Issue link: https://www.epageflip.net/i/125969
6A Daily News – Wednesday, May 1, 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 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 Lake Red Bluff Editor: I am a 13-year-old writing to express my deepest disappointment in the drainage of Lake Red Bluff. I moved here 5 years ago, and one of the most fun summer activities was going down and spending time at Lake Red Bluff. I learned how to water ski on the lake. My family liked to wade, swim or kayak in the lake. We even found a nice beach to lounge on and an old rope swing. My 3 brothers and I could spend hours on that rope swing, trying out new tricks each time we flew out across the lake. Red Bluff used to be an attraction for all sorts, rodeo clowns, drag-boat racers, fairgoers and ranchers trying to sell their best. As awesome as the fairgrounds can be, it just can't replace the fun activities of Lake Red Bluff. I know the lake was taken away to help the salmon survive, but what about us? How are the children and teens of Red Bluff supposed to survive the summertime in Red Bluff? Ashton Smith, Red Bluff Vets care Editor: I would like to respond to Ms. Cahalan's letter regarding the veterinarians in this county. First of all, why was Ms. Cahalan's dog running loose? There is a law in this county and in the city of Red Bluff that all dogs must be on a leash when not contained in a yard (not on a chain, please), or in the house. When a person has a pet, he or she is responsible for the health and safety of that pet. I have three adopted dogs and when not in my house or fenced yard, they are always on a leash. Now to respond to her complaints about the veterinarians: I serve on the Board of Directors of a non-profit animal rescue organization here in Tehama County and we could not do what we do to help save the hundreds of homeless animals without the compassion, cooperation and assistance of the veterinarians. As some of you may know, it is harder to get into veterinary school than it is to medical school. These veterinarians work very hard to get into vet school, then spend years and thousands of dollars to get their degree. They don't go into veterinary medicine to make money, they do it because they care deeply about animals. As an example, they have given their time and discounted their costs for all the spays and neuters our nonprofit arranges to help reduce the homeless animal population. These animals are homeless because of careless owners who allow these animals to breed and then they dump the results. good that doesn't make the These veterinarians, even bridge stronger or last longer though they love animals, is not what Tehama County is many times have to put ani- about. He said a road sign mals down because of irre- should suffice." Was Tom sponsible owners. The ani- Mohler the only one present mals have been allowed to run with an ounce of brains? loose, get injured, It appears to be get bitten by other obvious from the Your animals or deserted way they spend other and left to starve or people's money, die on their own. none of the board Animals require members has any our care and someexperience of owntimes medicine. If you can't ing or running a business, hirafford to take care of them ing or firing employees where and be a responsible pet a profit was necessary to stay owner, don't get them in the in business. Can any of them first place. say they would make the The veterinarians I know same decision if they had to are caring, kind, knowledge- pony up the $101,000? able and many times work Our esteemed Public weekends and evenings to Works Director Gary Antone, help animals. Please give likewise to the board, comes them, and the vet techs that under the same observation, assist them, credit for all the he says the $101,000 will compassionate, hard work they come from the taxes we pay do. to the federal government Sharon Russell, Red Bluff instead of the taxes we pay to the state of California and Tehama County. This bridge has already Editor: cost the taxpayers a lot more From the Daily News "The than it's worth. If the PaskenTehama County Board of ta Band of Nomlaki Indians, Supervisors approved a that pay no taxes but take in a $101,000 contract increase lot of tax dollars paid to welTuesday for Shasta Construc- fare recipients that no doubt tors, Inc. to incorporate an exceeds the amount of architectural American Indian $101,000, at the Rolling Hills design into the concrete barri- Casino want an architectural er rail." At the request from American Indian design into the Paskenta Band of Nomla- the concrete barrier rail, then ki Indians. How stupid is let them pay for it. that? Tom Mohler for supervisor. "Resident Tom Mohler said Les Wolfe, Red Bluff spending $100,000 for a feel- Turn Bowman bridge 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 Reverse psychology vs. the nanny state Get this: New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg wants to ban the sale of cigarettes — now legal to people at age 18 — to people younger than 21. Yeah, that ought to work. Bloomberg, as you may know, has become the nation's poster child for nanny-state policies. He wants to ban the sale of sugary drinks over 16 ounces — but a judge overturned the proposal. The city is appealing. He has already banned, or tried to ban, trans fats, smoking in public places and salty foods. And now he wants to prevent anyone under 21 from legally buying cigarettes within New York City. I know the mayor has good intentions. Our modern food supply, much of it processed to taste good, is filled with unhealthful things. There is a reason obesity is at epidemic levels in America. But the mayor's attempts at outright bans will not resolve the problem. He is going about it all wrong. Look, government has never done well in the banning business. Remember when it tried to ban alcohol? That effort turned millions of ordinary citizens, including my Irish ancestors, into lawbreakers. They had to make their own hooch in homemade stills. Prohibition also resulted in the growth of massive organized-crime syndicates. Not-sonice fellows, such as Al Capone, became bloody rich selling illegal booze to thirsty customers. Cigarettes offer another example. Every time a government body increases tax rates on smokes — Bloomberg is trying to increase the cost of a pack to nearly $11 in New York City — all it does is grow the black market for tax-free cigarettes. So I have a proposal for Mayor Bloomberg — a reversepsychology proposal. Rather than ban the behaviors he wants to stop, government should promote them. Bloomberg should establish programs and committees tasked with encouraging 18year-olds to smoke if they haven't yet started. The city could conduct seminars on the benefits of a good puff and explain how cigarette purchases generate tax revenue that supports many wonderful government causes. He should reintroduce smok- ernment, often have little to do ing in public places, including with getting actual results. What they are mostly about is restaurants and pubs. Heck, why not make smoking mandatory in busybodies' need to make the rest of us bend to their these places and estabwill under the might of lish an undercover government power — police force to fine as is the case with so those who fail to light many government proup? grams that produce Once he has that unintended consesmoking initiative quences. under way, he can There is widespread begin to encourage use agreement that the of salt and trans fats in American food supply city restaurants. Better and American vices yet, he can require that are causing a world of high levels of each be Tom woe, and we need to used in every dish. debate ways to resolve And rather than ban it. One thing is for cerlarge sugary drinks, he tain: Nanny-state govought to go the other way: Ban the small ones, require ernment policies will never food providers to sell drinks by work. I'd suggest we ban them, but the bucket, and fine those unable that would only get us more of to drink it all. It wouldn't be long before the them. public would be going out of its Tom Purcell, a humor way to break every rule — by not smoking, by eating low-fat, columnist for the Pittsburgh low-salt foods and by eschewing Tribune-Review, is nationally syndicated exclusively by sugary drinks of every kind. Of course, such an approach Cagle Cartoons newspaper would never happen. That is syndicate. Visit Tom on the Web because most of the nanny pro- at www.TomPurcell.com or ehim at grams coming out of our cities, mail states and now, the federal gov- Purcell@caglecartoons.com. Purcell