducks and rabbits -- fenced in a two-acre area on her 40-acre property without proper food and water, and living in their own feces.

On that visit, Animal Control officers with the Mendocino County Sheriff's Office rescued from Phillips' property 10 Pyrenees puppies and a distressed sheep that died that night of respiratory failure, officials said.

Animal Control officers returned Jan. 28 with a search warrant and seized the remaining animals. The livestock and three guardian dogs were placed on a foster ranch in Mendocino County, and the shelter adopted out 32 rabbits. Still at the shelter is Percy, a heartworm-positive Pyrenees mix dog in need of expensive treatment before he can be adopted.

Also taken from Phillips' home was a 13-year-old boy who had been living with her, the MCSO reported previously. The boy was reunited with his Chihuahua, which was also removed from the property, when both went to live with the boy's father in the Bay Area. Phillips does not face child endangerment charges.

(Courtesy, the Ukiah Daily Journal

PILING ON. No way there's a felony in the Hopland animal hoarding case. Patrice Phillips seems to be typical of this particular departure from the great American norm, however that's defined anymore. Hoarders simply can't bear to part with their creatures. The creatures pile up, the hoarder is overwhelmed but does the best she can to feed and care for her ever larger brood. We've got a mental health case here not a criminal matter. This woman is 59. All she requires is therapy and monitoring with maybe a court order limiting her to one dog, one cat, a gold fish, maybe a goat. Running her through the legal system with a felony attached is crueler than anything she did to any of her animals.

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A GROUP of Ukiah-area residents have appealed Ukiah's permit for the massive new Costco slated for the big box neighborhood on the west side of Highway 101. "This appeal seeks to modify the project, not reject it. It seeks to convey to Costco that the project as proposed can be improved to benefit the greater good. (W)e believe such a reduction in impacts is worth requesting because there should be a balance between what Costco has proposed and what is best for Ukiah and its setting in the Ukiah Valley."

A MAMMOTH BULK FOOD market with a 16-pump gas station will knock out any number of Ukiah's existing grocery stores and filling stations. The appealers say they just want the thing scaled back, not stopped, but even if it's scaled back to about a third its 148,000 square feet and no fuel pumps it's bad for Ukiah retail.

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THIS ONE OCCURRED TODAY in Ferndale. The 26-year-old McKinleyville man was driving on a suspended license with the dope in black garbage bags in the back of his truck.

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Ferndale Cops Nab 76 Pounds of Processed Weed

by Ryan Burns

Ferndale Enterprise Editor/Publisher Caroline Titus, whose heart remains devoted to print media, beat us to the punch on this one — using Twitter, no less! She calls us out, and rightly so. Take it, Titus! (Courtesy, LostCoastOutpost.com)

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THE COLLEGE OF THE REDWOODS Board of Trustees will hold a Special Meeting for a Public Hearing in Fort Bragg on February 17th, 2014 from Noon to 2:00 pm. The location of the meeting has not yet been announced. Speakers will be limited to 3 minutes each and the meeting itself may be limited to the planned 2 hours. The purpose of the Public Hearing is to allow community input to a recommendation that is before the board to "suspend" operations at the college's Fort Bragg campus and maintain only the Fine Woodworking Program here. A vote on this recommendation is expected to take place at the board's March 4th meeting in Eureka. As February 17th is President's Day and the beginning of a week off for our local public schools, it is very important that all interested community members attend this meeting. Your presence, whether you speak or not, has an impact. It is also extremely important that ALL community members behave respectfully and with civility. One "bad apple" truly will spoil the message. It will be all some of the board members will hear and take away with them. A few members of the board have already stated that they will leave the room if they feel threatened. Our behavior will also be a reflection of our community to Mendocino College. They are under the same constraints as College of the Redwoods is to provide only transfer education, vocational training and basic skills courses. We don't want Mendocino College to feel our community wants unrealistic things that they will not be able to deliver in these economic times. If you would like to discuss or react to this email, please do so on the Discussion List. You are also invited to email or call me with your questions or comments.

— Barbara Rice, CR Trustee

PS. Yesterday's College of the Redwoods Board of Trustees meeting is available for listening or viewing at the following link: http://www.redwoods.edu/_media/district/02-04-14.asp Due to technical difficulties, the first 4 minutes of the meeting were not archived. All public comments were recorded and are present. The volume on the audio-only version was boosted. If you are having trouble hearing the meeting while watching the video, please try the audio-only version. Barbara Rice, CR Trustee

NORMAN DE VALL HAS A GOOD IDEA:

Barbara,

Good Afternoon,

What do you think of the idea of asking the Mendocino County Office of Education to file an Eminent Domain proceeding in order to turn the "CR" Mendocino Coast Campus into a K-14 school?

