Letters: Aug. 5, 2021

Cop on council?

Michael O’Brien spoke to the [Chico City] Council on July 20. There were some red flags in his comments. Initially, he said District Attorney Mike Ramsey asked him to run. To critics of the DA, this should be alarming. During O’Brien’s short turn as police chief, the department was involved in the killings of four civilians. This should be alarming. Mr. O’Brien never revealed to the taxpayers the cost of these killings, including settlement costs, lost staff time, increased legal fees, additional training courses and increased insurance premiums paid by taxpayers due to legal actions filed against the city in three of the killings.

The Chico Police Department already controls nearly 50 percent of the city’s annual budget. Hold on to your wallet if he is appointed a council member. To the taxpayers this should be alarming.

Scott Rushing
Ventura

Editor’s note: O’Brien was appointed to the council on July 27; see “Like minds,” page 12.

Stop supporting cigs

We were surprised to see full-page advertisements promoting Big Tobacco with the Lucky Strike ads in the June and July issues of the Chico News & Review. The tobacco found in cigarettes, in brands like Lucky Strike, damages nearly every organ of the body and is the leading cause of preventable death in America. Smoking and tobacco product use cause many chronic conditions such as cancers and lung disease, and contribute to diabetes and heart disease.

In Butte County, the tobacco use rate is nearly twice the state average (20.6 percent vs. 11.3 percent, respectively). To protect those we serve from the harmful effects of tobacco, the Nicotine Action Alliance of Butte County encourages community stakeholders, like the Chico News & Review, to support messages promoting physical health and mental well-being.

The state of California has set the long-term goal of ending the sale of tobacco by 2035, and if you would like to help move the needle in the local efforts, please join our coalition. Meetings are held on the first Wednesday of every month, 3-4:30 p.m. (Call 552-3933.)

Suzie Lawry-Hall
Chico

No place for bullies

Are we really confronting the bullies? At the Thursday Night Market, my 13-year-old son was openly harassed by a man hissing the word “gay” as he passed him by. I’m here to tell those bullies who stalk our streets that this young bright star is more a man than you will ever be.

He not only survived the Camp Fire but saved his entire new family and over 100 animals from it. Afterward, he went on to survive the Gilroy Garlic Festival shooting.

If my son takes his brave, happy, little tush downtown to meet up with some friends, I will let him wear whatever the heck he wants because choosing to be proud of himself is brave, too, especially in the face of men like you.

Jessie Olson
Oroville

‘Can’t fix stupid’

Wearing masks inside—it’s the smart thing to do. Unfortunately, the policy of not having to wear masks indoors (provided you’ve been vaccinated) has been a great excuse for non-vaxxers to go maskless. I guess they believe it’s their right. Perhaps they also feel it’s their right to infect others. Maybe it’s all just a big hoax. All the doctors, scientists, virologists, nurses, etc. all are conspiring against us. I don’t think so. Yeah, everyone is sick of wearing masks. (Now we can wear them outside as well, thanks to the air quality from the latest round of fires.)

To all you non-mask people: Don’t let them take away your freedom. Don’t wear a mask. But why stop there? Refuse to wear shirts and shoes in restaurants. Don’t let anyone tell you that you can’t drive while drunk. Don’t fall into the conspiracy of law enforcement trying to get everyone to drive the speed limit. Keep the government out of your life by rejecting unemployment benefits, disability benefits, Medicare and of course Social Security. Feel free to sign your checks over to me. I’d hate for anyone to have to compromise their principles by taking any sort of government “handouts.”

The saying “you can’t fix stupid” has never been more relevant.

Bill Unger
Chico

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