Letters for May 31, 2018

Four on the cover

Re “Voting time” (Cover story, by CN&R staff, May 24):

CalPERS/STRS is unfunded by an estimated $335 billion and the state’s budget plan only pays it down over 30 years. That’s if everything goes perfect.

Our governor says, “Good news, we have a $6.8 billion surplus. I’ll save a little and spend the rest.” I’ve got news for you too, Scary Clown; you don’t have a surplus when you owe your retiring workers $335 billion you don’t have.

You worked and saved your entire adult life so you wouldn’t be a burden to your children in your old age. Now it looks like you’ll be a burden after all, because they are going to tax the hell out of your kids and grandkids, as they spent, and continue to spend, government retirement funds.

Delaine Eastin might sink the bullet train’s Titanic-like costs, but she’s only rearranging the deck chairs with promises to sink the same money into other projects. Companies and middle-class taxpayers that can are abandoning California’s sinking ship. The state is becoming three-tier: the rich, the poor and a dwindling middle-class squeezed for every penny.

Consider voting for John Cox, not because he inspires you, but because he’s a Republican check and balance against the otherwise unstoppable Democrat-controlled legislative spending.

Peter Bridge

Ord Bend

I have worked in the Butte County Auditor-Controller’s Office for the past five years. I have been directly supervised by both of the candidates running for the auditor-controller position. Graciela Gutierrez believed in and challenged me to accomplish more than I ever dreamed possible. Her encouragement, open-door policy and readiness to answer questions boosted my confidence to accomplish the tasks set before me.

We are incredibly blessed to work in an office with such a positive atmosphere. I love going to work because I get to make a difference with a group of amazing people I call my county family. Graciela leads by example and her genuinely happy attitude is contagious.

The office is almost unanimous in sharing the desire for Graciela to be elected the next auditor-controller. Her experience and education is impressive, but what makes her an amazing leader is her relational personality. She gets on your page for a better understanding of the issues. She has a great team that is built on a strong foundation based on building relationships. In her time at the auditor’s office, Graciela’s opponent did not.

Vote on or before June 5. (VoteGraciela.com for more info.)

Rebecca Mittag

Paradise

Chico News & Review’s recent endorsement of Graciela Gutierrez for auditor is questionable at best. A state audit revealed a multimillion-dollar missallocation of funds.

The county has a budget of about $550 million. I doubt there are many organizations responsible for that kind of money without a CPA on staff. A CPA does not earn just a certificate, they are licensed after passing a national four-day exam, and demonstrating their education and training to the state.

The CN&R needs to rethink the use of the word “many” when referring to the number of counties in the state that do not have a CPA as auditor. The word should be “few,” not “many.” Small rural counties with limited budgets are more likely to be lacking a CPA than larger counties like Butte with half-a-billion-dollar budgets.

Kathryn Mathes has worked in the auditor’s office and has experienced the deficiencies first hand.

Butte County needs good financial leadership in the auditor’s office. Let’s not shortchange this county with someone who lacks proper financial training.

David Johnson

Chico

Editor’s note: According to the state Office of the Controller, of California’s 58 county auditor-controller offices, 27 (less than half) are led by a CPA.

The Treasurer-Tax Collector’s Office works closely with the Auditor-Controller’s Office every day in the performance of our duties and, as the treasurer for the county, I have also served on numerous committees and projects with Graciela Gutierrez over the years. I have found her to be intelligent, determined to achieve positive outcomes, and thorough in her analysis and implementation of new systems and procedures.

Graciela recognizes the importance of collaboration and innovation, and has brought a fresh perspective on business practices from her private-industry background in corporate financial management. During her seven years as assistant auditor-controller, Graciela has worked tirelessly to achieve improved efficiencies, has a solid understanding of governmental accounting and, importantly, is familiar with all of the widely varying accounting functions of the many departments and entities served by her office.

Transparency, accountability, continuity of management and a keen desire to serve the public well are important. Graciela has proven leadership abilities, a master’s in public administration, and has effectively demonstrated her commitment to the duties of the auditor-controller to protect the interests of the public in overseeing, auditing and reporting the expenditure of public funds.

I hope you will join me in voting for Graciela Gutierrez for Butte County auditor-controller.

Peggy Moak

Oroville

‘Laugh of the week’

Re “Giving the lie to two big lies” (Guest comment, by Jaime O’Neill, May 17):

The laugh of the week has to be Jaime O’Neill claiming Stormy Daniels’ lawyer is better educated than Donald Trump or Rudy Giuliani. If that were the case, one wonders why he chases ambulances or why a court just ordered him to pay millions to another?

