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6A – Daily News – Wednesday, September 29, 2010 Opinion D NEWSAILY RED BLUFF TEHAMACOUNTY T H E V O I C E O F T E H A M A C O U N T Y S I N C E 1 8 8 5 Stolen med bags Horse abuse 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 let- ters from its readers on timely topics of public interest. All let- ters must be signed and pro- vide the writer’s home street address and home phone num- ber. 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 submit- ted will be considered for publi- cation. 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 The American dream is dead — for many native-born Ameri- cans, anyhow. You remember the American dream. It was the hope that everyone can get ahead in America, that your kids will attain more prosperity than you. It was the certitude that in America, anyone is free, with a right to life, liberty and the pur- suit of happiness. The dream was alive and well when I was a kid in the '70s. Despite a rough economic patch then, most everyone I ever knew dreamed of starting his or her own business. My mother had a million ideas and tried many of them. My father regretted not buying out his uncle's hardware store — he liked his job and worked hard, but never attained the free- dom of the self-made man. I started my own business as soon as I could mow lawns. By my junior year in high school, I was making considerable money — and had four employees — rebuilding stone retaining walls. America's restless, hopeful entrepreneurial spirit made our country great — but it is dying now. Its death is made clear by the growing list of people who could risk lives Editor: To the person who stole my personal medical bags at the Tehama District Fair on Sunday from the First Aid Station, I would like you to know that being a volunteer EMT of 18 years it took me a long time to pay for all that life saving equipment. I use my personal supplies since I know my equipment better and have extra lifesaving equipment not supplied to County Fire or Search And Rescue volunteers who staff the First Aid Station for free, sav- ing the Fair $1000's per year. This is all done to help you as well as the others, by giving out free water and medical treatment to make your visit to the fair safe and more comfort- able. What gets me the most is my step daughter, who has some major respiratory issues, if she or one of my neighbors need my help and being the only EMT within 10 miles, I now have no equipment left to help them. I ask that you please look at what has been done and that you return my equipment to county sheriff or fire depart- ment with no questions asked. Thank you this equipment might help save a life including yours someday. Vic Ciardi, Paynes Creek Editor: For 13 years now this horse has been in a pasture along the road looking more neglected each year. This year the horse is extremely thin with rib and hip bones showing quite prominent- ly. I have taken photos and shown them to Linda Richards at Safe Haven Horse Rescue in Cottonwood. She is an expert in determining the correct condi- tion of a horse. She has offered to look at the horse with an ani- mal control officer in Tehama County and offer her opinion. She has also offered to take in the horse for rescue. I have called the Animal Control in Tehama County Sheriff’s Department and talked to two of the officers who said they have gotten many calls regarding this horse. They have been out there so many times they are on a first name basis with the owner, but they tell me they can do nothing as the owner has feed on the property and water. Of course, there is no proof the owner is feeding the horse this feed, as is evident by the looks and condition of the horse. I was told by one of the officers that, like humans, some horses just refuse to eat. How much does he know about hors- es? Horses are known to be grazers and will eat all the time if there is feed present. Assuming this horse is old, like the officer told me, he would need to be fed senior feed. Again, the officer told me there is senior feed on the prop- erty, but he has not personally seen the horse eat. One officer told me the horse does not meet the standards for them to take the horse. He could not tell me what the standards for abuse were. I wrote the owner of the horse and offered to come and feed the horse. I left my phone number and name, but have never received a call. The horse does not have any voice in this matter so I have become his advocate. I would like to see the Animal Control take control of the horse and take it to a shelter for proper care. At this time only a trained person could save the horse from death by starvation. Marlene Marion, Red Bluff Most did not live beyond their means Editor: Frequently the statement is made that we are in this deep recession since late 2007 