Issue link: https://www.epageflip.net/i/147363
6A Daily News – Wednesday, July 31, 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 Making a difference in Los Molinos Elks thanks Editor: Driving through Los Molinos is such a delight. Beautiful trees and flower boxes dot the highway and attractive lighting now lights up our downtown. The new crosswalks provide safety and visibility for pedestrians and the decorative roadwork helps define road use. But what pleases me the most is the fact that many of these improvements were done by our own local volunteers. Countless hours, meetings and decisions were required and I want to thank all those who gave of their own time to bring these wonderful improvements to our community. There are so many who participated, but I especially want to acknowledge our past mayor, Terry Rapley, who spearheaded much of this work, Dave Pilger, past Los Molinos High School principal, Ron Warner and Bill Borror, past county supervisors, Barbara O'Keefe who wrote the grant, Mary Baker, past mayor of Los Molinos and the entire town who supported this project. How gratifying to see our community come together and together make a real difference. Connie Asquith, Los Molinos Editor: I would like to say what a great community I live in. Red Bluff has really stepped up to the plate for our disabled children our local merchants gave so much. The Elk's Lodge has what we call the purple pig and we fill these piggy banks with our loose change. The money goes to handicapped children. This is the Elk's major project. We had a fundraiser July 20 and raised $2,000. This was due to our local merchants' donations. Thank you so much to all that donated. Pat Craig, Red Bluff In danger on our ranch Editor: I'm a property owner on Wells Creek Ranch 30 miles west of Red Bluff on State Route 36W and Vestal Road. We have pot growers on our ranch. Five growers growing on their own 160 acres 99 plants. The problem is they chase us through the ranch, our ranch, with assault rifles, and no one seems to try to do anything about it. I spoke to John Pickett of the Redding FBI, Jeff Garrett Tehama Marijuana task force, brought him out to the ranch and Fish & Game. No one has Nobody takes over their aircraft. The FAA rules that was too expensive and not necessary with U.S. carriers. Wrong again. We've seen the cost of that little piece of idiocy both in lives and dollars. Just what is the Your function of the FAA? Fred Boest, Red Bluff done nothing about it. Going this weekend with a retired Camp Officer, we need something done before it turns out too be a shoot out at the OK corral. Louis Ramos, Red Bluff Idiocy Editor: Here I go again. Do you have to flunk an IQ test to get a job as a judge or any other government position? We've got this guy Hellerstein who is going to decide if the World Trade Center can sue American Airlines, AMR Corp., United Airlines, US Airways, Inc., Colgan Air Inc., Boeing Co. and the Massachusetts Port Authority for their complicity in the 9/11 attacks. A question I have had since day one is this. Why didn't someone at the FAA ask themselves, why are these Arabs learning how to fly 747's but have no interest in learning how to take-off or land? Can someone answer that please? And if you're looking for someone to blame for this disaster, need you look any further than that government agency? Or am I just being obtuse? You are aware that after several hijackings El-Al made the cockpits of all their airplanes unavailable to nonflight crew personnel? Turn Tit for tat? Editor: In 1973, a Venezuelan terrorist by the name of Luis Posada Carriles blew up a Cuban Airliner with 73 innocent civilians on board, but was subsequently granted asylum here, while petitions by both countries over the years to have him turned over for trial were summarily dismissed. Moreover, during the past decade requests by Russian authorities for the extradition of 20 criminals who are living in the U.S., including a Chechen terrorist and mass murderer, have been either declined or totally ignored. Under these conditions, is it any wonder that Moscow refuses to cooperate and cede to our demands by giving up Edward Snowden? Evidently, we are provided a dose of our own medicine. Tit for tat? Joe Bahlke, 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 The age(s) of happiness Get this: Happiness among human beings peaks at age 23, tanks at 55, then peaks again at 69. So says a study by the Center for Economic Performance at the London School of Economics, as reported by the U.K.'s Daily Mail newspaper. The findings make sense to me. At 23, you are brimming with life. You are confident your future includes great riches and fame, a lovely wife and a perfect family and home. As you move along, though, it doesn't take long for the disappointments to begin piling up. The study concludes that most 23-year-olds overestimate their future life satisfaction by about 10 percent — or considerably more than that. Pretty soon, your life is filled with meanie bosses who are under pressure to turn a profit — that's if you are able to find a job in our stammering economy weighted down by government rules, penalties and costs. Still, when you're young, you think you have lots of time to figure it out. But, as it turns out, you have way less time than you think. One day, you're just out of college, trying to extend your active college social life. Pretty soon, your focus shifts to making something of yourself. You are either at work or school all the time. Before you know it, you are 30. The college kids you were once among now view you as an old-timer. You don't feel old, though. You're still living in Mom and Dad's basement! And while you try to find your way through your 30s — marriage and children and lots more debt — suddenly, you are 40. How did that happen? For a few years, you remain calm. You are still somewhat young — still have your dreams to chase. But as life — which involves speeding tickets, colds, high tax bills, unexpected household expenses and a dizzying mix of highs and lows — takes over, you realize you have little spare time. And then, you are 50. Good God, a half-century? A halfcentury is supposed to be a long time — but it didn't take so long at all. Your expectations for the future are not what they once were. You spend less time looking forward and more time looking back. So it makes sense that one's Your mistakes and regrets happiness would tank come into sharp focus. at 55. If only you had done We celebrated my this or that. If you are father's 80th birthday lucky enough to still on Sunday. He told have your parents, as I me that when he hit am, you are sad to see 50, time took off like what age is doing to a rocket. That makes them. me cranky, too. You long for your It's going by too childhood when they fast. I'm not accomwere young and strong plishing enough. My — when times were country is not accomsimpler, and they sureplishing enough. ly were if you were Tom If I can hang on lucky enough to grow until I'm 69, will my up in the '70s. (I had a happiness peak grand time writing and again? publishing a book I hope so. I hope our country about my experience, "Misadventures of a 1970s Child- comes to its senses and is able to unleash the ingenuity and hood.") You worry about the future prosperity we need to pay for more than you ever have. You all the promises we have made. But at 51, I have my doubts, are wiser and pay attention to the news. You are saddened, which is troubling — I still even angered, by our country's have four years to reach my inability to address its core peak crankiness. problems — spending, debt, Tom Purcell, a humor deficit, money-printing. You worry about the future columnist for the Pittsburgh that your children and grand- Tribune-Review, is nationally children will know. Will they syndicated exclusively by live in a country with fewer Cagle Cartoons newspaper freedoms, lots more govern- syndicate. Visit Tom on the Web ment rules and a perpetually at www.TomPurcell.com or ehim at stagnant economy, as is the mail Purcell@caglecartoons.com. case in Western Europe? Purcell