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6A Daily News – Thursday, December 26, 2013 Opinion DAILY NEWS RED BLUFF TEHAMA COUNTY T H E V O I C E O F T E H A M A C O U NTY S I N C E 1 8 8 5 Greg Stevens, Publisher gstevens@redbluffdailynews.com Chip Thompson, Editor editor@redbluffdailynews.com Editorial policy The Daily News opinion is expressed in the editorial. The opinions expressed in columns, letters and cartoons are those of the authors and artists. Letter policy The Daily News welcomes letters from its readers on timely topics of public interest. All letters must be signed and provide the writer's home street address and home phone number. Anonymous letters, open letters to others, pen names and petition-style letters will not be allowed. Letters should be typed and cannot exceed two double-spaced pages or 500 words. When several letters address the same issue, a cross section of those submitted will be considered for publication. Letters will be edited. Letters are published at the discretion of the editor. PATH in need Editor: Our PATH shelter is feeling the cold of the economy. As our PATH groups work continually all year to keep the winter shelter funded it has been extremely difficult this year. We have been faced with many difficulties, especially the ability to attain grant money through various sources in the government and private sectors. This of course due to the down turn in the economy. The fact is funding for our humble shelter is still held together by this wonderful community, our churches and many silent volunteers that continue year after year to work so hard to continue this program. For about 10 years, until last year my husband and I did the laundry for the winter shelter. Due to some physical issues attributed to age we had to step down from that position. At that time it cost PATH around $50 to $70 a week to wash the blankets for the shelter. That is just one of the many expenses of the PATH shelter. At this time PATH is at one of our lowest points in years. We will make it through this month due to some good sales at our Second Hand store on Main Street — Main Street Treasures. Mission Statement We believe that a strong community newspaper is essential to a strong community, creating citizens who are better informed and more involved. The Daily News will be the indispensible guide to life and living in Tehama County. We will be the premier provider of local news, information and advertising through our daily newspaper, online edition and other print and Internet vehicles. The Daily News will reflect and support the unique identities of Tehama County and its cities; record the history of its communities and their people and make a positive difference in WASHINGTON -- Federal the quality of life for the resiJudge John Gleeson of the Eastdents and businesses of ern District of New York says Tehama County. documents called "statements of reasons" are an optional way for a judge to express "views that might be of interest." The one he issued two months ago is still How to reach us reverberating. Main office: 527-2151 It expresses his dismay that Classified: 527-2151 although his vocation is the administration of justice, his Circulation: 527-2151 function frequently is the inflicNews tips: 527-2153 tion of injustice. The policy of mandatory minimum sentences Sports: 527-2153 for drug offenses has empowObituaries: 527-2151 ered the government to effecPhoto: 527-2153 tively nullify the constitutional right to a trial. As Lulzim Kupa learned. On the Web Born to Albanian immiwww.redbluffdailynews.com grants, he was convicted in 1999 and 2007 of distributing marijuana. Released from Fax prison in 2010, he again engaged in trafficking, this time Newsroom: 527-9251 with enough cocaine to earn Classified: 527-5774 him charges involving a senRetail Adv.: 527-5774 tence of 10 years to life. On March 5, 2013, prosecutors Legal Adv.: 527-5774 offered this: In exchange for a Business Office: 527-3719 guilty plea, he would effectively be sentenced within the range of 110-137 months -- but Address the offer would expire the next 545 Diamond Ave. day. Kupa rejected the offer, so on March 15 prosecutors filed a Red Bluff, CA 96080, or "prior felony information," aka P.O. Box 220 an 851 notice, citing the two marijuana convictions. So, 10 Red Bluff, CA 96080 days after saying a sentence of perhaps less than eight years (assuming good time credits) We continue to seek household goods and furniture to continue that effort, and of course we need buyers for our gently used items. I have one client I want to tell you about from one of our visits to the shelter while picking up the laundry. I will call her Sally. She is a young lady around 20 she is mentally challenged but seems to be able to care for her 16-month-old daughter. Sally seemed very loving and concerned about her situation, yet when her boyfriend left, her limited mental capabilities were not adequate to keep a roof over their heads, so now she finds herself homeless with her child and pregnant with a second child. She was getting ready then to go out into the cold, rainy morning because without a permanent shelter our churches that participate in housing our clients at night have programs going on in those classrooms during the day. Many of the clients suffer from mental problems, lack of education, abuse situations and depression. They have no network of family or friends to guide them. Before I worked with PATH I was pretty convinced that the homeless were just a bunch of lazy or burnt out people that chose that life. What I found was that Red Bluff should be so most of our clients are people that proud of. Kelly Griggs is filled want a better life and just haven't with wonderful treasures of figured out how to do that. Tehama County that people PATH not only gives them a have generously donated and