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4A – Daily News – Monday, December 27, 2010 Opinion 2011 could be our best year yet 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 It is wonderful to see our coun- 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 try emerging from the economic doldrums of 2009 and 2010 and our government moving forward with productive action. During the Bush administration, America's economy suffered while middle- class families and small businesses in California found it harder and harder to make ends meet. Nation- al unemployment skyrocketed from 5.8 percent in 2002 to 9.3 percent in 2009, the national debt nearly doubled from $5.7 trillion to $10.6 trillion, and the federal budget exploded from a $128 bil- lion surplus to $1.4 trillion deficit. Although our country still has a long way to go, Democrats have made great progress to recover from the worst recession in decades. Over 365,000 jobs have been created or saved in California through October 2010 because of the Recovery Act, and 14,000 small businesses in the 2nd Con- gressional District are eligible for health care tax credits under the Affordable Care Act. Due to com- prehensive health care reform 79,000 low-income citizens will now have access to quality and affordable health care along with 15,700 people with pre-existing conditions. Over 266,000 middle class families in our Congression- al District received a tax cut and 16,500 education jobs in Califor- nia have been saved because Democrats passed a deficit-neutral state aid bill. When these accomplishments are considered along with robust holiday retail sales, passage of the START treaty to curb nuclear weapon proliferation, and the repeal of the "Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell" defense department policy that forced patriotic Americans to live a lie to defend their country, it is safe to say America is on the mend promising a return to our once proud status as a beacon of freedom and prosperity to the world. This promise is made possible in part by the Obama administra- tion funding the largest basic research program in our nation’s history and pioneering clean ener- gy technologies. Federal invest- ments in California alone have provided nearly $3,000,000 for renewable energy projects, weath- erized nearly 20,000 low-income homes and funded 500 other pro- jects such as the upgrades to State Highway 99E as it passes through Los Molinos. We are only begin- ning to realize the paybacks of these efforts as renewable energy production facilities come on line, more efficient homes and tech- nologies save power, revitalized industries manufacture more sus- tainable products, our communi- ties are made safer and more appealing, and living wage jobs are created. It will take longer than neces- sary to restore balance to our fed- eral budget and begin paying down the national debt because conservatives in Congress insisted on extending tax breaks to the wealthiest of Amer- icans. We can only hope that their claim that the wealthy will use tax savings to create jobs is true, rather than fear they will simply continue to sock away funds for their personal aggrandizement as the public debt mounts. In any event, thanks to Democratic insistence, we will have the oppor- tunity to revisit and reverse the conse- quences of the budget busting blockade of Republicans to coincide with the presidential election cycle. resentatives concentrate on solving our problems through thoughtful negotiation and deliberate action. Our nation has the necessary resources and ability, the only thing we lack is a unified commitment to make things better for all instead of only those that prosper. Richard Mazzucchi Positive Point As Senator Mitch McConnell and the incoming House majority leader realize that they have more imperative matters to deal with than defeating President Obama they can attend to the real needs of America during this period of recovery. It is time to put partisan- ship and Tea Party demogagary aside to restore the American dream by insisting that all our rep- The United States of America has the most refined system of gover- nance, the most diverse- ly capable populace, and the most developed edu- cational infrastructure of any nation, so we have the potential to boot- strap ourselves to prominence once again as a bastion of democra- cy, liberty, and humani- ty. This will require vision, national resolve, sacrifice, and commitment but I know with faith in one another, courage, and good will we can achieve peaceful resolutions to international and internal turmoil. By focusing our energies upon brotherhood and healing in place of devisiveness and fear-monger- ing 2011 could be our best year yet. Richard Mazzucchi makes his home in Los Molinos and can be reached at living-green@att.net. Your officials STATE ASSEMBLYMAN — Jim Nielsen (R) State Capitol Bldg., Room 6031 Sacramento, CA 95814 (916) 319-2002; Fax (916) 319-2102 STATE SENATOR — Doug LaMalfa (R) State Capitol Bldg., Room 3063 Sacramento, 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. Fantasy, reality of God, economy, climate Commentary Travel schedules often deprive me of