Issue link: https://www.epageflip.net/i/19850
6A – Daily News – Wednesday, November 17, 2010 Opinion Regarding 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 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 sentencing Editor: I believe that Judge Bottke had no choice in the sentencing of Steve piazza for the horrible crime he committed. If I am correct, I believe that the judge did impose the maxi- mum sentence for the verdict of voluntary manslaughter brought in by the jury. Therefore, the jury are the ones to take issue with. Kay Haley, Red Bluff Disabled need some form of medicine Editor: I am disabled adult and would like to let citizens learn that oxycontin is just legal hero- in and patients like me have a new choice called medical cannabis. I have many doctors reports and books that prove this. Being disabled for 18 years now, many citizens believe cannabis is danger drug. Opi- ates are killing many citizens and many don't even know this one drug is like or the same as heroin, opium and they can die from this one Rx pill. I know many have died in our county and also in Chico State. I believe with great peo- ple we can show citizens they have a safer choice. To many people are talking about the dangers of medical cannabis, opiates are killing America and this one view will save people’s lives. I know what I have learned over the years, from my doctors and reading books to take myself off of 1125 mg of opi- ates each day and 13 others pre- scriptions to live a better and safer life. My doctor’s reports prove this and I see my doctor every six weeks since 1995, so to use only one plant over Michael Jackson's prescriptions saved my life. John Prinz, Cottonwood Making a real difference Editor: Every morning on Monroe Street, there is an older woman who stands with a little boy while he waits for his bus. I pass Monday through Friday and see them standing there on the side of the road. I do not know if he’s her grandson, but I assume that he is. If it’s raining, she holds an umbrella so he won’t get wet. If it’s cold, he always wears a jacket to stay warm. Her pres- ence inspires me because she’s there with him every morning, rain or shine. It may not seem like a big deal to some, but it reminds me of how important it is for adults to take care of their children, even if it’s nothing more than just being there to make sure they’re safe. Now that the election is over, this reminds me that our elected officials should not be the ones we expect to make a difference in the lives of others. It is indi- viduals – we the people - caring for others that truly makes the difference, as this woman shows. Pat Gleason, Red Bluff Emergency services Editor: Here are two ideas to save the city and county money. A recent article in the Record Search- light had a graph that showed that most of the 911 calls referred to the fire department were for medical emergencies. Like over three quarters? And when the call comes in they roll out the little red EMS truck, a big ladder truck and call for an ambulance. Talk about overkill. I would suggest that in the future, the 911 operators find out if the emergency is medical, a fire, a robbery or riot and sends the appropriate people. I would further suggest that the city look into the Santa Clara, CA public safety model. The police and fire departments employees work both jobs. Six months as a policeman and six months as a fireman. The advantages to this are manifold. First of all they don’t have police that are only fit for traf- fic control. If you can’t carry a hundred and twenty pounds up a two-story ladder, you won’t be a fireman or a cop. And when the public servant does Your Turn draw their pension at the end of a twenty or thirty year career, they will have earned that pen- sion. The police in Santa Clara are very much in the "serve and protect" mold. Firemen are heroes. They run into burning buildings to save people. Because of their non-confronta- tional attitude they are much more effective in dealing with the public in crisis situations, and part of that, is that the public knows that the cop they are talk- ing to could be the same fireman that pulled their kid out of a burning car last year. And conversely that angry, irate, nearly out of control citi- zen in the policeman's face may also be recognized as the guy that is always first to show up at the firemen's beneficial func- tions with toys for the kids or donuts. I’ve heard in passing this idea around that it’s old fash- ioned. That may be true. But why should old fashioned mean anything less than a well rea- soned way of doing things; or perhaps some whiskey, water, bitters and sugar mulled in a glass. Just because some empire builder in the past wanted to separate public services so that he could have his own domain, doesn’t mean that service shouldn’t be the primary noun and concern. Sometimes, what you do for a living has a more profound effect on how you do it, than we maybe would like to believe. Fred Boest, Red Bluff 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 ugly truth about D.C. Commentary There's something ugly going on in Washington, D.C. Travel + Leisure magazine asked travelers to rank 35 American cities in a variety of categories, including which has the most attractive residents. Washingtonians were ranked the sixth least attractive. I think, borrowing from Jay Leno, I know why: "Politics is show business for ugly people." You see, out in "flyover country," people actually care about ideas and results and the direction our country is head- ing. This is what elections are about for them -- this is what they talk about at the dinner table and worry about when they are unable to sleep at night. They assume, when they vote for their Washington repre- sentatives, that those folks feel the same way. But many of them don't. This was made abundantly clear to me when a friend of mine, an editorial page editor for a newspaper in Texas, took a job as chief of staff to a newly elected congressman. Until he arrived in Washing- ton, he'd spent his career pas- sionately debating ideas and political decisions -- he cared about the rightness or wrong- ness of these ideas and their impact on his city and state. Soon after he arrived on Capitol Hill, though, he became disillusioned. He realized that ideas are mostly pieces on a chessboard through which members of Congress, their staffers, lobbyists and lots of others merely play a game to acquire power and money. They are eager to acquire power and money for one rea- son: It's the only way they know to "get chicks." Stroll around our capital city and you'll see exactly what I am talking about: lots of middle- aged fellows strolling about with young, gorgeous women on their arms. Even the baldest fellow with the hairiest earlobes can do well with the ladies, so long as he has political connections who will secure his client millions so he may secure himself hun- dreds of thousands. Gorgeous women in D.C. are smitten with such fellows -- fel- lows who replay their C-SPAN appearances on their smart- phones at trendy restaurants as their giggling young female companions, eager to cash in on their associations, swoon. Call me a cynic, but the halls of power are staffed by too many people who were not so popular in high school or college -- some of these fellows are still getting wedgies. Don't get me wrong, some in Wash- ington have fine minds -- there are some folks who have produced wealth, created jobs and succeeded in the private sector, and came to Washington to solve real problems, not feather their own caps. There will be many more good peo- ple in Washington come January, thank goodness. No, I speak of the fellows who only know how to attain “success” by wiggling their way into political positions, in which they hold sway over how taxpayer money is directed and spent. They use our hard-earned money to create and fund nutty programs that give power, money and fame to their associ- ates and themselves. They do so because they still have a chip on their shoulder -- they're still agitated that the popular girls rejected them so many years ago. How much of our bloated, wasteful spending can be traced to the simple motives of balding, hairy-lobed, middle- aged fellows is hard to say, but the number surely isn’t small. Perhaps we should Tom Purcell allow only attractive people to run for office and work in government positions. Or, better yet, per- haps we should slash unnecessary govern- ment spending so the unattractive have less ability to attain power, 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. money and fame at our expense. In any event, now you know the ugly truth about Washing- ton, D.C. ———