Humboldt authorities combat transient camps
Churches have pews. Churches have bathrooms. Churches have congregational funds. Yet churches lock their doors like any regular business. Why ? Some say it is because the church can’t afford to let any more altar boys see the light ; the enormous sum of money spent by the church on legal fees means all that fatherly prodding is a deep an penetrating expense that requires a large reserve fund. Obviously too large a reserve to have any money left over to spend in helping out the homeless and downtrodden. Lost souls, that is the business of religion and not of government, you good Christian folk, remind your altar boys not to bend over, you know, just in case, and then, tell your Priest to unlock the church door. (Sep 3, 2008 | post #66)
Governor's May budget revisions draw mixed local reviews Educat...
True, and that being the case, it is at least one reason why such a tax should be earmarked for health care so as to keep that priority from dipping into educational funds : it might be too late in the day to assist the enlightenment of current day lottery taxpayers but perhaps not too late to educate their children ? Better this way than continued donations from our paychecks, yes ? We already work, approximately, two-and-a-half days for free : I think it is time to draw the line. (May 15, 2008 | post #9)
Governor's May budget revisions draw mixed local reviews Educat...
To our duly elected representatives: Let’s make it easy on ourselves, shall we? Increase the alcohol beverage tax by 5 %. Explain to the liquor, beer and restaurant lobbies that the social cost of maintaining court proceedings and prison terms for drunk driving related manslaughter and intoxicated domestic violence manslaughter has gone past the incidental stage where productive members of society are willing to support it with their tax dollars. Take it to a public vote if necessary. This should somewhat ease the societal cost burden of dealing with those incarcerated from an early release from the penal system. Call it the Cody Baker Alcohol Tax. Temporarily increase the cost of a lottery ticket to $2 dollars and offer a bonus smaller prize, with better odds of winning, as an adjunct to the standard main prize. This was done about a decade ago, sans the additional fee, where a lower dollar amount prize was offered at better odds for all drawn winning numbers except for the mega. Such a temporary increase is justifiable by the State were it to explain to the populace that it is utilizing the vice of gambling to bring the health care system up to par. Implementing the aforementioned would, more than likely, free up funds to maintain the educational system on par with 21st Century goals. Work the problem people. (May 15, 2008 | post #7)
Supervisors to consider revisions to allow Cutten development
THE TIMES-STANDARD HEADLINE IS NOT ACCURATE FOR THIS ARTICLE. The article says, in part: QUOTE The decision to be made at this time is whether or not the Board will accept the Individual Plan Amendment for processing, review and consideration. If accepted, final approval of the proposed amendment will be dependent upon more data showing the request is both in the public interest and consistent with a comprehensive view of the General Plan. UN-QUOTE The headline should have read something like this: BOARD BACK-BURNERED HOUSING PLAN PENDING PUBLIC INTEREST DETERMINATION. Am I off base or does the Times-Standard have a vested interest in a blood pressure pharmaceutical company ? (May 12, 2008 | post #19)
APD releases photo of Subway robbery suspect
http://members.aol .com/tagsphotoarch ive/photos/andynew s.jpg (May 10, 2008 | post #3)
Judge throws out Baker's plea bargain sentence
Incorrect. There is no doubt, there is no gray area, there is no maybe : getting into a vehicle with a drunk driver is STUPID. The harm is done to the ones you love, the ones you left behind. The message to all of you still in the 13th grade is this : walk away or find a comfortable spot and sleep it off, throw the keys ( you will find them in the AM when you are sober ) or we one day will be having a discussion about your tragedy in this forum. Being stupid stacks the odds against you. (Apr 20, 2008 | post #115)
Judge throws out Baker's plea bargain sentence
