The public is invited to the first meeting Monday of the new California-Nevada Tahoe Basin Fire Commission.

The meeting is scheduled for 9 a.m. in the Lake Tahoe Community College library board room, 1 College Drive, South Lake Tahoe.

The commission will review each state’s laws on fire safety and prevention, the scope of the new commission’s work and the role of various fire prevention agencies.

The panel will adopt bylaws, appoint committees and implement its initial actions.

Public comment will be taken at 1:30 p.m. or later.

The governors of Nevada and California established the commission after the Angora fire in June. It consists of 17 voting members who represent each state’s stake in managing lands and fire fuels in the Tahoe basin.

It also will study various approaches to reducing the threat of wildfires while protecting the environment. It is to submit a report and recommendations to the two governors by March 21.

– Barbara Barte Osborn

Only days after Osama Bin Laden threatens to kill more Americans and more then 100 years after Mark Twain commented on war, Local residents gather at the fairgrounds to remember those killed on September 11th.

While watching the “Colors” being presented on Sunday in remembrance of the innocent men, women, and children, that died from the terrorist attacks, participants may recall the recent words of terrorist Bin Laden, “People of America this talk of mine is for you and concerns the ideal way to prevent another Manhattan, and deals with the war and its causes and results.” “… easy for us to provoke and bait this (Bush) administration. All that we have to do is to send two mujahidin to the furthest point east to raise a piece of cloth on which is written al-Qaida, in order to make the generals race there to cause America to suffer human, economic, and political losses …This is in addition to our having experience in using guerrilla warfare and the war of attrition to fight … So we are continuing this policy in bleeding America to the point of bankruptcy.” 

“That being said, those who say that al-Qaida has won against the administration in the White House or that the administration has lost in this war have not been precise, because when one scrutinizes the results, one cannot say that al-Qaida is the sole factor in achieving those spectacular gains. For example, al-Qaida spent $500,000 on the event, while America, in the incident and its aftermath, lost - according to the lowest estimate - more than $500 billion … It never occurred to us that the commander-in-chief of the American armed forces would abandon 50,000 of his citizens in the twin towers to … occupying himself by talking to the little girl about the goat.”

“Finally, it behooves you to reflect on the last wills and testaments of the thousands who left you on the 11th as they gestured in despair. In conclusion, I tell you in truth, that your security is not in the hands of Kerry, nor Bush, nor al-Qaida. No. Your security is in your own hands. And every state that doesn’t play with our security has automatically guaranteed its own security. And Allah is our Guardian and Helper, while you have no Guardian or Helper.” says Osama Bin Laden.

We remember. On Sunday we will be thinking about those “last wills and testaments of the thousands who left you on the 11th as they gestured in despair.” Yes, we hear you and we remember!

We remember the words of local Sacramento Union writer Mark Twain. “Next the statesmen will invent cheap lies, putting the blame upon the nation that is attacked, and every man will be glad of those conscience-soothing falsities, and will diligently study them, and refuse to examine any refutations of them; and thus he will by and by convince himself that the war is just, and will thank God for the better sleep he enjoys after this process of grotesque self-deception.”

Osama is right when he claims that “your security is not in the hands of Kerry, nor Bush, nor al-Qaida” as it is in our own ability to see beyond the deceptions and act with courage and determination. In a letter to William T. Stead in 1899 Twain wrote, “Peace by persuasion has a pleasant sound, but I think we should not be able to work it. We should have to tame the human race first, and history seems to show that that cannot be done.” “History does not repeat itself, It rhymes.” 

“For in a republic, who is ‘the country?’ Is it the Government which is for the moment in the saddle? Why, the Government is merely a servant – merely a temporary servant; it cannot be its prerogative to determine what is right and what is wrong, and decide who is a patriot and who isn’t. Its function is to obey orders, not originate them. Who, then, is ‘the country?’ Is it the newspaper? Is it the pulpit? Is it the school-superintendent? Why, these are mere parts of the country, not the whole of it; they have not command, they have only their little share in the command. They are but one in the thousand; it is in the thousand that command is lodged; they must determine what is right and what is wrong; they must decide who is a patriot and who isn’t.”

