Issue link: http://www.epageflip.net/i/7296
4A – Daily News – Saturday, February 27, 2010 A MediaNews Group newspaper 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. 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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 Opinion We left Madison, Wisconsin, at 7:30 a.m., leaving two weeks of sub freezing weather behind us, and we arrived in Sacramen- to at 10 p.m., greeted by 50 degree weather that almost felt balmy. When we awoke the next morning in Red Bluff, we were surprised to see the false spring, blooming flowers and all. It was like we had found a different world. In reading the local papers it does appear we are living in a different world. Geoff Johnson's feature in Saturday's edition was particularly revealing about our home on a couple of levels. On one level the raw data do not caste a good light on our county; we are number 10 out of 56 in regards to measures of healthi- ness, or we are number 47 out of 56 counties large enough to be reported, depending whether the glass is half full or half empty. That ranking is based on raw data about such things as prema- ture deaths — deaths under 75 years of age. Most of us know that there is data, statistics and information. Information is useful, data or statistics may not be useful, and are often misused. Valerie Lucero was making this point in other words when she said that the report is an incomplete and not necessarily good measure of just our county or a good way to compare ourselves to others. The study, sponsored by the Robert Wood Johnson Founda- tion, is quite interesting. It is accessible online, and has links to the US Census. However you react to it, there are some dis- turbing pieces of data that should help us set our agenda for improving life in our county. Although some of the items cov- ered in these areas of concern are, in part, a product of our depressed economic condition, I believe we can work to improve them. According to the study, 27 percent of the children in our county are living in poverty; this more than one in four, and high- er than the statewide average of one in six. Teenage pregnancy remains well above the statewide and national averages. According to the study our countywide high school graduation rate is only 58 percent. The motor vehicle crash death rate is more than twice the statewide average. The violent crime rate is almost 50 percent higher than the statewide rate. *** The reality of the statewide fiscal crisis hit home on Wednesday with the news that the Red Bluff Union Elementary School board had voted to elim- inate 21.7 full time equivalents of certificated staff; these employees are the teachers, counselors, and administrators who serve our children. Accord- ing to ED Data, a state spon- sored web site for of school sta- tistics, the district had 116 Full Time Equivalent (FTE) teachers last school year. (I did not receive a response from the Dis- trict about current numbers.) Assuming that 20 of the pro- posed cuts are teachers, this would be a reduction of 17 per- cent. It would mean that the overall ratio of students to teach- ers would grow from 19 to 1 to 23 to 1, and it could mean elim- ination of certain programs or classes, increases in class size limits for classes like physical education, cuts in extracurricu- lar programs, and other areas. While the overall ratio of students to teachers may be 19 in Red Bluff elementary, the average class size for 205 classes last year was 23.3 accord- ing to ED Data; reduc- ing teaching staff by twenty would drive this up, making classes at the Vista Middle School over 30 per classroom. The District has worked hard to meet the mandates of the no Student Left Behind legislation; reduced staff and resources will certainly make this continuing effort more difficult. *** Pot is still in the news. There was a study which reported the efficacy of moderate pot use in relieving pain and other symp- toms in certain patients; there was no mention in the study about recreational use, or unfet- tered access to the weed. The supervisors are still trying to get it right in their attempt at limit- ing pot farms for medicinal use. *** One thing didn't change while we were gone. You have to give her credit for persever- ance; Stephanie Gregory has kept her election sign for the Shasta College board on Luther Road, perhaps waiting for a recount. *** The mayor of Red Bluff wrote a letter to the editor bemoaning all of the legal actions by opponents to the Walmart Super Center. It is unclear if he was speaking for the city or city council, or if he was speaking as an individual. A longitudinal study I have read pointed out that after the boost in employ- ment for construction, and