Norman de Vall, Elk

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COUNTY CRIME, WEDNESDAY

Shoplifter -- Caller at Walmart on Airport Park Boulevard reported at 9:56 a.m. Thursday that a man took a pair of boots and ran out. An officer responded but did not find him.

Basketball Hoops Blocking Sidewalk -- Caller in the 1300 block of Rose Avenue reported at 10:21 a.m. Thursday that basketball hoops were blocking the sidewalk. An officer responded and left a note for the resident.

Dog Bite -- Caller at Alex Thomas Jr. Plaza reported at 1:56 p.m. Thursday that a group of transients had a dog that bit someone. An officer took a report.

Disturbance -- Caller at McDonald's on North Orchard Avenue reported at 6:19 p.m. Thursday that two men were refusing to leave and throwing soda. An officer responded and advised the men of city code.

Package Opened -- Caller on Hope Street reported at 7:25 a.m. Friday that she received a package that had been opened, and someone intending to steal items had not been interested in what she got.

Graffiti -- Caller in the 500 block of East Perkins Street reported at 8:40 a.m. Friday finding graffiti on a building.

Man Passed Out On Bench -- Caller in the 200 block of South Orchard Avenue reported at 12:32 p.m. Friday that a man was passed out on a bench in the parking lot. An officer responded and arrested the man for being drunk in public.

Shoplifter -- An officer responded to Safeway on South State Street at 2:22 p.m. Friday and arrested a man for shoplifting. He was cited and released.

Dog Bite -- An officer responded to the 200 block of Magnolia Street at 3:22 p.m. Friday and took a report for a dog bite.

Shoplifter -- An officer responded to Kohl's on North Orchard Avenue at 4:56 a.m. Friday and arrested a 54-year-old woman for shoplifting. She was cited and released.

SHERIFF'S REPORTS

The following were compiled from reports prepared by the Mendocino County Sheriff's Office:

Domestic Violence -- Antonio L. Flores, 28, of Boonville, was arrested at 12:15 p.m. Monday on suspicion of domestic assault and booked at the county jail under $25,000 bail. The MCSO arrested him.

Drug Manufacture -- Lee E. Davis, 59, of Willits, was arrested at 8:42 p.m. Monday on suspicion of manufacturing a controlled substance by chemical extraction and booked at the county jail under $50,000 bail. The Mendocino Major Crimes Task Force arrested him.

Domestic Violence -- Sean D. Derr, 37, of Ukiah, was arrested at 9:57 p.m. Monday on suspicion of domestic assault, kidnapping, making threats, possessing illegal weapons, possessing drug paraphernalia and petty theft, and booked at the county jail under $1000,000 bail. The Ukiah Police Department arrested him.

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PRESIDENT'S MONTH

I cannot tell you how much I look forward to this annual event. Once a year it gives me an opportunity to relieve the ignorance and illiteracy of the general public on our first six founding presidents… who were not even remotely Christian, but humanists and deists.

When I used to do this show out of KGO in San Francisco… the switchboard would light up like a Christmas tree, with callers saying, “I have never heard that in school: Why are teachers to afraid to teach those facts… that are in their actual quotes?” Our omission and censorship of these historical facts to school children, and with the media to adults, is insulting and an embarrassment to any historically educated adult who knows the truth.

I have one bust in my study. It is of Jefferson. On the base are these words of his: “I have sworn upon the altar of God eternal hostility against every form of tyranny over the mind of man.” He uses the word “God” as a Deist, not as a Christian. A vast difference. He made this scathing statement aimed at the tyranny of the Christian Church. In a letter dated August 22, 1800, Dr. Benjamin Rush wrote Jefferson that “Republicanism should ally itself to the Christian religion in order to overturn all of the corrupted religions of the world.” Jefferson was appalled. He responded with his now famous “every form of tyranny over the mind of man.” including the tyranny of the Christian church.

Jefferson and John Adams, with James Madison, had almost a total contempt for Christian doctrine, dogma and superstitions.

John Adams wrote that “the doctrine of the divinity of Jesus has made a convenient cover for absurdity” and Adams signed the Treaty of Tripoli. This Treaty, written by George Washington, has Article Eleven which begins… “As the government of the United States is not in any sense founded on the Christian religion.” This Treaty was ratified by the senate in 1797 without a SINGLE OBJECTION and signed by then President John Adams. Article six of the U.S. Constitution made this treaty doubly binding by saying… “All treaties made under the authority of the United States shall be bound thereby, anything in the laws of any state to the contrary notwithstanding.” It should be treasured today as the supreme document for the American doctrine of the absolute separation of church and state.

