Issue link: http://www.epageflip.net/i/817548
ChipThompson, Editor 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 Whenmycomputerscreen lights up there is a picturesque lake and mountain scene with a spectacular sunset. The mes- sage that accom- panies it is "A lot has changed in the last 200 years." In retrospect, of course we are aware of many of the changes in our lifetime, from corded phones and opera- tors to hand held smart phones, for instance. There are other kinds of change that are sub- tler, however, and we don't rec- ognized them until a special event triggers our insight. A friend of mine recently got new glasses. He set them down on the table in front of me, and I tried them on, expecting the world to look differently. I was surprised; his glasses had min- imal correction for distance vi- sion, and were amazingly clear. I immediately realized that my own glasses may have a good correction, they are old enough that the lenses are not crys- tal clear any more. Next time I see the eye doctor I will get fresh lenses even though it is likely my prescription will not change. That encounter reminded me of the time Dr. Alexander told me I was ready for cataract sur- gery. I knew my night time vi- sion had some glares, but had not noticed how it had changed over the years. After the cat- aract surgery, I saw a whole new world I didn't realize had slipped away. I had a similar experience when I got my first pacemaker; suddenly I was getting enough oxygen to my brain. About twenty years ago my father was living alone at Te- hama Estates; we would visit him daily as well as spend time with him on short trips and ex- cursions. At one point he told us he had driven down to his old home in the Bay Area, but he couldn't remember where it was. He was able to find his way back to Red Bluff, however. A few months later I sat down, looked him in the eye, and asked him to hand me his car keys because I did not think it was safe for him to be driv- ing. I told him the DMV would have to test him before he could renew his drivers license, and neither his doctor nor I felt he could pass that test. He looked at me, asked if I really felt that way. I said yes, and he handed me his car keys, say- ing, "things change." We never talked about that again, and he did not seem to miss his car. Every so often we run into someone we haven't seen for several years; I remark how white his hair has become, and then he would say "You should talk." And I would respond, "at least I have most of mine", and the conversation would con- tinue about the changes in our lives. We do a lot of walking around town and explore ar- eas we have not paid attention to for a long time. Neighbor- hoods have changed and are more uneven than we remem- ber them. The pot holes in Red Bluff are indicative of some of what has happened in our com- munity over the last several years. I still have hope for our city, however. I wonder what other changes I have missed, and what sud- den event will open my eyes to them. Recognizing change helps us put things into per- spective, giving us a greater un- derstanding of ourselves and the world. Things will never be as we think we remember they were, just as we are never the same as we were. JoeHarropisaretired educator with more than 30 years of service to the North State. He can be reached at DrJoeHarrop@sbcglobal.net. JoeHarrop Noticing how things have changed We do a lot of walking around town and explore areas we have not paid attention to for a long time. Neighborhoods have changed and are more uneven than we remember them. Cartoonist's take "No one ever seizes power with the intention of relin- quishing it," observed George Orwell in his prescient novel "1984." How- ever, until Don- ald Trump came along most U.S. presidents were at least subtle about their eagerness to retain power- especially during the first 100 days. Trump is the first president to overtly and aggressively campaign for a second term while barely having started his first. In the first three months of 2017, Trump's 2020 campaign and the Republican National Committee have raised more than $42 million. During the quarter, Don- ald J. Trump for President, Inc. raised $7.1 million. Another $9.8 million was collected by Trump's Make America Great Again Committee. The rest of the money went to the RNC. Immediately following his election last November, Trump set about raising money for his inauguration. That haul was $106.7 million-about twice the previous record set by Presi- dent Obama for his 2009 in- augural. Included in Trump's windfall was a $5 million gift from Las Vegas billionaire Shel- don Adelson. For Obama's first inaugura- tion he set a limit of $50,000 from any single source; for his second inauguration the ceiling was $1 million. Trump, how- ever, set no limit. In fact, Trump got a million dollars each from four different NFL team owners. But wait! There's more. Un- like his predecessors, Trump has continued relentless fund- raising following his inaugura- tion. Daily emails to support- ers seek cash contributions and also tout Trump-branded mer- chandise such as T-shirts and bumper stickers. And where is that money go- ing? In the first quarter of 2017, Trump's campaign used nearly $500,000 for lodging at Trump hotels, rent at Trump Tower and food from Trump restau- rants. Among the oddest expendi- tures: more than $28,000 to the private consulting firm op- erated by Stephen Bannon, who