Don”t waste our time with recalling supervisors
Having spent 10 years as a practicing local physician and having served six years on the Lucerne Alpine Senior Center”s Board, I have seen the IHSS (In Home Support Services) issue from various perspectives. Whereas most workers are dedicated and professional, there is an occasional person that is chemically addicted and predatory.
Pilots must pass a background check and drug tests to safely transport other people. IHHS workers are also responsible for the lives and safety of people and there needs to be a way to weed out those workers who can be dangerous and exploitive. The workers who have diseases such as addiction need to be screened out and treated, and our elderly and infirm need to be kept safe.
I like our Lake County Supervisors. I do not agree with every one of their decisions, but I do respect each one as an individual. I do not want to see our local quality of life disrupted by a recall or have dollars wasted on the recall process. I also do not want my elected representatives replaced by candidates selected by a union group. My suggestion is for both sides to negotiate, talk, explain, listen, educate, get a mediator, hire a facilitator, compromise or just pray for a solution, but do not waste our time and resources with a recall.
Bob Gardner
Buckingham/Lucerne
Supervisors, not union bosses, know county
I read, with interest, the article regarding the recall effort of our locally elected Board of Supervisors (Observer*American, July 18). I found it ironic that the Union Boss from Los Angeles thinks that he needs to replace the people that we have elected to represent us. I found it equally ironic that this L.A. Union Rep is now suddenly interested in our “environmental concerns, public safety, and traffic congestion”.
With those concerns, maybe he should be trying to recall Los Angeles BOS instead. All of those things only become a concern when folks, like him, come to Lake County.
I think that he realizes that his initial justification for the recall has been exposed for what it really is, his desire to protect the criminal element of his union”s membership and not that of support for the many good people that deserve the support that our Board has offered.
As a former employee of the District Attorneys Victim Witness Division, I have seen first hand the kind of abuse that can, and does occur at the hand of the criminal element that Mr. Freeman represents. I concur with Supervisor Farrington”s statement: “The union is advocating for a wage increase; they”re only looking out for the providers. They”re not looking out for providing safe and clean quality care for seniors and disabled. That”s what we”re advocating for.”
I echo too, Supervisor Brown”s statement: “How can it be wrong to expect people to take drug tests and background checks and have basic training in CPR and First Aid that are going into the homes of the elderly, and be rewarded at no expense to them?”
I want what is best for the recipients of IHSS services, as well as support justified wages for credentialed providers. My Lake County BOS represents what I value and I applaud their efforts in protecting those that are so vulnerable. I, for one, will not sign a petition to recall my Supervisor and I encourage all of your readers to refuse, as well.
Jennifer Prather
Cobb
Improved roads will become a reality soon
Henry and Barbara Citti, Jr. raised some good questions in their July 18 Clear Lake Observer*American letter-to-the-editor. The State, though Caltrans, has $3 million in its budget for the City of Clearlake to rehabilitate or reconstruct its major roads, specifically: Olympic Drive, Lakeshore Drive and Old Highway 53. The work will consist of upgrading the worst parts of these roads. Approval is expected in August.
In preparation, the “design work” was started in May and is expected to be completed Aug. 1. The tentative schedule is final approval in August, selection of a contractor in September, and construction as early as October.
Mr and Mrs Citti, Jr also asked ?Where is the money for roads?” The city maintains 49 miles of dirt roads and 65 miles of paved roads, a total of 114 miles. Last year”s gas taxes amounted to $263,200.00. Dividing this by 114, we get $2308.77 per mile. Divided again by 5280 (the number of feet in a mile) provides 43 cents per foot or $21.86 for the average 50 foot lot. Not even enough to maintain the roads in Clearlake, let alone pave them.
Because I am interested in the road problems, I have been attending City Council meetings since the first of the year. I am impressed with our current Council and our City Administrator. I am expecting good things for our City in the future. Our Redevelopment Agency has a lot of money tied up in the old Airport and Austin Resort properties. Both these properties are in negotiations for sale. The Council has established a Transportation Advisory Committee to work with City staff on how this money may be used to improve roads and to make other recommendations for improving the roads.
I agree that road improvements should be one of the City”s highest priorities and I believe that improved roads will become a reality very soon.
Jim Scholz
Clearlake
Time to back candidates who advocate for peace
On Dec. 12, 2006 Ohio Representative Dennis Kucinich announced his candidacy for the Democratic nomination for President of the United States.
“The people voted for a new direction for our nation. They voted for the Democrats because they expected us to end the occupation and to bring the troops home from Iraq. On October 1 Congress approved $70 billion for the war in Iraq. The money is in the pipeline right now to bring the troops home … The war, tax cuts for the already privileged, and our trade policies have become a massive engine to redistribute upwards the wealth of our nation and to transfer our national wealth out of the country … In a period of two years the budget for the military, plus the war in Iraq, will exceed one trillion dollars … As President Dwight David Eisenhower recognized, the dramatic shift of resources to grow a military-industrial complex does not help protect democracy, it destroys it … In 2002, I led the effort in the House of Representatives, challenging the Bush Administration”s march toward war in Iraq … Everything I said then has proven to be true: Iraq had nothing to do with 9/11. Iraq had no weapons of mass destruction. Iraq had no intention or capability of attacking the United States. But we attacked Iraq … We must stand by our word and bring the troops home now.”
It is time for Democrats to stand up and back candidates who deserve our support, for a change!
Jake Pickering
Eureka
Roads in Clearlake Oaks area need some attention
I called the County Roads Dept. back in February about Spring Road in Clearlake Oaks about pot holes on the street that the California Dept. of Forestry and Protection (CAL Fire ) uses to respond to fire and emergency calls in Lake County.
The person on the phone said thank you for reporting, and that they will have a crew out to fix as soon as possible. Weeks went by, and they fixed three holes on Spring Street 50 feet up from Highway 20 that were very small.
They left the other 20 potholes to grow to over four feet in size and get deeper, so the emergency response is getting slower by CAL Fire trying to avoid the pot holes.
The paving at the Clearlake Oaks Station 75 in front of the station is in dire need to be fixed also. The floods some years back destroyed the paving in front of the station, so now when they leave, it is hard to bounce over the holes to get on the highway (slower to get to people in time of need).
The County has the manpower and equipment, but they must not have the person making the calls to fix things. It seems like they would take care of the people and the equipment that may be saving them in an emergency.
As seen in the floods, the fire station at Clearlake Oaks is used as a staging area (like all the other fire stations in the world) for sand bags, road signs, equipment (National Guard boats, trucks and trailers) and a Command Center for the Sheriff”s Office and as a point for information for the public. So, let”s fix the paving, so that the firefighters and paramedics can get to the citizens as fast and safely as possible.
Keith Leffler
Clearlake Oaks
Don”t forget to write!
The Clear Lake Observer*American welcomes letters responding to articles and opinions that have appeared in this newspaper, as well as on topics of general interest. Letters can be sent to letters@clearlakeobserver.com or mailed to PO Box 6200, Clearlake, CA 95422. Pleases include complete name, address and telephone number.