These words of Twain ring loud and true today as it did more then 100 years ago. On Sunday participant will see the hope of America played out at the Butterfly Concert while pausing to Remember 9-11. Not only will we remember the cowardly attack that destroyed a daycare center in the Twin Towers, we will remember the brave men and women that volunteered to leave their comfortable lives here in the States to give ultimate sacrifice on the battlefields of terror. We remember that the re-enlistment rate is the highest it has ever been and that those who know the dangers of mortal combat first-hand are those that are signing up to serve again. We remember that Twain warned us not to fall for the deceptions that attempt to rewrite history. That peace is not achieved through gentile diplomacy with barbarous idealogs that believe in the murder of civilians over peaceful co-existence.

Although Bin Laden’s latest threats are intended to scare us into submission and conversion to radical Islam, they really remind us why we must continue to fight this tyranny from abroad in order to maintain our lives here at home. Even though his message is rambling, he is clear in his intent to kill as many innocent civilians as possible to spread terrorism.

As I enjoy the uplifting of my spirit at the Butterfly Concert, I will pause to remember 9-11.

I have just a short message for Osoma Bin Laden, his supporter, his agitators, his apologist, and those that wish to blame the county whose innocent citizens were targeted to create fear and confusion.

WE WILL NEVER FORGET !

Cris Alarcon.

 

I hear people saying we don’t need this war
I say there’s some things worth fighting for
What about our freedom and this piece of ground
We didn’t get to keep ‘em by backing down
Now they say we don’t realize the mess we’re getting in
Before you start your preaching let me ask you this my friend

Have you forgotten how it felt that day?
To see your homeland under fire
And her people blown away
Have you forgotten when those towers fell?
We had neighbors still inside going thru a living hell
And you say we shouldn’t worry ’bout bin Laden
Have you forgotten?

They took all the footage off my T.V.
Said it’s too disturbing for you and me
It’ll just breed anger that’s what the experts say
If it was up to me I’d show it everyday
Some say this country’s just out looking for a fight
Well after 9/11 man I’d have to say that’s right

Have you forgotten how it felt that day?
To see your homeland under fire
And her people blown away
Have you forgotten when those towers fell?
We had neighbors still inside going thru a living hell
And you say we shouldn’t worry ’bout bin Laden
Have you forgotten?

Now I’ve been there with the soldiers
Who’ve gone away to war
And you can bet that they remember
Just what they’re fightin’ for

Have you forgotten all the people killed?
Some went down like heros in that Pennsylvania field
Have you forgotten about our Pentagon?
And all the loved ones that we lost and those left to carry on
Don’t you tell me not to worry about bin Laden
Have you forgotten?

Have you forgotten how it felt that day?
To see your homeland under fire
And her people blown away
Have you forgotten when those towers fell?
We had neighbors still inside going thru a living hell
And you say we shouldn’t worry ’bout bin Laden
Have you forgotten?

Have you forgotten?

Have you forgotten?

 

Stock
market drops as a new report by the U.S. Labor Department reported a loss of 4,000 jobs in August. This is the first monthly decline in four years. “I think we’re very near recession, and California is on the leading edge of the downturn,” said chief economist Mark Zandi of Moody’s Economy.com. “The housing market is the economy’s most significant problem, and California’s housing market is among the worst in the country.”

California lost 8,600 jobs in July as unemployment rose to 5.3 percent. Sacramento-area unemployment is up to 5.4 percent, as the region lost 5,200 jobs in July. State and local job numbers for August will be released Sept. 21. On the national level, 22,000 construction jobs disappeared in August, as did 46,000 factory jobs and 6,000 in the lending industry. In addition, the government revised downward its estimates of job creation in June and July, from a combined 218,000 jobs to 137,000.

Many economist believe that the housing slump has bleed into other industies. “I think we’re very near recession, and California is on the leading edge of the downturn,” said chief economist Mark Zandi of Moody’s Economy.com. “The housing market is the economy’s most significant problem, and California’s housing market is among the worst in the country.” 

As an example Countywide Financial Corp’s just announced a layoff of 20% of it’s work. Of the 12,000 layoffs, many are centered in
California. “There will be news that isn’t always good news. But I feel quite strongly that we have a resilient economy,” Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson told Bloomberg television.

Analysts believe some of the losses in manufacturing are tied to housing as anxious consumers, no longer tapping their home equity for cash, cut back on spending. Auto industry officials, for instance, say most of the downturn in U.S. auto sales is in California and Florida, where the housing market is the weakest. Car sales in California fell 7.7 percent in the first half of the year. “The problems in housing and mortgage markets are now affecting confidence, and thus activity, in other parts of the economy,” said Zandi of Moody’s Economy.com.

