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GregStevens,Publisher Chip Thompson, Editor EDITORIALBOARD How to have your say: 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 no more than two double-spaced pages or 500words. When several letters address the same issue, a cross section will be published. Email: editor@ redbluffdailynews.com Fax: 530-527-9251 Mail to: Daily News 728Main St., Red Bluff, CA 96080 Facebook: Leave comments at FACEBOOK.COM/ RBDAILYNEWS Twitter: Follow and send tweets to @REDBLUFFNEWS Iwanttostartthiscolumn with a most sincere apology. Almost two weeks ago, I sub- mitted a column on the topic of divorce. At that time, I was struggling with issues in my own personal life. I inappro- priately shared "personal busi- ness" within my family to the public. My action was very un- wise and has caused many negative reactions. My action has actually resulted in conse- quences that I did not want to experience. I am truly sorry. Now, back to this column: Like many voters I am actually still somewhat surprised that "The Donald" totally takes over the Oval Office tomorrow. I must admit I am a news junkie, but I still wonder how he said all the things he did during the 2016 election and still becomes the world's most powerful man tomorrow. Does it mean our citizens went for more crude "boy talk?" At least that was the explanation we heard from his wife Melania? I think the average Ameri- can voter is so angry they de- cided to give Mr. Trump the job. However, I very much en- joyed following that tumultu- ous 2016 race for President. I told many of my friends to calm down. At first I told them that Mr. Trump was not going to win. The election was what I like to call "infotainment." I know Stephen Colbert and all other comedians loved it. Now, I am trying to concen- trate on the fact that no one man can really hurt Amer- ica permanently. Certainly not enough to bring our country down so that she could not be made great again. I will anxiously follow Mr. Trump and even anticipate the next man or woman we priv- ilege with that most power- ful job. We have already heard The Beach Boys might be join- ing inaugural activities. How- ever, one member of the Mor- mon Tabernacle Choir re- signed because she obviously was not a supporter of Mr. Trump. More than 22,000 oth- ers signed a petition opposing the choir's participation at The Donald's swearing in. Maybe some of them are considering calling themselves new "Pres- ent-" rather than "Latter-" day Saints." I know that the Talladega all black college marching band from Alabama will be at Mr. Trump's inaugural cele- bration tomorrow. The President-elect's words have repulsed many peo- ple. And, in case you have not heard yet, singer Celine Dion also turned down Donald's of- fer to be part of the celebra- tion. Coincidentally, though not related, I still remember Sir Elton John sang at Rush Limbaugh's wedding. Politics is a lot like showbiz but it's close, because the show must go on. Because of my personal friendship and connection with former Congressman Wally Herger of Chico, I was able to obtain tickets for Pres- ident Obama's inaugural cer- emony that my wife used and enjoyed on January 20, 2009, along with her son. Despite what you might think, this time our tran- sition of power in America will continue to go smoothly again when you realize that Barack Obama, Jimmy Carter, Bill Clinton, Hillary Clinton and George W. Bush will be standing right near Donald J. Trump as he takes over the job he has won. Some will see it as more divided, However, back in 1961 Republican singer Ethel Merman sang at the in- augural for Democrat John Fitzgerald Kennedy. We are not really divided. Mytakeonthemovies "Sing" is a superbly ani- mated film with iconic music and the voices of Seth MacFar- lane, Reese Witherspoon, John C. Reilly and more. This film is excellent for all ages and will be enjoyed. StanStathamserved1976-1994 in the California Assembly and was a television news anchor at KHSL-TV in Chico 1965-1975. He is past president of the California Broadcasters Association and can be reached at StanStatham@ gmail.com. Stan Statham My take on tomorrow's inauguration I must admit I am a news junkie, but I still wonder how he said all the things he did during the 2016 election and still becomes the world's most powerful man tomorrow. Does it mean our citizens went for more crude "boy talk?" Lunch program losing home Editor: I am sorry to read that the Vineyard's lunch program is ending. Without a nourishing meal each day there can be no effec- tive "... long term and sustain- able help..." for the homeless and disadvantaged. — Marian Lucas, Mineral Pastor's decision a mistake Editor: I am deeply saddened by Pas- tor Geraty's abrupt announce- ment of the closing, in just two weeks, of the Red Bluff Vineyard Christian Fellowship Lord's Ta- ble mid-day meal program. I am an active parishioner of Sacred Heart Church and a Lay Associate of the Sisters of Mercy. I am also a simple well-inten- tioned Christian who takes the Gospel's messages pretty seri- ously. As a practicing Christian, I believe, and as just about all people of other faiths also be- lieve, it is my absolute duty to feed the poor, a message that shouts out from Old and New Testament books. As to the Pastor's reasoning, I think that long-term solutions to the problem of poverty should be sought, that programs to help the poor rise should be more readily available to them. Edu- cation surely is the clearest step toward beating poverty; but can children learn on empty stom- achs? The poor should go from their slum-lord provided homes and seek suitable employment; but how many suitable jobs ex- ist in Tehama County? The poor should cease using drugs; but are there enough rehabilitation facilities open to them. And, how about the alcoholics? Do we have enough support meetings for them? Aah, 'tis a tangled web Pastor Geraty falls into. Meanwhile, good hearted cit- izens, even some nominal Chris- tians among them, are breathing sighs of relief that this scurri- lous daily parade of ruffians will no longer be marching to free food, at our cost, right through the center of town; indeed, they course on the only throughway to our most grand new court- house even as they might linger for a moment in the doorway of a downtown business establish- ment. Shame on greater Red Bluff for tolerating this treatment of ordinary people who are down- on-their-luck for any number of reasons. There is an old saying "there but for the grace of God go I." So many of us who are able to keep our heads above the waters of domestic eco- nomic disaster are just one or two or three paychecks away from the folks who come to lunch. And shame on the down- town business people who find them these folks