Issue link: https://www.epageflip.net/i/110253
6A Daily News – Tuesday, February 19, 2013 Opinion A balanced budget solution, or else 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. 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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 Americans are rightly concerned about the bloated size of our national debt and its annual expansion from deficit spending by our federal government. Although some debt can be justified to invest in the future and cover emergency needs, excessive and long-term debt service is a growing burden now consuming some 15% of national income. When properly managed the United States should be debt free given our vast natural resources and intellectual capabilities. However an excessively expansive, redundant, and expensive Department of Defense saps funds that could be used to balance the budget and adequately fund education, universal health care, border security, corrections, research, infrastructure development, and other pressing domestic needs. No doubt we must secure our freedoms and treasury from fascists, terrorists and thieves, but we should do so parsimoniously with due diligence to cost. Instead Congress zealously pursues every conceivable weapons system, stations troops throughout the world, and subsidizes the military of allies despite the fact that their military spending and that of all our enemies is but a fraction of ours. Downsizing our military/industrial complex is politically unpopular because of millions of Defense Department employees and contractors sustained by military funding. Like a drug addict, federal, state and local governments are hooked on federal largess and deny the benefits of rehabilitation because tough love will restrict access to their drug of choice – your tax dollars. So despite the Eisenhower presidential exit speech admonishment 50 years past to "beware the military/industrial complex" we continue its expansion in the absence of any comparable military force, the cold war, or the support of our allies. By trying to balance the national budget without Defense Department right sizing we are left with a personal and contentious firefight between the haves and have-nots. Most wealthy Americans object to tax increases so as to keep the fruits of their labors with the support of Republican cheerleaders that assert wealthy job creators should be free to empower economic growth. While this is true to some extent, the wealthy must still provide the lion's share of taxes that enable governments to make the accumulation of wealth possible with necessary infrastructure, security, labor pool education and civil order. Apostle Luke says in 12:48 – "For unto whomever much is given, of him shall be much required: and to whom men have committed much, of him they will ask the more." To add merit to this high-ground, taxes benefit job creators as the funds are spent by government agencies and entitlement recipients to purchase domestic goods and services, with isn't enough time to redress all the multiplicative effects to increase loopholes and special interest provisions that now restrict economic activity and tax collections. Howevprofits. er a simpler and more Without prompt expedient option does action the specter of exist -- implementation sequestration will raise of the "Buffet Rule." its ugly head at month This rule, named after end and the draconian the billionaire Warren bargain struck last year Buffett who stated in to balance the federal 2011 that billionaires budget with indiscrimishouldn't pay lower tax nate defense and social rates than middle class service cuts will take effect – a move deemed Richard families, will apply a minimum alternative certain to plunge the tax of 30% on all earneconomy into recession ings in excess of or depression. Although $1,000,000. Last week the Congress expected Senate Democrats proto craft a better solution posed to resolve our fisby now, Republicans cal miasma by enacting and their Tea Party this rule along with over cohorts continue to insist that poor and middle class $50 billion dollars of surgical Americans bear the brunt of fiscal spending cuts. Congressional discipline by suffering cuts to Republicans and their Tea Party social services only they need like cohorts continue their political child care, education, housing, and game of chicken by taking an public health assistance. Conserv- undeserved ten day vacation with atives would rather continue exist- the nation on the precipice of ing tax loopholes and subsidies sequestration leaving me to wonthat benefit their wealthy friends – der if they will adopt a balanced no wonder support for their party budget solution, or else. is limited to the waning and whinRichard Mazzucchi is a retired ing number of wealthy households and persons wishing to restrict a research engineer specializing in woman's right to choose, same sex energy efficiency and renewable marriage or assault weapons bans. energy. He has travelled Even in the unlikely event extensively and now makes his Republican legislators see the home in Los Molinos, where he sense of avoiding sequestration can be reached at livingwith revisions to the tax code there green@att.net. Mazzucchi Positive Point 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, 530-223-6300, Fax: 5302 2 3 6 7 3 7 , senator.nielsen@senate.ca.gov 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 — Doug LaMalfa 506 Cannon House Office Building, Washington, DC 20515, 202-225-3076. 