Ukiah Daily Journal from Ukiah, California • Page 28

I Mr' Qpiiiiaii Dairy Journal, Uklah, Calif. National editorial What newspapers are saying Wednesday, Jdly By United Press Uitemational Scripps-HowardNewspiQMrs: An important thing to keep in mind about President Reagan's "New Federalism" Is that the thrust is right. It aims to reduce the authority bf the federal government and return more to states and localities. ReagaQ tried) to develop a consensus on what federal programs whould be turned back io the states. But there is no way to achieve total agreement because each program has its own special pleaders high places of the federal establishment.

A major element by involves a swap. The federal government would assume the costs of Medicaid while the states would take over to Families with Dependent Children. federal government would turn over to state and local governments primary responsibility for about 35 other programs involving 'education and training, community development, energy assistance, transportation, and a variety of social, health, and nutritional ser- 'vices. The federal government would provide money for these prograns for 5 years at current The Reagan plan is sure to meet stiff resistance. Too many congressmen think only they in the federal bureaucracy have the wisdom to do what needs to be done for the citizenry.

Too many states and local officials have been mothered and smothered for so long by the federal they fear to strike out on their own. We hope about details and the lack of enthusiasm to change things will not stall the program for long. It is time, as Reagan said, for Washington to "stop -trying to homogenize Hartford Courant: Ronald Reagan made an incredible remark at his recent meeting with NATO heads of state in Bonn. According to European officials, the president said he thinks the Soviet Union is already at war with the United States. "They may not be fighting with us," one diplomat quoted the presi- dent as saying, "but they certainly are at war with us." Other officials were and the meeting was immediately adjourned.

Alexander M. Haig, then the secretary of state, tried clean up afterwards by passing the president's remark off as "an ad-libbed, if you will, or unstructured personal intervention." Not much has been made of the statement; it's just another case of the president verbally shooting himself in the foot. But what if Jimmy Carter had said the same thing while he was in office? One can only guess Would the comment have seemed even more frightening coming from a president who wasn't thought to need cue cards to represent his country in a serious international forum? Clinton, Daily Item: Meharry Medical College, founded in Nashville, in 1876, by two Civil War veterans, one black-skinned and the other white- skinned, has since trained more than 40 percent of all the black physicians and dentists who have entered practice in the United States. Yet this did not prevent the near loss of Meharry MC to medical education. income was not enough to allow it to pay off a $30 million loan from the government.

Nor could it make $9 million hi overdue payments. Its affUiation with the veterans hospital In Nashville was cancelled, denying its students These probleihs to the attention of President Reagan. He directed that the debt be written off and the overdue payments He ordered the Veterans Admhiistratlon to provide another hospital with which Meharry MC could, affUrate. Now it will be able to contbiue to serve the nation. This is not the first time has reacted soft-heartedly instead of hard-headedly when he learned of a social problem.

His compassiion in specific cases does not, however, extend to general rules. Like his speeches, his actions appear to be anecdotal. These examples the provides not followed by his Los Angeles Times: backers of the equal rights amendment are starting over. This tinie around, they must define the issues themselves, not wait to let Phyllis Schlafly Co. convert vague malaise into definite fears of change.

The issues are real; they concern jobs, justice and just plain fahness. work because they must; they head families, arid often live in poverty despite their best efforts. They need better education to get better jobs. In many states, they are not treated equally under the law. An equal rights amendment would not cut away all vestiges of discrimination, but it would make such unequal treatment easier to combat and harder to perpetrate.

Sen. Dennis DeConcini (D-Ariz.) is a cosponsor of the 1982 version of the amendment, which reads exactly like thevl972 version that passed Congress but fell three states short of ratification. He says he doesn't understand the controversy: "It is a simple matter. In a society of laws, which the United States is, all citizens must have equal standing. Anything less is simply unacceptable.

too many well-meaning individuals have lost sight of the simple and profound elegance of the proposition, and have gone looking for demons and dragons. There are none. The equal rights amendment is what it says -nothmg more, nothing less. We are equal, that is all." Too straight Recently you carried a story that Supervisor Dan Hamburg and attorney Dave Nelson had filed a protest with the Federal Communications Commission about Ted Storck, owner- manager of KUKI radio. It's a shame that these two pebple want to destroy a man who stands for everything that is right in America.

