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4A Daily News – Thursday, November 10, 2011 Opinion D NEWSAILY RED BLUFF TEHAMACOUNTY T H E V O I C E O F T E H A M A C O U N T Y S I N C E 1 8 8 5 Witnesses sought Editor: Sept. 19, 2011, you printed an article about a fiery crash of a VW Bug. 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 let- ters from its readers on timely topics of public interest. All let- ters must be signed and pro- vide the writer's home street address and home phone num- ber. 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 submit- ted will be considered for publi- cation. Letters will be edited. Letters are published at the discretion of the editor. Mission Statement We believe that a strong com- munity 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 vehi- cles. The Daily News will reflect and support the unique identities of Tehama County and its cities; record the history of its com- munities and their people and make a positive difference in the quality of life for the resi- dents and businesses of Tehama County. 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 That accident claimed the life of my daughter's husband and the father of her two boys. He was the love of her life, one shared for almost 25 years. Someone saw, or knows why her husband, Daryoosh (Tony) swerved and skidded and knows what he was trying to avoid. Please tell me what you know so when my daughter asks "why, Daddy, why?" I might have some answers. A daddy's love. Thomas Alexander, Red Bluff Courthouse safety Editor: It appears as safety is the big issue in the court complex. As well it should be. Some creative thinking is in order. Screens along the stairway — along the balcony, not very attractive. How about closed circuit television. Big screen in the courtroom. Keep the deputies and the prisoners off the stairs and bal- cony area. Sam Collins, Red Bluff Prison overcrowding Editor: I for one am tired of hearing all the crying about our prisons. These people arrived in prison because of the acts they committed. Overcrowding could be elim- inated in a few short hours if these cry babies would act instead of moaning about over- crowding. These lousy people get free room and board, plus medical, plus activities that is being paid for by the very victims they cre- ated. You want to eliminate over- crowding, bury these death penalty prisoners that have leeched off of society for years on end. We voted tougher laws but a bunch of sob-sisters cry and here we are. Put them out in foxholes, and let them see how living the Army life suits them. Just for added expedience shoot a few rounds over their heads once in a while just to let them know what fun it is to try to sleep in these types of con- finement. Don't forget a little rain or some good old snow. Then you can cry about condi- tions. These people don't know what substandard is all about. I am supposed to love my ene- mies, I say to hell with them. Thad Blanchard, Sr., Gerber Union benefits Editor: In response to all the fine folks of Tehama County that, on a regu- lar basis, send letters to the editor. Some folks who do this need to either get a job or another hobby. If their words are meant to rankle folks, then congratulations. Now to the point. Having been involved in the union negotiating process in years past, let me tell you how stuff works. First, the union asks for all sorts of stuff knowing full well they won't get it. The city and county then tell the unions to bug off. The end result is always the same. They vote to allow the union union benefits? Well, they elected the folks that gave the benefits to them and indebted their grandchil- dren to pay for it. So go ahead. Don't vote in the local elections but 10 to 20 years from now stop complaining about all those evil government workers. Writers can also say Your Turn the private sector works for this, does this and that, is more intelligent, etc., but I have a chal- lenge. Next time one of their houses catches on fire they should be sure to call the private sector fire department. Or better hire that private sector policeman to protect them. That system seems to work in Mexico, I hear. employees to have medical and retirement increases rather then money. Want to know why? They know they will be out of office long before most folks take advan- tage of the retirement packages and health care benefits and they can go to the public and say that they were strong against giving raises to the employees.The public thinks they are doing a fine fine job. Well, the truth is elected offi- cials did a crumby job. The employees, who despite what one contributor says in here, do not get paid anywhere near where a pri- vate sector employee doing the same job does, however, the employee sticks around so that when he retires he won't have to go look for work to feed his fami- ly. Do readers have a problem with When their neighbors move an oil cracking plant next door to their farm don't worry, those nasty regu- lators won't do anything. See, because of them they were laid off or