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4A Daily News ��� Friday, December 28, 2012 Opinion Notorious 47% 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. Editor: It is highly disturbing to witness the extent to which We the People are sized up and categorized by the Elite, corporations, political Parties, advertisers, aspirants to public office, pollsters, et al. which recently reached its pinnacle, when 47% of our citizens were dismissed as non-tax paying, non-grata parasites in the country's political and economic realm. Assuming this to be the case, it leaves but two explanations....the absurd, that 1/2 of our citizens prefer to be disengaged, lazy, irresponsible non-tax paying leeches, or the plausible, which is more compelling and deserves closer scrutiny. Over the past decades millions of our working (rarely acknowledged anymore) and middle class citizens have seen their businesses, futures, jobs, stability and means of employment destroyed by outsourcing to places like communist China (greed trumps patriotism) or suffered the indignity of losing their livelihood through downsizing, another clever scheme. In addition, many were forced to accept significant reductions in hours, along with cuts in wages and benefits, not to mention the fact that millions were given no other choice, but to toil in temporary or dead end minimum wage jobs, which are unsuited for exportation. Yes, this is one part of the the maligned 47%. Our industrial base, once pride and mainstay of the economy and a source of substantial dual tax revenues, has been the object under both administrations, of systematic evisceration by the elite, which now has the audacity to question the validity of the very citizens victimized by their reckless pursuit of profit. Of course, it has to be acknowledged that a small percentage of our citizens gets away with taking advantage by criminally gaming the system, yet finds itself in good company these days. For instance, over the past 4 years, 26 of our largest corporations, GE, Boeing, DuPont and Wells Fargo among them, despite aggregate profits of over $200 billion, paid no taxes at Editor: all, instead, a number of them are It must be stopped. on record as having As the violence in received billions in govYour schools continues and ernment handouts and the death toll of amerisubsidies. can children and adults Let us not lose sight continues to rise no of those among us, who action by any level of lost their nest egg and retirement funds on Wall Street. government has been proposed. It also must be said that this Millions barely getting by on Social Security. our neglected violence is being portrayed in Veterans, the poor, infirm, handi- Afghanistan where we as a capped destitute and homeless, the nation are conducting the most other part of the 47%..... an ongo- horrendous murder in recent hising source of shame on the richest tory. Stop the example we are setting country and Leader of the Free and bring our troops home and World. Folks, brace yourselves, a teach peace not violence. For every child killed at home frightening scenario is lurking just around the bend in the form we are killing multiple numbers of austerity measures, guaranteed in Afghanistan and the occupied to impact the lives of additional country of Iraq, whose oil fields millions (except you know are back in the hands of Halliburwhose) which will further add to ton, a multinational conglomerthe misery and substantially ate. Stop the murders and bring our boost the ranks of our despised citizens to a level far in excess of troops home to teach and peace and love. 47%. Robert Hogan, Red Bluff Joe Bahlke, Red Bluff School violence Turn 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. Mission Statement We believe that a strong community 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 vehicles. The Daily News will reflect and support the unique identities of Tehama County and its cities; record the history of its communities and their people and make a positive difference in the quality of life for the residents 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 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 What did the Mayans know and when did they know it? The end of the world folks must have been disappointed with the results of the Mayan Calendar fizzle. The world, as you have undoubtedly noticed, did not come to a flaming conclusion on the 21st of December. Whereas the much celebrated Calendar did run its course, we are assured by the experts in this field that it renews itself. It starts all over again. We are now apparently in the Mayan Year One, and that must be a good omen for what the rest of us will, in a few days, mark as 2013. We hope the New Year will surpass the old with less violence and an abundance of peace and understanding...but that may be too tall an order for our present leaders to accomplish. As to those who believed in the Mayan Calendar, Astrology and the like, a remark from astronomer Andrew Fraknoi may prove of benefit: ���Such specious thought could be dispelled if our schools taught a class in skeptical thinking.