Chris Thornberg, head of Beacon Economics consulting in Los Angeles, said California has other “fundamental strengths” that could limit the carnage, including the rebound in the Bay Area’s tech economy. “We aren’t talking about a place like Detroit, where the auto industry has imploded,” he said. California will feel the effects of a recession worse than most states because it was such a hotbed of subprime mortgage lending. “We will bear the brunt of this primarily because of the mortgage issue,” Thornberg said.

David Lyons of the state Employment Development Department said Despite an increasingly difficult job market, personal income growth in California has remained strong. In fact, state government has been hiring lately, adding 4,600 jobs in Sacramento in the past year. Outside of the construction industry, the region’s job market is “holding up pretty well,” he said.

As for the housing market, most experts believe relief is a year away, if not longer. Building permits in California dropped 22 percent in July, according to the California Building Industry Association.

Zandi and other analysts said the Fed is sure to cut interest rates later this month. The only mystery is whether the central bank will drop rates a quarter-point, as many assume, or make a more dramatic move and go for a half-point cut, Zandi said.

As of September 12, 2007, there has been (3) birds that tested positive for West
Nile Virus in EDC.

To View a Magnified Map of 2007 WNV Activity in El Dorado
County, click on the map below or click
here.

To View a Map of 2006 WNV Activity
in EDC, click
here.

 

For more information:
West Nile Virus Web Page

I distributed an administrative (staff) draft of a program that Planning Services and Economic Development have been working on to address the need to streamline the process for Affordable Housing and Employment Generating projects requiring Discretionary Review by the County. This does not address Ministerial projects at this time. I am asking for you individual thoughts and comments on the draft. This has also be distributed to the Building Industry Advisory Committee (BIAC) and will be going to the Economic Development Advisory Commission (EDAC) this Friday.

As mentioned it is only a staff draft at this time. I still need to flush out some thoughts/points and definitions and this is why I am so interested in you thoughts and comments. Once we have received comments from those wishing to contribute we will final a draft and send it back out for more formal comments from each of the committees. 

The attached draft outlines a 2-part process. The first step identifies what staff can do immediately (i.e. not requiring amendments to policy, ordinances or the General Plan) that can help reduce the processing time. The second step is recommending an ad hoc Process Improvement Team that would look at the County’s policies, and procedures that need to be modified, amended and/or completely revamped to address current barriers. The items out of this group would require approval of decision makers and therefore will take more time to complete. At this time we are recommending the Process Improvement Team to be made up of members from the BIAC, EDAC and the Housing Taskforce, three County advisory bodies, currently addressing these issues on an separate basis. 

Please let me know if you have any questions. I would appreciate it if you could send me back you comments by Tuesday, August 28th. 

Thanks in advance for your review and thoughts on this matter.

Shawna Purvines

Shawna L. Purvines
Sr. Planner
Development Services
EDC
Phone:(530) 621-5362
www.co.el-dorado.ca.us

Suspect holding an air pistol left the officer no choice, department says.

By David Richie - Bee Staff Writer
– The EDC Sheriff’s Department released this photo to show the similarity of a Daisy Power Line 1700 BB air pistol, top, to a .40-caliber Glock handgun. EDC Sheriff’s Department

The EDC sheriff’s deputy involved in a fatal shooting Tuesday in El Dorado Hills is Damien Walters, 26, the department’s spokesman said Wednesday.

The department also released photographs of the Daisy Power Line 1700 BB air pistol that Rajan Vaid, 23, reportedly pointed at Walters before the deputy fired a single fatal shot.

Mohan Passi, a family friend of the Vaids, questioned Tuesday whether it was necessary to use deadly force to control the young man.

Lt. Kevin House, department spokesman, said Vaid gave the deputy no choice.

The Daisy Power Line looks very similar to the .40-caliber Glock handguns that most deputies carry, House said.

“There is no way you can look at this and tell the difference,” House said. “It is a handgun, and a pretty intense looking handgun at that.”

Walters joined the Sheriff’s Department in December after working as a full-time officer with California State Parks. He is a six-year law enforcement veteran, House said.

“We usually wait about three days before releasing the names of deputies involved in cases like this,” House said. “We want to get it out there so we do not get accused of covering something up.”