bed at night, a dinner the guides and friends and something for have lovingly cared Your breakfast, we also try for and preserved. to direct them to other When you walk social networks that through the doors you can help them and literally walk through guide them toward a time. The history of better life. the 19th century and Tehama Please help us. We are in County is there for everyone to need of donations for our shel- enjoy, ter, even the smallest donations Like most older homes it is add up and are appreciated. need of repairs if it is to last. Mary Stevens, Red Bluff The foundation is only half finished and they are a long way from the amount needed to finish the job. Also it is need of Editor: painting. Like so many other Kelly Griggs is Red Bluff's organizations they need money invisible treasure. I say invisible to help preserve this treasure. because I am surprised at how They are also in need of people many people have either never who are willing to work three been in the house or had never hours a month to help guide. even heard about it. People who Because of ill health and have lived here for years. Why is deaths of members the house is that? only open two days a week and Does the Branding Project or that is in jeopardy. Guiding is the Chamber of Commerce back very easy and everything is the house or inform people written down. If you are unable about the house? It not only to guide you can always become needs their support but the sup- a member. port of the people of Red Bluff. Please do not let this Red Even the school children who Bluff and Tehama County treaare studying Tehama County do sure become invisible and disnot come any more. appear. Kelly Griggs is something Ann John, Red Bluff Turn Invisible treasure Your officials STATE ASSEMBLYMAN — Dan Logue, 150 Amber Grove Drive, Ste. 154, Chico, CA 95928, 530-895-4217 STATE SENATOR — Jim Nielsen, 2635 Forest Ave., Ste. 110, Chico, CA 95928, (530) 879-7424, senator.nielsen@senate.ca.gov GOVERNOR — Jerry Brown, State Capitol Bldg., Sacramento, CA 95814; (916) 445-2841; Fax (916) 5583160; E-mail: governor@governor.ca.gov. U.S. REPRESENTATIVE — Doug LaMalfa 506 Cannon House Office Building, Washington, DC 20515, 202-2253076. U.S. SENATORS — Dianne Feinstein (D), One Post Street, Suite 2450, San Francisco, CA 94104; (415) 393-0707. Fax (415) 3930710. Barbara Boxer (D), 1700 Montgomery St., Suite 240, San Francisco, CA 94111; (510) 286-8537. Fax (202) 224-0454. Commentary Sledgehammer justice would be appropriate, prosecutors were threatening a sentence of life without parole. This gave him no incentive to plead guilty. Then, however, they immediately proposed another plea agreement involving about nine years' imprisonment. Given a day to decide, he acted too slowly, so prosecutors again increased the recommended sentence. Finally, Kupa caved: "I want to plead guilty, your Honor, before things get worse." If, after the 851 notice, he had insisted on a trial and been found guilty, he would have died in prison for a nonviolent drug offense. He is 37. Tyquan Midyett, a highschool dropout from a broken home and foster care, began using marijuana at 14. He was 26 when arrested for selling less than four ounces of crack. Because this was his second offense, the best he could do pleading guilty was a 10-year sentence. When he hesitated, the government gave him a date to agree or it would file an 851 notice, which would double the mandatory minimum to 20 years. He went to trial, was convicted and is serving 240 months for an offense that, without the escalating coercions aimed at a guilty plea, would have received a sentence of 46-57 months. In 2008, an 851 notice was filed against Charles Doutre, based on two prior convictions mental (as a prosecutor, he sent for distribution of $50 worth of mobster John Gotti to die in a drugs and simple possession of supermax prison), knows that most defendants who drugs. The judge who plead guilty are guilty. was required to senHe is, however, distence him to life in mayed at the use of the prison said, "I've threat of mandatory imposed a life senminimums as "sledgetence six times, and it hammers" to extort was for a murder each guilty pleas, effectivetime." Doutre is 32. ly vitiating the right to Eleven years ago, a trial. Ninety-seven Dennis Capps, 39, a percent of federal conmethamphetamine victions are without addict, pled guilty to trials, sparing the govtwo instances of trafficking involving a George F. ernment the burden of proving guilt beyond a quantity of drugs he reasonable doubt. could hold in his Mere probable cause, hand. He conquered his addiction for a long time, and the meager presentation then relapsed, and in this year required for a grand jury indictwas convicted of another drug ment, suffices. "Judging is offense. Because he insisted on removed," Gleeson says, "prosa trial, the government filed an ecutors become sentencers." 851 notice. He was convicted, And when threats of draconian and is serving life without sentences compel guilty pleas, "some innocent people will parole. Kenneth Harvey was 24 in plead guilty." Barack Obama, Attorney 1989 when he committed a crack cocaine offense. He had General Eric Holder and Sens. two prior offenses that qualified Pat Leahy, D-Vt., and Rand as felony drug convictions even Paul, R-Ky., are questioning the though they were not deemed regime of mandatory minimum serious enough for imprison- sentences, including recidivism ment. They, however, enabled enhancements, that began with the government to make an 851 the Anti-Drug Abuse Act of filing. He will die in prison. 1986. Meanwhile, the human and financial costs of mass Harvey is 48. Thousands of prisoners are incarceration mount. serving life without parole for George Will's email address nonviolent crimes. Gleeson, who is neither naive nor senti- is georgewill@washpost.com. Will