One might wonder why he has not built a multibillion-dollar empire as well? Sadly, Jaime has no talent at picking people, that’s why he voted for Hillary Clinton. Michael Avenatti’s only card is to hope for a settlement to go away. True to form, he has been on CNN and other leftist-commie news shows more than the nuclear deal or the school shootings. Again, no law was broken, just the mindless left hoping for a ding on Trump.

Allen Clark

Paradise

Something to ponder

Re “Heck of a meeting” (Letters, by Patrick Newman, May 24):

My friend Patrick Newman’s point—that an unsaid narrative among well-intentioned thinking by city authorities supported by local churches is the removal of homeless people from downtown Chico—carries a bluntness that would impress Balaam’s donkey, which God used to speak wisdom to the obstinate prophet in the Jewish scriptures.

Jesus himself was suitably impressed by a donkey. He rode it to mark his entry into Jerusalem in the Christian gospels. In the case of the prophet Balaam, the donkey’s purpose was to bring him to his senses. In Jesus’ case, it was to announce not the pomp of a triumphant monarch—to do that he would enter on a war horse—rather that his mission, which was shortly to be accomplished, was to bring good news for the poor (Luke 4:18).

Perhaps in Patrick’s case, it is a word from God to remind Christians who their God is: Jesus, the crucified God, is the homeless God put to death outside the city (Heb 13:12)—something all of us should ponder. I’ve learned from my children that speaking of someone as a “badass” is a huge compliment.

Bill Such

Chico

Editor’s note: The author is the former executive director of the Jesus Center.

Proactive, not reactive

Please stop the insanity!

Protests, boycotts, calls for gun control, reactive measures—like cameras, barring doors, shot-detectors, arming teachers—does nothing to prevent the shooter from entering the campus. The answer is incredibly simple: Install a campus perimeter fence with a single entrance/exit sally-port through which all persons entering the campus must pass through. Plug in a walk-through metal/shape detector(s) and have the school resource officer (SRO) on task at opening and closing. Vendor/emergency gates can be wired for access/send text/pictures to front desk, SRO, etc. All other vehicles—including buses—remain outside the fence.

Security is achieved through rings of defense, starting at the perimeter and working in. Isn’t that why the White House, airports, elites, athletic fields, military bases, etcetera, have perimeter fences? And yet our K-12 schools do not?

Every community—this summer!—needs to raise funds, supply labor, and get it done. Now! We can no longer afford to wait for the decision-makers to form committees, debate and maybe, just maybe, agree to anything. And then ultimately waste valuable resources on reactive measures without ever considering the proactive measure which discourages shooters from ever entering the campus in the first place.

John J. Blenkush

Forest Ranch

More on mass shootings

Anyone interested in the mindset of our so-called representative, Doug LaMalfa, should note his explanation for doing nothing on our proliferation of violence. Mr. LaMalfa’s response for a lack of effort to stop these events is basically that new gun laws won’t work because criminals do not buy legal weapons.

How clueless or dishonest is this guy? All of the recent mass shootings were done with legally bought weapons—the school shootings as well as the Las Vegas shooting were with legal guns.

LaMalfa is inherently dishonest.

Marc Deveraux

Chico

In light of the recent school shootings, it’s time we stop wringing our hands and look at the culture of violence in our country. What can we do about it?

Well, we used to allow children in grade school (with their parents’ permission) to attend surrounding churches for Sunday school. Each week we were released early, for one hour, and allowed to experience different religions. I was Catholic but got to visit other religions, singing their songs and learning. The Ten Commandments were taught in these churches. You know: thou shall not kill, or steal, etc.

Atheists have cowed our schools into no longer doing this. Schools have stopped saying the Pledge of Allegiance every day (even omitting “under God”) in some instances.

When children have no respect for God, authority, parents or humanity in general, our American culture suffers. When students who bully or are cruel to one another: you have the perfect storm!

Guns don’t kill people. The violent culture of our country kills people. Take guns away, it’ll be knives or clubs.

Loretta Ann Torres

Chico

Good job, community

On Thursday, May 24, my 96-year-old neighbor took a bad tumble in front of her house and landed in the street writhing in pain. She called out for help and within minutes a small crowd of people came to her side to see what was wrong. She was obviously injured and could not move. One person called 9-1-1, another offered to hold her hand, while others left messages with neighbors to contact her daughter.

She is sending a heartfelt thank you to the wonderful people of Chico who reached out to help her, including the woman who followed up and located her in the hospital. My neighbor is resting comfortably at Enloe after surgery to fix her broken hip bone.

You don’t live to 96 without having a good dose of spunk and perseverance. She is telling everyone about the incredible people who came “out of nowhere” to help her. We are lucky to live in a community where people care about others. I just hope we can find ways to care about all the people who call Chico home.

Jann Reed

Chico