Walters’ name is being released with his permission and with authorization from Sheriff Jeff Neves. Walters said he does not want to talk to media about the incident, House said.

Walters was one of three deputies called to a home in the 2500 block of Highland Hills Drive about 10 a.m. Tuesday. Vaid had called dispatchers and told them that he had been drunk for four days and wanted to turn himself in, House said.

He also told dispatchers about bizarre thoughts he was having, including visions of running over the heads of children, House said. Dispatchers also talked to Vaid’s mother, who was at the house. She told them her son was out of control, House said.

According to House: When deputies got to the home, they were soon confronted by Vaid, who was holding the air pistol. Vaid retreated down an embankment in the backyard and was reportedly bringing the weapon up to a firing position when Walters fired his weapon once. Vaid fell to the ground immediately. The other deputies did not fire.

Later Tuesday, Passi said Vaid has had mental health problems and was on medication, “having good days and bad days.”

Attempts to reach the Vaid family Wednesday were not successful.

###

Published 12:00 am PDT Thursday, September 13, 2007
Story appeared in METRO section, Page B3

Published 12:00 am PDT Wednesday, September 12, 2007

A 23-year-old man, holding what a family friend described as a BB pistol, was shot and killed by an EDC sheriff’s deputy at a home in El Dorado Hills on Tuesday morning.

Sheriff’s spokesman Lt. Kevin House said the shooting was “unavoidable.” He said the man, Rajan Vaid, told dispatchers he had been drinking for days and was having violent visions. After deputies arrived, House said, Vaid faced them with what appeared to be a gun and assumed a shooting position.

“There is nothing requiring our deputies to take the first round,” House said. He said information on the type of weapon Vaid was holding would be released later.

Late Tuesday afternoon, Vaid’s parents and close family friends were still trying to understand the shooting. Vaid had a history of mental illness and there is concern that deputies did not use nonlethal tactics to control him, said Mohan Passi, a family friend for more than 30 years.

Passi answered the telephone at the Vaid residence and said he was authorized to speak for the family.

“His parents are in a state of shock,” Passi said.

Before the fatal confrontation, Vaid had called EDC sheriff’s dispatchers and said he had “visions of running over the heads of children,” House said.

Vaid contacted dispatchers just before 10 a.m. Tuesday.

He also told dispatchers he had been drunk for four days and wanted to turn himself in, House said.

Vaid was arrested Friday on suspicion of being drunk in public, and was released Saturday, records show.

When deputies arrived at the 4,000-square-foot home in the 2500 block of Highland Hills Drive, Vaid exhibited what appeared to be a black handgun, House said.

The young man retreated to the back part of the nearly 1-acre property, turned around and raised the weapon as if to fire at the deputies, House said.

A deputy fired one shot, killing Vaid.

House said the incident happened “very quickly.”

There was no opportunity to use a stun gun, House said, since Vaid was outside the effective range of about 20 feet.

“The guy created a situation that was unavoidable,” he said.

Vaid’s parents, Naveen and Paula Vaid, were at home when the shooting happened.

Passi said a deputy talked with the mother for several minutes before Rajan Vaid appeared from another part of the house.

“They have never had guns in the house. It was a BB gun that Rajan had in his hand,” Passi said. “He has had it since he was a little kid. That is what is causing so much shock for us.

“We are talking about a mentally disabled kid,” Passi said.

The deputy who fired the fatal round is being placed on paid administrative leave and is not being named, standard procedure for the sheriff’s office following officer-involved shootings.

House challenged Passi’s standing as a family spokesman and emphasized that investigators have interviewed the parents and a maid who was present when the incident occurred.

House said he absolutely will not “second-guess” a decision made by a deputy in the field during such a situation.

Naveen Vaid, 55, and Paula Vaid, 53, both work for Healthtech Mobile Services in El Dorado Hills, a mobile health service that offers services such as immunizations and blood tests.

Naveen Vaid is listed as executive director on the company’s Web site; Paula Vaid, a registered nurse, is listed as director of nursing.

Passi said Rajan Vaid graduated from Oak Ridge High School, then attended California State University, Sacramento, for about a year before switching to Folsom Lake College.

At that point, Passi said, it became clear the young man was having emotional problems. He said Vaid was taking medication, having “good days and bad days.”

The Highland Hills neighborhood of million-dollar, gated homes is carved into an oak hillside off Silva Valley Parkway.

