Letters to the editor: Public safety, casinos and census
Criticism of President Trump is off base
Yes, it's true to say that if President Donald Trump did walk on water and cure cancer the Democrats would find a reason to deny it and blame him for some trickery. What he is trying to cure is the border crisis.
— Vernon Packer, Redding
Reader has questions about construction of jail tower
There has been much ado about putting a countywide sales tax on the ballot for public safety and additional jail space. One version is 1% for public safety. Black's Law Dictionary defines public safety as the welfare and protection of the general public. That's wide open. Furthermore, we already have a 1/2 cent sales tax for the Sheriff. What happens with these wide-open declarations is that the additional revenue replaces existing revenue and that gets used for other uses. The other proposal is a 1% sales tax dedicated for construction exclusively of a jail tower. But without a reliable cost estimate, does this cover the expense? As we have seen with the new courthouse, costs have skyrocketed and the building had to be shrunk substantially. What we need is to purchase existing jail plans from an already constructed jail. It must fit the area across from the existing jail to the west. Until this is done, the construction of a new jail tower could become a nightmare.
— Russell Hunt, Redding
More:Letters to the editor: Shasta County jail, Presidential politics and Riverside Drive
Don't fall for President Trump's scare tactics about socialism
A wing of the Democrats in Congress are supporting a broader program of universal health care, eliminating tuition in public colleges, broader job training, and retraining programs, adequate programs to approach 100% reading literacy among our kids by the 4th grade and taking better care of our roads. Those five proposals seem to have a lot of support out there among the public. When proposals have gone beyond these five into things like climate change, control of corporations, breaking up banks "too large to fail," raising taxes on the rich, bringing back robust labor unions, broader control of the stock market, cutting the military budget, allowing prison inmates to vote and changing our policies at the Mexican border, the Republicans label the other party as being Socialist. Some Americans shiver at this and may well lean to voting for Trump in 2020 because of this charge. With our elaborate "on-the-job" training program, Trump has shown that he is the wrong person to fulfill the duties of President as outlined in the Constitution. As the many books have shown, he also couldn't pass muster in school, in marriage, in a TV show, in managing the $400+ million gift from his dad.
— Parker Pollock, Redding
More:LaMalfa defends Trump, saying he 'is not a racist'
Shasta County needs to change hemp rules to grow local economy
Shasta County is missing out on an economic boom following the federal and state legalization of industrial hemp. Unlike marijuana, hemp does not contain psychoactive properties. No matter how much hemp you smoke, it won’t get you high. However, hemp does contain the current “gold rush” ingredient CBD, which is being added to everything from skin creams to dog treats and everything in-between. Unfortunately for Shasta County’s businesses, farmers, and tax revenue, the Shasta County Board of Supervisors have placed hemp under a moratorium that bans the plant in all unincorporated areas of the county. Shasta County is not alone in banning hemp, other counties in the state have similar bans and these bans are understandable. It is hard to visually differentiate hemp from marijuana. However, the California Department of Food and Agriculture have now created hemp registration laws that make farmers prove their plants are hemp before planting. If Shasta County sits back and waits for the federal government to establish its laws, and doesn’t accept California’s laws and registration, we will miss out on a new industry estimated to grow for many years and provide thousands of jobs for our citizens.
— Nick Pinkerton, Redding
More:Is hemp cultivation coming to Redding? City Council is checking out pot's kissing cousin
It's time to honor Redding's real heroes, not soccer stars
How sad that former Redding politicians and the Record Searchlight don't honor and acknowledge Redding's real heroes and give them front-page coverage: the young men and women athletes who are patriotic and have Christian values, those who volunteer for military service, the Police officers who protect us everyday, the veterans who fought for our country and flag, instead of one foul-mouthed athlete promoting herself and the LGBT agenda.
— Stephen Jacoby, Redding
More:Redding crowd cheers Rapinoe and the U.S. soccer team
Fast action at Oak Bottom Marina is commended
I would like to recognize the heroics of the employees and fire personnel at Oak Bottom Marina. These people evacuated campers, boaters and saved boats from burning. They saved our pontoon boat. The fire was so hot next to our boat, our kneeboard melted. They cut our boat loose and pushed it out into the lake. We only lost canvases. They are heroes.
— Marilyn Silveira, Redding
More:Carr Fire: Oak Bottom Marina damage
Citizen question on U.S. Census was politically motivated
The Constitution mandates “counting the whole number of persons in each State.” Adding a question about citizenship seems reasonable on its face. But look again. Recent documents discovered on the hard drives of Thomas Hofeller prove that the clear intent is to create an undercount which will politically advantage one political party over the other and violate the constitutional mandate to count as many people as possible. The Supreme Court ruled that the Trump administration's justification for the question was based on false claims and struck it down. Anyone who has lived with a person here outside our immigration policies knows the hourly fear these people have for any contact with any level of government, let alone the federal government trying to count them as a non-citizen. Whether those people should be here is another question, the census only mandates an accurate count of all the people within our borders. The citizenship question was explicitly intended to create an undercount and advantage of the Republican Party. Just another “reasonable” proposal this shrinking entity is trying to use to maintain its political power in the face of the majority that rejects their ideas.
— Don Heinsohn, Redding
More:For California, Census case is Supreme Court's biggest decision
Proposed casino is a bad idea for Redding
As a physician practicing in Redding for the past 33 years and presently serving on several count- wide committees that address the medical, mental and social needs of Shasta County citizens, I want to express my objections to Redding Rancheria moving forward with an expanded casino along I-5. I believe casinos bring increases in local crime, public corruption, and organized crime. These are known bedfellows with gambling. I believe gambling addiction causes depression, suicide, domestic violence, homelessness, substance abuse, and child and family neglect. I believe gambling financially exploits the poor, those on welfare, elderly on fixed incomes and those addicted to gambling. The least equipped to lose money are often those who gamble the most. Redding Rancheria already has a casino, why make gambling the entry point to the city of Redding? This expanded casino on I-5 casino will also bring the irrevocable alteration of 232 acres of class I and II farmland. This when combined with casino waste-water and storm runoff will endanger the environment and the Sacramento River. I believe Native American Indian cultures and values are compromised with the culture of gambling and the pursuit of profit through an illusory sense of getting something for nothing. One does not need to work or get an education, one just has to have others pull a slot machine or roll the dice and you get a monthly check. Little tangible benefits will go to nongaming tribes in North California. Also, direct revenue will not go to Shasta County or the City of Redding, it goes to the tribe. Redding’s City Council has over 5000 signatures and 300 letters opposing the expansion of a casino on I-5. There are so many needs in Shasta County: homelessness, mental health access, suicide prevention, healthcare access, domestic violence, public safety, and substance abuse to name a few. Why make these worse with an expanded casino?
— Ron Reece, Redding
More:Foes of Redding Rancheria casino-resort will again address the City Council on Tuesday
Reparations should first go to families of Civil War casualties
Many of the Democratic presidential candidates are harping on the
reparations for descendants of slaves in order to get the majority of the black vote. I did some Civil War research and found that the Union Army had 828,000 casualties and 365,000 deaths. The Union Army had black Union soldiers. These Union Army soldiers left many wives as widows, as well as children, parents, grandparents, etc with the loss of a loved one. The north gave a supreme sacrifice to help end slavery. Should not the descendants of these Union Army casualties (both black and white) be considered first in line for any thought of reparations? Much of our nation's history is being removed from our education system so most of the election candidates have little knowledge of the Civil War and slavery.
— Richard A Wilkinson Jr, Redding