Issue link: https://www.epageflip.net/i/120978
6A Daily News ��� Wednesday, April 10, 2013 Opinion Ride for Life 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: I was very fortunate to be asked by Adrienne Wagner to join her team for the 5th annual NorCal HERO Ride for Life event last weekend. It was a great opportunity to raise money for cancer research, to be involved in my community and to give my 4-yearold quarter horse a chance to socialize and get used to unfamiliar noise and activity. The NorCal HERO Ride for Life fundraiser was brought to Red Bluff by two committed young women, Bailey Brownfield and Jessica MacDonald five years ago. They began organizing this event when they were in 8th grade. Both are seniors now and are getting ready to graduate and begin their college experience. I am convinced they will continue to positively influence their world wherever they end up. I was impressed by how well organized the event was for the participants, their horses and the spectators. The opening ceremony began with Kelly Rodriguez singing one of the best renditions of the "Star Spangled Banner" I have heard. We were fortunate to have live performers and music throughout the ride. There was a special "Survivor���s Lap" where those who have survived cancer rode in the arena in a decorative wagon pulled by two horses. Even though my horse thought he was seeing something scary from outer space, I was very emotional watching the wagon go by. I realized how many images filled my head from own life- images of friends and family that have fought a courageous battle against cancer. Not many have survived that battle but I remain hopeful that we will beat cancer one day. Lunch was provided for the participants and there was a dummy roping contest in the afternoon. Awards were given at the end of the day for a variety of things like top fundraisers. I have to give a shout out to my fellow team member, 8-year-old Kamish Wagner, who not only won the dummy roping contest but also raised over $2,000 to win the fight against cancer. In one single day, over $28,000 was raised to help fight a battle that will no doubt touch each of us in some way in our lifetime. The HERO Ride for Life is now a community event that is permanently marked on my calendar. Many thanks to Jessica and Bailey and all those who helped put on such an important event. Lisa Escobar, Red Bluff Second Hand Stores Editor: I am an upcycler of sorts, I take clothes and re-purpose them into purses. I started with blue jeans I had that I wasn't using and old toddler pants. Then my customers started screaming for animal prints and other prints, so I decided the cheapest route would be to check out second hand stores and yard sales. I did just that today. I was in for a rude awakening when I did. I discovered that most of them think there old stuff, even nonantique, are worth more than they truly are. L & L out on Antelope in the old Grocery Outlet building was the highest priced, followed closely by the second hand store on the corner of Washington and Walnut. Salvation Army ��� aren't they supposed to be helping out the poor? Most can't afford their stuff. The two I have found to continually provide low prices are Hospice Your and The Hope Chest. I have not tried any other second hand store in Red Bluff yet. I will look and see if there are others and will try them but I must say I am really disappointed in the first three. It is back to hitting yard sales for me, they have lost my business for clothing, notions and such. Latisha Salinas, Corning Turn Response Editor: Richard Mazzucchi is quintessentially a factual example of why liberalism is a mental disease. How can anyone imagine how anyone or any group of people can be so wrong so much of the time about so much? It is he that is reprehensible and misrepresenting in his column April 2. He goes on adnauseam about the Tea Party not allowing the media to Tweet or film Congressman Doug LaMalfa at the Tea Party meeting last Monday. Even an intellectual midget, such as Mr. Mazz, who is continually tooting his horn, should be able to understand the media, both national and local, have a liberal bias that is overwhelming. How often has the media edited film, audio clips and putting a spin on the printed press to present a biased outcome to push their agenda instead of the facts? Why hasn���t the media pressed for the truth behind the Benghazi massacre or ���Fast and Furious?