LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
City Council M.I.A.
Tuesday May 19, hundreds of people showed up in front of City Hall to protest the Governor’s stay-at-home order as well as the Porterville City Council’s lack of support for suffering small businesses within the City limits.
The City was notified in advance about the protest and the Porterville Recorder ran a front-page story about the protest several days in advance. Protestors were in front of City Hall for nearly 2 hours. How many current City Council members came out to speak with the protestors about their concerns? That number was exactly ZERO.
This speak volumes about what this current Council thinks about its suffering small businesses. The Tulare County Supervisors care about small businesses within the County. They voted to allow businesses within the County to OPEN UP regardless of the Governor’s unfair and politically motivated stay-athome orders. Other cities all over the State and in Tulare County (such as Visalia) are passing resolutions exclaiming small businesses are essential. Other California cities are refusing to enforce the Governor’s orders. What has Porterville done?
They send code enforcement officers around for trying to feed your family. Can we even fathom that at all?
The Porterville City Council voted 5-0 during their May 19 meeting to ignore Tulare County’s vote and to continue enforcing a Governor’s order that’s not only causing many businesses to fail, but also causing some families to starve. They voted 5-0 to have their code enforcement officers continue to monitor local businesses. Yet, we can drive to another city or state and have the absolute exact opposite rules. We could have our businesses open and our lives returning back to normal. But NOT in Porterville, Calif.
Hundreds of people came to City Hall to talk and the City Council was Missing In Action. Martha Flores, Monte Reyes, Milt Stowe, Daniel Penaloza and Virginia Gurrola, you made your lack of support for Porterville’s struggling families and small businesses crystal clear. So if anyone wants to attend church, go to a restaurant, get a haircut, work out at a gym, etc., they will need to drive to Pro-business Visalia and leave Anti-business Porterville. John Hardin Porterville
Beware of Barbecue Bugs
There is good news from COVID-19 for this Memorial Day. We won’t be getting stuck in traffic jams. And, the meat shortage will keep us safe from our outdoor grills.
Folks who grill hamburgers and hot dogs face a nasty choice. The U.S. Meat and Poultry Hotline advises grilling at high temperature to avoid food poisoning by E. coli and Salmonella bacteria. But the National Cancer Institute warns that high-temperature grilling of processed meats generates cancercausing compounds.
Fortunately, we no longer need to choose between food poisoning and cancer!
A bunch of enterprising U.S. food processors have met this challenge head-on by developing a rich variety of convenient, healthful, delicious plant-based meats, burgers, hot dogs, and kid friendly nuggets. These products don’t harbor nasty bugs or cancer-causing compounds. They are missing the cholesterol, saturated fats, drugs, hormones, and pesticides of their animal-based alternatives. And, they are waiting for us in the frozen food section of our favorite supermarket, along with nut-based ice creams, and other dairyfree desserts.
This Memorial Day, in the shadow of COVID-19, let’s stay safe in more ways than one! Larry Johnson Visalia
Mendoza, Duran have right to have letters printed
In reply to Buffy Bailey’s letter I would like to remind her that is America so both Mr. Duran and Mr. Mendoza have the right to have their letters printed.
Mr. Duran might not have chosen the best way to present his views but what he stated was the truth. Unfortunately Mr. Mendoza listens to the fake news and regurgitates their rhetoric. It is people like him that are dividing our nation, not Mr. Duran. Lynn Gong Porterville Everybody should be wearing masks
As a retired local business owner, I agree fully that it is time to start saving our economy. However I would have been reassured if the protesters had been wearing masks that they will be keeping the health of all involved as the top priority until this is all over. I have personally lost a friend to COVID and am 72 years old, thus more susceptible. I am slowly rejoining the world, but am uncomfortable when in close proximity to people not wearing masks. Let’s all wear masks when around other people until the threat has ended. Daniel Stadtherr Porterville