Granted. While on the subject of responsibility : What about the manufacturer of the alcoholic beverage that was purchased by these consumers, does the manufacturer not deserve some recognition of their responsibility too ? Or does it suffice that their caveat of DRINK RESPONSIBLY is sufficient to warrant an acquittal from the role such a product plays in a tragedy such as this ? This product, like all other products, reaps its profit in the free market, yet, the ill effects of this product are not paid for out of those profits. Instead, a caveat of DRINK RESPONSIBLY places the burden of dealing with these ill effects on the taxpayer : in the form of SOCIAL WELFARE via the courts and prison systems to support the incarceration of those individuals who do not heed the caveat. Perhaps a user tax of some percentage of the sale of this product should be earmarked to a national fund to assist in paying for the ever increasing number of drunks incarcerated within the prison system ? This may reduce the governments propensity for the musical chair syndrome, in which, government cuts funding for education, and other worthwhile programs, in this budget maneuvering exercise to support the ever increasing cost burden of SOCIAL WELFARE to incarcerate drunks. (Apr 20, 2008 | post #113)
Judge throws out Baker's plea bargain sentence
So, on the one hand, you excuse the intelligence diminishing effect of drunken behavior by NOT holding Baker’s friends accountable for their flawed decision to get in the car with Baker because they were drunk and not in their right mind. Yet, on the other hand, using your same logic, you say it is unacceptable for Baker to make the same type of flawed decision because he was not sober. And you accuse me of defending Baker ? Think about what you are saying ! (Apr 20, 2008 | post #112)
Judge throws out Baker's plea bargain sentence
From reading the account of what happened, it does not seem that Baker set out with malice and purpose to knowingly and willfully cause the death of any of those individuals who died as a result of him driving drunk that day. That is the meaning of INTENT in legal terms in the context of what type of charge should be filed. In other words he did not start out his day hatching a plan to kill his friends. (Apr 19, 2008 | post #108)
Judge throws out Baker's plea bargain sentence
Not stated in defense of Baker, just simply pointing out a FACT. Even those individuals with an extremely high I.Q. get stupid when they are drunk. Those with a low I.Q. get even more stupid when they are drunk. My point to all who are reading is simply : it is STUPID to get drunk. Yet a large number of people continue to drive drunkIf you actually think this happens in the California GenPop Prison Classification then you are sadly mistaken. Baker will have it relatively easy, and, have it so at taxpayer expenseThen place Baker on display and REQUIRE the manufacturer of the substance he purchased, drank and got drunk on pay for his upkeep. Taxpayers should not have to pay for mistakes made by drunks. If prison is actually a deterrent to D.U.I.’s then why is the court system constantly sentencing drunks to serve time? (Apr 19, 2008 | post #107)
Judge throws out Baker's plea bargain sentence
No, what you are describing is a crime knowingly and willingly perpetrated with the INTENT to HARMBeing drunk makes one stupid. If one already has a vacuum for a mind, then, being drunk can only intensify that void. The prison system, at least in California, provides education, weight room, sports, meals, library, an account where friends and family can deposit money for the incarcerated to purchase cigarettes etc. and the list goes on. Tax dollars pay for this. Bad enough tax dollars have to support rapists and other violent criminals in this eloquent manner, however, since they are violent criminals who had a willful INTENT to purposely HARM we have to seclude them from society or be continually victimized by these psychopathsUnfortu nately Baker will be going to prison and won’t be tortured to the full extent he should be by re-living the event daily as he explains to other potential stupid drunks how they could have the guilt of the death of friends on their conscience for the rest of their lives. If Diamond is indeed a friend of Baker’s perhaps he should volunteer to speak about the tragedy for the entire amount of time that Baker is sentenced to serve. Yes, that would show remorse for his lack of insight. Should have, could have, if only…he survived…why ? How will he honor the memory of his friends remains to be seen, (Apr 19, 2008 | post #104)
Judge throws out Baker's plea bargain sentence
PART ONE Your distinction between role model and example is well said and here is some more food-for-thought in that regard. The following is a direct quote : QUOTE - The liquor, beer wholesaler and restaurant industries are waging a well-financed campaign in the House to DEFEAT a measure backed by the White House and traffic safety groups to impose tougher anti-drunken driving laws throughout the country – END QUOTE Eric Pianin, Washington Post Staff Writer, Alcohol Lobby Fights Drunken Driving Bill, The Washington Post, Thursday, March 26, 1998; Page A01 : http://www.washing tonpost.com/wp-srv /politics/special/ highway/stories/hw y032698.htm The manufacturers of this product have instilled alcohol into our culture and continue to reap their profits as they offer us the caveat