Issue link: https://www.epageflip.net/i/20561
6A – Daily News – Tuesday, November 30, 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 President bashing Editor: Enough Obama bashing already. "never was there a Commander in Chief with soul so dead and a heart so cold." 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 that? What the heck is Ft. Hood was the Your Turn armies' fault and problem. Obama sent the Chief of Staff of the Army and the Secretary of the Army to represent us. That's what presidents do. And then today; "smooth talks" and comparing him to Hitler? Why didn't Mr. Martin explain what HR 4646 is? I for one don't know. Let me guess. Is he referring to a value added tax? I fully under- stand why a person in the upper middle and/or upper class would be against that. Poor people would pay a tax on what they buy and it would not amount to much, but you go out and buy a yacht or if you sold off a 100,000 shares of BP to pay for the boat you might have to contribute to the tax base. Actu- ally you’d have to pay three times! You’d pay a 1 percent tax when you sold the stock and then you’d pay a 1 percent tax on the price of the boat and then you could pay an 8 percent sales tax. Sounds fair to me. It’s the price of living off the backs of others labor. Of course you would prefer I pay a little more in income tax to cover that for you. Talk about entitlements? That's an entitlement. What I got is not an entitlement. I paid for my "entitle- ment" out of every paycheck for fifty some years. Fred Boest, Red Bluff Tea Party values Editor: In reply to Mr. Strong's letter regarding Tea Party values, I would like to express my opinion. My husband and I are disgusted with both par- ties. They hold offices to work for us. They con- stantly oppose each other and very little is resolved. While in office they campaign for the next election on our tax dollar. They forget tax money isn't free, it comes from the blood and sweat of the taxpayers. They don't know what frugality is, just spend and tax. When we run short on cash here in the private sector, we slow down our spend- ing, lay off employees, go out of business. Not so in Washington D.C. President Obama stresses being responsible. Spend money wisely. Do as I say, not as I do apparently. Every time he leaves the White House, it costs millions. Now he's gone again to Europe checking out electric cars. Probably a good idea, but is it really necessary? Responsible? We're broke, for heaven's sake. Get real. Perhaps he could rent his office out and bring in a few bucks for burgers and beer with an unemployed, working- class man on the street in some- body's backyard, playing basket- ball. How American. Limited government in my opinion is limiting unnecessary jobs in the federal government, not just police and fire people, etc. With every government job, you have many generous benefits also. Cut expense accounts, travel expenses, pensions, etc. These ben- efits have become ridiculous. Cars and drivers, what else. Maybe each state should have to live on their tax dollars? Fund their own schools. Be responsible for their state. Pool- ing all monies doesn't work, it seems to slip away into Neverland. As far as free markets, maybe corporate taxes are too high and meeting environmental rules too extreme. I hear so much, what is the truth? I know I'm sick of talking to a person that I can't understand and it angers me every time I look at something labeled Made In China. Fiscal responsibility? This I know. When you have three apples in the fridge and you eat three, you're out of apples. Really a sim- ple concept Congress. When the coffers are full again, you're back in business but don't waste it. Be responsible like the president stresses, except him, that is. The Constitution? Thank God we have it, the Congress should read it and thank God we have the Tea Party people. I support them and am proud of their conduct dealing with this mess. Congress doesn't listen, what other choices do we have? I whole-heartedly think elected officials should be screened in order to run for office, when they violate the rules, they are dismissed, no, not sanctioned like Charlie Rangle. He's learned too much in 40 years. The guy in charge of our money didn't pay $40,000 in taxes. Tip of the ice berg. Medicare fraud at $60 billion a year? Can't they come up with a system that prevents this? I love the Internet but it's also a nightmare. Why can't this be fixed? We're talking about mega bucks here, federal government. Again, no results. The government makes cuts, raises fees, and we continue on, to make cuts and raise fees. Congress cutting payments to our doctors and the seniors will pay the price with their lives. I hope the tea party sticks to their endeavor like glue to paper and