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4A Daily News – Thursday, January 24, 2013 Opinion Thanks 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 Editor: The St. Elizabeth Hospital Auxiliary had their fifth annual Crab Feed on Saturday, Jan. 12. We would like to thank everyone who attended and especially the people that volunteered their time to make it another success. We would like to thank our Sheriff Dave Hencratt and his wife Locki, Jeff and Amanda Garrett for their help and support. We also would like to thank the kids from Red Bluff High School for their excellent help and great attitudes! We couldn't have asked for more. The Starbuck crews from the Adobe Starbucks and the Corning Starbucks helped us all immensely. Thanks again Dr. Brian Haugen for helping the clean-up crew! On behalf of the St. Elizabeth Hospital Auxiliary members, thanks to all. Linda Ezzat, Red Bluff Works in the private sector Editor: Last week on Face the Nation, Nancy Pelosi said she thought congress members should be paid like CEO's, in the millions. What I didn't add is she also said if they were paid more, there would be better candidates running for those offices. Not quite sure what I should say about that. Then, I was taken to task by Orval Strong for implying poor people were lazy, which was a poor choice of words on my part. I apologize. Just because a person is poor doesn't mean they're lazy, not at all. It irritates me to no end to see the lazy and shiftless of any race, content to live off the rest of us. Last year on national television Nancy Pelosi's daughter interviewed a man, able-bodied, mid twenties, happy as a lark to be living off the rest of us. I think they should have to do some kind of work if they collect welfare, but our president put an end to that, didn't he? It was an election year, which bought him votes. Look around any town, there are many things that could be done, picking up trash, pruning bushes, raking leaves, something to earn their keep. Make it mandatory for those people to learn a craft, etc. Make them take parenting skills. It's frustrating to me that so many things are totally out of control. Spending welfare money at casinos, buying cigarettes and liquor, on and on with welfare money. Don't tell me it doesn't happen, I know it does. . Nowadays, it isn't impossible for any of us to become poor. An illness, loss of job, health insurance, IRA's disappearing, when some are living large, pensions being funded by those who are becoming poor slowly. I work with a couple who have no health insurance and recently had an emergency visit which cost them $5000, but the hospital would write off $2000 if they paid the balance in cash. This isn't fair either, these people both work, long hours, and because so much of our money goes to those who aren't legally here or whatever, they still have to pay the lion's share for themselves. Obama land line in the primary and vacapromised fairness and balance, tion home, and AOL service. In haven't seen it yet, only see divi- the 1950s our family 32 aunts and sion between both sides, no coop- uncles, four grandparents, huneration but the Republicans get all dreds of cousins and my 12 sibthe blame. Harry Reid said during lings all lived within 25 miles. the campaign if Romney was Today the siblings and our chilelected, he wouldn't work with dren live from coast to coast and him. I've heard others say the communications are almost same thing, so we can be instantaneous, but costassured the next four ly. Your years will be blame, We've sold 5 homes, blame, blame, but only at a 5 to 15 percent loss the Republicans. I wish from the purchase cost the Republicans would in three states and four stand up and kick the cities during the many you-know-what out of these self- recessions and unions or global righteous idiots. If they won't competition forced plant closures work together, get rid of them. from 1965 to 1994. Since 20 to 30 Works in the private sector. percent down payment was norBernice Cressy, Cottonwood mal, no taxpayer had to bailout a sub prime mortgage borrower. You accepted the loss as a normal part of home ownership. On only one occasion in 1966 did we use a credit union loan for a three year finance of a car loan. The remaining 17 used and new Editor: vehicles were bought with savOften news articles state that ings, hence never an interest cars, homes,. and iPads are invest- charge. Fuel economy and long 15 ments, rather than the factual to 20 year life, was the criteria for expenses. purchase, other than the poor vehiIt is amazing how much a typi- cle quality years of the 1950s to cal family now spends on smart early 1980 era, before high quality phones, large screen TVs, more Japanese cars came to the US.. home than affordable, fuel guz- Cars have never been investments