Emotions take over
When you point a finger at someone, three of your fingers are pointing back at you. Recent letters (“Letter to the Editor: Keep up the good work” and “Letter to the Editor: Unwarranted criticism,” Dec. 18) accused Democratic letters of being filled with emotion and political bias but lacking in facts. Then the writers delivered “loaded” emotional attacks and false facts.
Supposedly, liberals are “cheating” in Georgia Senate races. States “arbitrarily” changed their election procedures. Democrats ignore “forensic evidence” in Antrim County. Texas was challenging “illegal” votes.
Hogwash. Where are facts showing “Democratic leaders” are getting people to move to Georgia, vote, then leave? Nowhere. Changes in election procedures widening mail-in voting weren’t arbitrary — the legitimate purpose was to allow voters/poll workers to reduce the exposure to COVID-19 at crowded polls. Those “illegal” votes were votes made by people following the rules their state had established. Texas and Rep. Kevin McCarthy wanted to change the rules, after the election was over. No evidence of any illegal vote was offered, just speculation it was possible.
The Texas lawsuit was justified as continuing a presentation of facts, but the example given, Antrim County, has been thoroughly examined in court and the legislature and the public square. Google “Antrim County fact” and you’ll see. There isn’t “forensic evidence” — there’s a report by a former Republican candidate for Congress, a report torn to pieces by the actual experts and the actual evidence.
I think the letters show who is emotional and holding on to political bias instead of facts. It’s not the Democrats.
— Jay C. Smith, Bakersfield
CERTIFIED ARBORIST: ARE THEY FOR REAL?
I want people to know that just because a tree company advertises they are a certified arborist, it doesn’t mean a thing. You should look them up on the International Society of Arboriculture’s website to see if they are an ISA certified arborist.
There are so many people who are getting ripped off by false advertising of a certified arborist on staff. What you should be asking is for the tree company to show its ISA Certified Arborist card, which shows they have taken the ISA test and passed it. In addition, you should ask if the so-called certified arborist will be supervising all the pruning or if he/she just is giving you the bid.
For example, I just had a client that hired a so-called certified arborist, and the associates butchered their trees and they went on the neighbor’s property and pruned some of the neighbor’s palms. The neighbor is a lawyer and now he is suing my client for coming onto his property and pruning his palm. You must get the approval of your neighbor before you prune any tree that might be on both properties. You cannot prune a neighbor’s tree just because it is on your property. You must get the approval in writing or you face a lawsuit. The tree company should also get the approval in writing from the neighbor before they do any pruning.
Don’t be mislead by anyone who tells you that they are a certified arborist. Ask for proof. Furthermore, when you have your trees pruned, make sure you are present when the work is being done. Don’t just go inside. Check to see if the work is being done according to your expectations. You should not have more than 25 percent of the foliage removed.
— Michael Monji, ISA Certified Arborist WE-7429A
THE PANDEMIC IS REAL
On a recent Sound Off column (“SOUND OFF: We’re doing the best research we can,” Dec. 19), a reader wrote that he was outraged that the media has lied about the seriousness of the COVID-19 crisis. He wrote that his experience was that the hospitals were a “ghost town.”
Well, I beg to differ. Last week, I was forced to take my wife to the ER at Heart Hospital. After waiting hours in the small waiting room, I complained to the ER doctor on duty about the wait and he apologized that they “were slammed back there,” yet he was gracious enough to squeeze her in. I was horrified at the scene. Wall to wall patients in every nook and cranny they could find. Most staff were wearing “bunny suits” because of the suspected number of COVID-19 patients. It was like a scene from a TV show. I felt so sorry for the staff. I thanked the ER doctor for taking her in even though they had to put her in the hallway.
My wife spent two days in the ER before she got a room. The one day I was able to visit her, I walked down the hallways and every room was occupied. Folks, this pandemic is real and please take it seriously like your life depended on it.