Storck apparently is just too straight for their left-wing liberal views. Storck is a commander in the Naval Reserve; a reserve deputy the Mendocino County Sheriff's Department; a churchgoer; a Republican, and he's not afraid to take a stand, so Hamburg and Nelson want to destroy him. What a shame! Storck stands up for what is right; let us support him too. John Kulp Lakeport Unlawful The efforts of the Coastal Commission and its subsidiary Letters agencies to deny the property rights of the people in the North Central Coast area are unconstitutional. The law not belong to the bureaucrats, and the commission and its agencies do not own the constitution.

Much time and effort has been wasted by property owners who have tried in vain to deal with the Coastal Commission Commissars, who somehow feel they are above Constitutional law. The California Constitution is the supreme law of the State. Inclusive, the most powerful section. Article Section 1, states: "All men are by nature free and independent and have certain inalienable rights, among which are those of enjoying and defending life and liberty; acquiring, possessing ahd protecting property; and pursuing and obtaining safety and happiness." This section is not a mere expression of political philosophy to be ignored. It is a declaration of absolute rights.

An inalienable right right one which does not come Letters Letters from the state and one which the state may not lawfully take away. There is no point at which an inalienable right may be alienated or denied. Therefore, the citizens have a constitutional right to defend their lives and liberty and protect their property whenever they feel their rights are being violated. To insure that property fights ace not violated, the publip demand that the Coastal Commission and its agencies follow the constitution; and if necessary, bring suit against them. A class action suit could be brought against the Coastal Commission, on behalf of property owners, by an tion such as the Pacific Legal Foundation a non-profit, public interest law foundation.

PLF, is FOR the preservation of the free enterprise system and deserves citizen support. PLF scored a major victory recently when the Court of Appeal lashed out at the Coastal Commission's "unconcealed bias against the constitutionally protected right of private property." PLF had challenged the commission's requirement of forc- hig property owners to dedicate a portion of their property for public access in return for a permit to improve, preserve or develop their lands. (PLF v. Calif. Coastal Commission; v.

Calif. Coastal Commission). Pacific Legal Foundation, 455 Capitol Mall, suite 600, Ca. 95814. Fred and Jeannette Reese Mendocino Pot resolution Resolution of Mendocino County's "Sinsemilla War" WHEREAS marijuana has been grown during the entire history of the United States, by no less personages than George Washington and Thomas Jefferson; WHEREAS claims about marijuana's effects which led to its criminalization during the Great Depression have proven scientifically untrue; WHEREAS the conservative National Academy of Sciences has this month published their comprehensive federally-funded report on marijuana, concluding that thei-e is insufficient evidence for continuing thi8j)ro- hibition; WHEREAS 50 million are icommonly estimated to enjoy marijuana; WHEREAS the cultivation of marijuana is estimated by federal government to be occurring in virtually every county of the United States; WHEREAS the principal result of allpwing Mendocino County to be targeted as the battleground for the war against cultivators has been to attract undesirable publicity, professional thieves, and terrorism to our county; WHEREAS this most expensive program in American history to "eradicate" cultivation has been approximately 10 percent successful according to sheriff's office reports; WHEREAS these massive tax-paid enforcement efforts have failed to significantly impact the public Supply or demand for marijuana; and WHEREAS Mendochio County itself spent more money last year attempting to enforce laws against this mild intoxicant than it spent on both prosecuUng homicide cases and on health care for its Senior Citizens; THEREFORE let it be resolved that the no-win war against marijuana cultivators shall be declared ended; and that the war funds be applied two-thirds to programs of public education about the proven effects of marijuana, and one-third to the development of realistic laws governing the commerce and taxation of this ancient commodity among consenting adults.