��� But then that would impact negatively on Sunday School attendance... so never mind. *** Was this past year a good year for you? From an economic sense, it appears to have been a year of anxiety. The recession lingered, the weather was frightful, those out of work continued to search for sustainable living... and the shootings of the innocents has continued unabated. If that were not enough, my new lap top just dumped my entire I Say text destined to be read today. That said, I am starting from scratch and trying to recall my previous pithy remarks. If this were a movie, the screen would zoom in on a site, say, on a beach, where this single spaced effort has been left unattended, and the sheets of same are shown being blown, one after another, into the surf. Such grief! Such waste! And yet there are those who would add, as did Henry Higgins in My Fair lady, ���How delightful!��� However, consider the only-one-subjectin-depth treatment columns running Tuesday and Saturday. How do those chaps do it? They stay in character and either rant and pontificate about the recent election failures and the shocking attempts by some to limit the sale of automatic weapons...or they enlighten readers regarding the faulty analysis and bias of many. In either case, they are entertaining, but they must require erudition far beyond my 3-dot efforts. *** ���You know you are a redneck if your about, she replied, ���I don���t know. I can���t home has wheels and your car doesn���t.��� Jeff read yet.��� A teacher asked the class to Foxworthy form a sentence about a *** public servant. A small boy The New Year brings wrote, ���The fireman came promise of a reconstituted down the ladder pregnant.��� Red Bluff City Council. The teacher took the lad This go around, we hope, aside and asked him if he will see them address the knew the meaning of the plight of the homeless, who word ���pregnant.��� He said, currently must rely on the ���Sure I do. It means carrygoodness of the PATH Wining a child.��� ter Emergency Shelter Plan *** which names the various Robert Last week���s quiz was church groups who offer first answered by D. said shelter. Even then, McGill who ���discovered��� their hours of operation are that Grendel was killed by from 5 in the evening to 8 Beowulf, Groucho���s real the next morning with the name was Julius Henry caution that no pets are Marx, and three of his allowed. After 8 a.m., the homeless must hope for a sunny day. In any movie names were Rufus T. Firefly, Gordon case, the aforementioned council has issued Miller and Otis P. Driftwood. She was the obligatory suitable-for-framing letters awarded first place by default because our lauding the outgoing members for their out- cousin in Burlingfarb was disqualified, as standing work. Well and good, but I hope nepotism has no place in this quiz game they put an asterisk after each name noting unless money is included along with the (as will Barry Bonds��� entry into the Base- answers. This week���s quiz: Despite their names, ball Hall of Fame for assisted living via steroids) , a less than satisfactory effort to what is the sex of Santa���s reindeer, what is secure a permanent shelter for the home- Whoopi Goldberg���s real name...and what is a ���baron of beef?��� less. *** *** I received a book titled ���Milton Berle���s From the Ashland, Ore. Police Blotter: ���Lower Duck Pond, Lithia Park. Police Private Joke File��� containing more than responded to a report of two dogs running 10,000 gags, anecdotes and one liners. So, loose and attacking ducks at 11:20 a.m. Sat- we won���t be running repeats for awhile. A couple met in a retirement community. urday. The officers cited a resident for the loose dogs. The ducks refused medical They were both 90 years old. Since love knows no years, one look at each other was treatment and left the area.��� enough and they married a week after they *** ���If toast always lands butter side down if met. On the first night of the honeymoon, you drop it, and cats always land on their they got into bed, held hands and squeezed feet, what happens if you strap toast on the them. On the 2nd night they squeezed hands back of a cat?��� Steven Wright again. *** On the third night, the husband pressed Kids allegedly say the strangest things. A grandmother was in the bathroom applying his wife���s hand. She replied, ���Not tonight. I makeup. She was about to leave when her have a headache.��� little granddaughter reminded her, ���GrandRobert Minch is a lifelong resident of ma, you forgot to kiss the toilet paper goodRed Bluff, former columnist for the Corning bye.��� Another little girl was diligently pound- Daily Observer and Meat Industry ing away on a typewriter when her grandfa- magazine and author of the ���The Knocking ther asked what she was doing. ���I���m writing Pen.��� He can be reached at a story.��� When he asked her what it was rminchandmurray@hotmail.com. Minch I Say