zling vehicles, and the high cost of but necessities for work. 5-year trades. We enjoy communicating During my teens, a single with our 4 children and 11 rotary dial Bell telephone provided grand kids, but we haven't the communication for our family bought into the high cost of of 12 kids and our parents for smart phones or the desire to about $10 month, and never a long Facebook. distance call. In summary, cars, homes, This past year, our communica- and iPads are not investments tions cost $3,00 for one dumb cell but costs. phone, high speed Internet and a Joseph Neff, Corning Turn Cars, homes, and iPads are not investments Your officials STATE ASSEMBLYMAN — Dan Logue, 1550 Humboldt Road, Ste. 4, Chico, CA 95928, 530-895-4217 STATE SENATOR — Jim Nielsen, 280 Hemsted Dr., Ste. 110, Redding, CA 96002, 530223-6300, Fax: 530-223-6737, senator.nielsen@senate.ca.gov 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 Obama's definition of 'liberty' Oh, how far-removed we are from what now seems like the "innocent" Bill Clinton days when all we had to worry about was the various definitions of the word "is". And now, after watching President Obama's second term inaugural address, it is clear we have a president who calls into question the meaning of the word "liberty." It is incomprehensible that this former constitutional lawyer would argue during his speech that America has evolved to the extent "our founding documents" no longer require us to "define liberty in exactly the same way." But then again, it's not so far-fetched considering what he's done so far as well as the radicals he's wrapped his life around. Some in the mainstream media have pondered if compromising with Republicans will be part of his second term agenda, but based on his address, the short answer is "no." Put on your seatbelts; we're headed for four more years of divide and conquer politics. The carnage will be immense, considering the majority of Americans are not far-left radicals. Clearly, our founders defined liberty as the right of individu- als to pursue their own interests with minimal interference from a limited government. To suggest otherwise either shows a lack of understanding of America's founding principles or a disregard for the same. Obama seems intent on widening the already colossal ideological divide. And herein lies the complexity of a community organizer turned president: his ideology contradicts the constitution he is sworn to uphold. If the ultimate goal is to shake up, tear down, and fundamentally transform America into the collectivist society Obama's honey-filled words dripped of, he will do so without the support of half the country. As the rest of us find ourselves scratching our heads trying to figure out where the constitutional authority exists to achieve this transformation, Obama moves forward, motivated by a ludicrous notion that the Constitution must change because times have. Obama's inaugural speech words echoed similar thoughts from his book, "The Audacity of Hope," suggesting the Constitution "is not a static but rather a living document, and must be read in the context of an gun control. It might be time for citizens ever-changing world." to grasp an understandAt least he is coning of what our sistent. On WBEZfounders meant when FM, Chicago, 12 they wrote and spoke years ago, making a about liberty. Let me case for wealth redisleave you with former tribution and social congressman Ron justice, suggesting it Paul's definition: would be found in "Freedom is defined by what the Constitution the ability of citizens did not say. Citing a to live without governprevious court case, ment interference. Obama said, "the Government cannot Constitution is a charcreate a world without ter of negative liberSusan risks...Only a totalitarities" mandating "what an society would even the states can't do to claim absolute safeyou" and "what the federal government can't do to ty...Liberty has meaning only if you, but it doesn't say what the we still believe in it when terrifederal government or the state ble things happen, and a false government must do on your government security blanket beckons." behalf." I still believe. How about And he's lived in the gray ever since. Black and white you? have given way to ever-expandSusan Stamper Brown is an ing shades of gray so much that page columnist, listening to a policy speech opinion from the president requires an motivational speaker and interpreter. The inaugural military advocate who writes speech was replete with duplici- about politics, the military, the tous and eerily conservative economy and culture. Email at phrasing like "equality" to con- Susan ceal wealth redistribution and writestamper@gmail.com or website at "safety" in "the quiet lanes of her Newtown" to mask expanded susanstamperbrown.com. Brown