Hey folks! My names Jessica and Id like to share with you a few reasons why I believe we need the state of Jefferson. Not want, but rather need. Each reason will be further elaborated on in another essay at a later date. I want to keep this short and to the point, as an introduction of sorts. Keep in mind a good bit of this is personal opinion, but a good bit of it is backed up by fact. I have incredibly high hopes for Jefferson as well; I fully believe we can do this! The first point Id like to make is jobs and economy. This is a rather complicated one, because to put it short and sweet, we dont have enough jobs that bring in enough money to sustain our children, much less ourselves. Were leaving them in a state economy that punishes them for coming up with new ideas and trying to create business opportunities for themselves and others. This is also complicated by the ridiculous amount of regulation that goes into the creation of a business. At least here in the California side of things, starting a business is often so expensive, that after you start, as soon as you hire your first employee, youre unable to keep a profit. The federal level regulations are bad enough, adding unnecessary state level regulations make it impossible to stay competitive, particularly with manufacturing, causing many companies to either leave the state, or to leave the country as a whole. This causes the area to lose jobs and revenue. No jobs means no money being brought into the area to spend in the economy. I hope to be able to elaborate on this in a future post, as to give an idea of exactly how hard it is to remain competitive. The next point is revenue generated versus where its spent. Im concerned that the money we bring in in taxes isnt being spent here in Jefferson. Spreading the love is all good and all... but then we go without adequate road work, public works projects go unfinished, police and fire departments are under funded... all because the money generated here isnt being spent here. Im also concerned with how funding is gained and spent. An example of things that have annoyed me is a tax increase that was voted on last year. One of the things it was supposed to do was increase funds for schools. Since it was going into the general tax fund, I knew immediately that kids arent going to see a dime of that tax money. Its going to pay the pensions of the teachers and for any other miscellaneous spending the state needs to do. If Im approving, and voting for a tax thats supposed to help schools, I expect the schools to get the money and spend it in the school system. Not on retired teachers. Not on administration. The buildings, textbooks, supplies, accessibility for the disabled, art programs, life skills programs. These I can approve on. But thats another story. Point being, our money isnt being spent where its supposedly being spent, and not necessarily where its being earned. Locally generated revenue should largely stay in the area its created. Jefferson shouldnt be funding Los Angeles. Gun control. Love guns or hate guns, you must admit that the laws are getting absurd. Rural areas have different demographics and different issues than urban sprawls. You may need that .223 for shooting coyotes that are pestering your livestock, or that shotgun for killing excess birds that are eating your crops. Maybe you hike or fish in the middle of nowhere and would like to carry a pistol in case of cougar attack. What if you just like to sit out in the field during the off season for your farm and shoot at tin cans with your son or daughter? And what about those of us that live in marijuana country? Those grows attract some rather unsavory types. Recreation or defense, we have the right to keep and bear arms, and its protected from the government under the Bill of Rights; the Second Amendment. As a woman, I find Californias current concealed carry laws absurd and overly restrictive. If I didnt need a permit, as is the case in Arizona for example, I would better be able to protect myself without having to rely on government permission slips. Any woman that supports gun control is a chicken rallying in support of Col. Sanders. Criminals do not like armed victims. Its another example of urban issues affecting rural areas badly. Dont get me started on the condors. Well, maybe not yet. The Coastal Commission prevents new building along the coast. Wed wanted to have a rebuild of Highway 101 to help prevent traffic accidents at a specific spot between Arcata and Eureka and the Coastal Commission threw a fit. The project was eventually approved last I checked, but still. This should not be a matter of “keeping the area pretty” when its trying to alleviate a problem with vehicular accidents. Just trying to keep up the property value of coastal real estate more like it. Property and natural resource rights is another good one. We have all this forest land, minerals that can be mined, fresh, clean water and delicious fish of all sorts... but were not allowed to use any of it unless Sacramento and Los Angeles approve. They dont want us to dam the river to produce power, because it kills the fish, but they have no problems with damming up the rivers to send the water down south, to the brilliant, ingenious cities that were built on deserts and salt marshes. That fertile valley? Isnt very fertile unless theyre sucking out water from Lake Shasta. Theyre preventing lumber harvesting to supposedly save the Northern Spotted Owl, but foresting isnt whats killing them. Without loggers, the wildfires have gotten worse. A letter to the editor in the Del Norte Triplicate said it best: “The loggers were much more than an economic asset before some unthinking public severely limited the industry with set-asides. “ That letter that line is from was written by a man that spent over 3 decades of his life with the United States Forest Service!! Its almost like they want to make Jefferson so uninhabitable that they want us all to leave... oh wait. These are just a few of the reasons for why we need the state of Jefferson, but these are the ones that are the most personal to me. Together, we can make the free state we want without the oppression of Sacramento and Salem telling us whats good for us. Jefferson, State of Mind. -JP
Posted on: Thu, 05 Dec 2013 03:46:22 +0000
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