the Daily News arriving on the walkway each day, requiring hurriedly catching up on the pile of papers. Scanning quickly remind- ed me of what is so worth cherish- ing in a small town’s life as revealed in our daily paper. For Editor Chip Thompson to get that interview with the Big Man in the red suit at such an unbe- lievably busy time of the year was remarkable. It was not without risk to show a photo of Santa receiving gift-desiring children, and to men- tion a name in the caption – most all of the still-believing children don’t peruse the inner pages of the paper so the secret is probably still safe. How refreshing to once again read the 113-year old classic "Yes, Virginia, there is a Santa Claus" and see the corollary to questions over the existence of God and Jesus Christ. Americans are not going to church as regularly as in times past but, when polled, are emphatically self-described as believers in God. Does not the hol- iday classic, "A Christmas Carol," with its fictional visits to Scrooge, from the departed Jacob Marley and from the Ghosts of Christ- mases Past, Present and Yet to Come, also affirm the role of the supernatural in human transforma- tion? Naysayers seem to abound, even on this page and in comment sections after articles on the Daily News website Topix link, and in a presence far beyond their small numbers. Judges and municipal authorities seem to bend over to indulge the anti-Christmas/Christ- ian crowd; that, too, will eventual- ly pass as our nation turns its col- lective face back to God in the midst of adversity and calamity. Not the least of which is our economy. Here we reside in Tehama County with unemploy- ment closer to 20 percent than 10 percent. I know that many of us who can afford it, made charitable contributions of one sort or anoth- er, capturing and out-picturing the spirit of Christmas giving. Charity, however, and especially the kind of charity that comes from the imper- sonal hand of government transfer payments from taxpayers to enti- tled recipients, is not a thriving, job-producing economic system. Believe it or not, there are opin- ions and approaches to America’s economy, deficits and taxes that are based on reality, and those that rely on fantasy. Readers find several of the latter regularly on this page – indeed, an entire political party advocates such unreal approaches and policies. The word "sustain- able" is thrown around in a rather nebulous, undefined way on sever- al issues. Here is what is clearly not "sustainable": massive deficit spending by government at any level, federal or state, while at the same time engaging in policies that undermine confidence in the busi- ness community that investments in equipment or employees will really pay off in higher profits. Read it again. Many, even here among the more conservative citizenry of Cal- ifornia, really believe that you can just tax and regulate and sue busi- nesses and corporations into being more productive, hiring more peo- ple and parting with more of their legally earned profits. The very word, "profits," is almost a dirty word to the left, as if any money made is stolen from someone else. They really believe businesses exist to hire people, pay them enough to live in a style they would like to become accustomed to, and provide them with benefits like health care. Here’s some reality: Don Tax revenues, as a per- centage of our national economy, hovered around 15 percent for most of the last 60 years, until around 1980, after which they rose to about 19 percent, and have stayed there pretty consistently. While tax rates have risen and fallen, only when permanent reductions went into place – back when President Reagan’s policies lowered the bur- den – did more money go to Wash- ington. Polson The way I see it means that when tax rates floated up, no extra revenues were ulti- mately collected as the higher income group figured out a way to avoid paying. There’s another corol- lary: when capital gains tax rates have gone down over the last 50 years, revenues rose; when the rates went up, revenues declined. People with monetary wealth will, as we see now, simply decline to use that wealth when their likelihood of paying higher taxes increases. Read that again. President Obama knows this and acknowl- edged it in an interview, but still believed it was an issue of "fairness" to raise tax rates. That, dear readers, is economic fan- tasy. That extra 4 percent meant that income to the feds nearly doubled under Reagan; spending, unfortu- nately tripled resulting in deficits. Democrats have written most of the deficit-laden budgets for the last 30 years, regardless of the party in the White House. That consistent 19 percent figure also As space runs out, a theme going forward will be: Human- caused global warming = fantasy; a naturally changing climate = reality. We don’t cause the climate to change – the sun and oceans do. Remember that when higher fees and energy costs are proposed to solve and nonexistent climate cri- sis. Have a Happy New Year, everyone. Remember, no Tea Party Patri- ots meeting this week. Don Polson has called Red Bluff home since 1988. He can be reached by e-mail at donplsn@yahoo.com.