Looking forward to November
First, a huge “Thank You” to everyone who turned out to “Vote Moke”!
I’m grateful to my family, the campaign’s amazing volunteers, and to an energized, diverse group of supporters who contributed in so many ways and have brought us this far. Now the hard work begins!
To my fellow District 1 candidates — Monica, Voris and Jim — thank you for always taking the high road and making substance and solutions the focus of this race. You certainly made me a better candidate and will continue to help make our County a better place.
I look forward to the coming weeks and months and to connecting with even more South County residents — from Anderson Springs, Middletown and Hidden Valley Lake to Lower Lake and Clearlake. My focus will always be on the District’s best interests and strengthening our sense of community.
Moke Simon, Middletown
California’s “Life Blood”
To me, the highest priority item on our state’s list of actions is the management and control of California’s water resource—both below and above ground. Influencing that problem over the long term are at least three considerations: The ongoing rise in sea level; the amount of fresh water that falls on the state during the rainy season; and the growing population that demands more and more of the available supply of fresh water. Studies have shown that some 80 percents of fresh water is used by agriculture that contributes maybe 3 percent of our state’s GDP. Given even a relatively stable supply, each new person or business forces a reduction in the “80 percent”.
The situation of the Sacrament/San Joaquin Delta is particularly precarious if the forecasts of more drought and higher sea levels due to climate change (for whatever reason) even approach predictions. Somewhere (and it constantly moves) in the “middle” of the channel that connects the Bay and the Delta there is a zone of brackish water that marks the meeting of salt and fresh waters. If, over time, that meeting should go farther east than the end of the channel, the delta as we know it will start to die, and with it, the ability to ship fresh water south. Going to take a lot of work, a lot of decisions and priority-setting (much politically incorrect to a lot of folks), and a lot of money to get the job done.
Conservation and “saving” does some, but we need a lot more “measurement” so that we don’t depends on just those with meters to do most of the work; our state’s archaic “water rights” and “property rights” (with respect to subsurface water) need to be brought up to what is best for the state now; we need to demand that water distributors eliminate the massive loss by leakage; we need to be able to use pricing as a way to ration usage; waste water processing must be mandatory and recycled rather than lost; salvaging storm runoff; and on and on. Agriculture needs to redesign much of its irrigation methods and decide which crops are most advantageous to the state’s citizens. And we had best get used to “GMO”s as a way to get more production without using more water. Lots of work and cost.
Or we could all say the hell with it and learn to get used to an ever-degrading lifestyle and standard of living!
Guff Worth, Lakeport
People helping people
On Memorial Day a group of volunteers were gathered together in order to try to save the Memorial Rose Garden at Lucerne Senior Center. The center has been struggling to keep its doors open for some time now.
As a result of financial decline the rose garden has been neglected. “We can’t afford to water the garden.” It saddened me greatly to witness this gradual demise as I’m sure it did others. However, on that day what I witnessed was; we the people, rolling up our sleeves and changing the world. Peace on Earth created by we the people.
I think that is what we are supposed to remember.
Nancy Webb, Nice
Hillary will help
Women looking to Hillary Clinton as their example should look deeply into her background. Regarding coal miners- her father’s great grandfather was a coal miner. But that is not really important.
Her first title as president came in 1968 when elected president of her Park Ridge, Il senior class. She has always been recognized as an organizer and good student during her high school and college days. Her first love was David Rupert with whom she loved for three years while in Yale. They broke up when she latched Bill Clinton. Hillary and Bill moved in together in her third year at Yale. She was to graduate in 1972, but took additional courses to see Clinton through to his graduation in 1973. Bill was noted for dating several women at a time during his college days.
After they graduated, Hillary followed Bill to Arkansas, and skipping over many events in their lives. What can be reported is Bill went into politics and Hillary, with her own political aspirations, has been there to push, pull and promote plus cleaning up Bill’s messes. Yes, Hillary can teach women all of that. She has had her sights on the presidency of the U.S. From her early days. And now if we elect Hillary, as Bill said in 1992, “Buy one, get one free.”
But will Hillary have time to be president and still have time to clean up the messes, both her’s and Bill’s.
Leona Butts, Clearlake Oaks
