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4A Daily News – Wednesday, March 6, 2013 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 Open letter to the community if anything looks odd or someone As a mother of four children and seems out of place, tell someone. the superintendent of Red Bluff High • Get support – we all grieve and School District, I am tremendously respond to these tragic events in our saddened by the events of last week. own way. We have counselors on You did not have to know Marysa hand and want our students to utiNichols personally to be impacted by lize our experts when needed. her death. It is a horrific situation that Families and community memis incomprehensible. Yet it has hapbers can support us by helping to pened and we are handling it here in reinforce these safety skills at the district with support from each home. other and our community. We have a comprehensive safety Last Friday I met with all students plan for our school. We supervise in grade level assemblies. I explained Lisa during the day. Visitors check in the facts as given by the Red Bluff and get a visitor pass before they Police Department. I explained that are allowed to be on campus. Stuthe police had not released many dents in our district are known to details about the case and will not, as that might jeopardize the integrity of their our staff by first name. We care about our stuinvestigation. I understand that we are human dents. We will continue to supervise and evaland want to explain what happens and some- uate our current practice to see what we can do times that need to explain results in rumors. I better, which is what we always do. Your ideas asked as their superintendent that our students and suggestions are always welcome because not participate in the spreading of rumors dur- safety of our students is a school responsibility that is shared with families and our coming this very difficult time. I also talked to our students about safety. munity. This has been a very difficult time for all of The adults in our district work very hard to ensure safety for our students in the classroom us. We could not have made it through without and on school grounds. But we need students the incredible support of law enforcement, the to also help in decreasing their vulnerability Tehama County Office of Education staff and whether at school or at home. I asked our stu- our outlying districts that have offered their emotional support and staff members to dents to do the following: • Be accountable – if you are supposed to increase our outreach to students and staff that be in class, be there. If you have to leave class, were struggling. I would like to give a very tell an adult. We want to know where our stu- public thank you to them from our district. And finally, I cannot imagine what dents are during the school day. • Buddy Up – there is safety in numbers. Marysa's family is going through and I know Travel with a friend especially in isolated that I speak for all in our school community when I say our thoughts and prayers are with areas. • Listen to your intuition – we all have a you and we are so very sad for your loss. "6th sense" if you will, an inner voice that Lisa Escobar is superintendend of the Red alerts us when we may be in danger. Listen to that voice and pay attention to the feeling your Bluff Union High School District. She can be reached at 529-8700 and body gives when it senses danger. • Be aware – notice your surroundings and lescobar@rbuhsd.k12.ca.us. Escobar 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. 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: In response to your columnist, Mr. Bob Minch, on the Cowboy Church and the questions he raises. The answer to all of them is yes with the exception of the one about the minister wearing a Stetson – no he wears a baseball Your cap. The Out of the Box Ministries have been holding Cowboy Church at the Bull Sale building at the Red Bluff Fairgrounds every Sunday and Wednesday, for quite some time. I would think a self proclaimed man about town and "rancher" would do some research before he goes to bloviating as so many of your regular columnist and letter writers do. Maybe it's catching. There are Cowboy Churches throughout the United States and at many rodeos each Sunday. Our church has few rules and restrictions and doesn't need a big fancy building to hold our worship services. I'm sure the minister and our congregation would more than welcome Mr. Minch and Murray at anytime.Come as you are. Karen Simpson, Richfield Turn Regarding letters Editor: I agree with Patricia Hale regarding opinion letters. The same people write over and over. We are well aware of their views. The letters are too long. This paper allows 500 words. You should cut that in half. These people are writing editorials not letters. Editor? Esther Taylor, Red Bluff 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. 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 Cowboy Church Commentary My mother and father school the senate "All right," said my mother, standing before the members of the U.S. Senate, "it's time for you to get your act together." "That's right," said my father. "You fools haven't passed an annual budget in more than three years!" "What is this thing you call a 'budget'?" said Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev. "For the love of God," said my mother. "A budget is a framework that sets priorities for spending based on the income or revenue one receives. In the case of the government, it allocates funds among different programs in a rational and organized manner." "That is correct, dear," said my father. "The budget process brings discipline to spending. Since there is a finite amount of income, a budget forces an individual or organization to make tough decisions." "Sounds like a lot of work," said Reid. "It's a tremendous amount of work, but it must be done," said my mother. "It's because my husband and I established a disciplined budget every year that we managed to raise six children on a single income." "It was our duty to our children to create and follow a budget," said my father. "It is the duty of the Senate to work with the House and the White House to do likewise." "We don't need a budget," said Reid. "We keep passing short-term continuing resolutions, which are funding the government just fine." "Horsefeathers!" said my mother. "By passing short-term budgeting resolutions, you are not addressing the deficit, which will be just shy of $1 trillion again this fiscal year. You are not addressing the need to reform taxes to eliminate red tape, broaden the base and increase revenue. You are not doing your jobs and you should be ashamed of yourselves for the uncertainty you are visiting on our shaky economy." "How does this budgeting thing work?" said Reid, with a puzzled look on his face. "First," said my father, "you look at how much money you are bringing in. Then you make sure the important items are covered. In our case, they included our mortgage, utility bills, food will go on record and savings for a rainy showing which prioriday. Regrettably, we ties they favor and hardly ever had money which they don't. left over to pay for fun That's bad politics." things, such as vaca"Bad politics is tions, new cars and what the country other niceties, so we needs right now," said cut those from our budmy father. "My wife get." and I have been disci"You cut niceties! plined about spending Why didn't you just throughout our marcreate more money like riage, because we our government does?" worried about our "For the love of Tom children's future. We God," said my mother. managed our affairs "You numbskulls in sensibly and are hapWashington need to get pily retired, and our your heads examined. You are spending this country children do not have to worry into oblivion. You are running about our future. But the Senate up debt at an unsustainable must produce a budget right level. At some point, this coun- now to save our country's try will no longer be able to print future." "Budget," said Reid. "What or borrow enough money and the whole thing will come crash- is this thing you call a 'budget'?" ing down — and it will be Tom Purcell, a humor because you lack the discipline columnist for the Pittsburgh to produce a simple budget." "But we can't prioritize Tribune-Review, is nationally spending and cut government syndicated exclusively by programs!" said Reid. "People Cagle Cartoons newspaper who like these programs voted syndicate. Visit Tom on the Web for us to keep growing them. If at www.TomPurcell.com or ehim at we go through a budgeting mail Purcell@caglecartoons.com. process, members of the Senate Purcell