Issue link: https://www.epageflip.net/i/102583
6A Daily News – Wednesday, January 9, 2013 Opinion Field damage 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. 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 Editor: Well, happy new year. The vandals are at work. The new baseball gloves will hang up someplace else come spring baseball for lots of kids. The community around Jackson Heights must have heard or seen something. Four-wheelers are not quiet. Four-wheelers have off-road licenses. Let's get with the police department, DMV and find the responsible parties. The people who made this mess should have to clean it up and be responsible. Perhaps a door to door canvass by concerned parents and citizens? This is my second letter. Much calmer and less angry this time. Sam Collins, Red Bluff Bank fees Editor: I recently received a check for $200 from a local business. As I sat at the intersection of Walnut and Main I realized the check was written on the bank right across the street. Rather than make a special trip to my bank I decided to just go in there and cash it. After exchanging pleasantries and asking if I had an account there I was told there would be a $5 fee to cash the check. My first thought was the fee would be taken from the person who wrote the check. I then realized they wanted the fee from me. I told her the check was written on that bank, it was given to me in lieu of cash. She said because I did not have an account there I had to pay the $5 fee to use their services. I said I did not choose to use their services, the man who wrote the check did. Charge him the fee. I asked to speak to the manager. We went thru the same discussion with me giving him more reasons why the fee was unjust. I finally left the bank with the check still in my hand. I mentioned this to several friends and they all agreed the bank should not charge a fee to cash a check that is written on their bank. Some said this particular bank is not a good bank to do business at. If we, the public, simply accept and pay every fee that the upper end businesses put on every transaction there will be no reason for them to stop. The airlines and the banks are notorious for added fees for what used to be customary services. Inflation, the rise in the cost of living, is getting out of hand. We are going over a cliff. Everyone, the government, the business and the public, need to stop the greed and live with in our means. If my band would not honor a check that I had written I might look to do business elsewhere. We need to stand up for our rights and not be the complacent sheep being led over that infamous cliff. David McBath, Red Bluff 2012 fire season us in their firefighting efforts. Our heroes. Thank you all. Jere Lee Hale, Red Bluff Editor: On Aug. 18, my husband Carl and son Shannon, a paramedic, firefighter engineer for Editor: the city of San Luis Obispo Fire Re-instate the draft Department, was one for all adults over the of a crew of 27 from Your age of 18. From the the San Luis Obispo president on up the area, dispatched to local janitor, hotel fight the Wye fire near maid and local waiter Clearlake. From and waitress. The Clearlake they were dispatched to another fire North aforementioned all cease all wars of adventure aka East of Red Bluff. All cleaned up and in formal Afghanistan, Iraq. It can be guaranteed that no uniform, which is quite impresrepresentative or president will sive, they arrived in Red Bluff Thursday evening, hot and hun- authorize an adventure when gry. The crew bombarded the their own children plus their Green Barn Restaurant and own lives are to be placed in enjoyed a great steak dinner danger. Just think of the cost both before heading north to combat financially and human that has more fires. Coincidentally, my husband been thrust upon us and our Carl had a two-day reprieve future generations due to the ill from the Plumas Chips fire, advised invasions of two counwhere he operates a water ten- tries of whom had nothing too der, and was actually home do with the sham that was used when our son called to invite me to invade them. It has been touted by many to join the crew for dinner. that we must cut Social SecuriWhen I told him Dad was home, he said, "Well, invite him ty in order to balance the budtoo!" Needless to say. we rushed get. This is a false premise, as to town and enjoyed an unexpected and wonderful hour and previously mentioned social a half together, as well as a security is not part of the genscrumptious, well prepared eral deficit. The real issue is the advensteak dinner. tures of our government in forThe Green Barn is to be commended for their exceptional eign nations. All of the