La Grange, CA…The record-breaking floodwaters that recently soaked Tuolumne County should serve as the latest warning that unless Congress reforms and renews the nation’s debt-ridden flood insurance program, more than 238,900 residents across California may be unable to rebuild after the next storm strikes. The National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP), which provides flood coverage to […]
Arnold, CA…Your Governor has advertised to every mass shooter out there that California schools are now a soft target that will offer no armed resistance to a shooter going for a high body count. He has “outlawed” the right of licensed carry and responsible defensive firearm possession on school campuses (Penal Code 626.9-11). That means […]
Copperopolis, CA…Recently the Calaveras County Board of Supervisors passed a resolution supporting Kindness Week. This is a good thing. However, at a previous meeting, they passed a ban on commercial cannabis farming. Also, they stopped the proposal to let the public express their opinion. To me, although I don’t like cannabis, it seems that threatening […]
Sonora, CA…The Toulumne County Court has determined that National Forest Land is now Open Range. This is a huge change considering it has been closed range since the gold rush days. This affects thousands of property owners in our county. Any land that borders the forest or in the forest can now run Cattle, if […]
Roseville, CA…As the tax reform bill entered its final consideration in December, one congressional Democrat confided to a colleague that the reason they so vehemently opposed it was that they were afraid it would work. With the bill now signed into law over unanimous Democratic opposition, every American family is about to find out. According […]
Copperopolis, CA…If it is, then a ban seems to make sense, even if we would violate the Constitution with its protection of the individual rights to Life, Liberty and Property. On the other hand, considering our experience with the ban on alcohol, whereby it was discovered that booze was not evil or bad, but could […]
Arnold, CA…For the past few weeks Calaveras County has felt like a slow moving train wreck. There is a tremendous amount of noise in any train wreck, but in this case no one is listening. And no one seems to notice that the train wreck is actually the future of Calaveras County. The train left […]
San Andreas, CA…If you were following the Calaveras Supervisors meeting yesterday you no doubt heard the presentation of a study from District 4 Supervisor Dennis Mills. The following is a summary from the website silentpoison.com …”This research study was created with the input of dedicated public servants and the public itself. It is not new […]
Copperopolis, CA…Regarding the threatened teachers strike. Sometimes we forget that threatening harm, such as a strike, is a form of extortion which is defined as: “The obtaining of property from another induced by wrongful use of actual or threatened force, violence, or fear, or under color of official right.” In this case, the victim seems […]
Both Sides of the Argument: I have been listening to the arguments made by the people supporting commercial marijuana industry and to those opposed in Calaveras County. Those in favor of commercial marijuana cultivation argue that the ban will fail because there is no money to fund a ban, and the industry should be regulated. Only […]
Pyongyang, North Korea….Now that North Korea has successfully tested a Hydrogen Bomb is it time to draw a meaningful “Red Line” around the entire country? With shooting a missile over Japan last week and with this week’s H-Bomb test the window for the international community to act short of military options may be closing. Since […]
San Andreas, CA…Dear Calaveras, I am publishing this letter after doing much research and inquiry into the pros and cons of the current proposed ban ordinance. This topic is extremely polarizing. On one end of the pole you have the “banners”, people who just don’t like it. On the other end you have the growers, […]
Angels Camp, CA…On Sunday, August 12 a grass fire broke out in a vacant lot near our home in old town Angels Camp, above Utica Park. As fire newbies, we were pretty scared. The flames were over six feet high and the crackling could be heard inside our house even though all the windows were […]
Murphys, CA…On May 7, 2017, Congressman Raul Labrador (R-ID) spoke at a town hall meeting with his constituents. He exemplifies the chutzpah of many in Congress: “No one dies because they don’t have access to health care”. Then there is the case of Chris Collins (R-NY). Just after the House of Representatives voted to “repeal” […]
Valley Springs, CA…You are faced with a decision that you, and the County, has been fretting over for more than a year. A decision, at least for elected leaders, is quite simple. You took oaths to uphold federal law. Marijuana, and everything on the Calaveras County list having to do with marijuana, including money laundering, […]
Murphys, CA…The United States Declaration of Independence declares “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.” Without good health, where is the possibility for the pursuit of happiness? […]
Murphys, CA…The health of rural Americans is worse than those who live in cities, in part because rural health care systems are collapsing. This is a problem that has been long in the making. America shifted from a predominantly rural population to one that was more urban in 1920. This pattern continues today. In 1990, […]
Murphys, CA…Americans like to think of themselves as the wealthiest, healthiest, and luckiest country in the world. I won’t debate the first and last points here, but, the United States is decidedly not the healthiest. How do we know that? Americans like to think of themselves as the wealthiest, healthiest, and luckiest country in the […]
Murphys, CA…Ever been to a hospital? Apparently, not President Trump. How else to explain his apology for not initially getting a “repeal and replace” bill through Congress, by incredulously asking of healthcare, “who knew it was so complicated?” This is a series of eight articles on a single theme to be released once a week. […]
Murphys, CA…Introduction: The United States is alone among industrialized nations in using wealth as a gatekeeper for access to health care. The wealthier you are, the more and better health care you get. The national debate that is now taking place focuses on whether every individual, irrespective of their income, should have access to great […]