��� Why are the survivors of Benghazi kept behind closed doors in silence? Liberals control the legislature in Sacramento and refuse to control spending while California is spiraling into bankruptcy. For every 100 people employed by the private sector there are 139 people in California depending or living on the taxpayers��� dime. Columnist Burt Prelutsky, Los Angeles Times, gets right but the list goes on: "Frankly, I don't know what it is about California, but we seem to have a strange urge to elect really obnoxious women to high office. I'm not bragging, you understand, but no other state, including Maine, even comes close. When it comes to sending left-wing dingbats to Washington, we're Number One. There's no getting around the fact that the last time anyone saw the likes of Barbara Boxer, Dianne Feinstein, Maxine Waters, and Nancy Pelosi, they were stirring a cauldron when the curtain went up on 'Macbeth'. The four of them are like jackasses who happen to possess the gift of blab. You don't know if you should condemn them for their stupidity or simply marvel at their ability to form words." Les Wolfe, Red Bluff Your officials STATE ASSEMBLYMAN ��� Dan Logue, 1550 Humboldt Road, Ste. 4, Chico, CA 95928, 530-895-4217 STATE SENATOR ��� Jim Nielsen, 2635 Forest Ave., Ste. 110, Chico, CA 95928, (530) 879-7424, 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 Financial responsibility, Obama-style Get this: President Obama has proclaimed April as National Financial Capability Month. After all, who better than Obama ��� who has added $6 trillion to the national debt so far ��� to help "every individual take ownership of his or her financial future"? Well, so worried am I by the financial path the president and our other "leaders" are taking us on, I've become an expert on "financial responsibility" ��� the way the government does it, anyhow. I fielded some questions from readers to help them be as financially responsible as our government. Q: Tom, I spend more every month than I earn. Should I create a budget to bring discipline to my spending habits? A: There's no need for a budget. Budgets are stressful. They force you to make adult decisions about where to allot your limited funds. Just spend as you wish and borrow to cover any shortfalls. Q: Tom, I just graduated from college with $150,000 in student-loan debt and $30,000 in credit-card debt. I expected to get a high-paying manage- ment job, but I am working part-time at a burger joint. I have not been paying my bills and my credit is horrible. How can I buy my dream home? A: You're in luck. The Obama administration is pressing banks to lower lending standards again, so that people like you can buy homes now! What could possibly go wrong? Q: I got a debit card, but it doesn't seem to work at ATMs anymore. My bank said that is because I have a zero balance. Should I get a credit card instead? A: Absolutely. Interest rates are so low right now ��� our government is doing clever things to hold them down ��� that you can borrow money at record low rates. Borrow as much as you can and enjoy life. Sure, when rates eventually go back to normal, you'll be in a heap of trouble ��� much like our government will be ��� but worrying about the future is a drag. Q: I am spending about 25 percent more than I earn on boats, cars, vacation homes and more. Do I have a spending problem or a revenue problem? A: You clearly have a rev- enue problem. Too bad you that won't be for a while, so relax. can't tax your neighQ: Tom, your advice bors or create money is horrible. The country out of thin air, as the is spending and borgovernment does. rowing at unsustainMaybe you can issue able levels. The econobonds and sell them to my continues to strugpeople in other coungle because there is no tries, then use that serious effort to tame new money to spend entitlement programs even more. and bring fiscal order Q: The wife and I to our government. set up a trust fund to Government borrowpay for college for our ing is crowding out prikids, but we couldn't Tom vate investment. The resist borrowing and direction we are headspending all the ing may have terrifying money in it. We were wise enough to replace the consequences in the not-too-dismoney with IOUs. The IOUs tant future. A: Yeah, I know, but if most are as good as cash, right? A: Our government surely American voters aren't worried thinks so. Take the Social about it, then I won't let it get Security trust fund. As money me down. Besides, if things get has been put there over the bad enough in America, I figure years, Congress has borrowed I can always move to Cyprus. from it to make up for deficits Tom Purcell, a humor in other government spending. columnist for the Pittsburgh The trust fund contains IOUs from one branch of government Tribune-Review, is nationally to another. To repay those syndicated exclusively by IOUs, the government will Cagle Cartoons newspaper have to tap taxpayers for more syndicate. Visit Tom on the Web dough ��� just as your kids will at www.TomPurcell.com or ehim at tap you for the dough when it is mail time to redeem those IOUs. But Purcell@caglecartoons.com. Purcell