above will be food and service, particularly with no advance notice of so solved when every adult, over many arriving at once and on a the age of 18 will be subject to short time schedule to eat and the draft. Bob Hogan, Red Bluff get on the road to further serve Draft Turn Your officials STATE ASSEMBLYMAN — Dan Logue, 1550 Humboldt Road, Ste. 4, Chico, CA 95928, 530-895-4217 STATE SENATOR — Awaiting results of special election GOVERNOR — Jerry Brown, State Capitol Bldg., Sacramento, CA 95814; (916) 445-2841; Fax (916) 5583160; E-mail: governor@governor.ca.gov. U.S. REPRESENTATIVE — Doug LaMalfa 506 Cannon House Office Building, Washington, DC 20515, 202-2253076. U.S. SENATORS — Dianne Feinstein (D), One Post Street, Suite 2450, San Francisco, CA 94104; (415) 393-0707. Fax (415) 3930710. Barbara Boxer (D), 1700 Montgomery St., Suite 240, San Francisco, CA 94111; (510) 286-8537. Fax (202) 224-0454. Commentary New Year's resolutions fed-style Get this: The federal government is offering tips on New Year's resolutions. I stumbled upon its "Popular New Year's Resolutions" page on usa.gov, the official Web portal of the United States government. "Lose Weight" is one. When I clicked the link there, it took me to the page for the Weightcontrol Information Network (WIN), a government agency tasked with keeping the public informed about obesity, weight control, physical activity and nutrition. WIN's advice: "To lose weight you need to take in fewer calories than you use" and "create a healthy eating plan." Excited by such groundbreaking information, I moved along to "Manage Debt" -something the government surely knows plenty about. Its link took me to the Federal Trade Commission's Consumer Protection page. There I was advised that if I'm kneedeep in debt, I'll want to develop a budget and contact my creditors. I was also warned to be leery of debt-restructuring agencies. So useful was that advice, I couldn't wait to move on to "Save Money." Its link took me to a page that offered 66 ways to save. I clicked on "Credit Cards" and was informed that, to avoid a late fee, I ought to send in my payment five to 10 days before the bill is due. I also learned that I can avoid interest charges if I pay off my balance each month! Since I own some rental properties, I was curious to see what money-saving tips the government is giving to prospective renters. To wit: Renters are encouraged to shop around for the best deal -- or find a building they want to live in and contact the building manager to see if there is availability. And before signing a lease, renters should be cautious: "Remember that signing a lease probably obligates you to make all monthly payments for the term of the agreement." Probably? I've written a few leases in my day. I've been careful to keep "probably" out of the final drafts. Nonetheless, the government offers two other useful suggestions: "Drink Less Alcohol" and "Quit Smoking Now." The first link brought me to the National Institute on Alco- hol Abuse and Alcoholism ing causes. Our government has gotten page. The existence of this so bloated, it is offergovernment agency ing tips on New struck me as ironic. Year's resolutions -Our government is and directing us to doing so much to cause government agencies us to drink -- spending, to help us keep deficits, debt -- that it them? has to establish another If any entity government entity to should be making help us stop? resolutions, shouldn't The smoking link it be the federal govtook me to another ernment — and government Web site, shouldn't its resolusmokefree.gov, where I tions be based on the learned that smoking Tom will and direction of isn't good for you. I the people? was able to get live Of course the online help from a fedbirds in charge are eral employee at the ramming through legislation National Cancer Institute. Though I don't smoke, I was regardless of our will. It's enough to drive a man to so delighted by the "free" government support, I'm looking drink. When I break that resoluinto starting. "Reduce Stress Overall" was tion, the last place I'll go for another resolution suggestion. support is the federal governThe link took me to Medline- ment. Plus, an online encyclopedia of Tom Purcell, a humor health information. It is a sercolumnist for the Pittsburgh vice of another government entity, the U.S. National Tribune-Review, is nationally syndicated exclusively by Library of Medicine. Cagle Cartoons newspaper There I learned that longterm stress isn't good -- that to syndicate. Visit Tom on the address it, one must get to its Web at www.TomPurcell.com or e-mail him at underlying causes. Well, here are some underly- Purcell@caglecartoons.com. Purcell