On Tuesday morning, the typically placid neighborhood’s curved streets were swarming with sheriff’s deputies and staff members, including the sheriff’s crime scene investigation unit and Sheriff Jeff Neves, there to check on the welfare of his deputies.

Neighbor Ernie Boetius said the shooting is “definitely out of context for the neighborhood.”

“There’s never been any trouble that I know of at that house,” he said, describing the family as “fairly reclusive.”

The shooting marks the Sheriff’s Department’s third officer-involved shooting since late May, House said.

On May 29, a 41-year-old El Dorado Hills man was shot in the groin by a deputy trainee after the man assaulted the deputy, who was investigating a report of an assault at White Rock Village apartment complex.

On June 5, a gunfight in a residential neighborhood in Shingle Springs left a father and son dead and three deputies and a police dog with gunshot wounds.

Officer-involved shootings are investigated by a multiple-agency team that includes District Attorney’s Office investigators, as well as officers from the South Lake Tahoe and Hangtown police departments, House said.

When complete, the team’s report will be released by the district attorney, House said.

 

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#JN0705292 BENJAMIN EDWARD CUNHA M, Date Booked 20070909

Benjamin Cunha has been a volunteer firefighter for the Diamond Springs/El Dorado Fire Protection District since 2000. He has been placed on administrative leave.

Cunha also has worked as an apprentice firefighter for the EDC Fire District and, from 2001 to 2003, was a seasonal firefighter for Cal Fire, said Phyllis Banducci, division chief for Cal Fire’s Amador-El Dorado Unit.

Cunha’s family members also have logged many years in fire service.  His father, Ed Cunha, worked for the Diamond Springs/El Dorado Fire Protection District for 23 years, retiring as a captain in 1997. He now serves on the fire district’s executive board, said Marty Sanford, the fire district’s assistant chief of operations and training.  Frank Cunha, Ed Cunha’s father, retired from the fire district in 1985 after more than 20 years of service, he said

PLACERVILLE — A 24-year-old Diamond Springs volunteer firefighter pleaded not guilty Tuesday to three felony arson charges.

Benjamin Cunha, who has volunteered for area fire departments and hails from a long line of career firefighters, is alleged to have started three fires within the past three weeks, according to the criminal complaint filed in El Dorado Superior Court.

The complaint states that Cunha set fire to a structure and forestland at Sand Ridge Road on Aug. 21. It also alleges that he set fire to a structure and forestland at Big Cut Road near Excelsior Road in Hangtown on Aug. 29 and set fire to a structure and forestland at Mosquito Road in Hangtown on Sunday.

Cunha also faces a special allegation of arson with aggravating factors in regard to the three felonies. The arsons were caused by a device designed to delay ignition, the complaint states.

He was arrested Sunday afternoon following an investigation by the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection’s Amador-El Dorado Unit.

He is being held without bail in the EDC jail.

– Niesha Lofing

###

Published 12:00 am PDT Thursday, September 13, 2007
Story appeared in METRO section, Page B2

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Creativity on open-space rules could help curb home prices, builders say.

By Cathy Locke - Bee Staff Writer — EDC Planning Commission members say they are willing to consider creative ways to overcome barriers to affordable housing and infill projects without dispensing with amenities.

The commission directed staff members last month to meet with developers and other interested parties to draft a proposal that would offer alternatives to the county’s current open-space policies.

Of particular concern is the requirement that 30 percent of the land in residential planned developments be set aside as open space. Planner Peter Maurer said the policy has caused difficulties for infill developments on small parcels and for affordable housing projects.

Under a planned development, a project may deviate from standard zoning requirements in exchange for providing a public benefit. Often, a project applicant is allowed to develop a portion of the property at a higher density if at least 30 percent of the site is set aside as open space.

But several real estate and building industry representatives complained during the commission’s Aug. 23 meeting that the “one-size-fits-all” requirement doesn’t always produce the best results and stymies some projects.

Maurer suggested the commission consider other benefits the public could gain from a project other than open space.

In some cases, he said, the county might seek a combination of open space and other amenities, or waive the open space requirement entirely in favor of some other benefit.

Commission member Alan Tolhurst said he was concerned that waiving the open-space requirement for affordable housing projects, such as apartment or condominium complexes, could leave children with no place to play.

“I would be very reluctant to say if it’s low-income housing you can eliminate all the amenities,” he said.