retired. Be careful how you vote and hold the people we put in office to answer to us. Weird concept, huh? Curt Dahl, Red Bluff Both sides Editor: After reading Mr. Puckett's let- ter I just had to tell you how much I appreciate your professional ethics. I of course would love to see only liberal opinions on the opin- ion page, but know it is much bet- ter for the public to see both sides. Thank You for presenting a bal- ance to your readership. Orval Strong, Gerber Your officials STATE ASSEMBLYMAN — Jim Nielsen (R) State Capitol Bldg., Room 6031 Sacramento, CA 95814 (916) 319-2002; Fax (916) 319-2102 STATE SENATOR — Doug LaMalfa (R) State Capitol Bldg., Room 3070 Sacramento, CA 95814 (916) 651-4004; Fax (916) 445-7750 GOVERNOR — Jerry Brown, State Capitol Bldg., Sacramento, CA 95814; (916) 445-2841; Fax (916) 558-3160; E-mail: gover- nor@governor.ca.gov. U.S. REPRESENTATIVE — Wally Herger (R), 2595 Cean- othus Ave., Ste. 182, Chico, CA 95973; 893-8363. U.S.SENATORS — Dianne Feinstein (D), One Post Street, Suite 2450, San Francisco, CA 94104; (415) 393-0707. Fax (415) 393-0710. Barbara Boxer (D), 1700 Montgomery St., Suite 240, San Francisco, CA 94111; (510) 286-8537. Fax (202) 224- 0454. Congress: ineffective, useless seat-warmers Commentary I asked an Occupier in D.C. named Rob Wohl, why the movement he's a part of is res- onating with people - why as over 3,000 Americans have been arrested in demonstrations and even journalists and vets have endured tear gas and rub- ber bullets, the movement is still growing. His answer? "Because we are analytically correct." What does that mean? Apparently, they believe they have the facts on their side. History certainly is. And as author Michael Lewis said when asked about the Occupy Wall Street movement, they also have justice on their side. New census data released shows we have record high poverty in this country. It's up to 16 percent, or 49.1 million Americans (that's over five New York Cities). We have the worst wealth inequality in the indus- trialized world (meaning we're on par with some third world countries). We have the highest health care costs in the world. And a recent study by the Eco- nomic Policy Institute notes, "U.S. productivity grew by 62.5 percent from 1989 to 2010, far more than real hourly wages for both private-sector and state/local government workers, which grew 12 percent in the same period." Basically Ameri- cans are working much (much) harder for much (much) less. Pair that with the fact U.S. busi- nesses are making record profits and that's why Americans have taken to the pothole-laden streets to protest. It's not just about the bank bailout. It's not just about Wall Street. It's about the goal of the wealthy to milk their fellow cit- izens until they're completely dry. And while regular Ameri- cans are condescended to about their proverbial bootstraps, the U.S. government has helped the wealthy at every turn. So it's no surprise they've won. And now that people are brittle and dusty – there are encampments all over the country. The question isn't, "Why are there so many people sleeping in parks?" The question is, "Why aren't there more? In the wake of this massive protest – right in the middle of the tenure of the lowest rated House in our nation's history – a group of men and women whose approval rating of 9 per- cent is hovering just above the margin of error – what do they do? They pass another symbolic (think: busy work) nonbinding resolution to reaffirm "in God we trust" as the national motto. I could have made that up as satire and I'd get a letter saying I was being too harsh. Time spent on a bill (of which there are four versions) reaf- firming a phrase already on every denomination of money, every court- house and most public buildings is about as contemptuous as this body of seat-warmers can get. It's "let them eat cake" with a little of King George III's "the colonies will submit" thrown in for flavor. Yes, the do-less-than-nothing House has passed a whopping 54 bills originating in their chamber in their nearly full year in office. Their counterparts in previous congresses usually author and pass three times that. And if you subtract passing go- no-where bills to defund NPR, Planned Parenthood and other specters like Obama Czars and take into account their days off (next year they're only set to work 109 days out of the entire year) – they've put in a lot of effort to be ineffective. Which is what Tina Dupuy you'd expect from self-hating govern- ment workers like the House leadership. They're illustrating how lazy, stupid and useless government can be - by example. To sum up: the American people are paying more for less, working more for less and asking more…and Congress is doing (wait for it) less. The Occupiers are right. They are "analytically correct" in their assessment. Their gov- ernment is failing them. As another Occupier put it, maybe it's "time to replace Congress with people." Tina Dupuy is an award- winning writer and the managing editor of Crooks and Liars. Tina can be reached at tinadupuy@yahoo.com.