is on the White House payroll as the administration's chief strategist. One unintended consequence of Trump's behavior since tak- ing office is that Democrats are also reporting near-re- cord fundraising for local can- didates. But the figure is short of what Trump's campaign and the RNC have raked in. The "permanent campaign," as it's sometimes called, was devel- oped by Bill Clinton and has, to some degree, marked all subsequent presidencies. But Trump's unabashed campaign- ing-beginning with a rally in Florida just 29 days into his term-is unprecedented. Indeed, on the very day he took office, Trump filed with the Federal Elections Commis- sion for the 2020 race. By comparison, Barack Obama didn't file for re-elec- tion until he was more than two years into his first term. So much is written about Trump's conflicts of interest- from his vast business holdings to his entanglements with for- eign governments. Yet, it seems, the biggest con- flict of all is his own ambition. No democratically-elected leader should focus his power primarily on the objective of retaining power. Peter Funt can be reached at www.CandidCamera.com Peter Funt President Trump's endless campaign Another view Enterprising entrepreneurs out there might wantto invest in a fleet of tractor backhoes and partial own- ership of a lime- stone quarry, be- cause it's start- ing to look like bunker-digging time in America. The threat of nu- clear war is spik- ing like the nee- dle of a meat thermometer on a lava-flow. It won't be long before all the Marts; K, Wal, Quickie and the rest, start advertising red, white and blue specials on duct tape and plastic wrap. Survival- ist sales. Civilization closeouts. Mankind markdowns. Various parts of the country are reacting differently. In the south, they're hoarding grits and preserving tomatoes while California stockpiles imported cases of organic, heirloom, ar- tisanal, gluten-free cannellini beans from the northwest dis- trict of the Tuscany region. Cal- ifornia bunkers have hardwood floors and a view. While President Trump is busy dropping healthy pay- loads of big-D democracy on various Mideast miscreants, North Korea's Kim Jong Un has started to kick demilitarized sand in our face, sticking out his nuclear tongue and wagging thumbs in his ears. It might not even be his own thumbs. It could be his uncle's thumbs. It's 1950 all over again. A brand new serving of the old Cold War with a little kimchi on the side. The difference be- ing the sequel is destined be tel- evised in color and not a sin- gle General MacArthur can be found. This time both combat- ants are overseen by Mad Dogs. We should have known the Beloved Leader would flip out, having been recently sup- planted atop the prestigious "World's Wackiest Leader with the Weirdest Hair" list. An award that had been in his family for generations. That was the Kim legacy. Poor lit- tle chubby Korean kid had one thing going for him, and Trump took it away. It's inter- esting to note the two have a lot more in common than worst commander-in-chief haircuts in history. They also have rabid- mammal with cut-paw temper- aments. Complicated family re- lationships. A penchant for re- arranging cabinets on a whim. Although removal from the North Korean circle of influ- ence does tend be a tad more permanent.The Pentagon might be taking the whole thing more seriously if Pyongyang were to develop a delivery system more efficient than a team of musk oxen. Their missiles have a dis- quieting habit of blowing up on the launch pad like Pop Tarts in a malfunctioning toaster dur- ing a power surge. But the jeopardy is legitimate enough to have spurred Vice President Mike Pence to rattle a few sabers on the south end of the DMZ, where he pronounced the US was about to abandon its "failed policy of strategic pa- tience." Which sounds suspi- ciously like "straighten up and fly right or someone's going to bed without dinner. Again." President Trump even re- versed a campaign pledge to la- bel China a currency manipula- tor in hopes that North Korea's adult neighbor to the northeast will keep on eye on the local ju- venile delinquent and apply the appropriate economic spanking if necessary. With a leather belt studded with ivory. After all, China has a vested interest in seeing that nothing happens to us, since we owe them trillions of dollars. It's a smart dealer that keeps his best junkie from getting beaten up. It's all so very exciting that every day without a mushroom cloud should be considered a victory. Although, some might call that a bit too exciting. Will Durst is an award- winning, nationally acclaimed columnist, comedian and former short haul truck diver of plaster molds. For a calendar of personal appearances, visit willdurst.com. Bad hair wars between Trump and North Korea Will Durst One unintended consequence of Trump's behavior since taking office is that Democrats are also reporting near-record fundraising for local candidates. But the figure is short of what Trump's campaign and the RNC have raked in. The "permanent campaign," as it's sometimes called, was developed by Bill Clinton and has, to some degree, marked all subsequent presidencies. But Trump's unabashed campaigning- beginning with a rally in Florida just 29 days into his term-is unprecedented. Joe Harrop Peter Funt OPINION » redbluffdailynews.com Saturday, April 29, 2017 » MORE AT FACEBOOK.COM/RBDAILYNEWS AND TWITTER.COM/REDBLUFFNEWS A6