Page 4 - Mid Valley Times 7-1-21 E-edition.pdf

Serving the Readers of the Reedley Exponent, Dimuba Sentinel and Sanger Herald.
A Mid Valley Publishing Newspaper
Founded March 26, 1891, in a two-story building on the corner of 11th and F streets, by A.S. Jones
Fred Hall — Publisher
In my OPINION A little history of the
Fourth, postal foulups
According to the History Channel,
the Fourth of July—also known as
Independence Day or July 4th—has
been a federal holiday in the United
States since 1941. However, the tra-
dition of Independence Day celebra-
tions goes all the way back to the 18th
century and The American Revolu-
tion. On July 2, 1776, the Continental
Congress voted in favor of indepen-
dence from Great Britain and two
days later, the delegates from the 13 colonies voted to adopt the Declaration of Independence. That historical document was drafted by Thomas Jefferson.
From 1776 to present day America, July 4 has been celebrated as the birth of American independence with festivities ranging from fireworks, parades and concerts to more casual family gatherings and barbecues. This Fourth of July should be very special to all Americans after well more than a year of being “locked down” by our own government officials with COVID-19 hysteria.
With the approach of July 4, identifiably one of the most patriotic celebrations of the calendar year, one is faced with an extraordinary enigma. Why is it that the most vociferous detractors of the greatest nation in the world are all, themselves, Americans. Everyone in the world seems to envy America and wish they could live here while a small vocal group of American left-wing activists, media, students, instructors and politicians find reason to complain about their freedom-based life- style.
Our wish for you is that you ignore the craziness which currently seems to be all around us and draw your family and loved ones near to celebrate the hard- earned freedoms that have been provided by our ances- tors who seem to be maligned on a daily basis. Thank and recognize those in the military who, from time to time, have been called upon to defend those freedoms we hold so dear. Teach your children the true and com- plete history of this country. One can no longer count on our educational facilities to correctly do so!
Why do you suppose it is that everyone seems to have some kind of horror story about the United States Postal Service? The lowest threshold of proof is called “prepon- derance of evidence” and that's what we're dealing with today. As a rule, the post office does a pretty good job of doing what thy've been tasked with, but their mistakes can have a huge bearing on the financial, emotional and physical well-being of their customers.
“Neither rain, nor snow, nor sleet, nor hail shall keep the postmen from their appointed rounds.” Although that phrase has become the motto of the Postal Ser- vice, we often wonder how apropos it might be in to- day's environment where a job with the government is proclaimed “a nest on the ground.” Pay and benefits, including retirement, far exceed that which is available in the private sector.
If one lives long enough, it becomes tough to sur- prise them with anything. Tuesday, June 22 of this year was one of those days for me because a package (manila envelope) had been returned to our office for additional postage. Now that, in and of itself, seldom happens because of the sophisticated systems available for weighing and properly assigning a rate for postage in our office.
A simple scan of the envelope indicated — from the stamp generated by postage meter — that it had originally been mailed on May 15, 2008. It took USPS 13 years to locate the piece of mail in their catacombs and return it to us for the difference in postage (post- age due) since 2008 of $8.85.
While we normally do not comment on something like his, it seems so egregious as to require being ad- dressed. The act itself stands alone. They probably are all good people but we deserve better service than that, especially with something as important as the mail.
As always, that's only one man's opinion. I'm going to go check my mail!
Return of (legal) fireworks displays a welcome, exciting development
Jon Earnest — Reedley Editor Dick Sheppard — Editor Emeritus
Thursday, July 1, 2021 | A4 | Mid Valley TiMes Editorial & Opinions
Fred Hall
Most of us in Dinuba and Sanger love the annual orga- nized fireworks displays we get, and those of us in Reedley miss the decades-long tradition we used to have. Last year, the COVID-19 pandemic and social devastation it brought for more than a year cost everyone an opportunity to a Fourth of July presentation.
But in another sign of nor- mal times returning as CO- VID cases remain on the de- cline, the Dinuba and Sanger fireworks shows return this weekend. And, as an added bo- nus, Reedley is bringing back a fireworks display as part of the Greater Reedley Chamber of Commerce's "Alive After 5" marketing campaign for down- town restaurants and shops. So residents in the Mid Val- ley Times coverage area can catch all three shows, running on consecutive nights Friday through Sunday.
There will be food, music
and fun planned for all three events, so if your ears can handle the boom of the pyro- technics, this is the weekend to enjoy it. Friday, July 2, is the "Alive After 5" event from 5:30 p.m. up until the fireworks at 9:30 p.m. Saturday, July 3, is Dinuba's Independence Day celebration from 5 p.m. to the fireworks at 9:15 p.m. at Ridge Creek Golf Course. Then, the Sanger 4th of July Spectacu- lar caps the weekend off on the evening of the Fourth. The Sanger High School practice field will again be packed with people enjoying food, music and games.