During this month of freedom, let us never forget that Jefferson, Adams and Madison, the authors of the Declaration of Independence, the Constitution and the Bill of Rights, all believed that Christian doctrine and dogma was one of the most dangerous tyrannies opposing freedom. Jefferson put it in these words:

“I have examined all of the known superstitions of the world and I do not find in our superstition of Christianity one redeeming feature. They are all alike founded on fables and mythology. Millions of innocent men, women and children, since the introduction of Christianity, have been burnt, tortured, fined and imprisoned. What has been the effect of this coercion? To make one half the world fools… and the other half hypocrites and to support roguery and error all over the earth.” So wrote Thomas Jefferson.

What if Jefferson could see this country today? There is so much blabbering “God talk” coming from the phony politicians today that it makes you want to throw up. They can’t make a statement without ending it with “God bless you”… or “God bless America.” Our first six presidents were Deists and Humanists and they would find this blabbering God talk repugnant.

A few facts: The Presidential oath of office, the only oath detailed in the Constitution, does NOT contain the phrase “so help me God”, or any requirement to swear on a bible. All of that phony ritual is done by participants to appease the bible thumpers. They can be sworn in without it.

Next fact: The words “under God” was not in the Pledge of Allegiance until 1954. And “In God we Trust” was not on paper currency before 1956, when Congress, under Eisenhower inserted them. Since every biographer has said that Eisenhower never attended church services in his life until he became President the hypocrisy of it all is staggering. Dwight Eisenhower’s brothers have all made the same observation. Please do not miss the point: None of this presumption “God Talk” came from the Presidents who founded this nation and wrote our Constitution and Bill of Rights or the Declaration of Independence and freedom that we celebrate his weekend.

Roland Hegstad, a former editor of the Seventh Day Adventist magazine, wrote; “how ironic, to lose our freedom at last, not to leftists tossing bombs, but to so called Christians espousing slogans and cliches.”

Several years ago the academic dean of Stanford University wrote these words: “The Christian right is potentially much more dangerous to our nation than any Communist threat ever has been. This group presents the gravest crisis to our nation because of their wedding of religious slogans with their politics. They are infringing upon a precious right that each of us inherited from those very learned men of the 18th century who expressly separated church and state in these United States of America.”

I am always overwhelmed with thanksgiving and gratitude that men of the stature and integrity of Jefferson, Adams and Madison never stooped to the low level of inviting a token, bible thumping, clown to lead a “prayer breakfast” to placate bible belt America. Only one American president had the guts to say what he actually thought about the brown-noser of the White House, Billy Graham. What Truman said cannot be printed in a family newspaper, but paraphrased, was that Billy Graham would not get within five miles of the White House while Truman was there.

On this weekend of freedom, compare these historical facts with the recent disgusting and historically ignorant invocation of Franklin Graham (Billy’s son) at the inauguration of George W. Bush. He “dedicated” the inauguration to “Jesus Christ” in a country with millions of United States citizens who are Jewish, Buddhist, Taoist, Muslims, Agnostics, Atheists, Humanists, Unitarians, Free Thinkers and others. But, of course, you remember when Bush senior was president, he said that “I do not consider atheists to be citizens of this country.” We should not be surprised that we are being smothered and buried in a fog of religious and historical illiteracy combined with brazen arrogance.

When I lectured on this subject at the Garvin Theatre in Santa Barbara, the standing ovation said to me… “there is hope… there is light at the end of the tunnel… there is a silent majority out there who is awake and is aware of a Christian tyranny that has been invading this country of ours.” Similar responses at other schools and universities have given me the same feeling of hope… from the University of Colorado to Boise State University.

May I suggest that we celebrate the brilliance of Jefferson, Adams and Madison and continue in the hope that we may someday see men and women of their caliber in American politics. Remember the words of the man who wrote this Declaration of freedom… “I have sworn… eternal hostility against every form of tyranny over the mind of man.”

— William Edelen, Palm Desert

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WHY DOESN’T SOMEONE DO SOMETHING?

A Few Suggestions

by Rick Weddle

How often have you heard this question asked, or asked it yourself, lately? Our lives are besieged by a long list of regional, national and global crises, each one pleading for urgent action to solve it. So, why are these positive actions so ominously absent? Why is it the action we do see is mostly empty of solutions, or makes matters worse yet?

