Highlights, lowlights from the week’s news
HIT » Here come the holidays, which seem to bring out the very best in so many of our charitable citizens.
A big “hit” this week to the many food pantries gearing up to provide meals to those in need during the upcoming holidays. The holidays provide a great opportunity for reflection on everything going on around us and to think of ways to assist those less fortunate. The food pantries provide a great way to do this.
Speaking of which, thanks go to Grandmaster Farshad Azad for his annual Thanksgiving Basket Brigade, bringing meals to needy families over the past several years. Grandmaster Azad has long been involved in numerous other civic activities including being a member of the Butte County Civic Learning Partnership, establishing a Social Justice scholarship at Butte College, and many, many others.
It’s a little too early to say “Yes, Virginia, there is a Santa Claus,” but we can definitely say there are a great number of charitable citizens in our midst.
MISS » Has there ever been a redistricting effort that didn’t lead to non-stop partisan cries of “gerrymandering?” Not in our memory. And, that’s probably due to the fact that, all too often, gerrymandering really does figure in to these things.
From the complaints surrounding the redistricting in Chico last year — remember, the consultant had a website that included the words “I get Democrats elected” — to the current back-and-forth allegations in the Butte County redistricting, one thing is clear: There’s got to be a better way.
And on a statewide level, we’re among a majority not happy that we might lose representation from Assemblyman James Gallagher (R-Yuba City), who has fought hard for Butte County on so many fronts, although Megan Dahle (R-Bieber) also understands rural issues well and would likely do a good job for us.
Inevitably, these things end up being voted in favor of whichever side is already in power. Thus, like everything else in politics, it so often comes down to both sides saying all kinds of things because, bottom line, their main interest is one thing: Remaining in power.
It brings us back to the same old point: Until partisanship is taken out of local politics, and this ridiculous left-versus-right hatred continues to inflame beyond any realm of reason, it’s not going to change — certainly not in any way that’s going to benefit regular citizens.
We’re hoping reason prevails in Butte County. We’ll have more to say about that tomorrow.
HIT » It’s always good news when a public building comes in on time and on budget. This time it’s the new Scenario Village service center at Butte College, which provides facilities for specialized scenario training for Law Enforcement, Fire, Fish & Game, and Parks & Recreation Programs at the college.
Funded at a cost of $1.9 million and using funds from Measure J, five new modular buildings and a shade structure provide flexibility of design that will allow necessary training for years to come. Representatives from a variety of north state public safety agencies attended Wednesday’s ribboncutting event introducing the new facilities to the public.
Measure J is a $190 million bond measure approved by the voters in 2016. Already completed and underway projects include the new Welding and Manufacturing Building, remodeling of the Skyway Center, a new Field House/Press Box for the Athletics Department, and remodeling of several other instructional buildings. The voters should be pleased so see that the funds they approved are being put to such good use.
MISS » We’re not naive enough to think the verdict in the Kyle Rittenhouse trial is going to do anything to heal deeply divided feelings on the case. However, we hope everyone can agree on one thing >> The prosecution in this case was a joke. In fact, it was probably the most incompetent prosecution of a high-profile case since the O.J. Simpson trial.
In no particular order, viewers watched as prosecutors basically proved Rittenhouse’s selfdefense claims before the defense even began its case; heard prosecutor James Krause say “There is no such thing as a right-handed or left-handed gun,” which must have come as a shock to the millions of Americans who own right-or-left-handed hunting rifles; and, in a truly cringeworthy moment, watched lead prosecutor Thomas Binger aim an AR-15 in the courtroom — with his finger on the trigger, violating the first (and most important) rule of gun safety: Never point your firearm or place your finger on the trigger unless you’re intending to shoot.
And these men make a living prosecuting murder cases, which so often involve firearms?
Krause also said, while claiming there was no need for Rittenhouse to fire his weapon, “Everyone takes a beating sometimes, don’t they?”
They sure do. If you need proof, just look at the shellacking the prosecution took in Kenosha.