But in some cases, Tolhurst said, amenities other than open space make more sense. He cited an 18-unit apartment complex in the South Lake Tahoe area that recently was converted to condominiums. The owner purchased a neighboring single-family home and converted it to a community center, Tolhurst said.

Maurer said one option would be to allow a developer to provide open space off-site but near the development.

Commission Chairman John Knight suggested that in communities like El Dorado Hills or Cameron Park, a developer, in lieu of open space, could pay an additional fee to the local community services district to help provide parks and recreation facilities in the neighborhood.

Developer Cindy Schaeffer said she liked suggestions included in the staff report that would allow more flexibility.

“Planned developments are as varied as the projects and sites that come before you,” she said, and each should be evaluated on its own merits.

Gene Thorne, whose firm Gene E. Thorne and Associates provides engineering services for developers, said imposing the 30 percent requirement on a 1-acre parcel rarely yields useful open space.

“A strip of open space means absolutely nothing,” he said.

Schaeffer said some jurisdictions specify a number of square feet of open space per housing unit.

“It makes more sense in higher-density (developments) to make it active open space, like a tot lot or swimming pool,” she said.

Commission member Dave Machado suggested that in some cases allowing larger backyards in lieu of communal open space might produce a better project.

Tolhurst said he believed the issue was one of scale. The idea behind a planned development, he said, is to design a project in which the housing units and the open space work in harmony.

Maurer said he would work with industry and community groups to come up with a better understanding of how proposed changes in open-space policies would affect various types of projects before bringing a general plan amendment to the commission.

###

Published 12:00 am PDT Thursday, September 13, 2007
Story appeared in El DORADO FOLSOM RANCHO CORDO section, Page G4

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The public is invited to the first meeting Monday of the new California-Nevada Tahoe Basin Fire Commission.

The meeting is scheduled for 9 a.m. in the Lake Tahoe Community College library board room, 1 College Drive, South Lake Tahoe.

The commission will review each state’s laws on fire safety and prevention, the scope of the new commission’s work and the role of various fire prevention agencies.

The panel will adopt bylaws, appoint committees and implement its initial actions.

Public comment will be taken at 1:30 p.m. or later.

The governors of Nevada and California established the commission after the Angora fire in June. It consists of 17 voting members who represent each state’s stake in managing lands and fire fuels in the Tahoe basin.

It also will study various approaches to reducing the threat of wildfires while protecting the environment. It is to submit a report and recommendations to the two governors by March 21.

– Barbara Barte Osborn

Only days after Osama Bin Laden threatens to kill more Americans and more then 100 years after Mark Twain commented on war, Local residents gather at the fairgrounds to remember those killed on September 11th.

While watching the “Colors” being presented on Sunday in remembrance of the innocent men, women, and children, that died from the terrorist attacks, participants may recall the recent words of terrorist Bin Laden, “People of America this talk of mine is for you and concerns the ideal way to prevent another Manhattan, and deals with the war and its causes and results.” “… easy for us to provoke and bait this (Bush) administration. All that we have to do is to send two mujahidin to the furthest point east to raise a piece of cloth on which is written al-Qaida, in order to make the generals race there to cause America to suffer human, economic, and political losses …This is in addition to our having experience in using guerrilla warfare and the war of attrition to fight … So we are continuing this policy in bleeding America to the point of bankruptcy.” 

“That being said, those who say that al-Qaida has won against the administration in the White House or that the administration has lost in this war have not been precise, because when one scrutinizes the results, one cannot say that al-Qaida is the sole factor in achieving those spectacular gains. For example, al-Qaida spent $500,000 on the event, while America, in the incident and its aftermath, lost - according to the lowest estimate - more than $500 billion … It never occurred to us that the commander-in-chief of the American armed forces would abandon 50,000 of his citizens in the twin towers to … occupying himself by talking to the little girl about the goat.”

“Finally, it behooves you to reflect on the last wills and testaments of the thousands who left you on the 11th as they gestured in despair. In conclusion, I tell you in truth, that your security is not in the hands of Kerry, nor Bush, nor al-Qaida. No. Your security is in your own hands. And every state that doesn’t play with our security has automatically guaranteed its own security. And Allah is our Guardian and Helper, while you have no Guardian or Helper.” says Osama Bin Laden.

We remember. On Sunday we will be thinking about those “last wills and testaments of the thousands who left you on the 11th as they gestured in despair.” Yes, we hear you and we remember!