Let’s address this question, ‘ doesn’t someone do something?’ as if we really want it answered, as if we actually aim to solve the puzzle. Let us not ask and accept this question as we have till now, as a statement of powerlessness in the face of peril; no more deer-in-the-headlights, please.

This means breaking down the original question into manageable parts:

1. What, exactly, is the problem? Describing the symptoms accurately does narrow it down, but we need a clear definition of the source of a problem before it can really be solved. And knowing clearly what the basic problem is, we can avoid taking action which might actually aggravate the situation. Only then can we proceed to…
2. Who might this ‘someone’ be who’ll take the needed, appropriate action? Who has the power, resources, and lawful authority to take such action? Where is this mystery ‘someone?’
3. What, exactly, might be done to solve this problem? What options are available which might stand some chance of success, for once?

Model ‘A’

To illustrate this process of close examination of a crisis, let’s pick one, and run through the steps outlined above. (Doing so makes it apparent at once that this simple exercise has not been pursued by the ‘official channels’ long in place and highly paid to do it, so of course we wonder why they’re not. This raises another important question which we can deal with elsewhere: If these official channels are not following this simple and necessary approach then what are they doing to justify their fat paychecks, free healthcare, and massive ‘perks,’ for which we are paying so dearly?)

Every official channel in the disaster-preparedness business specifically requires this process for any hope of success, to prevail or even to survive. Talk to the Federal Emergency Management Agency, the American Red Cross, the Coast Guard, the Sheriff, Police Department, offices of government, the military geniuses, all of them, and every one of them will tell you the best way to deal with Big Problems is to first be really clear about what we’re up against in any one of these crisis situations; to know exactly what forces are involved, and their effects, in order to be prepared in advance, and to deal with the problems as they unfold. Key to this process is public awareness and participation. It should, but it won’t go without saying here, that without this identifying process, particularly involving the public at large, we’d just be pissing up a rope, as the colorful expression goes, and as we in fact are, so far.

Crisis A: Climate change.

1.What exactly, is the problem? Natural cycles of climate change occur outside our control which all would agree do pose problems for us Humans and other living things. Knowing about them and preparing for, and/or adapting to them is the best we can do, with many notable successes. We have historically anticipated and responded as best we could to these natural cycles, adopting improvements as we go. What, if any, is the synthetic contribution to our presently rapidly changing climate? That is, what are we doing that we do have some control over?

Let’s see if this is part of the Problem, and what might be the underlying causes. We know, clearly, our artificial injection of greenhouse gasses into the equation is aggravating the problem. If we are in fact worsening the crisis, it’s obvious we could then stop doing so; then, why aren’t we? I believe it’s because, just classic addicts, we as consumers have habitually become so dependent upon hydrocarbon fuels, it’s near impossible to see them as a Problem at all; we gotta have it, don’t we? Even when we see they are causing trouble, we still rely on them to get us down the road, or warm, cool, and light the house, or charge the batteries, etc., etc. As sources of these dangerous fuels dwindle, the troubles with them increase, prices rocketing up, wars being fought and so on. These new difficulties are presented to us as arising from our dependence on foreign oil, implying that domestic oil is worry-free. Similarly, we’re encouraged to believe that if we could somehow get back to ‘cheap’ oil, all would be rosey, the economy would get ‘back on track,’ and civilization as we remember it could continue to roll along. Again, like other addicts, we’ve been drawn into this dependence by the infamous lie, “…the first few hits are ‘free!’” Dangerous side-effects are ignored or flatly denied, and the fact of our addiction is carefully avoided. The parallels here with other kinds of addiction are so many as to make our dependence on fossil fuels identical to classic substance abuse; our ‘leaders’ demonstrate they will say or do anything to help support our habit, including serial-mass-murder, breaking and entering other countries to burglarize their fossil fuels…and that’s not all.

