Opinion

March 15, 2011 — The California Constitution provides all students grades 1 through 12 with the right to free and equal public education. On the surface that is the way it should be. No child should be denied a public school education because of his or her socioeconomic status, creed or race. We think the intent was clear and pure when the legislature penned the provision in the state’s Constitution.

But, as with many things the long-reaching arms of lawsuits has infiltrated the public education system and before he left office, Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger announced that a settlement was reached between the state and American Civil Liberties Union concerning fees charged by school agencies. Charging of fees to students is now a violation of the free and equal education provision.

March 8, 2011 — Lassen County’s Board of Supervisors unanimously passed a resolution Tuesday, Feb. 22 invoking coordination status when dealing with state and especially federal agencies that administer public lands within Lassen County.

While Congress retains exclusive management power over federal lands, it requires its management designees such as the U.S. Forest Service, the National Park Service, the Bureau of Land Management and others to coordinate their planning and management processes with local governments that invoke agency status.

March 1, 2011 — Let’s slow down and face a terrible reality for a couple of minutes. We live in a stressful, quick-paced world, and some of us just drive too darned fast, even here in rural Lassen County.

Sure, we know better, especially when we’re driving through residential neighborhoods such as Janesville when kids and animals are present or along Johnstonville Road where big trucks and business traffic pose a constant hazard.

Barbara France

Managing Editor

bfrance@lassennews.com

March 1, 2011 — The world and national news are two things I try to listen to each evening or at least peruse on the Internet. I find what is happening in other countries and states fascinating, and then I like to form my own opinion. I have learned many times TV pundits have only a few seconds to tell the whole story of the news event, and yes, sometimes opinion skews the facts. Take the situation in Wisconsin with its governor and unions. Governor Walker says he wants to reform collective bargaining rights to fix the budget deficit, and the public-sector unions say the governor is union busting and trying to destroy collective bargaining.