because everyone lived beyond their means with credit, including sub- prime mortgages. The fact is a majority were frugal and did not live beyond Your Turn their means. The sub-prime bor- rowers who bought oversize homes with nothing down, and government subsidized low interest rates, and paid double the home value during the mid 1990s through 2006 bubble only represented about 20 percent of home- buyers. Many in that same group are also the credit card defaulters. The majority of Americans paid off their credit card debt at month end to avoid interest. They responsibly put 20 percent downpayment on their home mortgage, and did not default even though homes often sold below the purchase price 1960 to 1995. These same Amer- icans never bought more home than they could afford to finance and maintain. They usually delayed vehicle purchases until they could pay cash, to avoid the high cost of interest. They kept their vehicles 15 years to avoid the high cost of depreciation. They set aside 15 percent of their net income monthly and invested it with compound interest to avoid burdening taxpayers with their retirement. They invested countless hours of continuing education to maintain their job market skills. That large majority who responsibly avoided credit, saved, and invested should not have to bear the tax burden of those who were irresponsible in their borrowing and saving prac- tices. Joseph Neff, Corning Your officials STATE ASSEMBLYMAN — Jim Nielsen (R), State Capitol Bldg., Room 4164 P.O. Box 942849, Sacramento 94249; (916) 319-2002; Fax (916) 319- 2102 STATE SENATOR — Sam Aanestad (R), State Capitol Bldg., Room 2054, Sacramen- to, CA 95814. (916) 651-4004; Fax (916) 445-7750 GOVERNOR — Arnold Schwarzenegger (R), State Capitol Bldg., Sacramento, CA 95814; (916) 445-2841; Fax (916) 558-3160; E-mail: gover- nor@governor.ca.gov. U.S. REPRESENTATIVE — Wally Herger (R), 2635 Forest Ave. Ste. 100, Chico, CA 95928; 893-8363. 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; (415) 403-0100. Fax (202) 224- 0454. The American dream Commentary expect the president, through some government program, to hand them their "American dream." Though presidents like to promise such things, not one president ever delivered it — not one president ever can or will. The American dream can be pursued only by the individual and through sheer initiative -- what we call the American spir- it. That spirit is alive and well — though not so much among native-born Americans. No, the American spirit lives in the hearts of immigrants, who still come here — legally — to make a better life. The best of them ask nothing from our government — they don't want handouts. They want nothing more than the opportu- nity to work hard and make their own way. I have met many such fellows in Washington, D.C. I know one, an Irishman, who came from a small Irish village to work in America as a butler. He married and started a family. To improve his income, he began selling insurance. By his 40th birthday, he had raised the capital to start his own highly successful Irish pub — one that afforded him a fantastic living. I knew two brothers from India who owned a convenience store and sandwich shop. The older brother had been a professor at a techni- cal school in his home- land, though his Eng- lish was poor. Thus, when he made it to America, he had trouble finding similar work. He didn't com- plain. He took whatever job he could — busboy, cook, janitor — and saved every penny. He used his savings to bring his wife here, and then, one at a time, his five siblings. He and his brother eventually saved enough to buy the convenience store, then a motel. He was in his late 50s when I met him. Both of his American-born sons were doc- tors. His property had soared in value over the years. He was offered $6 million for the land on which his convenience store sat. He still makes sandwiches every day. I met another guy who had been born in Beirut, Lebanon, where his father had two busi- nesses and his family was well off. Then civil war tore their country apart. His family lived in a bombed-out building for three years before they were able to make their way to America. When he arrived, Tom Purcell broke, he took a job as a janitor. His siblings took on menial work. The family saved $20,000 and used the money to open a bak- ery. He is now the president of a bakery that employs more than 150. You see, the Amer- ican dream is alive and well — just not Tom Purcell, a humor columnist for the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review, is nationally syndicated exclusively by Cagle Cartoons newspaper syndicate. Visit Tom on the Web at www.TomPurcell.com or e-mail him at Purcell@caglecartoons.com. so much among native-born Americans who want some politician or government pro- gram to make their dream hap- pen for them. ———