Page 4 - Mid Valley Times 10-7-21 E-edition

Thursday, October 7, 2021 | A4 | Mid Valley TiMes Editorial & Opinions
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
In my OPINION Budget spending is the
latest 'pandemic of dumb'
Skies should be clearer than in recent weeks for Reedley Fiesta
Fred Hall — Publisher
Jon Earnest — Editor
Dick Sheppard — Editor Emeritus
In previous columns I have offered a eulogy for our old friend common sense, who seems to have died a slow death dating back to about the mid 1960s. This “pandemic of dumb” is prevalent in Washington D.C. and Sac- ramento. How in the world can right thinking people elect the poorest pos- sible form of governance ever to serve its citizens. Bad decisions produce bad results!
event already
was promising
to be special, as
it was a return
to larger crowds
and a live pa-
rade format.
Last year, because of COVID-19, Greater Reedley Chamber of Commerce CEO Erik Valencia came up with the novel idea of holding a "reverse" parade where the attendees did the pa- rading along G Street in their vehicles. The event proceeded and was a success, but still didn't have the usual parade feel.
But a relative return to "nor- malcy" has faced a couple of hic- cups, the biggest being bad air. But clearer skies, and even an extremely slight chance of rain, has set the stage for clean skies.
Let's welcome back the re- turn of a longtime Reedley tra- dition this weekend!
Jon Earnest is news-sports editor for The Times.
Fred Hall
Like it or not, those of us in Reedley and Dinuba, and es- pecially those in Orange Cove and Orosi, became one- or two-pack-a-day smokers for a couple of miserable days in the past two weeks. It's all a fall- out of the KNP Complex Fire that will have burned close to 80,000 acres in Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks by later this week.
The conditions were just so to make it extremely misera- ble for residents in the eastern portions of the Central Valley — although even in my home city of Hanford the dreary haze extended as far as the eye could see. In all honesty, the smoke drift played no fa- vorites this past week.
The two worst days I can remember were Sept. 24 and this past Monday, Oct. 4. That first date, I went to Dinuba to get some photos of the Raisin Day event in Rose Ann Vuich Park before stopping out to Orosi High. The haze from smoke seemed to hang heavy,
although Dinuba was able to avoid any unhealthy status that its neighbor to the east was dealing with. The foothills were nowhere to be seen loping east, even driving Orosi.
But that scene was even worse a little more than a week later. The entire Central Valley was blanketed in an un- healthy status, and Reedley, Dinuba and Orosi all had very unhealthy readings. The same with Orange Cove, which in the afternoon hit the hazardous range — an AQI of more than 300. I did all I could to limit any time outdoors, and working in an office with fans going cer- tainly helped.
But there truly is clarity at the end of this smoke-filled tunnel. Weather forecast mod- els for this week showed smoke drifting out of this area and to the east, making the air consid- erably easier to breath as the week progresses. And that's great news for the organizers, participants and attendees to this weekend's annual Reedley
Fiesta.
The 2021
QUOTE
“The test of courage comes when we are in the minority. The test of tolerance comes when we are in the majority.”
— Ralph W. Sockman (1889-1970)
Jon Earnest
The thought of reading and comprehending a 2,600 page legal document in just three days is just more than that which one's mind can deal! That's what Nancy Pe- losi's Congress and Charles Schumer's Senate want us to believe that can be done and accept with no appar- ent upside from this budget except our receiving higher taxes and even bigger government without complaining.
As we watch this administration and assorted politi- cians attempt to shove unprecedented amounts of spend- ing down our throats, there are several things to keep in mind. They have to take that money from the private sector, so it makes them liars when they say there is no cost. Nothing the government does is cost free! We fund their malfeasance.
If they borrow the money the repayment (plus in- terest) will fall on future generations; if the money is simply printed, taxpayers will pay the tab in terms of increased cost-of-living! As a result there is also the “small” issue of inflation, making your money worth even less. That means higher prices.
There hasn't been anything like this piece of legis- lation, propelled by lies, obfuscation or misrepresenta- tion since the Obama administration “gave” the country Obamacare. There clearly are other descriptions for what Democrats did to Americans back on March 23, 2010. Remember Nancy Pelosi telling America — with- out reading the monstrosity — that we have to pass the mess before we know what was in it? That statement was so stupid that it made one's head hurt.
Adding to the aggravation is the fact that this “nail in the coffin” of America's future has been defined as a budget reconciliation bill which allows Democrats to pass this on a simple majority basis instead of requiring 60 votes. We can only hope that the word about several Republicans getting ready to vote for Budget Recon- ciliation is false. Obviously we will soon know. If that happens, it's time for the voters to begin cleaning house with Congress in the 2022 election cycle.
