“It is better to deserve honors and not have them, than to have honors and not deserve them.”

— Mark Twain

The Columbia Elementary School District board announced in May that Superintendent John Pendley will be leaving. But not anytime soon.

Chiesa case and the justice system

To the Editor,

Peter Chiesa brutally murdered two young ladies, one in front of her 11-year-old son, for something as stupid as a dispute over a driveway easement. 

Chiesa was sentenced to four consecutive life terms without the possibility of parole for 80 years. 

Less than 10 years after his conviction, Chiesa applies for “compassionate release” because he is suffering from an illness which the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation cannot disclose details due to privacy rights mandated by the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act.

Please, stop and reread the above paragraph to grasp how insane the whole procedure is. 

This is a prime example of how insane our government and our laws have become: A man is sentenced to life without parole for 80 years, then just 10 years later he applies for a compassionate release parole for an illness the public cannot be told about due to medical privacy rights due to a law mandated by a Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act. 

(Portability?)

Mr. Chiesa should have been executed years ago. 

I cannot understand the logic of those against the death penalty. 

There will always be some compassionate extenuating circumstance why some poor mistreated and misunderstood convicted killer should be set free to rejoin society.

Mike Schmitz

Murphys

Heavy handed
government

To the Editor,

The writer who states that health care act is heavy handed is quite right. 

The problem with the statement is that it does nothing to contribute to a positive discussion of health care in America. 

When government makes any public policy regulating any activity regarding the lives and actions of some 340 million people that policy is going to be seen as “heavy handed.” 

Any restrictive or prescriptive injunction is always seen as heavy handed depending on your ideological point of view. 

With regard to health care in the United States there is enormous statistical data from U.S. governmental and international sources which suggests that the U.S. is far from the best in health care practices. 

With regard to the discussions about “Obama Care,” which apparently is the codeword for health care in today’s politically charged climate, this quote from another article says: “John Adams could just as easily have been talking about today when he wrote in 1776 of his fears  that the Continental Congress’ decisions would be dictated by noise, not sense; by meanness, not greatness; by ignorance, not learning; by contracted, not large souls.” 

Ms. Simning poses the question, is there a better way to address this problem? 

Another tactic might be, is there a better way to ask the question? 

A way which is not politically, emotionally or ideologically charged and one which would lead to discussions based on real data not unfounded prejudices.    

Jay Bell

Columbia  

Hunting and fishing

To the Editor,

Many remain unaware that Ducks Unlimited, a pro sport hunting entity, has preserved more critical wetland habitat than all others combined! 

As idiotic golf courses were gobbling up prime coastal habitat these folks went to bat to save wetlands from all forms of development. So let’s collectively thank duck hunters nationwide. 

In Yellowstone National Park, now close to 30 years after reintroducing wolves to the region, the natural equilibrium found in unmolested habitat has returned. Better fishing, more birds and a more robust food chain is the end result. Did some wildlife biologists already know wolves could achieve, by their continued presence, such astounding results? Maybe. Wolves, being fairly high up on the food chain, would prevent the large native herds of Elk and Bison from trampling down creek beds. Trees grew back, keeping the streams cooler, increasing spawning success and recreating bird habitat. In 15 years the lake and stream fishing was awesome!

In Sonora, where the ignorant and uninformed feed the deer, hundreds of sick, malnourished deer suffer the consequences, becoming stupid, inbred, inexperienced and unafraid of humans ... stupid local deer ... deer dropouts at large. 

Does the head of PETA have leather seats in the Mercedes, eat meat, use dairy or makeup? Quite likely, eh?

Dave Maloney

Sonora

On to something?

To the Editor,

Re: Letter to Editor from Barbara Childers, June 29.

“...In fact, I have taught my kids that if they shoot something, be prepared to eat it, because we don’t shoot just to kill.”

If that were the taught maxim for war, what do you think would happen? 

My, my, my! What a “harvest!” 

Maybe Barbara Childers is on to something here...the end to warfare! 

Bert Canepa 

Groveland

Columbia School officials questioned

To the Editor,

So, Columbia School Superintendent John Pendley got his Ph.D. from an institution where dissertations were graded according to their weight. And he says he was enrolled at this institution for one and a half, or two, or three years — the latter assertion made under oath. 

As all three of these segments cannot be true, he is either mnemonically challenged or dishonest and thus exposed to a charge of perjury. 

As for Columbia Board of Trustees President Clark Segerstrom and his assertion that Pendley saved the school district $1 million by supervising construction: If a construction supervisor was desired, one could have been obtained more cheaply than $175,000 a year. 

As for Pendley’s “bonus” of $14,000-plus for “extra work”: Outside the Columbia fantasy-land, executives don’t do “extra work.” They’re paid handsomely under contract and don’t receive overtime. 

Like a LaSalle “doctoral” dissertation, the Columbia district board and administration should be weighed in the balance. And it should be found wanting. 

Michael Ackley 

Sonora

In defense of our
local hunters

To the Editor,

I have watched the letters roll in about dogs used for hunting bears and the possibility of that coming to an end if government has its way again. 

The latest letter that really fired me up was Ms. Beauchel’s from June 27. 

I am a hunter, though I do not hunt bears and I’m not particularly fond of the idea of treeing a bear with dogs, however, I do know how hard it is to hunt any animal. 

While there are “sport hunters,” Ms. Beauchel, there are far more hunters who use the meat from the animals they harvest to feed their families. 

It is not fair or intelligent to assume that all hunters whether using dogs or not are “sport hunters” just “out for the thrill.” 

I take harvesting an animal very seriously and find no “thrill” in killing anything. In fact, I have taught my kids that if they shoot something, be prepared to eat it, because we don’t shoot just to kill. 

If I thought you were informed on this subject I might take offense to your opinion, but clearly you are not!

Barbara Childers 

Soulsbyville

Hunting an
ages-old activity

To the Editor,

This in response to the article on bear hunting with dogs and SB1221.

The “Humane” Society of the United States (HSUS) is pushing this bill. They are basically a political organization with the stated goal of outlawing all animal use including grandma’s lap dog. 

The facts: Animals killing animals has been going on since the very beginning. If you have watched any of the nature programs on TV you will have witnessed the “cruelty” of nature: God’s design. 

Man domesticated dogs thousands of years ago to help them hunt other animals, copying God’s design.

Is it cruel and unethical to coon hunt with dogs, wild pigs with dogs, birds with dogs, set a falcon on a pigeon, set out decoys and use duck calls, use guns or bows?   

Wonder if it’s cruel to boil crabs and lobsters to death, snag a fish with a hook and battle it to the boat and have it suffocate to death in the air? Wonder if slaughter houses are cruel? 

If these aren’t included in SB1221 then the bill is in violation of the equal protection clause of the 14th amendment to the Constitution.

It is the HSUS’s opinion that all hunting is cruel and they would deprive you of your right to hunt based on their belief. Why is their opinion and belief able to trump your belief?

They have archaic methods that predate America where the ones with the gold rule. America is a constitutional republic that protects the minority from the oppression of the majority.

Agri-business and hunters had better get their act together and present a united front or you will die the death of a 1,000 cuts at the hands of the HSUS.

 John F. Harless

Sonora