Submitted for public consideration by the Mendochio County Growers' Cooperative withheld for obvious reasons) 4 Ukiah Daihi journal If 82 nizE-wiNNiNs NEWSPAKH of tiM CAUFOHNIA NEWSPAPER PUBU8HERS ASSOCIATION JIM Editor and Publisher DAN Managing Editor GARY Advertising Director JULIE Classified Manager FRED KELLEY Production Superintendent MARCIA Circulation Manager JOHN Press Room Foreman YVONNE Office Manager The UKIAH DAILY JOURNAL (Publication No. 646920) is published daily, except Saturdays and certain holidays, at 590 S. School Street, P.O. Box 749, Ukiah, California, 95482, (707)468-0123. Subscription rates Walking $3.50 per month Senior Citizen (Walking $2.25 per month Auto $4.00 per month Auto route (Senior $2.50 per month $4.25 per month Second class postage paid at Ukiah, California.

Court decree No. Letters "Letters" Thanks for aid My husband and 1 would like to take this opportunity to express our appreciation to all the people that assisted and his friend when they were involved an, auto accident on Orr Springs Road on July 8,1982. We are very thankful that they were not badly uijured and wish to thank all the agencies and ui- dividuals that participated in their rescue. Our special thanks however, goes to all the young men who stayed with them whUe they were down dver the bank; for bringing them up the mountain and caring enough to stay at the hospital until they knew everything was alright. It is for all these young people that we are extremely thankful.

We know with young people like these our world is not in such bad hands after all. Becky and Tom Jondahl Ukiah 'Crofootism' What scares me a hundred tinaes more than any hardworking, honest horticulturist ger- muiating innocuous seeds in the hills is the fanatical, paranoid moral majority mentality of Mr. Crofoot. 1 am appalled with his hysterical scare tactics of latie, attempting to equate pot growers with murderers and desperadoes battlihg bermuda- short-bedecked tourists at gum pohit for coritrol of our National Forests. Not only is it simply not true, but cheap irresponsible allusions such as these only fan the flames of the already volatile media iire that has been created from this exaggerated issue.

My business was burglarized last week for over $6,000 worth of merchandise and we came up with two prime suspects, complete with names and addresses as of today seven days after the burglary, and after six telephone calls to the police department, I am unable to motivate their office or their detectives to question either one of these suspects; the ostensible reason being they are "too busy." I am shocked that these same law enforcement Agencies could spend time and money investigating victhnless crimes involving plant growth in the hills when burglaries such as mine go uninvestigated, the Capes murders still go unanswered, etc. etc. I have yet to talk to one owner in our county whom, in times of near depression and high unemployment feels any kind of the paranoid vindictiveness of Mr. Crofoot toward marijuana growers. I would encourage all other business people in this county to let Mr.

Crofoot know where he should be allocating our law enforcement money artd time, and would hope that enough people will speak out against his madness so that sanity will prevail and crush this creeping John Schaef fer Ukiah Under the rug? This letter is hi regards to the recent allegations made by Ted Feibusch against Hays Hickey concerning Hickey's city residency question his Cal Vet laon majnipulations. I wdifider, after all the hoopla hi the local papers, exactly whose rug this matter has been swept under. I feel that anytime matter of this type arise among elected officials it is thne for a grand jury investigation. Perhaps an hi- vestigation has already begun but you certahily couldn't tell it from the local media. 1 thhik ru stop by and talk to Joe Allen abouth the matter.

He might know somethhig and if he doesn't maybe he can look hito it. Jerry L. Burps Letter policy The Journal welcomes letters from our readers. However, we reserve the right not to print those letters we consider may be libelous or In bad taste. Letters should not exceed 500 words in length and should be typed and Signatures and addresses must accompany all submissions.

Addresses will not be printed, but the writer's name will appear wbm the let- terisprinted..