Safe, infinite alternative energy sources are available almost everywhere on the planet; they are limited only by our access to, and development of them. In the 100-year history of the automobile, think how much attention has been paid to this single artifact. Our ‘love affair’ with the car has poured billions of hours of brain-power, elbow-grease, and trillions of dollars into research and development of the internal combustion engine, to the great accomplishments we’re all familiar with, and still love dearly. Consider what a fraction of that time and effort and investment might mean to technologies like solar, wind, hydro, bio-fuels, ocean tidal and wave generators for electric power, and for the production of hydrogen, and then some. Yet these alternative advances are hindered, trivialized, marginalized, even prohibited by those same forces which hooked us with the petropium monkey to begin with. One main reason photo-voltaic cells cost so much is that the pertinent patents have long been held by ARCO and Phillips Petroleum, …yes, really. Why all the foot-dragging about Alternatives, correctly, as superior competition, not available to monopoly, in little need of expensive refining, with no adverse side-effects, and damned near FREE! Fuel that can be grown and distilled locally is anathema to the Fossilheads because it’s harder to centralize, slashing into potential PROFIT$! Taking the money out of fossil fuels might also break the Fossilheads’ strangehold on the government offices which in fact belong to us, by Law, and by the simple fact that we’re paying for them. (Here’s where we should recall that once a small group gains dictatorial power, they never let it go willingly; got fight?)

So, the Problem of our contribution to Climate Change can be defined as:

a. The inherent toxicity of petroleum and coal (CO2 emissions; carcinogens; acid rain, etc.)

b. Dependence on fossil fuels being an imposed addiction, artificially enforced by habit and by our own government offices being subverted to doing the will of the Petropium Lords.

c. Fossilhead manipulation of the Markets (anything but free) to neutralize competition from Alternatives (cornering patents; buying up and killing inventions, ad nauseum, ad mortem…)

d. Media barrages to reinforce this addiction, and to pose the Petro-corpirations as ‘green,’ and as just like plain folks (‘…people do…’).

e. Their running wars here and there to gain and maintain dominion over the petro markets, to sell us massive amounts of petro in the war-criminal process, and as toxic smokescreens to obscure what the Real Problem really is.

f. Their charging us handsomely, coming an going, as consumers and tax-cattle, to finance all the above.

g. Our still being largely unaware that any of this is really happening, confused, kept in the dark, and up past our collective ass in denial, wishful thinking and creative nostalgia, divided among ourselves and trying to blame each other…right next to zero public awareness or participation toward solving anything.

1. Who might this ‘someone’ be who’ll take the needed and appropriate action? Well, since it’s goddamned certain ‘Business’ isn’t about to be of any help whatever, and since ‘our’ highest government offices and elections processes are firmly in the death-grip of the military/industrial cult, that leaves…us…you and me. ME/! How comfy are you with that? Is it a little too close to home to think you might be among those who are the only ones with the power, resources, and authority to actually tackle such a colossal Problem? What would it cost you to take action in this issue? What would it cost you not to take action in this issue?

As this Problem progresses without solution, there accumulates a pile of surprises of the most unpleasant kind. The advent of nuclear weapons/power is just one of them, brought to us by, you guessed ‘er, the same heroes who’ve had America and our world over the Petro-Barrel for the last one hundred years or so. And lately, these same cutthroats have come up with the brilliant idea of ‘fracking,’ a literally groundbreaking technology.

Fortunately, this ‘new’ artificial catastrophe is receiving growing public scrutiny, Here on Oregon’s south coast, The People Who Care.org have hosted a showing of the film, Gasland, about the tragedies of fracking for natural gas. I’m glad to say some 20 people showed up to see it and discuss it. I’d like to thank them and congratulate them, individually and as a group, for having the Human fortitude just to be there as witnesses, and to question the issue. While this small group in the local library might seem trivial and of little consequence, it is a living expression of the Main Ingredient for positive solutions of big problems everywhere. Spokespersons for the petropium industry are clearly lying long and loud about there being ‘no problem’ with fracking. They assert that on the contrary, fracking is a great solution to our energy problems. Fracturing the ground all around these gas wells releases massive amounts of methane into the atmosphere, the earth, and the groundwater. While there are no specific numbers visible of the quantities of methane so released, we know from other sources that as a greenhouse gas, methane’s adverse effects exceed those of CO2 several times over. And, the physical operations involved in this fracked-up technology mean the direct chemical poisoning mentioned, plus hundreds of truckloads burning diesel to and from the site, for each well. This multi-horrored technique, and its being marketed as a ‘solution,’ are monuments to the ‘Jon-creators’ and their infinitesimal wisdom. It’s a damned good thing some of us are paying attention to it. Margaret Mead pointed out the prime importance of public attention and activism. She said, ‘Never underestimate the power of a small number of determined people to change things; indeed, it’s the only thing that ever works.’ The truth of this observation was solidly confirmed in an unguarded moment during the heat of the Arms Race in the ‘80’s, straight from the Horse’s mouth. The very Arms Control and Disarmament Agency was then packed with top minions of the military/industrial cult, long in the business of pushing and profiting by the proliferation of the Nuclear Weapons/Power Disasters. In a warning to his fellow vampires there, he (Richard Perle, or Eugene Victor Debs, or one of ‘em) said, ‘There is increasing activity in three sectors in America today which should be cause for concern: …the churches, the ‘loyal opposition,’ and, most importantly, the unpoliticized public.’ He was speaking of the growing groundswell of opposition to the arms race, and to nuke power. (Go figure who might be left in America’s population after excluding these three groups.) It was clearly something to get the Nuke Boys’ shorts in a knot to see the sleeping giant of the public becoming aroused against them. Sure enough, against all the odds, world ‘leaders’ finally got the message, and publicly denounced the arms race’s accomplishments as ‘unthinkable.’ This was another triumph for the unsung millions of individuals all over our country and the world who took it in mind to do something, then took it in hand and did it.

