By Chuck Doud
The Madera Tribune

The new Arizona legislation aimed at controlling illegal immigration already is being challenged in court, where it likely won’t be upheld, at least not in its entirety. This kind of legislation on the part of states will keep being passed, though, until the United States fulfills its obligation to maintain the integrity of its borders.

Only when we have control of our borders can we have any meaningful enforcement of immigration laws.

The eventual alternative will be to station armies on our borders and at our ports to keep out the people and the things we don’t want to be here.

That isn’t to say the Border Patrol and Immigration and Customs Enforcement aren’t trying to do their jobs. But their hands are often tied by regulations and laws that work against efficient enforcement. The very federal government that is supposed to be enforcing the integrity of our borders also is charged with trying to figure out ways around that enforcement. Thus Arizona’s attempt to localize immigration justice.

Also, there is the problem of the American public. They resent illegal aliens, but they want cheap, fresh food that is made available by the labor that immigrants, legal and illegal, provide.

“We want to do something about illegal immigration,” people say, “but, of course, we want guest workers, too.”

And then, there’s the crime. Drug runners sneak into the country 24 hours a day, not because they necessarily want to be here, but because this is where the market for their poison is. The United States is probably the biggest illicit drug-consuming nation on the planet. Why wouldn’t drug smugglers not want to bring dope here, since the profits to be had are enormous?

Let’s see — we want drugs, we want cheap food, we want lawns cut and hotel beds made cheaply. And we don’t have the spine to change any of that.

You can’t blame the Arizonans for their frustration.

I am a student at Mountain Vista High School. I think that it wouldn’t be a good idea to move the continuation schools to Eastin Arcola because it is far, and I wouldn’t be able to get transportation.

I also think it wouldn’t be good because there would be more students and problems. I think it wouldn’t be good because then there would only be one counselor for 500 students. I think it would be better if the schools stay where they’re at and just cut school bus transportation.

I think it would be better to do that and that way everyone could just walk. They should leave the schools where they’re at because that way they’ll be closer to people. I think it would bring the district more problems because there will be more students and not enough security and teachers.

It will be harder to watch all the students. There will be more fights and more problems.

Agustin Vasquez,
Madera

By Chuck Doud
The Madera Tribune

I think Mrs. Doud and I may be among the few people left who have no intention of getting themselves tattooed. I know a lot of people who have tattoos, and it is their own business, but I am happy with just plain skin, and I think Mrs. Doud is, too.

The other day, I was watching a television program about global warming, and one of the speakers had obviously had a big tattoo around her neck, one of those that makes it look like you have plants growing in your underwear, and they are trying to get out. She had apparently just had the tattoo removed, but the red marks from the laser-burning were still there, and not only did she look unattractive, she also looked goofy.

I believe tattoos to be a fad, but they are a fad that is hard to throw away. For example, a few years ago, everybody wanted carpets on their floors, and then people decided they wanted wood floors instead. They tore up their perfectly good carpets and had wooden floors put down at great expense. One of these days, they will cover up those wood floors with carpets again.

That’s the way it is with fashion.

Long hair used to be in style for guys, but now most fellows wear it short, and some wear it glued straight up. You can always cut your hair off or let it grow out. But it’s harder getting rid of a tattoo, especially if you are going to appear on television and get your 15 minutes of fame at somebody else’s expense. Instead of leaving the impression that she was an expert on global warming, the formerly tattooed lady left an impression that she had just had her neck mutilated.

When people get themselves tattooed, they think it will be easy to get rid of if they get tired of it. But it won’t be easy. It will hurt.

I know some people say I already have tattoos, but it’s not so. They’re just wrinkles.

As a former elected Madera County assessor and native-born Maderan, I have the best interests of this community at heart.

Tom Kidwell came to work for me in February 1985. He took over my ag crew in late 1986 and laid the basis for a Williamson Act Ag Preserve program that the California Department in Conservation has said should be the model for every county in the state.

Tom became the elected Assessor in 1994. Since then, he has been recognized for his professionalism, evidenced in part by the important committees he has served on for the California Assessors’ Association. For the part of the county dollar he directly controls, he runs a tight budget. His fifteen person appraisal staff members, with only one exception, hold Advanced Appraiser certification status with the State Board of Equalization. To benefit the people, and follow the law, he has lowered the assessed values of more than 15,000 residential properties.

This is government run like a business. Join me to continue the integrity of the assessment process in Madera. Vote for Tom Kidwell for assessor.