We're hoping that, during the next two election cy- cles, people will consider the issue of competency rather than voting for a person on the basis of personally lik- ing or disliking the candidate. As ill-advised as much of what we find coming from our political class they are managing to create an existential combination of new taxes and regulations.
What ever happened with COVID? It seems to me that Democrats as well as Biden himself indicated they would stop this in its tracks. When a vaccine was devel- oped during the Trump administration — in record time — both Joe and Kamala said they would not take the shot because of Trump. Beside usurping any number of personal freedoms, we are now being advised that an untold number of Americans will lose their jobs if they fail to comply. Whatever happened with “you can't tell me what to do with my own body?”
Back away from the issues of “defund the police,” as- tronomical increases in crime, soaring petroleum prices, inflation, increasing taxes and one will find that illegal immigration is another fly in the ointment. We're allow- ing millions of unvaccinated, unvetted foreigners pour across our Southern border. They're being treated with kid gloves while native Americans live under a different set of arbitrary rules.
But, as always, that's only one man's opinion.
A different viewpoint on Ivermectin
By Edward Hansen
Guest columnist
This is an editorial response to the Sept. 9, 2021, picture opinion provided by “Duffer” depicting “Ivermectin” as ex- clusively a “horse de-Worm- er.” Oh excuse me, a “Duffer” is defined as “an incompetent or stupid person, especially an elderly one.” On closer exami- nation, I see the artist’s name was actually “Duffy.” presum- ably Brian Duffy, who is a syn- dicated editorial cartoonist.
Folks, the “Ivermectin” effec- tive for humans is not the same “Ivermectin” used on animals. It is a shame that a “Duffer” can use his podium to publish inac- curate information which causes people to draw the wrong con- clusions without great scientific data. Here’s proof. In a Senate Hearing on Dec. 8, 2020, critical care physician Dr. Pierre Kory MD testified to the validity of a recent study on Ivermectin com- pleted by Dr. Hector Carvallo in Argentina. Dr. Carvallo’s study profiled 800 patients who took Ivermectin and never got sick, compared 237 of the 400 not tak- ing Ivermectin who did get sick.
Dr. Kory also testified to the results of four additional ran- domized studies involving over 1500 patients which support that Ivermectin can prevent ill- ness. Dr. Kory stated that early outpatient treatment involving three additional randomized
control trials and multiple ob- servations as well as case se- ries studies indicate that if you take Ivermectin, the need for hospitalization and incidents of death decrease. Dr. Kory went on further to testify that “Iver- mectin” was proving itself to be a wonder drug. In fact, Iver- mectin won the Nobel Prize for Medicine in 2015 for its impact upon global health in the eradi- cation of parasitic diseases. It has also proven itself to be an immensely powerful anti-viral and anti-inflammatory agent. Dr. Kory ended his Senate tes- timony with a plea for the Na- tional Institute of Health (NIH) to review the data compiled in almost 30 studies which con- tain reliable and reproducible positive data indicating the dramatic positive impacts of Ivermectin.
But it is not just doctors who feel that the entire nation is being bamboozled by misin- formation from the Biden Ad- ministration, the FDA, and the NIH on the treatment of CO- VID 19. In September, two key senior FDA officials resigned over COVID 19 vaccine deci- sions. Marion Gruber, Director of FDA’s Office of Vaccines Re- search & Review and Dr. Philip Krause both resigned stating that they don’t believe there is sufficient data to support the rollout of COVID boost- ers. They also objected to the involvement of US Center for
Disease Control and Preven- tion and its advisory panel on immunizations.
On Aug. 12, health officials authorized a third booster for people with weakened immune systems who had initially re- ceived the Pfizer or Moderna injections. Normally, medi- cal professionals set forth the data first and then correlate how the data supports the de- cision. When the White House announced booster shots, it did essentially the opposite. This is procedurally improper com- pared to how such medical de- cisions should be made.
So, what is my point by re- sponding to the “Duffy” picture opinion? It is this. We are living in a time when the government officials and especially gov- ernment agencies are not only overreaching their authority but are also giving out misin- formation to confuse and scare the general population. These entities want to keep Ameri- cans scared and uniformed. I encourage all Americans to stop relying on major news net- works as well as a “cartoonist” and start searching the Inter- net for the real truths. We have a lot at stake right now with the security of our freedom and our health. The onus is on each of us to exercise due diligence before accepting a picture or personal opinion as fact.
Edward Hansen is a Reed- ley resident.