Liz Writes Life
March 3, 2021
CA.
Dist. 1 Congressman, Doug LaMalfa, is disgusted with H.R. 5 bill -- the
so-called Equality Act that just passed the House by a vote of 224 to 206. Most
Republicans voted against it, but didn’t have enough to stop it. The bill will
now go to the U.S. Senate for the final vote, where the senate is split 50
Democrats to 50 Republicans. I checked, but could not find when it will be in
front of the senate.
LaMalfa
didn’t mince any words, when blasting the Equality Act. Here is what he said: “The catastrophic and misleadingly
named Equality Act is an attack on women and would unleash countless
consequences, including erasing women’s rights and opportunities, eroding
parental rights, and threatening the free exercise of faith so foundational to
our freedom. Schools nationwide would be forced to allow boys and men into
women’s bathrooms, locker rooms, and even onto women’s athletic teams. Parents
objecting to their child’s desire to be ‘gender fluid’ could have custody
stripped from them by the federal government. Even a doctor whose conscience
prevented her from mutilating a child with gender reassignment surgery could
have her practice taken away. Put simply, this bill is Washington-mandated
wokeness that rejects both common sense and science at the expense of all
Americans, especially children and women, as well as our fundamental rights.”
Thank
you, Congressman LaMalfa, for exposing the hypocrisy of this bill and voting
against it. We will have to wait and see how it plays out in the senate.
Slater
Fire
Ray
Haupt, chairman of the Siskiyou Co. Board of Supervisors, spoke to the Siskiyou
Conservative Republicans last month. Last week, I wrote about some of the information
he shared and will now continue with the two big topics of the Slater Fire that
devastated Happy Camp last September and Covid-19 restrictions.
On
September 7, 2020, the massive wind-stoked Slater Fire destroyed 449 structures
in the community of Happy Camp. Of those, 353 were homes. Because of quick
notifications, most residents were able to escape. Unfortunately, there were
two fatalities. Several local firefighters that battled the blaze lost their
homes. Immediately, Ray was involved – Happy Camp is in his district. Also,
immediately, Angela Davis, Siskiyou Co. CAO and Jason Vela, Siskiyou Co.
Director of Emergency Services, along with the sheriff’s office, other law
enforcement and firefighting agencies, were involved with a variety of aspects
of the fire and then the extensive recovery process.
The
county was able to immediately begin removal of fire hazard trees on Indian
Creek Road. To help Happy Camp residents through the often frustrating regulatory
process in the building department, the county hired another person in a
short-term position just for the Happy Camp situation.
Ray
said he worries that too many residents may need to move from the Happy Camp
area for a number of reasons, but a major one has to do with FEMA. To receive
support from FEMA, the resident must be a home owner. So, unfortunately, folks
who rented are having problems finding a home or the possibility of replacing
the home they occupied.
Hazmat
work for cleaning-up the toxic debris was underway last fall, but snow storms
stopped the work with about 30 percent left to be completed. Now, hazmat crews
are busy elsewhere and the county is hustling trying to get a crew back-in to
finish the project.
Pandemic
Ray
explained that the county is lumped into a regional county group, where the
regulations of the lockdown are governed by the number of Covid-19 related
patients in hospital ICUs. The supervisors have tried to get out of this group.
Ray said that rural counties constantly push CA. Governor Gavin Newsom to let
them open businesses and schools.
“I
just hate that our businesses and restaurants are not open,” said Ray.
On
February 11, 2021, Ray reported 19,900 people in Siskiyou County had been
tested for Covid-19 with 18,304 of those negative. There were 74 active cases,
at the time, and 2,000 vaccines had been given.
Currently,
the Siskiyou Co. Public Health Covid Dashboard website shows 14 deaths from
Covid-19.
Capt. Tom Moore
It was with sadness that I recently learned that Britain’s
Capt. Sir Thomas Moore died last month. But, I quickly found a smile of great
appreciation for the 100 year-old gentleman, who brought hope during the
beginning of the lockdown from the Covid-19 pandemic.
Before he turned 100, last April, it was announced that he
would raise funds for the National Health Service care workers by walking the
outside of his garden 100 times. He did use a walker, but completed the goal
and raised much more than the original 1,000 British pounds that he had hoped
for. The world joined-in and Tom raised a record 38.9 million pounds for the
NHS. That’s $53 million in U.S. dollars.
But, the World War II veteran didn’t stop there as he was
encouraged to record an old song “You’ll Never Walk Alone” that then reached
number one in Britain’s main music singles chart in 2020. His message to the
world was that the sun would shine again and the clouds would clear! He became
the oldest person to top the British charts.
Then, Tom, who claimed to be just an ordinary man, was
knighted by Queen Elizabeth in July for his accomplishments.
When learning of Tom’s death, Prime Minister Boris Johnson,
who had praised Sir Tom for his wit and determination, ordered the flag at his
Downing Street home lowered to half-staff in his honor. Yes, Tom Moore’s last
year of life was an amazing and motivational one.
Passing
of an icon
Also,
I wanted to mention the death last month of radio commentator Rush Limbaugh. He
persevered in the radio business until he found his place as a popular syndicated
national talk radio show host. Whether you listened or not, Rush provided expanded
and provocative thoughts; and will be sorely missed by the conservative sector
of our society.
Even through the good and the hard, may we feel peace and calm
fill our hearts!
Liz
Bowen began writing ranch and farm news, published in newspapers, in 1976. She
is a native of Siskiyou County and lives near Callahan. Columns from the past
can be found at: lizwriteslife.blogspot.com. Call her at 530-467-3515.
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