Richard E. Gordon
Madera County Assessor 1978-1994,
Madera

By Chuck Doud
The Madera Tribune

Rotarians, including those in Madera, have been getting some bad news. After more than 20 years Rotarians have spent battling polio throughout the world, and beating it back to a point of near-eradication, the disease is crawling back for another fight.

The world’s Rotarians, along with the World Health Organization and other health organizations, have hurled $8.2 million at polio. A lot of that money was raised with community functions such as those put on every year by Madera’s two Rotary Clubs. When you go to a shrimp feed, for example, or to the Halloween ball, part of the money you spend may well go to put an end to polio.

A big sum — $700 million — came from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.

The success was more than dramatic. In 1988, there were some 350,000 cases of polio worldwide. By the year 2000, the number was less than 1,000. It was only going to take a few more years to kill polio for good. One last great effort was launched to eradicate polio in the few countries where it still existed.

But polio found allies, mostly in the leadership of countries such as Nigeria where vaccinations came almost to a halt after some religious leaders there told people polio vaccine would make little girls sterile. Unfortunately, you can’t vaccinate against half-witted attitudes.

But Rotarians and other polio fighters aren’t throwing in the towel. Dollar by dollar, they are still in the fight.
At the Sunrise Rotary Shrimp Feed earlier this month, Interact Club members were raising money to fight polio by selling cookies. Even relatively small efforts such as these eventually will conquer polio.

Madera Rotarians, along with Rotarians from throughout the country, have gone to foreign countries to help administer vaccine to children at risk.

It is a big task, but Rotarians and others aren’t afraid of it, thank goodness.

I am Betty Barker and I am running for sheriff-coroner in Madera County against the incumbent, John Anderson. I am e-mailing you in reference to an election-year problem that is getting out of control early this year, especially in the mountains.

My large 4-foot-by-6-foot signs are being stolen. I started placing my signs earlier than the incumbent, because I am placing most of them myself. I’ve had four large signs removed and stolen within the past two days. Two from Road 400 and Road 415, and two from in front on the Chevron at Road 417 and Highway 41 in Coarsegold.

The signs were not removed by county or state departments. Other election signs for people running for office that were placed along side of my signs were not disturbed, only mine.

This is not big news, but can you run an article about this problem? I sincerely hope that once this is put in the paper whoever is doing this will be afraid to continue or be caught doing it.

I am asking for help from the public. Anyone seeing someone tampering with any sign should get the vehicle description and license plate number if possible along with a description of the person(s) and report it immediately to law enforcement.

These signs are expensive. I take responsibility for anyone who assists me in placing my signs and every candidate should do the same. By doing so, this type of poor citizenship and illegal behavior can be stopped.

I appreciate any help you may give to assist me in this problem.

Betty Barker,
Madera County

By Chuck Doud
The Madera Tribune

I happened to attend the Madera County Republican Women’s luncheon Thursday to take some photos and write a story, and the event lived up to past efforts by the GOP women. If ever you wanted to define a political grass-roots function by example, that luncheon and forum for candidates would be it.

Beyond that, though, I have a secret reason for enjoying it, and it is this: The women are always beautifully dressed up, as though the event were of great importance to them (which it is). It is fun to be around such an elegant crowd.

Before I get in trouble, let me say I have seen Democratic women dress every bit as well. It’s just that I don’t think any Democrats were present on Thursday in the Madera Municipal Golf Course dining room. (There might have been some out on the golf course. If there were, they probably were the best-dressed on the fairways, and sinking long putts as well.)

The point of all this is that Madera isn’t a town of country bumpkins, as some believe it to be. Far from it, especially when it comes to how the city’s women — at least the politically active — dress for an important occasion.

I won’t try to describe the clothing; I’ll just say it was very nice, but not what some Eastern designers think women should be wearing.

The Wall Street Journal’s fashion page reports, for example, that women in New York (fashion central for the country) are now wearing leather shorts. I suppose they are considered very chic, these shorts, but they must be quite prone to chafing, since photos show the ladies’ legs are bare. Could one find anything less comfortable, especially on a hot, muggy New York summer day, or a cold, windy winter night?

I predict you will not find many Madera women wearing leather shorts any time soon. They are too wise.

All comments are edited for length and content. Because of content or space limitations, some comments may not be published. More than one comment from the same person during the same week will normally not be published. Please limit calls to two minutes or less.

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A woman “responded to a letter written by Rosanne Ayers. I say enough is enough about illegal immigrants. They are here for one reason and that is survival. They are not freeloaders. They pay for everything through their deductions taken out at work. This country used to be Mexico; read your history. (Note: the state, not the country, was formerly part of Mexico.)