of DRINK RESPONSIBLY, all the while they, in effect, give us gasoline to put out the fire they are, at least in part, responsible for creating. The manufacturer of such a product is, in part, complicit in any tragedy caused as a result of consumers using their product and, as such, should be held accountable for the role that product plays in its illustrious contribution to the society to which it markets that product. Should we, as a society, thank the spirit manufacturers for their part in creating organizations like M.A.D.D. and Alcoholics Anonymous ? Or should society demand that these manufacturers be partly ACCOUNTABLE for the devastation which constantly occurs from under-educated consumers using their product ? (Apr 19, 2008 | post #100)
Judge throws out Baker's plea bargain sentence
PART TWO Society IS going to make an EXAMPLE out of Cody Baker in any event, and sending him to prison is, in effect, saying society is willing to pay for his mistake via the tax dollars required to support such imprisonment. Is that justice ? Credit should be given where credit is due and the manufacturers of intoxicating spirits have EARNED at least partial credit in this regard. Further, these manufacturers have owed society interest for quite awhile and it is high time the manufacturers of such a product bring their account up-to-date. Society should not have to pay for mistakes made by individuals such as Cody Baker. This is the 21st Century and society should be able to sentence someone such a Baker to a term of reparation and require the manufacturer of the spirit to at least partially fund that term. Would the impact of such reparation have any effect on decreasing such devastation from occurring in the future ? Society will not know the answer to such a question unless it is first done and then studied over time as a case history. Is it justifiable to say no to the possibility just because it would take too much time to discover an answer to a problem which is constantly eroding the fabric of society? If it is the case that Baker has a psychopathic personality, for those of you who commented he has no remorse, then it is a mental institution, and not a prison, that he should be incarcerated in. A competent judge should rule such an examination be done on Baker by a psychologist to determine the degree of probability that such a mental defect did or did not play a role in the behavior of Baker. If baker is not a psychopath, then being an example of what NOT to do by relating the events of this tragedy on a daily basis to auditorium after auditorium of students , would indeed be more torturous than any prison sentence could ever offer. Day after day reliving his mistake, not being able to focus on anything but that and the only solace is the possibility that his torment might save another individual from committing the same stupid mistake. This action at least has the possibility of a benefit to society over imprisonment. To those who do not comprehend this, think about the following quote, I read it on a bumper sticker in a parking lot the other day, it read as follows : QUOTE – For those of you who think you are above the rest, try walking on water. – END QUOTE (Apr 19, 2008 | post #99)
Judge throws out Baker's plea bargain sentence
PART ONE Your distinction between role model and example is well said and here is some more food-for-thought in that regard. The following is a direct quote : QUOTE - The liquor, beer wholesaler and restaurant industries are waging a well-financed campaign in the House to DEFEAT a measure backed by the White House and traffic safety groups to impose tougher anti-drunken driving laws throughout the country – END QUOTE Eric Pianin, Washington Post Staff Writer, Alcohol Lobby Fights Drunken Driving Bill, The Washington Post, Thursday, March 26, 1998; Page A01 : http://www.washing tonpost.com/wp-srv /politics/special/ highway/stories/hw y032698.htm The manufacturers of this product have instilled alcohol into our culture and continue to reap their profits as they offer us the caveat of DRINK RESPONSIBLY, all the while they, in effect, give us gasoline to put out the fire they are, at least in part, responsible for creating. The manufacturer of such a product is, in part, complicit in any tragedy caused as a result of consumers using their product and, as such, should be held accountable for the role that product plays in its illustrious contribution to the society to which it markets that product. Should we, as a society, thank the spirit manufacturers for their part in creating organizations like M.A.D.D. and Alcoholics Anonymous ? Or should society demand that these manufacturers be partly ACCOUNTABLE for the devastation which constantly occurs from under-educated consumers using their product ? (Apr 19, 2008 | post #98)
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