These are the good shows, along with a number of inti- mate family gatherings on the streets featuring the "safe and sane" variety of fireworks. Unfortunately comes the oth- er end of the equation — the countless illegal explosives and pyrotechnics that will be ignited during the next couple
of weeks, and
probably be-
yond. Face it,
the loud booms
don't suddenly
stop when dawn
arrives on July
5. Most likely,
there are many
fireworks ca-
rousers who are pacing their supply through the summer (with a few left over for Hal- loween and New Year's Eve).
If you cross the line with the letter of the law, remem- ber: there are police units more than ready to dole out $1,000 citations for possession and blowing off illegal fireworks. That can buy a lot of cold liq- uid refreshment, alcoholic or non-alcoholic.
Whatever your pleasure, stay safe and sober (behind the wheel) out there. And cel- ebrate!
Jon Earnest is news-sports editor for The Times
QUOTE
“There are two types of people — those who come into a room and say, 'Well, here I am!' and those who come in and say, 'Ah, there you are.'”
— Frederick L Collins (1882-1950)
Jon Earnest
California homelessness crisis should be a lesson
By Kerry Jackson and Wayne Winegarden Guest columnists
Homelessness is a grow- ing problem in virtually every state. Nowhere is it more press- ing than in California, which in the past three years spent more than $13 billion, roughly $30,000 annually for each homeless per- son, to address it. Tragically, its “housing first” approach is a co- lossal failure. Overall, says the state auditor’s office, California’s homelessness programs are dis- jointed and poorly managed.
Despite little progress, poli- cymakers keep throwing more money at the problem. Rather than adopting California’s cur- rent government-centric ap- proach, other states should learn from its mistakes by em- bracing reforms that directly tackle the core issues.
Many homeless suffer from mental illness and substance abuse struggles that require creating a pathway to recovery. Unfortunately, the legal prece- dent of Martin v. City of Boise is creating a “right to live on the streets,” Policy changes such as California’s voter-approved Proposition 47 have effectively discouraged the enforcement of shoplifting items up to $950, creating a means for the ad- dicted or mentally ill homeless to support their habits.
Instead of enabling home- lessness, states should ensure appropriate punishment for those who violate the law. How- ever, interactions with law en- forcement should be viewed as
opportunities to connect home- less individuals with the help and resources they need.
One innovative approach is homeless courts that “sentence” offenders to treatment, then expunging their records once successfully completed, as pro- posed in the California’s Com- passionate Intervention Act. At the same time, the developing “right to sleep on the street” needs to be challenged through legal channels.
To complement these ef- forts, states should partner with private nonprofits that have successfully helped many transition off the streets. Even President Barack Obama ac- knowledged that “the private and philanthropic sectors are responsible for some of the best thinking, innovation, and evidence-based approaches to ending homelessness.”
Shelters to Shutters rep- resents what he was talking about. The Virginia nonprofit emphasizes job placement and housing based on the mantra that “the solution truly needs to be about both.” Another strat- egy initiates contact with the homeless by providing neces- sities, including bag storage, transportation, Internet access, and a sitting room. While offer- ing these services, the Cross- roads Welcome Center in Ten- nessee determines each client’s needs and tries to direct them to institutions for further care.
Given the severity of today’s crisis, the homeless need to be relocated with an urgency. San Diego’s use of large tents that
serve as transitional housing for about 700 a night and cost roughly $11.3 million shows how this can be done.
California’s infamous unaf- fordability problems also are a causal driver of homeless- ness. Policymakers nationwide should implement regulatory reforms that lessen excessive living costs to alleviate the eco- nomic pressures driving too many people into the streets.
The California Environmen- tal Quality Act, the biggest bar- rier to homebuilding, increases costs, and causes extended con- struction delays. It, as well as similar laws elsewhere, is over- due for reform.
Sustainably addressing the homelessness crisis in Califor- nia and every state is a moral imperative and an economic ne- cessity. Current conditions are the unintended consequence of policies implemented by state and local governments. Though the situation is dire in California, the good news is other states can make a meaningful difference if they reject those ill-advised poli- cies. Adopting the right policies should be at the top of every state’s legislative to-do list.
Kerry Jackson is a fellow with the Center for California Reform at the Pacific Research Institute. Wayne Winegarden, Ph.D. is a Sr. Fellow in Busi- ness and Economics at the Pa- cific Research Institute. They are the authors, with Joseph Tartakovksy and Christopher Rufo, of “No Way Home: The Crisis of Homelessness and How to Fix It with Intelligence and Humanity.”