Issue link: https://www.epageflip.net/i/100749
6A Daily News ��� Thursday, December 27, 2012 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. 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. 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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 More errors Hwy. 99E Editor: Don Polson still has a lot to learn when it comes to Social Security financing. Dec. 18 he said Social Security was $150 billion short in 2011. Then, in his Dec. 25 column, he stated the program was only "$48 billion short." In the intervening days he must have learned about the nearly $103 billion the program received from the Treasury's General Fund to cover the loss of payroll tax revenue, per Public Law 111-312. Now we await Mr. Polson's education concerning the program's other funding sources. Hopefully Mr. Polson will learn about the $114 billion in interest the program earned in 2011 as well as the $24 billion earned from income taxes paid on a portion of Social Security benefits. Then perhaps he'll realize there was no shortfall in 2011. In actuality the program enjoyed a net gain of $69 billion. Don Polson has suggested he may inform us about Social Security's "problems, fallacies, and potential solutions." Unless and until he gets his facts in order, it's doubtful many will bother to listen. David Janott, Red Bluff Editor: I want to publicly thank the Road Department for sending me a copy of the ���Los Molinos Safety and Revitalization Project- Phase 2.��� The plans are posted at the kiosk in the post office parking lot for the public to see. I am extremely happy to see the sidewalk on the west side of the highway then transfers to the east side of the street and continues on Grant Street then meets with the finished part of Phase I, using the on-demand stop light to get to the west side of the street. Now my question, is there a plan in the future for further work on the south end of Los Molinos? The problem I have is twofold. First we have a new bus stop, but no bench or shelter from the weather and second, where Sherwood Boulevard connects with Highway 99 on the south end I see little red flags. Please tell me something will be done here. Coming out on Sherwood to Highway 99 on your right is a high rise and I will say the county has been good at mowing the thistles so you can see southbound traffic on 99 before you pull out. Now to the exit from 99 to Sherwood, summer is all right. No puddle on the turn. wet, windy winter weather A young Caltrans man was ahead for North State resilooking at this puddle one dents. winter day ��� I pulled over on 2,213 total individuals, Sherwood and stopped and representing 1,581 housewalked back to talk holds, were hometo him. less at some point in Your He asked, ���Where 2011 and 983 total does this puddle individuals, repredrain to?��� senting 423 houseWell, they or the holds, were immicounty, I do not know nently at-risk of who, put some gravel in it, becoming homeless. 315 which just was scattered out children were homeless and by turning cars and the puddle 458 children were imminently just gets bigger. at-risk of becoming homeless. I see little red flags there. 99 veterans were homeless Dare I hope that entry onto (Source: City of Redding Highway 99 will be fixed? Shasta County Homeless Joann Landingham, Continuum of Care Council Los Molinos 2011 year-long homeless surv e y , www.co.shasta.ca.us/index/h ousing_index/coc_index.aspx ). If you feel the Veterans Editor: Home should be offered as a Something to consider over place of respite for the homethe holidays. less, at least until such time as 150 warm, dry, and fur- it is utilized for its intended nished apartments still sitting purpose, please consider sharempty at the brand new Red- ing your thoughts with Peter ding Veterans Home, almost J. Gravett, Secretary, Califorone year after being complet- nia Department of Veterans ed in January 2012 at a cost of Affairs, at $88 million. Peter.Gravett@cdva.ca.gov or $119,000 each month to 1227 O Street, Suite 300, staff and maintain this unused Sacramento, CA 95814. facility, including salaries, I did. benefits and utilities, totaling Dare I say, Merry Christroughly $1.43 million dollars mas and Happy New Year. a year. Pete Stiglich, Cottonwood 3 to 4 more months of cold, Turn Merry Christmas, Happy New Year 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: governor@governor.ca.gov. U.S. REPRESENTATIVE ��� Wally Herger (R), 2595 Ceanothus 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) 2240454. Commentary Phew Mr. Harrop, when I get tired of reading Pat Johnston���s responses on the Daily News web page, criticizing Don Polson���s column, I read your column to see what other pearls of wisdom I can garner from some of the other highly educated and sophisticated people of our community. Before you criticize the Tea Party too much you might consider that many of them graduated from the School of Hard Knocks, brought up in the hard times of the thirties, the patriotic times of the forties and the responsible time of the fifties. You know, that���s when the schools still taught the pledge of allegiance to our flag and country, patriotism, traditional family values, the virtues of hard work, the exceptionalism of the U.S. and rugged individualism that are the foundation on which this country was built. Some who were indoctrinated during the thirty years of your tenure managed to get an education anyway. Government monopoly of public education has facilitated a cultural shift since the era of the Great Society. Schools teach students to feign rational approaches to problem solving and filter decisions through emotions. How does it make you feel implementing your solution? Public education rewards effort over results. Before you phew, too much about Agenda 21, there are some things to consider. The elimination of private land ownership. So, if you live in the suburbs, fill in your swimming pool, get rid of your barbecue and get ready to move into a condo. One of the main differences between the good ole U.S.A. and European countries is we the people own the public resources i.e. public land, water and fish and game etc., in European countries not so much. Our public resources built this once great nation, created jobs for the common man (the wage earner), provided access to our public land to hunt and fish, camp and many other outdoor recreational experiences that were affordable to the wage earner and his family. In Europe the landed own the fish and game and public has very limited access to what we the people have taken for granted. Access to public land is the key to any outdoor recreational experience. Agenda 21 is just a government land grab, where the Forest Service, the Bureau of Land Management and environmentalists, to name a few, are blocking access to these resources. Now add another government entity ���California (in my opinion) eventually deny Fish & Wildlife Strategic access to public land unless you go by shank���s mare. Vision. In 2010, AB 2376 (Huffman) was Guest View When this happens the outdoor recresigned into law, requirational experience we ing the California NatLes once knew will be ural Resources Agency gone and it will be to convene a commitjust like it is in tee to develop a strateEurope. Where, if gic vision for the California Department of Fish and you want a quality hunting or Game and the California Fish fishing experience you will and Game Commission.��� This have to ���pay to play��� like Dye so called Strategic Vision has Creek or to a high profile guide changed the name of the Cali- service that has leased a ranchfornia Department of Fish & ers land for the hunting and Game (DFG) to California fishing rights, not to criticize Department of Fish and the ranchers for doing what Wildlife starting Jan. 2013. they have to do to make ends This is considered by many meet. Out the window goes the retired from DFG to be the first outdoor recreational experience step to ban hunting. PETA is for the wage earner. On Dec. 4, the Board of responsible for the banning of the use of hounds for hunting Supervisors passed the junk bear and wants all hunting ordnance. The revised code banned, then they will work on allows county staff to address eliminating fishing. There is the problems through adminisalso a possibility that DFG trative penalties including fines wildlife areas will be turned and, in the more serious cases, a over to private entities to man- non-judicial abatement process. age. They would most likely be In other words, county employmanaged like Dye Creek Pre- ees determine the amount of the serve that was purchased with fine or make the decision to public funds then turned over to place a lien on someone���s propthe Nature Conservancy to be erty without a court hearing. managed like a private hunting That sounds like a land grab to me or Agenda 21 or sustainable club. Both state and federal gov- growth. ernments and environmentalists Les Wolfe lives in Red Bluff. are joining forces to limit and Wolfe