We remember the words of local Sacramento Union writer Mark Twain. “Next the statesmen will invent cheap lies, putting the blame upon the nation that is attacked, and every man will be glad of those conscience-soothing falsities, and will diligently study them, and refuse to examine any refutations of them; and thus he will by and by convince himself that the war is just, and will thank God for the better sleep he enjoys after this process of grotesque self-deception.”

Osama is right when he claims that “your security is not in the hands of Kerry, nor Bush, nor al-Qaida” as it is in our own ability to see beyond the deceptions and act with courage and determination. In a letter to William T. Stead in 1899 Twain wrote, “Peace by persuasion has a pleasant sound, but I think we should not be able to work it. We should have to tame the human race first, and history seems to show that that cannot be done.” “History does not repeat itself, It rhymes.” 

“For in a republic, who is ‘the country?’ Is it the Government which is for the moment in the saddle? Why, the Government is merely a servant – merely a temporary servant; it cannot be its prerogative to determine what is right and what is wrong, and decide who is a patriot and who isn’t. Its function is to obey orders, not originate them. Who, then, is ‘the country?’ Is it the newspaper? Is it the pulpit? Is it the school-superintendent? Why, these are mere parts of the country, not the whole of it; they have not command, they have only their little share in the command. They are but one in the thousand; it is in the thousand that command is lodged; they must determine what is right and what is wrong; they must decide who is a patriot and who isn’t.”

These words of Twain ring loud and true today as it did more then 100 years ago. On Sunday participant will see the hope of America played out at the Butterfly Concert while pausing to Remember 9-11. Not only will we remember the cowardly attack that destroyed a daycare center in the Twin Towers, we will remember the brave men and women that volunteered to leave their comfortable lives here in the States to give ultimate sacrifice on the battlefields of terror. We remember that the re-enlistment rate is the highest it has ever been and that those who know the dangers of mortal combat first-hand are those that are signing up to serve again. We remember that Twain warned us not to fall for the deceptions that attempt to rewrite history. That peace is not achieved through gentile diplomacy with barbarous idealogs that believe in the murder of civilians over peaceful co-existence.

Although Bin Laden’s latest threats are intended to scare us into submission and conversion to radical Islam, they really remind us why we must continue to fight this tyranny from abroad in order to maintain our lives here at home. Even though his message is rambling, he is clear in his intent to kill as many innocent civilians as possible to spread terrorism.

As I enjoy the uplifting of my spirit at the Butterfly Concert, I will pause to remember 9-11.

I have just a short message for Osoma Bin Laden, his supporter, his agitators, his apologist, and those that wish to blame the county whose innocent citizens were targeted to create fear and confusion.

WE WILL NEVER FORGET !

Cris Alarcon.

 

I hear people saying we don’t need this war
I say there’s some things worth fighting for
What about our freedom and this piece of ground
We didn’t get to keep ‘em by backing down
Now they say we don’t realize the mess we’re getting in
Before you start your preaching let me ask you this my friend

Have you forgotten how it felt that day?
To see your homeland under fire
And her people blown away
Have you forgotten when those towers fell?
We had neighbors still inside going thru a living hell
And you say we shouldn’t worry ’bout bin Laden
Have you forgotten?

They took all the footage off my T.V.
Said it’s too disturbing for you and me
It’ll just breed anger that’s what the experts say
If it was up to me I’d show it everyday
Some say this country’s just out looking for a fight
Well after 9/11 man I’d have to say that’s right

Have you forgotten how it felt that day?
To see your homeland under fire
And her people blown away
Have you forgotten when those towers fell?
We had neighbors still inside going thru a living hell
And you say we shouldn’t worry ’bout bin Laden
Have you forgotten?

Now I’ve been there with the soldiers
Who’ve gone away to war
And you can bet that they remember
Just what they’re fightin’ for

Have you forgotten all the people killed?
Some went down like heros in that Pennsylvania field
Have you forgotten about our Pentagon?
And all the loved ones that we lost and those left to carry on
Don’t you tell me not to worry about bin Laden
Have you forgotten?

Have you forgotten how it felt that day?
To see your homeland under fire
And her people blown away
Have you forgotten when those towers fell?
We had neighbors still inside going thru a living hell
And you say we shouldn’t worry ’bout bin Laden
Have you forgotten?

Have you forgotten?

Have you forgotten?