Keep in mind this was one of the many successful, spectacular demonstrations of the power and resources of the public. Now, what about Authority? What, if any, actual authority do we have to take action as ‘the People’ specified in the U.S. Constitution, the Supreme Law of the Land?

The answer to this question might come as a big surprise to many of us: WE HAVE ALL THE LAWFUL AUTHORITY WE CAN CLAIM AND EXERCISE. Who says so? The Constitution itself says so, in black and white:

Amendment IV — The enumeration in the Constitution of certain Rights shall not be construed to deny or disparage others retained by the People.

But, what does this one simple sentence mean? It means we have all the Rights we say we do: it means what we say it means.

2. What, exactly, might be done to solve this problem, not as theory, but as action?

By law, we could take it in mind to define the Problem for ourselves, as we are now in the process of doing here, and then to envision real solutions, and then to take it in hand and do it…to put our collective foot down firmly, in sober and determined and concerted effort, and take the initiative that is ours by Law and by Right…like this:

I. We, the People of the United States hereby declare the unspoken covenant between us and the offices of government (from the Federal Legislative, Executive, and Judicial Branches, down) to be broken.

II. The breaking of this covenant is not a result of this declaration, but has been caused by the corruption and subversion of these government offices, themselves. The corrupted and subverted performance of these offices has been, and still is obstructive to, and in opposition to the interests of the People and our life-support systems, for gain, in flagrant violation of the letter and intent of our Constitution and other Laws.

III. The organized-criminal breaking of the covenant dissolves our (the ‘governed’s’) consent long extended to these government offices, thereby voiding all lawful authority of these offices.

IV. Having long endured this obstruction and opposition, even while consenting to, and supporting it with cash and blood, and having still maintained personal and local means to secure our liberties and well-being, we hereby retain and exercise the following Rights:

We, the People of the United States and elsewhere, hereby retain and exercise these Rights in our capacity as the Prime Branch of all Lawful government, holding Sole Authority above all other Branches, from which Sole Authority all other Lawful powers of government depend; that we delegate our Authority to select officers of government only on the condition that they acknowledge their positions of Public Servitude, performing according to their sworn oaths to the Constitution, and to us, the People, and to our vital needs, only;

To recognize and declare the highest offices of government as vacated and void of lawful authority by their own corrupted and subverted performance; that these offices have long been nothing more than shills for the military/industrial cult, operating outside the law for gain (their own and their corporate masters’);

To revoke the U.S. citizenship of the corporations, cancelling our traditional recognition of those synthetic organisms as ‘People;’ To recognize the corpirations’ own behavior as ‘citizens’ of America for the past 150 years or so as having been, and as still being devoid of responsibility, sacrifice, or any Human sensibility whatever, their having specifically and systematically avoided their living characteristics for gain; To recognize and acknowledge, in our so distinguishing between corpirations and all living organisms, that the corpirations themselves have always made this distinction, since their artificial creation on paper, nullifying all their protections and rights under the Constitution entirely;

To recognize and acknowledge that the 150-year reign of corpirations, exercising illegal control over ‘our’ government, has constituted unlawful violence, war-crimes, against the People of the United States and the world, against our lawfully Constituted governments, and against our biosphere, the very Creation which is the source of all life and our only life-support system;

In the absence of Lawful government at the upper levels, and with the organized-criminal undue influence of the corpirations out of our way, to re-establish provisional, Lawful organs of government, where, when, and as we see fit, to include but not to be limited to:

Seizure under Imminent Domain of the corporations; Seizure and freezing of all liquid assets, real estate, rolling stock, leases, mineral rights, etc., and any and all financial accounts and instruments, all patents and copyrights whatever…

3. Convening Public Grand Juries with full subpoena power to:

A. Issue indictments against the corpirations, their officers, controlling stockholders, lobbyists, agents, and operatives;

B. Appoint Extra-Special Prosecutors to receive theses Lawfully issued indictments, to bring appropriate charges, subject to prosecution under RICO and other statutes; such changes to include, but not to be limited to:

Treason — Willful violation of the letter and intent of the U.S. Constitution and other Laws, for gain.