so noxious. Further shame on our police de- partment, which Pastor Geraty consulted and cited in order to reach his conclusion. It is not true that if poor peo- ple are not fed they will leave our fair city. So many who make homes under our bridges are actually Red Bluff citizens. Some are veterans of the many wars in our time, men and women who have lost their way. Some are people who have lost their jobs , their homes, their families for any number of rea- sons to which any one of us might succumb. Let's not be a community that blames the victim. Let's help find a new venue that is equally central to all who need nourishment: men, women and children who need our help. Please, Red Bluff, let's re- spond with words of encourage- ment, with money to pay rent if necessary, with good peo- ple doing good things for oth- ers who need our help. Call Sa- cred Heart Church at 527-1351 to get in touch with Lee Vid- aure, who has been an impas- sioned leader and supporter of the mid-day meal program for about 22 years. — Dorothy Breitegger, Red Bluff End school choice discrimination Editor: Trump's selection of a school choice advocate as Secretary of Education could finally end the discrimination since 1870, in denying school choice parents the right to use their education taxes. Currently 52 percent of the state budget is for public school education, with virtually noth- ing for the 15 percent of par- ents whose education taxes fund school choice but receive noth- ing. The discrimination started in Indiana in 1870 as parental paid for subscription schools be- came free public schools. There were then no luxuries, only a ba- sic heated school, with a teacher, no administrators, few benefits and parental funded books and supplies. Today, most of our education taxes are used for luxuries such as school busing, sports facilities and staffing, employee early re- tirement pensions and health in- surance, costly school landscap- ing, administrators, grant writ- ers and the list goes on. Less than half is used for the primary purpose of public schools, aca- demics. The teachers union, and their lobby supported legislators, constantly claim that diversion of parental school choice educa- tion taxes to school choice par- ents denies public school fund- ing. School choice parents need to say that public school luxuries deny equitable distribution of school choice taxes. We look forward to Presi- dent Trump's Education Secre- tary ending the unfair distribu- tion of education taxes for public school luxuries. Charter, pri- vate and parochial schools have long proven their academic ex- cellence, with costs averaging two-thirds that of public schools by limiting luxuries and concen- trating on academics. Our fam- ily deserves the right to use their education taxes for school choice instead of only the public school monopoly. — Joseph Neff, Corning Your opinions Cartoonist's take I don't think there is anyone who doesn't enjoy music. While everyone may not like the same kinds of music — as some of us rock to a different drummer — we all like to listen to something. Growing up in the sixties was a special time for music. But I don't think anything has really changed. Everyone feels the at- traction of our ancestral drums, and it is impossible to sit still when we hear the right beat. In- deed, some of us are even com- pelled to get up and dance! Music today is just as avail- able as the thousands of TV of- ferings delivered by cable and the internet. In addition to the airwaves, stations also broad- cast from satellites and online. And like film, recorded mu- sic can last forever. Stations of- ten play the golden oldies right along with today's offerings. Folks can also create personal playlists of their favorite genres with downloadable software. With the coming of the inter- net, there is nothing to stop a young composer from posting his or her own compositions on- line, or creating a website where he can post all of his music and generate his own fan base. So- cial media appears to be a vital medium for the success of aspir- ing musicians. Apparently, many musicians' rise to stardom was launched on YouTube. The days when a band's success was the result of top-40 radio play and aggressive record promoters is now a thing of the past. Today there are no gatekeepers. But the staggering amount of musical choices can be over- whelming. I have been listening to my favorites for years. New tunes rarely are added to my per- sonal queue. My son wanted me to sign up for Spotify, as he said it would organize my music and make my listening experience more enjoyable. Of course, that requires the internet, and that would mean the use of valuable satellite data which I need for Netflix, etc. and our computer. And using those music applica- tions just seems like overcompli- cating my life. I already have a collection of favorite CDs. That may seem quaint nowadays, but I do play them regularly. I know that most folks seem to keep mu- sic on their smartphones, but I'm too lazy to do that, and I just don't need it. My MP3 collection consists of one CD with 88 of my favorite songs, downloaded back in 2000 when Napster was still legal. I keep that one in my truck. My new favorites come almost exclusively from Jefferson Pub- lic Radio and our local PBS sta- tions; but I sometimes discover artists like "The Piano Guys" on YouTube. And there is always that occasional soundtrack we can't get out of our heads after leaving the moving theater that we absolutely must have. And what about live mu- sic? The power and intensity of a concert is certainly some- thing special. We're fortunate to have the State and Cascade The- aters to bring in musical talent. I've noticed that we have a num- ber of relatively "big name" per- formers here. Many concerts seem to be on weekdays. That's probably because our geograph- ical location facilitates an extra gig in the schedule as the per- formers make their way north or south to the bigger venues. The greatest thing about mu- sic is its ability to lift us up and reinvigorate the soul. We all feel a bit down at times. I know that if I've been feeling out of sorts, there's no medicine like get- ting comfy, putting on the head- phones, and cranking up some old favorites. After an hour or two, I feel like a different per- son. I bet you do too. Corky Pickering and his wife relocated from the Bay Area to Cottonwood in 2014. He recently retired from the federal government as an attorney advising law enforcement. He has been a rock and roll bass player and a Marine JAG. He can be reached at thecork6@ gmail.com. Corky Pickering The importance of music Corky Pickering Stan Statham OPINION » redbluffdailynews.com Thursday, January 19, 2017 » MORE AT FACEBOOK.COM/RBDAILYNEWS AND TWITTER.COM/REDBLUFFNEWS A4