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4A Daily News – Saturday, August 17, 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. Delta tunnels still a bad idea Governor Brown's Administration on Thursday unveiled changes to the Bay Delta Conservation Plan (BDCP), a plan that includes the construction of massive tunnels to deliver water from Northern California to Southern California. According to the administration, the changes include "a proposed water conveyance system in the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta that would shrink by 50 percent the total permanent footprint of the project, shift more than 400 acres of permanent and temporary construction impacts from private to pub- increase the use lic lands." of public land "While these changes from 240 acres to improve the current 657 acres. plan, it is still not pracEstimated tical nor necessary to costs of the construct these costly changes were not peripheral tunnels that immediate availtake water away from able, but the cost farmers and ranchers for the previous who put food on our plan was estimattables," said Senator ed at $25 billion Jim Nielsen (R-Gerber). over the next 50 Specifically, under Sen. Jim years. the proposed changes, S e n a t o r the tunnel would reduce Nielsen concludits footprint from 3,654 ed, "Even with acres to 1,851 acres, the amount of privately-owned this 'downsizing,' I maintain land affected from 5,965 significant concerns that the acres to 5,557 acres; and costs of the BDCP will far Nielsen How to reach us Main office: 527-2151 Classified: 527-2151 Circulation: 527-2151 News tips: 527-2153 Sports: 527-2153 Obituaries: 527-2151 Photo: 527-2153 On the Web www.redbluffdailynews.com Fax Newsroom: 527-9251 Classified: 527-5774 Retail Adv.: 527-5774 Legal Adv.: 527-5774 Business Office: 527-3719 Address 545 Diamond Ave. Red Bluff, CA 96080, or P.O. Box 220 Red Bluff, CA 96080 Senator Jim Nielsen represents the Fourth Senate District, which includes the counties of Butte, Colusa, Del Norte, Glenn, Nevada, Placer, Sacramento, Shasta, Siskiyou, Sutter, Tehama, Trinity and Yuba. To contact Senator Nielsen, please call him at 916-651-4004, or via email at senator.nielsen@senate.ca.gov. Your officials 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. 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 the quality of life for the residents and businesses of Tehama County. outweigh the benefit. As cost projections begin to be developed, I will continue to voice my opposition, especially if it continues to rely upon seizing water rights and private property." STATE ASSEMBLYMAN — Dan Logue, 1550 Humboldt Road, Ste. 4, 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 Getting the job done for the 14,000 of us This is the first of what will most likely be a series of follow up columns to my commentary of Aug. 10 on the condition of Red Bluff. One of the things I said was that we should pay more attention to the actions of the City Council; I am going to try to practice what I preach. First, congratulations to Raymond Eliggi for being selected to fill the vacancy on the Red Bluff City Council. As he said after the meeting on Aug. 6, "now the work begins." If he is serious in his role as a Council member, there will be a lot of work. The recent Daily News editorial advising the City Council to do its job is right on target, and hopefully Mr. Eliggi will help them do just that. There are many issues the Council needs to address, as well as that of establishing leadership, vision, and focus. When I was researching the condition of the City of Red Bluff before I decided to volunteer for the vacancy on City Council, I was impressed by the City staff when they described the condition of the City and some of the processes and procedures they use. The Council, itself, has been far less than impressive. A newcomer to Council meetings might even be caught snickering at the actions/inactions of the Council. It might even be comical if the issues they face weren't so serious. I believe the quality of the city water system is the most immediately important item to address. Staff has recommended, with no energetic endorsement by the City Manager, purchasing chlorination equipment because the City's water delivery system is so old that it cannot guarantee a safe water supply to the pub- lic. The first time this was on the agenda, and Councilman Parker made it clear that the City had been put on notice and therefore is assuming a serious potential liability for not taking action. Parker's motion died for lack of a second as the other three Council members avoided eye contact with him. Council member Jackson stared, wide eyed and open mouthed into space. Council member Schmid looked down. Mayor Brown looked straight ahead, appearing to hope he wouldn't have to say anything. You could feel the stress in the room. Prior to Parker's motion, Schmid, who is a self proclaimed advocate for the little guy, peppered the Director of Public Works with a series of inane questions about the chlorination issues in spite of the fact all of his questions had been clearly answered in materials given to the Council weeks earlier. It is unclear if he had actually read those materials, if he just ignored their contents, if he even understood the materials, or if he was posturing. What is clear, however, is that his unnecessary questioning was a waste of Council's time and an embarrassment to him. I wonder how parents preparing infant formula, people with immunodeficiency problems, or even the rest of us might react to an unsafe water delivery system, a water system that has already been put on public notice. There are over 14,000 of us in Red Bluff who depend on a safe water supply, something the City Council has the power and scope to provide for us...if they can make a decision. One wonders why the City Manager/Attorney could not clearly and publicly tell the DSL line is inadequate for the Council what their legal lia- City's needs, but this item was bility might be, or why he did- admittedly left out by the budget committee in n't ask Council to conbuilding this year's sider Parker's motion budget which was seriously. approved in midThe Council did sort June. of okay putting this Council memitem back on the agenbers Brown and da now that there are Schmid, who had five on board. I say served on the budsort of because there get committee, was no energy behind mumbled that they the effort to do so had focused on except from Council other items when member Parker, and it Joe participating in was the very last item budget building. they agreed to address They indicated that again. they didn't underThe City faces a stand this need serious fiscal problem; nevertheless Council contin- when building the budget. ues to approve unbudgeted Left unsaid was why city manitems while neglecting what agement had not advocated seems to be a major cost sav- effectively for this need during budget building. ing measure. It was also not very clear For example, the Council approved a contract with why it was such an important Charter Business for Internet issue now that it couldn't wait connectivity. This item had 17 until the next budget cycle. pages of print, including all of What is certain is that another the lawyerly fine print that $4800 will be deducted from accompanied the proposal. the already admittedly inadeOne would have assumed the quate projected ending balCity Manager/Attorney ance. One wonders just how would have reviewed the carefully and with which prilawyerly boiler plate so the orities the Council judged lay persons on the City Coun- what to budget or why City cil would not have to navigate management felt it could petiit with their magnifying glass- tion for these unbudgeted funds at this time, after a prees. Nowhere in the proposal carious budget was in place. We deserve a City Council from City Staff regarding Charter Internet, which was which looks out for our best approved by the City Manag- interests and which is doing er, was there mention that this its job competently. There are other examples of dysfuncwas an unbudgeted item. The total cost of the con- tion, and I will be continuing tract was mentioned in the to discuss these in the weeks materials given to the Coun- ahead. cil, but the cost of current serJoe Harrop is a retired vices was not mentioned until one of the City staff told the educator with more than 30 Council the actual amount years of service to the North during the meeting. There is State. He can be reached at no question that the current DrJoeHarrop@sbcglobal.net. Harrop