Breaking and entering

Disturbing the Peace

Passing bad checks

Impersonating (an) officer(s) of the Government

Identity theft (God did not do this; People did not do this; Corpirations did this, with the best Humain brains money can buy.)

Unlawful occupation of Government property

Misappropriation of Government funds

Elections fraud

War crimes; Terrorism, Serial-mass-murder

Subverting, suborning, and corrupting our Lawfully Constituted offices of Government

Super-Grand Larceny

Embezzelement

4. Dissolving and auditing the Federal Reserve, subjecting them to prosecution, as above.

5. Dissolving and auditing the IRS, subjecting them to prosecution, as above.

6.Reviewing the performance of the Federal Legislative, Executive, and Judicial branches, and others of our governments in light of our Constitution, rejecting and rescinding all results thereof found contrary to the letter and intent of our Supreme Law (there is massive employment opportunity and job security, here, People!)

7. Placing an Emergency Apportioned Tax Rate on all incomes except Social Security and pensions of retirees and the disabled (see exceptions not to include those under indictment by our Public Grand Juries, above), for the duration of the Crisis

8. Reviving Uncensored Public Access Broadcasting in radio, tv, and internet, to inform the Public, to encourage and benefit by Public participation in these Public measures, and to give voice once again to the will of the People, on whose Sovereign Authority all other Lawful government powers depend.

9. Dissolving the Electorial College, its having no place whatever in direct elections; re-establishing the tradition of secret, numbered paper ballots with like-numbered paper receipts, for solid accountability.

10. Designing the Corpirations as Public Enemy #1, within our national boundaries and elsewhere, based on their own misbehavior as ‘citizens’ for the past 150 years, and their own performance within our Nation and around the globe, the bloodiest period in Human history; this designation to extend to all artificial organisms modeled after the corpirations, hierarchies for the unlawful centralization of power, willfully depriving People of our Rightful Sovereignty and Freedoms, for gain.

11. Issuing Provisional Executive Order #2012-1 — New American Declaration of Peace: Recalling General Eisenhower’s statement that, ‘…the American People want Peace so badly, that at some point, the government [and the military/industrial cult running it] will just have to get out of their way and let them have it…,’ we hereby declare that like wasn’t just whistling ‘Dixie,’ that we have long since passed that point, and the time is NOW; having now looked unblinking into the gaping vacuum where Lawful Government should be and is not, and our having hereby stepped in to fill this void according to our Constitution, by Law and by Right, convening Public councils such as a Provisional Executive from among ourselves, we hereby declare Peace as the Law of the land; Recognizing ‘Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness’ as a clear definition of Peace, and as a short, precise description of the nucleus of America’s foundation documents and principles; recognizing that Peace is our natural state, a living process and taking part in Creation, and taking responsibility for Creation, each in our own way, to the best of our abilities, in concert with others; recognizing that Peace, as a living part of the processes we call ‘Nature,’ is the source Matrix from which all of Life flows, from which all wealth and power originates, and which always pays all the bills, past, present, and future; recognizing Peace as a being, far from War’s ‘weak sister,’ in fact eternally supplying every biscuit, boot, button, bunting, bullet and body for sacrifice, and still manifesting the strength to long endure the artificial, bloody parasite of War;

To this particular end, issuing Letter Order #2012-1:

TO: All offices and employees of this administration, elected or appointed, and all their agents and operatives, and,

All units of the U.S. Armed Forces, all officers and enlisted personnel, active or inactive, whomever or wherever you are, and all support structures and auxiliaries, military and civilian

FROM: The office of the Provisional Chief Executive of the United States of America

SUBJECT: New American Declaration of Peace

People:

Effective immediately, your Mission is ordered as Peace, and Peace, only. All policies, strategies, deployments, procurements, and subordinate orders will be arranged and executed to serve this Mission only. You will recognize ‘Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness’ as our Supreme Law, and as the Right of every living Person on the Planet, and you will, in the course of your duties, observe and protect the Peace accordingly, in all instances, in all locations. Public Enemy #1, the Corpirations, having long disturbed, obstructed, and been destructive to Peace, will be your primary objective to be overcome, in thought, word, and action. You will recognize that, while Peace may be difficult as a Mission Assignment, it will clearly be simpler than Peace+War. Each of you and all of you are hereby called upon to maintain constant vigilance and readiness, and to act according to this Mission Definition. Going forward, it is ordered that you place high among your priorities the destruction of the infamous ‘Revolving Door’ linking our Armed Forces intimately with Big Business, and with our own elected officials in the House of Representatives and Senate, to dam (and damn!) this circular river of crap and corruption. The Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff of all our Armed Services will prepare and deliver a daily report on the progress of their various campaigns for Peace in accord with this Order, making that report available daily by 5:00 am EST, seven days a week, 365 days a year, to this office, and to the Public by means of the PBS systems, by local-access television and radio stations, by the internet by means of social-sites, and by a dedicated Department of Peace interactive website.

No member of this administration, nor any member or unit of our U.S. Armed Services will engage any individual or group in any act of war whatever, without a Formal Declaration of War by our Provisional Congress, as has always been required by our Constitution in all such cases, specifying who the Enemy is; Where such warfare is to be waged; Why such warfare is justified; and the Specific Objectives of such warfare. No member of this administration, nor any member or unit of any of our U.S. Armed Services will arrest, detain, interrogate, interview, or ‘rendition’ any individual Person or group without Due Process of Law in any case whatever, at any time, in any place. Any and all violations of this directive will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the Law (under the Uniform Code of Military Justice and other statutes), for War-crimes, Murder, Terrorism, Kidnapping, and other relevant charges. Civilian individuals and groups found in violation of this directive will of course be prosecuted under applicable criminal law, by Due Process. There will be no exceptions and no excuses.

To expedite and implement these Peace Mission objectives, the U.S. Armed Services as a whole will, effective immediately, become a model for Emergency Energy Conversion. Expenditures for all fuels, lubricants, rolling stock, aircraft, and marine components will be limited to those in strict compliance with these Mission objectives, only. (There will be no further flights of military aircraft merely logging hours to justify ‘flight pay,’ etc.) All jet-fueled aircraft, whether tactical, strategic, logistical, etc., all diesel-powered rolling stock, watercraft, generators, pumps, etc., will be converted to use bio-fuels only. All available manpower and infrastructure resources will be brought to bear for these conversions with all prudent haste and diligence. Specific emphasis will be placed on the planting, cultivating, harvesting, processing, and refining of appropriate bio-fuel-rich crops on designated acreages. To begin, these averages (not now committed to food crops, and amounting to some millions of acres) will include, but not be limited to:

• The rights-of-way along highways, freeways, railways, etc., displacing present plantings of ice-plant, oleander, and other useless ‘ornamentals’…

• Other arable and marginal lands currently standing fallow or ‘empty’…

• BLM, and all Federal lands, particularly those many acres now planted in ‘lawns’…

• Abandoned military bases and industrial sites fallen to disuse, all in need of reclamation…

• Lands deforested by the predations of the Corpirations, and impounded under Imminent

Domain, as above, here as a first measure in Reforestation as well as for fuel crops…

• Lands around the millions of acres of parking lots across the continent, now in ‘ornaments’…

All will be recognized that among the primary candidate fuel crops being so mobilized is Hemp, long proven as an abundant source of bio-fuels, absent of significant THC, in addition to its beneficial uses in shading and cooling the Earth; self-mulching, fixing nitrogen back into the soil; soaking up loose CO2; providing oxygen into our atmosphere; conserving moisture in the soils; aspirating moisture back into our atmosphere; providing highest-quality, nutrient-rich, good-tasting food as a by-product; its multiple harvests per year, and more.

Facilities and assets of the Corpirations, having been impounded under imminent Domain, as above, will be mobilized to facilitate and accelerate these conversions.

No member or office of this administration, nor any member or unit of any of our U.S. Armed Forces will engage in any policy or action, or be party in any capacity to any contract or commitment whatever, written, verbal, or implied, involving any Corpiration, company, partnership, individual, group, or any commercial enterprise which will by such contract or commitment gain any profit whatever, in conflict with this Peace Mission. There will be no further gain whatever, under any circumstances, ever, involving Human sacrifice: WE’RE NOT LOSING ONE MORE TROOP, OR CAUSING ONE MORE DEATH, OR VIOLATING ONE MORE RIGHT TO LIFE, LIBERTY, AND THE PURSUIT OF HAPPINESS, FOR ANYONE’S PROFIT, EVER AGAIN!