Letters to the Editor 1/8

Resolve to improve

In memory of my son, officer Rich May — a SLO High School graduate and Lompoc police officer who was killed on duty in East Palo Alto on Jan. 7, 2006 — I’ve been inspired to review some new year’s resolutions. You know which ones: lose weight, exercise more, eat better, drink less, etc.

Start this new year off better than you did a year ago. It’s easy — volunteer to help others! It is time to look at a resolution that you can successfully keep and actually helps you and your neighbors. Step forward and provide assistance for a disadvantaged young person in your community. Find a local nonprofit organization that provides assistance to youth in need, and give them a little personal help.

It takes little effort to assist with schoolwork — 3 out of 10 kids will not graduate from high school. It takes little effort to be involved with a young person one evening each week. Juvenile crime is up between 3 and 7 p.m. It takes very little time to coordinate your desire to lose weight when you can do this with a young person. Three out of 10 kids are obese and need a mentoring adult to help them into better health.

It is easy to start. Call Big Brothers Big Sisters at 781-3226. Commit to a resolution that will stay with you this year and next.

Rick May
San Luis Obispo

Paws Cause says thanks

If you caught Bill Morem’s recent column about felines in need in Paso Robles (Jan. 5), you read about our organization’s rescue operation at a ruined eastside home. This is the biggest challenge we’ve faced in our one year of existence, and we thank the volunteers, friends and neighbors who helped make it possible.

Many of the 24 rescued felines have already found homes, but a few are still waiting for a new family. If you’re interested in a sweet companion cat, contact us!

Paws Cause would also like to thank local animal welfare organizations that stepped up to assist us in getting off the ground in 2011. Feline Network of South County generously shared some funds so we could get started. HART in Cambria donated extra equipment, and Befriended Felines shared adoption opportunities. Woods Humane Society accepted a few of our cats into their programs, North County Humane took a litter of kittens from us, and Animal Services staff and volunteers have been great advisers and supporters as well.

As a new, all-volunteer nonprofit, we field many requests for help with spay/neuter services, trapping ferals, rescuing cats in need and cat food support. If you would like to find out more about us and consider supporting us in our work, visit our website under construction: www.northcountypawscause.org.

Cathy Enns
Volunteer, Paws Cause

Movement is team effort

Patti Launders and Rush Limbaugh maybe don’t know that the whole team gets the trophy (“Just showing up,” Dec. 9). When the St. Louis Cardinals won the World Series last year, the trophy was for the team and everyone got a ring, even if he didn’t play.

Also, anyone who has had children in Little League knows that these little dynamos never just “show up.” Parents may show up, but the children are running, trying to throw and bat and putting their hearts into learning a team sport. The team wins or loses together, and the individuals contribute to the team.

Anyone who has actually shown up to an Occupy event can see that it is a diverse group that represents all of us, the whole team of Americans. They are on our side, working to raise awareness of what the banks, high financiers and wealthy corporations have done to ruin our culture and democracy. You may not know who stole away the financial security you thought would be the result of “doing your best” all this time.

Corporate media has a vested interest in us not knowing what is going on. Occupiers want to make America a place, once again, where people who work hard can pay bills, care for children and remain healthy into old age. That is not possible now. We need to work together to change that.

Adrienne Dickinson
San Luis Obispo

Grateful foundation

As the Equine Alliance Youth Foundation celebrates another year, we know this has only been possible because of the admirable support we have received from our community. We wish to extend our sincere thanks to The Pacific Forest and Watershed Lands Stewardship Council Foundation, Central Coasts Funds for Children, the Avalon Foundation, and the ASPCA for funding our youth and equine rescue programs. A special thank-you to sheriff’s Deputy Ed Bryant for protecting the health and safety of animals and humans in our community.

Your support ensures that we can continue providing a safe place where children and horses can continue to help each other heal. Without your kindness, generosity and continued support, this would not be possible. On behalf of all the kids and horses at Equine Alliance, we thank you!

Lori Harmon
Executive director, Equine Alliance Youth Foundation

Disastrous ruling

The article “Super PACs are winners of spending race,” which appeared in the Jan. 3 Tribune, should be a call for action for both Democrats and Republicans alike. The Jan. 21, 2010, Supreme Court ruling in the Citizens United case stating that corporations are people was an absolute disaster.

What the decision meant was that corporations and billionaires can sit in a room and determine how millions of dollars are going to be spent to influence our elections. They can support people who are prepared to work with them on their corporate agenda. And they can do it in secret, without any disclosure whatsoever.

We have seen the unprecedented amount of money spent in Iowa, and sadly, it’s only going to get worse in the general election.

If you believe that corporations are not people and that money is not speech, go to www.movetoamend.org and join the movement to amend this egregious Supreme Court decision.

Human beings are people; corporations are legal fictions. Don’t let corporations and millionaires buy and run our elections!

Beryl Bennett
Morro Bay

Don’t destroy trees

After watching 35 minutes of the Rose Parade, I noticed that at least four of the floats featured the leaves of several different eucalyptus trees.

This is directed toward all the eucalyptus haters in California:

Don’t turn our coastal lands and inland empires into wind tunnels, with blowing dust and erosion.

Don’t destroy the habitat for many species of raptor and monarch butterflies.

These trees have been here for more than 300 years, brought from the friendly nation of Australia to fill the gaping hole left by the native oak, which was decimated early on in the history of California to build homes.

These eucalyptus are self-sustaining. We will never be without wood to build houses, warm houses with lovely smelling aromas from a crackling fire, oils to use in medicines for us and on our pets … the list goes on.

Los Osos without our giant trees will be the lesser for it. Sweet Springs will be an eyesore without them.

I am angry that our little town would be made ugly because of the interference of people who don’t have anything positive to do in life!

Go destroy someone else’s town and state. Leave us and our trees alone.

Suzann Reeve
Los Osos

Thankful for support

I wish to applaud and thank the all-volunteer membership of Central Coast Funds for Children (CCFC) for their exceptional effort and generous support over the years.

Since 1994, Central Coast Funds for Children has raised and granted more than $1 million to local organizations providing special services for children in need in our community.

As a representative of one of the many organizations that have benefited from CCFC’s generous grants ($5,000 to La Clinica de Tolosa in 2011 for children’s dental services), I encourage everyone to support their efforts throughout the year by attending one of their numerous fundraising activities and events such as the Soup Supper and Christmas in November, and know by doing so that you, too, are helping to make a positive difference in the lives of children in our community.

Barbara Nicholson
Executive director, Partnership for the Children of San Luis Obispo County