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) 224-0454. Commentary Shedding more light on America's guns If firearms and gun ownership are important to you, plan to attend some upcoming Tea Party Patriots meetings. Tonight, Mr. Frank Caltabiano, a NRA Certified Instructor, owner of State of Jefferson Firearms Training and Tuscan Outdoors associate, will appear at the Westside Grange meeting at 6 PM. Also, Sheriff Dave Hencratt will be present to answer questions on gun laws and ownership. This Thursday, Congressman Doug LaMalfa will be speaking to the Corning Tea Party Patriots, 6 p.m. at the Corning Senior Center, 1015 Fourth Ave. It'll be worth your time to hear a first-hand account of Congressional goingson from someone who has never shied from straight talk on any topic. Also, mark the following Thursday, the 28th, to hear Sam Paredes, from Gun Owners of California, address the Corning Tea Party. An article titled "The 2nd Amendment Is What Makes The Other Nine Possible," by Bill Flax at Forbes.com, admirably makes the case for gun ownership by responsible, lawful citizens. Even those of us who are adamant on this issue can forget to marshal the most concise and persuasive argument available to us: The Second Amendment in its entirety. "A well regulated militia being necessary to the security of a free state, the right of the people to keep and bear arms shall not be infringed." The "militia" was not the National Guard or the standing army, let alone the various sheriffs or other constabularies charged to act in the interests of the state; such interests could well be usurped against the people's rights, freedom and even "the security of a free state." While they all take oaths to uphold the Constitution of the United States, and their respective States, the true power resides in "the right of the people," which rights are retained by individuals against the government; Rights itemized, as well as those not listed. Amendment IX states: "The enumeration in the Constitution of certain rights shall not be construed to deny or disparage others retained by the people." Leftists, such as Piers Morgan or writers on this page, mock and deride the very idea of hundreds of millions of guns in the hands of citizens being the ultimate bulwark against despotism, but such derision was not the attitude among the colonies seeking independence from the most powerful military in the world keeping them under England's yoke. A You Tube made the rounds that included parts of a 1992 Hallmark Hall of Fame movie, "An American Story," based on historical events in Tennessee around the end of the Second World War. Look up the "Battle of Athens (1946)" in Wikipedia. After years of ever-more-onerous actions under color of authority, heavily corrupted law enforcement and elected officials took over ballot boxes containing the votes of citizens and thousands of returning veterans. Veterans had run a slate of GI Non-Partisan League candidates, seeking to end said corruption. When deputies seized and removed the ballot boxes to the jail, citizen veterans demanded to may apply to the exercise of any of our rights, including lawful independently count the votes. From hundreds to two thou- punishment and deprivation of sand armed citizens stormed the liberty for crimes. Citizens possessed armaments equal jail in a fight lasting to the military in Revoluhours, ending only tionary times, including when the entrance was cannons and explosives. blown open and the Currently, truly automatdeputies surrendered ic "assault weapons," and turned over the balwhere bullets continue to lots. The GI slate of fire while the trigger is candidates had indeed pulled one time, are won but would have already illegal outside of had their rights crushed the military. Therefore, without armaments to all other handguns, shotenforce their rights. At guns and long guns, no a rally prior to the elecmatter the size of the tion, a GI speaker said, Don magazine, fire one round "The principles that we fought for in this past Polson or shell with one trigger pull; they pose no threat war do not exist in McMinn County. We The way to anyone unless in the hands of the deranged or fought for democracy I see it criminals. The rest of us because we believe in have "God-given democracy but not the Rights" to defend ourform we live under in selves and pursue legal hunting or this county." Freedom of the press, speech, sport shooting without the imposireligion and assembly resides, as tion of laws and regulations desdoes the right to bear arms, in the tined to be ignored by bad or people, the citizens. "We hold insane people. Look up Mr. Flax's article; he these Truths to be self-evident, that all Men are created equal, that quotes John Lott's bestseller, they are endowed by their Creator "More Guns, Less Crime" which with certain unalienable Rights … states that crime rates have tumthat whenever any Form of Gov- bled as gun ownership has soared. ernment becomes destructive of "America has more murder … but these Ends, it is the Right of the overall violent crime, save innerPeople to alter or to abolish it, and cities plagued by family breakto institute new Government … down, remains below peer most likely to effect their Safety nations." and Happiness." Don Polson has called Red Bluff No reasonable, law-abiding citizen wishes to overthrow the home since 1988. He can be by e-mail at government for frivolous causes; reached no one disputes that regulations donplsn@yahoo.com.