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4A – Daily News – Saturday, November 6, 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 What’s happening to the horses? Editor: 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. Letters are published at the discretion of the editor. Mission Statement We believe that a strong com- munity 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 vehi- cles. The Daily News will reflect and support the unique identities of Tehama County and its cities; record the history of its com- munities and their people and make a positive difference in the quality of life for the resi- dents 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 The winning way Commentary Baseball is not only the Great American Pastime, but also the Great American Metaphor. So, it says here: If politicians and their supporters had behaved more like the San Fran- cisco Giants and their fans, the seriously botched midterm elec- tions of 2010 might have played out differently. It starts with the leader, who in the Giants’ case is a 35-year veteran of baseball politics named Bruce Bochy. Boch, as players and media like to call him, governed quietly but pas- sionately, with a firm hand. When challenged by critics dur- ing the long season he remained true to his principles, never wavering or making excuses. Other than a brilliant pitching staff, the Giants are a nation of few superstars; they are a unit whose whole is greater than the sum of its parts. To win, they often had to reach across the aisle to find compromise – for example, swapping outfielders in the late innings of almost every game to balance the offen- sive strengths of some with the defensive strengths of others. The Giants won with a roster of immigrants. Ross, Fontenot, Burrell, Lopez, Ramirez – they were all playing elsewhere when the season began. Yet they were welcomed by San Francisco players and fans based only on character and contribution. When one, Guillen, made an apparent legal misstep late in the season, he was gently cast aside, but not vilified. It was a community in which young people like Posey and Bumgarner blended perfectly with the game's senior citizens like Renteria, who emerged as the Series' Most Valuable Player. Asked during the champagne celebration what made this pop- ulation so special, Wilson, the Majority Leader of the Bullpen, said simply: They all arrived on time every day, knew what had to be done, and went about doing it without complaining. Sounds so simple doesn't it? After more than five decades without a world championship, California voters had every right to be frustrated. New ownership took over the Giants and pledged there would be change fans could believe in. More play- ers would be devel- oped within the orga- nization, and a new sense of pride would prevail. But it would take time, and fans who supported the effort would have to be patient, realizing that previous administra- tions created a situa- tion that could not be corrected overnight. Ron Washington, the losing manager, was eloquent in his concession speech. "You know," he said, "I'm the leader of the Texas Rangers, but I'm only as good as my followers, and my followers are pretty good." Meanwhile, on the political Peter Funt playing field – where the games really count – things became more nasty and divisive as the season wore on. Team spirit was too often replaced by indi- vidual greed. Voters showed little patience after barely two years of rebuilding. Too often it seems that we’re better at sports than at many of the more important things. That’s a shame, because Amer- icans prove repeatedly on the diamond that we really do know what it takes to win. Peter Funt is a writer and public speaker; he may be reached at www.CandidCamera.com, he's also the long-time host of "Candid Camera." A collection of his DVDs is available at www.candidcamera.com. As the economy has taken its toll on jobs, homes and pets, horses are included in the disas- ter that has hit our country. While many horse res- cues try to figure out ways to accommodate so many mis- placed, abused and neglected horses, desperate owners falling behind in rent or mortgage need to quickly find a home for their four legged friends. Many unscrupulous people are making a living off these desperate, unsuspecting people by misleading them into giving their horse a good home or being a caring horse trader. There are several kill buyers, some posed as horse traders, in far Northern Califor- nia. Often women come to pick up a free horse from someone desperate to re-home a horse, or a man brings his kids looking for a horse for his kids. The reality is these horses are being hauled out of the country for slaughter. Some kill buyers will offer, through local ads or craigslist, to buy unwanted horses and pay up to $100. If a horse sells for less than $200 it is enough to make a profit at slaughter houses. Many are now being hauled in crowded trailers with stal- lions, sick, crippled, blind, old and pregnant mares and foals, down to Mexico. Most Drivers drop the horses off at staging sites late at night or very early mornings to avoid being caught by laws that prohibit them from hauling horses in these condi- tions. Once the horses are there, they are bought by slaughter houses from Mexico and hauled over the border to be slaugh- tered. Most are hauled without feed, water or rest. Estimates of the amount of horses going to slaughter have been thought to be around per- cent with about a million hors- es in the US. Today estimates going to as high as 4.5 percent going to slaughter. Making horse slaughter illegal in the United States has not stoped it. It has actually made the horses endure far worse fate with long hauls and no regulations in the slaughter houses of Mexico. If you need to turn a horse in due to desperation of not being able to care for it any longer, make sure you check out the horse rescue. Don’t believe websites. Don’t take one per- son’s word, Do your homework, make calls to other rescues or local feed stores and see whom they recommend. Ask horsemen that are experienced. When you make a decision, check out where your horse will be living. You may be shocked as to what you find. Find out if they are a no-kill rescue. Do they rehabilitate, re-home or care for the horses? Generally speaking, it shouldn’t cost you to turn in a horse. If it does, find another rescue. If they offer to pick up the horse, it may cost you the gas, which is reason- able. If someone is waiting at an area picking up unwanted hors- es, whether paying you or not, you should question why you cannot see the place they are going. If it smells like a rat, it is a rat. There are very reputable horse rescues in the area. Your best bet is finding a place that doesn’t need to hide behind very limited visiting hours or charging you to bring your horse in. Irene Nelson, Red Bluff AB32 bad policy Editor: Having reviewed and ana- lyzed AB32 , Nunez-Calif. Global Warming Solution Act, 2006 , the bill is not only misleading but an accrumental means of acquiring more tax dollars. According to Your Turn the bill it will cost California tax payers $55 million per year on an ongoing basis, the states long term commitment to its imple- mentation. “The bill would authorize the Air Resource Board to establish and adopt a schedule of fees to be paid by regulated sources of greenhouse emissions." The sources, water, utility, refuse and gas companies, in turn pass the fees on to you the consumer. Any violation of this bill should be considered a crime. The implementation of AB32 would require “creating targeted fees,” including a public goods charge on water use, fees on high global warming potential gasses and a fee to fund the administrative costs. The wording in AB32 such as " mandatory and force" denotes the concept of more power, more control of our lives and the questionable legitimacy of its premise. This is revealed in the contin- ued mention of “discreet meet- ings between Gov. Schwarzenegger, the California Air Resource Board, the Envi- ronmental Protection Agency and special interest groups. Since the inception of AB32 the trucking industry and cattle ranchers have been hit the hard- est. Those in the trucking industry that have not been forced to close their doors, are moving to Canada and Nevada where less stringent regulations will allow them to survive. The higher cost to maintain their trucks due to stricter regulations, the fewer trucks on the highway. This reflects a higher consumer cost at retail stores. Cattlemen are moving their ranches to Texas and Mexico due to unrealistic and unfound- ed over-regulations of AB32. Does anyone why Gov. Schwarzenegger went to South Korea and other Asian countries to discuss agriculture while AB32 is destroying agriculture in California? According to AB32, the reduction of miles traveled by passenger vehicles will be accomplished by creating more compact communities and the utilization of bicycles, buses and fast trains. Those of the higher economic status will be allowed the luxury of owning a vehicle. As AB32 continues its encroachment into the private lives of California's citizens, from higher taxes, higher cost of commodities, increased gaso- line prices, water, utilities and refuse "fee" increases and, now, even free health care to no income or low-income families paid with by your federal tax dollars and a fee. If AB32 is allowed to contin- ue as is,Californians will be held hostage by the government at a cost of $55 million plus a year. M.J. Martin, 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.