Fresno Bee letters: On Devin Nunes’ new job, COVID response, forest management

Might Nunes hear ‘You’re fired?’

Contrary to current concerns — inflation could be lessening!

For example: A portion of the lead story in the Fresno Bee on Dec. 7 stated “Rep. Devin Nunes will retire from the United States House of Representatives at the end of the year, his office told constituents on Monday. The congressman will become the chief executive officer of the Trump Media & Technology Group, a conservative social media outlet that the former president aims to launch, the company said.”

Obviously, it is a lot cheaper to buy politicians these days. Nunes has possibly forgot about the constantly revolving door of Cabinet members and closest advisers to Trump.

Plus that TV show — “The Apprentice” — “You're fired!”

Wish Devin luck with that.

State, feds must help with timber

My famy has worked in California timber over the past three centuries. We paid our dues to intercede in the timber mortality and wildfire crisis throughout the state. Fresno County is the capital of this devastation.

I call on federal agencies, state and Fresno County authorities to respond to this ecological crisis in our very communities. We started in Paradise, and moved on to Auberry.

Authorities are penalizing our efforts. We have invested millions of dollars, with one $250,000 federal drant, a Wood Innovations Grant, vetting our efforts. It is time for state and Fresno County authorities to come alongside our efforts and investments with appropriate regulation and help, not stifling of our conscientious efforts.

Surplus fiber must be utilized for the environment. Federal agencies, state and county authorities must join hands with private enterprise to accomplish these worthy goals.

Thank you to those who have. Shame on those who have not.

Trump staff acting guilty in responses

It’s quite amusing to watch Trump’s inner circle fall all over themselves in an attempt to avoid testifying before the House committee investigating the incidents of Jan. 6, 2021. It seems to me that testifying would give them a golden opportunity to present their side of the story to the voting public. They could tell us why they interfered with our presidential election certification process, perpetuated lies about mass voter fraud and planned the riotous events of Jan. 6.

In my mind they are refusing to cooperate with the investigation because they are undeniably culpable in all of the above and did it to keep former president Donald Trump in office, knowing that in reality he lost the election to Joe Biden by more than 7 million votes.

MAGA Republicans are now in panic mode, fearing that the truth will come out that they were in fact the party that tried to steal the election. If they were innocent of these allegations, why would they be taking the Fifth Amendment, refusing to appear before the committee, refusing to submit documents related Jan. 6 and suing the committee to avoid testifying. Are these the actions of innocent people?

On Democrats and COVID crisis

As an individual who has had COVID prior to the vaccine, I have one question: Why is natural immunity ignored?

Let’s be honest. With the present COVID numbers, it is quite evident that the vaccinations are not the success that the press would like us to believe. Since these vaccinations have generated billions for the providers, they are certainly not going to say or do anything to limit future income. Those companies will also squelch any discussion of potential side effects such as myocardia.

Now we are, for all intents and purposes, virtually ordered to take the vaccinations, though there have been some real and significant negative side effects. If anyone is to be forced to take one of these against their will, then even one death or injury is one too many!

Back in the last Democrat administration, Obama, one of his then advisers, Rahm Emanuel, was said to have advised Mr. Obama not to “let a good crisis go to waste.” We are seeing Democrats, both national and state, doing everything they can to stamp out personal freedom under the guise of “public safety.”

Enough is enough!

Voters really don’t have much clout

I must disagree with the essay of Professor Thomas Holyoke where he writes that Congress will enact the policy preferences of a large portion of the voting public. This is simply false.

In the respected 2014 study “Testing Theories of American Politics: Elites, Interest Groups, and Average Citizens” by Martin Gilens and Benjamin I. Page, published in Perspectives on Politics, they concluded:

“In the United States, our findings indicate, the majority does not rule — at least not in the causal sense of actually determining policy outcomes. When a majority of citizens disagrees with economic elites or with organized interests, they generally lose. Moreover, because of the strong status quo bias built into the U.S. political system, even when fairly large majorities of Americans favor policy change, they generally do not get it.”

“When the preferences of economic elites and the stands of organized interest groups are controlled for, the preferences of the average American appear to have only a minuscule, near-zero, statistically nonsignificant impact upon public policy.”

This is not a description of democracy. Better messaging to the average American citizen will not make it so, when his or her preference means nothing.

America needs real statesmen

Today I watched a congressional hearing in which the heads of several health agencies, the leading architects of the response to the COVID pandemic — Dr. Fauci and others —testified. I watched hours of politicians making speeches instead of asking questions or following up, grandstanding and political theater. I watched witnesses not answering, lying, misstating or mischaracterizing their responses. And from both, near boundless arrogance and hubris. All to no effect since nothing will come of the hearing. No legislation will result, no changes will be made regarding the issues discussed, nor will the behavior of any of the participants be addressed in any way.

I also watched President Biden’s speech in Georgia touting his proposed voting rights bill. It was divisive, angry, mischaracterized the current status of voting laws in Georgia and the remedies it is purported to provide.

My takeaway at the end of this very long day? Only that I see, yet again, why these people suffer the lowest approval ratings in years, if not generations. Please! Where are the statesmen?

Why were kids on street so late?

The fact that there was an incident in the parking lot at Angry Chickz was not surprising to hear about. That parking lot has become a place for loitering by crowds of young people hanging out, and loud vehicles speeding through the parking lot and adjacent streets. I frequently go to Target and have watched the people and cars scatter when the police cruise through. People usually scatter when there’s something to hide. It’s not surprising that the CHP was surrounded and had to call for back up when they approached a motorcycle rider in a crowded parking lot.

My question is, why were the parents of these teenagers there with their kids? I certainly wouldn’t allow a 13 year old to be hanging out in a parking lot that’s known for questionable activity.

I agree that citizens have the right to record law enforcement if they don’t interfere. But one of the sisters pushed the officer and is quoted as saying “who’s gonna sit there and watch your sister get arrested?” Really? You don’t push the police unless you want to face some consequences.

People need to reserve judgement on this one until all the facts are in.

This story was originally published January 23, 2022 at 6:00 AM with the headline "Fresno Bee letters: On Devin Nunes’ new job, COVID response, forest management."