A man called “to complain” about something that was inaudible on the Red Line. He closed with “you get what you pay for.”

”With all the teachers being laid off where’s the lottery money going?” asked a lady “who has lived here for 50 years. Isn’t it going to the schools like it is supposed to?” She also complained about “the illegals. They are the dirtiest people I have ever seen. They are rude.”

A woman said, “Hopefully, most property owners will write a letter of protest against water and sewage increases or attend the meeting June 2. It won’t pass if the majority protest. We will be charged water usage with the new water meters.”

A man asked, “Why do the current supervisors running for re-election get special privileges? They get to put their campaign signs in the county right-of-ways where that is not for use by anybody else. The (County) Road Department doesn’t seem to want to address the issue.”

A man said, “I really enjoy Tami Jo Nix’s Gravy (by the Slice) column on Saturdays. And when it is combined with Leon Emo’s (Mo’s) Meanderings on Saturday they start the weekend off right for me and my wife. Or as Mr. Emo would say, my gal.”

A man who “drove by the new (John W. Wells) Youth Center,” said, “it looks great. What took them so long? Now, with all the graffiti taggers, and their parents who don’t give a crap about their kids, I wonder how long it will look nice.”

On a similar note, another man said, “Whatever happened to parents who care about what kind of trouble their kids are in? Funny, they don’t seem to mind having half-a-dozen kids to get more welfare, but don’t care about raising them correctly. They should punish the parents just as harshly as their kids.”

A gentleman, who “came to Madera with my wife and daughter for a softball tournament,” said this about his stay, “We brought the motorhome so we wouldn’t have to get a motel and decided to stay right at the park.

“The park was beautiful. But we parked and spent the night on the wide street south of the (Industrial) park and it was a nightmare. We went to sleep about 10 and were awakened an hour later by kids banging on the side of our motorhome. An hour later, I heard a noise and went out to see what was going on. There were three teenagers with spray cans ready to graffiti my motorhome. Where were the police? I don’t think we’ll be playing in softball tournaments in Madera again.”

A woman wanted “to thank the Tribune for the article announcing the Fresno International Exposition of Photography that will was shown Monday. It was really a great article. There is also an article in the May 2010 Woman’s Day magazine stating that Canvas on Demand will send a 16×20 inch canvas to any mom of a current serviceman for free. It would be a great gift for a mom.”

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Thank you for your comments. Remember, the Red Line is open for your messages 24 hours a day by calling 674-4478 or by visiting the Red Line online at www.maderatribuneredline.com.

By Chuck Doud
The Madera Tribune

One of the most interesting stories about the high-tech business is the recent one about the Apple employee who got drunk at a bar and left the prototype of the latest iPhone behind. It was later found, taken and sold.

That such a prized object could wind up left behind in a bar is funny, but also a lesson in how careless we can be with important things in this age of almost instant communication and endless playing with electronic toys.

Users of Apple’s iPad, only introduced this month, are expected to be able to choose from among some 1 million applications. As the digital world continues to unfold, it’s becoming ever more evident that its users will have the opportunity to be permanently diverted.

I see people playing with cell phones and other devices, and their concentration is almost eerie. They seem unable to put their gizmos down for more than a minute or two. Then, their hands start to twitch, and they grab the phones and begin toying with them again.

The digital world, to them, is more interesting than the actual world.

I don’t especially mind that. As long as they don’t bother me, what do I care if someone is tapping a cell phone with their thumbs and staring at its little screen?

I think my own disinterest in playing with my telephone is generational. I am old enough to remember the pleasures of face-to-face conversation, which can be a little dangerous. For example, one might get into an argument. Or, one might become interested in the talk and forget to take one’s cell phone home with him if he has a few too many drinks.

It would be ironic, I think, if the Apple employee (probably ex-employee by now) forgot the cell phone because he became interested in what someone was actually saying.

A big thank you Elsa Mejia and The Madera Tribune for the great article and pictures of the First Annual Homeless Awareness Day at Courthouse Park.

However, a bigger debt of gratitude goes to the planners of the event as they bring awareness and attention to the issue of homelessness in Madera.

As the chair of the Madera County Diabetes Coalition, I’d like to invite agencies, churches, and social groups to email the Coalition with community events that they would like us to come to. The mission of the coalition is to raise awareness about diabetes, especially pre-diabetes, a symptom-less condition, and to identify those who may have undiagnosed diabetes through community blood sugar screening.

We also have a need for community volunteers, should anyone wish to become involved with trying to stop the epidemic of diabetes in our community.

Again, thank you so much for the wonderful article.

Julie Barker, chair, Madera County Diabetes Coalition