cleans house one by one. We need new blood, not career politi- cians taking up space in Congress. Bernice Cressy, Cottonwood Stop the deaths Editor: While we shovel more grub and booze into our bodies than we would in a month and break bread with those of whom we barely give a second thought, we leave the gathering and stagger to our vehicle and drive into a telephone pole or oncom- ing traffic killing our passen- gers, in the crash into the tele- phone pole, and the passengers of the oncoming car. Then when we with throb- bing headache read about it in our daily paper then say just another statistic, glad I made it home, "thank you god." Then we have two occupa- tions going on in the Mideast causing unsurmountable deaths and monetary costs. Now let us ask "to what end do we seek?"` Are the wives and families of the fallen thanking those in the White House for invading the occupied nations and leav- ing holes in their lives? We must tell the White House "We must stop the death and destruction, bring our troops home alive." Bob Hogan, 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. Don’t taze my junk, bro Commentary One thing you can say about this whole TSA enhanced pat- down mess: nobody will ever board Virgin Airlines again with- out ruefully grimacing. Folks are flipping out like wolverines bouncing off of submarine tram- polines over new regulations requiring a prospective flier to sub- mit to having his or her naughty bits exposed for all the world to see, or else agree to a groinal grop- ing that would have our ancestors’ fathers brandishing shotguns out- side of rural chapels or contempo- rary school children showing Fed- eral Marshalls on the doll where the nasty agent put his hands. “Bad touch. BAD TOUCH!” Most troublesome is not the compelling of passengers to slide into second base with complete strangers but rather the suspicion these decisions are being made on the fly with little forethought. Flight crews are being subjected to the same sub rosa muggings. Face it, you and I, we don’t know noth- ing, but even we can figure out pilots don’t need explosives up their butt to bring down an aircraft. A second double bourbon at the airport bar will suffice. Equal representation under the glove would also be nice. VIPs are exempt from screening, but nobody will divulge who qualifies as a VIP. That’s classified. Isn’t everything? We’re in the thick of classified creep. How long before it’s illegal for civilians to videotape pat-downs due to “national securi- ty,” the federal equivalent of “Because I said so, that’s why.” Not to mention arresting so-called comedians for talking trash. “Don’t taze my junk, bro.” The recent bleating from the front lines of the security wars is an indication the natives are rest- less. Business travelers have tired of securing our safety through their captive inconvenience. Then again, 50 percent of the people experiencing the procedure are in favor of it. Must be part of that large segment of society that enjoys having their inner thighs pawed and genitals, butts and breasts felt up. Me, not so much. I’ve had less intimate fifth dates. The flying experience is in the throes of a death spiral, from the evaporation of our nuts and pil- lows and checked baggage to shedding shoes and surrendering fluids and providing peeks under our underwear to being frisked like common criminals. Where does it stop? What happens when some flippo-unit tries to blow something up with zipper-shaped plastique? Will only the Amish fly? A single but- ton bomb could result in us all wearing robes, and then the terrorists do win. How soon before we add body-cavity search- es to the casual molesta- tions in our preflight checklists? Precipitating few outcries even when the airlines try to make some extra coin by pig- gybacking prostate exams. In the meantime, we fly the overly friendly skies and do what- ever they want of us cattle and sheep: bend and cough and walk a little funny and act like nothing happened. More static and drool. In the meantime, just direct me Will Durst Raging Moderate to whichever TSA screener didn't volunteer for the job. And no ex- priests, if you please. I might even wriggle and giggle and blush and bloom and slip the man attached to the blue rubber glove a card. Hey, they’re intent on creeping us out, why not return the favor? One last question: are we supposed to tip, or only if there’s a happy ending? Least they could do is provide a well-ventilated room for a post-encounter ciga- rette. Will Durst is a San Francisco-based humor columnist who frequently tells jokes. Out loud. On stage. In front of people. Ideally. His new CD, “Raging Moderate,” is now available from Stand Up! Records on iTunes and Amazon.Early next year: “Where the Rogue Things Go!” from Ulysses Press