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ken_bw.jpg     Ethicalego Speaks

Ethicalego (Kenneth Brooks) discusses current events from a critical thinking perspective rarely expressed elsewhere


City workers' strategy to exploit fire and crime


By Kenneth Brooks

August  26, 2010

 

A gang of six to eight nonstudents entered Vallejo High School (VHS) campus to attack a student to avenge an assault of a female student said a Vallejo Times Herald article. Reportedly, two campus supervisors received injuries as they tried to break up the melee as other VHS students joined to defend against the attack. Nevertheless, the most shocking part about the news article report was how much of it was about Vallejo City Police Department.

 

The article credited the following remarks to Lt. Eric Mortenson. "The "melee" depleted "a lot of our resources, trying to get everyone under control." "The use of school resource police officers, assigned to district campuses, was discontinued nearly a year and a half ago, an additional hindrance in police response to the "excitement and hysteria." "(On-site officers) would have allowed for immediate identification of the non-students. It might not have prevented the fight, but it would, I believe, have had an impact on identifying the problem earlier."

 

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  Should we allow animal testing in Benicia?


By William Gregory

8/26/10

 

 “Until we have the courage to recognize cruelty for what is—whether its victim is human or animal—we cannot expect things to be much better in this world. We cannot have peace among men whose hearts delight in killing any living creature. By every act that glorifies or even tolerates such moronic delight in killing we set back the progress of humanity. “
                             --- Rachel Carson, Environmentalist-Scientist,1907-1964

                                                      
 I recently read a couple of story’s in The Benicia Herald that caught my attention. They pose the idea that is now being debated before the Planning Commission: to allow animal testing laboratories in the Industrial Park. Since our city doesn’t presently have an ordinance banning this practice-- According to Economic Development Director Amalia Lorentz, --the plan is to “update” zoning requirements that will allow companies who use this inhumane practice, to set-up their businesses, here in Benicia.  The present zoning doesn’t accommodate businesses that practice Bio-technology; Nanotechnology or clean tech. The present zoning is considered antiquated with- no animal testing; the purposed new version is more business friendly and may be hazardous to furry creatures.


 The Industrial Park has been for many years the economic engine of our city’s economy. As far as I know, this is still the case. Sure, the present recession is having an adverse impact on our local businesses; there is presently a 20 percent vacancy rate.  What I find troubling is that the business community:  the private sectors-Benicia Industrial Park Association; and the city’s Economic Development Board and the Economic Development Department  have joined hands, and, are  pushing for this zoning change-- without the consent and knowledge of the wider community; Although it is their right, it is -our right -to know and respond.

 

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Solano 360 Update

 

 

Development of the Solano County Fairgrounds

 

By Joe (APR) Feller

8/24/10




On Thursday, August 5, the Solano 360 meeting for the next steps of the Fairgrounds went forward. Apparently, the anonymous recap posted on VIB last month had a salutary effect on the commissioners. Jim Spering, acting as chair, allowed many folks to comment on the proposed project and various issues that arise with the proposal.


I have to admit that I am no ADQ and cannot give you a blow by blow accounting of the meeting. During the introductions, the Fair Board has now added two representatives which is probably a wise thing. The first thing that I recall is the Brooks Street Project director blabbing on about the “extraordinary process” that had been followed to achieve the current status. At later points, both Dan Levin and myself spoke on how we had been ignored from the very beginning of this process and that the county had been both arrogant and inattentive to our concerns.


Stephanie Gomes then threw the whole thing open when she asked the chair if we could look at “alternative plans” that may be superior to the proposed plans. Spering was receptive to this and agreed to agendize a proposal for an amateur sports complex at the next meeting. This is scheduled for September 16 at 6:30 pm at the fairgrounds. Vallejoan’s will get a new bite at the apple at this meeting and I urge all to attend.

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ken_bw.jpg     Ethicalego Speaks

Ethicalego (Kenneth Brooks) discusses current events from a critical thinking perspective rarely expressed elsewhere


Morality and religious freedom


By Kenneth Brooks

August  21, 2010

 

"Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion or prohibiting the free exercise thereof." First Amendment Constitution

 

"Our constitution was made only for a moral and religious people. It is wholly inadequate to the government of any other," John Adams wrote. I decided the same long ago. American founders composed a Constitution that described a limited role for government to prevent it from violating humans' innate rights to live self-directed lives. However, groups with selfish goals and low morality passed laws and made court decisions that defeated many of the Constitution's protections.

 

John Adams and Thomas Jefferson were respectively the second and third U.S. presidents. Both of them helped to draft the Constitution. Nevertheless, they displayed contrasting moral standards in support of the right to freedom of religion.

 

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Father Lou Grills Doris Gentry; Republican candidate for the California State Assembly 7th District.

 

Doris shares her experiences and political perspectives...and oh, yes a dollop of religion.

 
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