Issue link: https://www.epageflip.net/i/203028
6A Daily News – Thursday, October 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 Unsafe for pedestrians Editor: I want to express my concern about the safety of pedestrians on South Main Street. I love this little city, the people, the countryside, the hospital and the downtown shops. Although Red Bluff is certainly not a model for pedestrian and bicycle safety, the recent upgrades to the sidewalks downtown have been most appreciated. I have lived in Red Bluff for 20 years and I work at St. Elizabeth Community Hospital at South Main Street. The hospital is close to town which makes it conveniently located for walking or biking, rather than driving or taking the bus. There are fairly well-maintained sidewalks present throughout the city, however the sidewalks abruptly stop at the Wendy's restaurant on South Main Street and there are no sidewalks or pedestrian walkways until one reaches Sutter Street. In addition there is no pedestrian control at the stoplight at the freeway access on/off ramps. Frequently, when driving to the hospital on South Main Street, I cringe when I see pedestrians walking on the side of the road by necessity, with cars closely whizzing by them at 45-50 mph.. Many times there are small children and babies in strollers on their way to see one of the doctors at the hospital and clinics. I have never written a letter to the editor but I thought it was appropriate to call attention to this problem. I would hate to read headlines about a pedestrian or bicyclist being killed or injured on South Main Street to bring attention to the lack of a safe sidewalk. I wonder if the city has done a feasibility study on creating a safe walkway the entire way down South Main Street, over the I-5 freeway bridge, to the hospital? I'm sure the cost would be high, especially the portion over the I-5 freeway. I for one would be willing to contribute to a community fund to assist with the cost and I'm sure the hospital and others would help as well. Let's make our community safer and not only create a safe walkway to one of our most valuable and most frequented places, but also to encourage more walking and bicycling. Timothy Frantz, M.D., Red Bluff Take good care of one of my favorite things — the State Theatre. Venita Philbrick, Twin Falls, Idaho Legendary generosity Your Thanks from Idaho Editor: When asked to give this communities generosity is legendary and once again Tehama County has made us proud. We would like to express our deepest gratitude for all the support we received during the Tabs 4 Toby spaghetti feed fundraiser. The outpouring of love shown to this young family touch our hearts with more than 300 people enjoying a wonderful meal. More than $5,000 was raised to go towards Toby's medical testing, which through your efforts has been scheduled for mid November. The outpouring of love shown to this young family touched our hearts and put this little boy on a path to a long and happy life. Thank you, and may your generosity be returned to you many times over. Jessie Woods, Red Bluff Turn Editor: A big thank you from Twin Falls, Idaho to the Red Bluff community that supported the Boards of Directors - starting in 1999 to now, 2013 in their efforts to breathe life back into the historic State Theatre. It took a very long list of "friends" filled with passion, patience and persistence to get to the big Mortgage Burning celebration coming up soon. This is not the end - just the beginning of a new phase to finish the physical rehab, make it glitter inside and outside, and keep the doors open for generations to come. If I was in Red Bluff — would be front and center to celebrate years of dedication by many people I love dearly. Your officials STATE ASSEMBLYMAN — Dan Logue, 150 Amber Grove Drive, Ste. 154, 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 judiciary and free speech "The First Amendment does not permit laws that force speakers to retain a campaign finance attorney, conduct demographic marketing research, or seek declaratory rulings before discussing the most salient political issues of our day." -- U.S. Supreme Court, Citizens United (2010) WASHINGTON -- Brick by brick, judges are dismantling the wall of separation that legislators have built between political activity and the First Amendment's protections of free speech and association. The latest examples, from Mississippi and Arizona, reflect the judiciary's proper engagement in defending citizens from the regulation of political speech, aka "campaign finance reform." In 2011, a few like-minded friends and neighbors in Oxford, Miss., who had been meeting for a few years to discuss politics, decided to work together to support passage of an initiative amending Mississippi's Constitution. The amendment, restricting the power of the state and local governments to take private property by eminent domain, was provoked by the U.S. Supreme Court's 2005 Kelo ruling that governments could, without violating the Fifth Amendment ("nor shall private property be taken for public use, without just compensation"), take property for the "public use" of transferring it to persons who would pay more taxes to the government. The Mississippi friends and neighbors wanted to pool their funds to purchase posters, fliers and local newspaper advertising. They discovered that if, as a group, they spent more than $200 to do these simple things, they would be required by the state's campaign finance law to register as a "political committee." And if, as individuals, any of them spent more than $200 supporting the initiative, they must report this political activity to the state. Mississippi defines a political committee as any group of persons spending more than $200 to influence voters for or against candidates "or balloted measures." Supposedly, regulation of political activity is to prevent corruption of a candidate or the appearance thereof. How does one corrupt a "balloted measure"? Granted, there is some slight informational value in knowing where money supporting a voter initiative comes from. But surely not enough to burden ordinary citizens expending $200 with monthly reporting requirements, concerning which legal advice might be necessary because any violation of the campaign regulations "is punishable by imprisonment in the county jail" for up to a year. As the Supreme Court said in its excellent Citizens United ruling, "Prolix laws chill speech for the same reason that vague laws chill speech: People 'of common intelligence must to influence voters about anynecessarily guess at [the law's] thing, they instantly become a meaning and differ as to its "political committee," a magical transformation that application.'" triggers various So, the U.S. District requirements -- regisCourt for the Northern tering with the govDistrict of Mississippi ernment, filling out held: "Where, as here, forms, and establishpotential speakers ing a bank account for might well require the "committee" even legal counsel to deterif it has no intention mine which regulations of raising money. All even apply, above and this must be done beyond how to combefore members of the port with those require"committee" are perments, the burdens imposed by the state's George F. mitted to speak. Galassini got no regulations are simply response when she too great to be borne by wrote to the clerk to the state's interest in groups raising or expending as find out if she could have perlittle as $200." And the same is mission to email the 23 persons true regarding "the state's infor- to tell them the demonstrations mational interest in individual were canceled. The U.S. District Court for speakers" expending $200. When, in 2011, Dina Galassi- the District of Arizona supportni of Fountain Hills, Ariz., want- ed Galassini. It had to, given ed to oppose her city's plan to that Citizens United said laws augment its spending with a requiring official permission to $29.6 million bond issue, she speak "function as the equivasent emails encouraging 23 lent of prior restraint by giving friends and acquaintances to the [government] power analowrite letters of opposition to gous to licensing laws implenewspapers and to join her in a mented in 16th- and 17th-centudemonstration. Six days later, ry England, laws and governthe town clerk sternly admon- mental practices of the sort that ished her: "I would strongly the First Amendment was encourage you to cease any drawn to prohibit." Liberals who love the regulacampaign related activities until the requirements of the law have tory state loathe Citizens United. You can understand why. been met." Arizona's law says that George Will's email address whenever two or more people collaborate, using at least $250, is georgewill@washpost.com. Will