Letters: Democrats and others take issue with Doud
Online letter to the editor from “Keith Carmona"
Editors, and editorial boards for that matter, are tasked to not only produce the best journalism for their readers but to offer a factual assessment of the people and issues that make it to print — even in opinion pieces. Unfortunately, in Mr. Doud’s piece (July 1), this is not the case. If the content of this opinion sounds familiar, it should.
Much of the same content has appeared in letters and stories from prior weeks in the Sacramento Bee.
Mr. Doud has repeated the unfounded accusations of McClintock supporters and labeled the actions of concerned constituents as “harassment.” But a closer look at Mr. Doud’s commentary shows he is neither informed of the issues nor of Tom McClintock beyond the candidate being a Republican.
On the issues, Doud seems to have trouble with the acronym LGBTQ, where he mistakes the “Q” as “questioning” rather than what it really stands for, which is “queer.” Further, he claims that “Democratic activists tend to get shouted down” at McClintock town halls makes one wonder if he’s ever attended one. When he claims that McClintock “does oppose Democrats on some issues, but he also opposes his fellow Republicans when he is at odds with their stands” clearly demonstrates that Doud did not do his homework before writing this opinion. In fact, McClintock’s voting record is nearly identical to the right-wing extremist congressman from Iowa, Steve King. In 2012, Doud lamented over the failures of smaller-local newspapers, blaming much of their plight to lack of advertising dollar and that The Madera Tribune simply doesn’t cover national, state, or even local news, which happens to also be the same issue with the local papers of Peter King’s district.
Now in 2017, we can see the subscriptions for the New York Times and the Washington Post skyrocket in the age of Trump and the need for real factual journalism. So perhaps the lack of good journalism is the reason local papers struggle, not lack of advertising.
If there were more coverage of the House Subcommittee on Natural Resources, of which McClintock is a member, and how those bills and hearings are being utilized to craft policy which will impact the folks in Madera, then perhaps readership will go up and real constructive conversations over the issues will increase. And that’s really what this district needs.
Online letter from "DaMaestro"
What an incredibly lame straw-man argument, Chuck Doud! First, McClintock himself has been openly hostile to those who live in the very Congressional District he is SUPPOSED to represent; a district in which he ironically does NOT live. I’ve directed communications to his office on a number of topics — gently, without any rancor whatsoever — and routinely receive responses which can only be described as remonstrative, in effect, chiding ME for my beliefs, and instead preaching his own.
A representative (presumably) of the PEOPLE is supposed to listen to those people, and not condescend to them. McClintock is not the person or representative YOU wish to describe, Chuck Doud. He scorns anyone who doesn’t share his own positions, his donor base includes a great many sources outside this very district — corporate donors who have NO business within this district but instead who have various far-right axes to grind.
And McClintock is always more than happy to take their money and sharpen those axes — at the expense of THIS district, at the risk of we who actually live here.
Your editorial opinion is just that: an opinion. Unfortunately, it appears to have been bought and paid for, with whatever influence or lack of circumspection was on the market.
McClintock does NOT represent us. And to describe those who actually live here, who know what’s going on here, who object to McClintock’s actions and policies — as “idiots” as YOU do, Chuck, is not only unbecoming but incredibly foolish. Wise up, Chuck.
Online letter from “Dawn Wolfson"
Your editorial regarding constituents flooding Congressman Tom Clintock’s office with calls is off base on so many points.
First of all, there’s your incorrect assumption that it is “Dems,” “Democrat activists” and/or “so-called Democrats” who are calling. There are members of all parties as well as people with no party affiliation who call McClintock frequently with comments and concerns.
The people living around the Red Hawk gun range, for example, call frequently because the Congressman has been very unresponsive to their concerns regarding alleged bullying by the tribe. Regardless of political affiliation, we are his constituents, and we have the right under the Constitution to petition for a redress of grievances.
I have never had a problem getting through to the Congressman’s office, and I believe he and his people are framing the narrative to make concerned constituents look bad, just as he did in a recent letter that referred to these mostly middle aged and retired citizens as “the radical left,” “radical leftists,” etc. And remember, this is the very same Congressman who, back in 2009, advised his supporters to “agitate, agitate, agitate.” It seems that Mr. McClintock can dish it out, but he can’t take it.