the initial period of being open, there is little improvement in overall employment because of lost jobs by other employers. Sales taxes will only increase if other vendors do not lose sales or go out of business, and unless the Super Center will draw customers from greater distances than our current retail stores do. I am sure, however, that Wal- mart has studied this carefully, and that it is sure it will make a profit on the new store; whether or not the community of Red Bluff will actually benefit, only time will tell. *** I noticed that a local casino has a calendar problem, cele- brating Marti Gras on the week- end after Fat Tuesday. Any excuse for a party. Joe Harrop is a retired educator with more than 30 years of service to the North State. He can be reached at DrJoeHarrop@sbcglobal.net. Some observations on returning home Commentary N EWS D AILY RED BLUFF TEHAMA COUNTY 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 Joe Harrop STATE ASSEMBLYMAN — Jim Nielsen (R), State Capitol Bldg., Room 4164 P.O. Box 942849, Sacramento 94249; (916) 319-2002; Fax (916) 319- 2102 STATE SENATOR — Sam Aanestad (R), State Capitol Bldg., Room 2054, Sacramen- to, CA 95814. (916) 651-4004; Fax (916) 445-7750 GOVERNOR — Arnold Schwarzenegger (R), 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), 2635 Forest Ave. Ste. 100, Chico, CA 95928; 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; (415) 403-0100. Fax (202) 224- 0454. Your officials County works for us, not vice versa Editor: I often ask myself who in the County Planning Depart- ment works with a brown bag over their head. That also might include the Board of Supervisors. Do they not know by now the majority of tax payers liv- ing in the area of the proposed Sun City are opposed. Some of their residents have wells more than 200 feet deep and the increase of homes the size of Red Bluff will affect those wells. As well as the sewer systems to take care of the waste, the ponds alone will stink to high heaven. The effluent system for the city of Red Bluff in the sum- mer time is a dire warning. The increase in traffic on Hooker Creek and Bowman Road in the last 10 years is up at least 50 percent and I see no one from the planning department proposing any help. What concerns me is the increase in traffic on I-5. I don't feel it will change going south towards Red Bluff as most Red Bluff shoppers are going north to Redding and have for years. What with the increased truck traffic in the last five years along with these 62+ speed increase the addition of Sun City will be like I-80 in Sacramento and San Francis- co area so it will be backed up from Red Bluff to Redding. Why not have the planning department do what it is designed to do and plan on getting more retail stores back to Red Bluff. Sun City is a nightmare for law enforce- ment and fire departments unless they double in size and if this is good planning then maybe I went to the wrong school. W.R. Hendrix, Red Bluff Medicare cuts will cost us Editor: On Monday, the federal gov- ernment will cut physician pay for Medicare and Tricare — military personnel and families — patients by almost 22 per- cent. Yes, my pay will be cut by more than one fifth because the Sen- ate and House of Rep- resentatives cannot or will not change a hor- ribly flawed formula that has called for cuts every year in the last decade. In the past, Congress has acted at the last minute to reduce those cuts, but not this year. I earn less now from Medicare than I did when I started practicing medicine in 1993. I'm faced with a huge dilem- ma — do I stop seeing all my medicare patients? Some I have cared for since moving to Red Bluff, some are in the midst of medical crises and some have more medical problems than I have fingers. Do I ruin my already tenuous business by accepting payment that doesn't cover my costs? I am a small business — if I don't make money, I can't continue to see patients. I can't raise my prices; those are set by the government — Medicare, Medi-Cal, Tricare — and insurance companies — Blue Cross, Blue Shield and others. I am already operating as lean and mean as I can — no fancy computers or other frills in my office. The government still wants my student loan payments every month, the utilities want their bills paid and, of course, my insurance compa- nies — health, malpractice, liability — keep upping their bills each year, as well. I'll spend this weekend try- ing to figure out the lesser evil path — the one that will let me sleep at night while still being able to keep my office open. God knows, Tehama County doesn't have enough family doctors now, but if Congress doesn't do something soon, there may be even fewer. Dr. Deborah Sutcliffe, Red Bluff Your Turn