Issue link: https://www.epageflip.net/i/221826
6A Daily News – Wednesday, December 4, 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 Response to guest view Editor: I am a member of the Red Bluff Union High School Teachers Association Executive Board. On behalf of my colleagues, I am responding to a recent guest opinion regarding some comments made about Red Bluff High School and its staff. The most inaccurate comment in the piece was about test scores. Our test scores have not been "stagnant" - this means showing little or no sign of activity or advancement - as the article states. If you go to the state website or our school report card you will see that our state testing scores (API) improved steadily for the past 13 years. The data show that our API in 2002 was 620. Since that time, it rose to 771 in 2011. By definition, these results do not represent the opinion's comment. The column referenced teachers complaining about having to teach "bell to bell." Our teachers have always taught from the start of the period until the end of the instructional period. Teachers greet students at the door to begin class and engage them until the end of the period. Any person would notice this if they walked on campus. It was stated that teachers were resistant to change in regards to credentialing. This statement makes it seem that many teachers are teaching outside of the area of expertise and that students were suffering due to this. The truth is that very few teachers were teach- ing outside of their credential. Those who were are highly effective teachers who have been filling that role legally for years. Due to staffing needs, they were asked by the district to fill these roles years ago. Teacher concern was not about credentialing but the opportunities that students would lose based on decisions made in regards to credentialing. An example of this would be our dance and theater arts program. A once-thriving theater arts program has been burdened this year and many ROP/CTE courses designed to help the arts program have been cut. In addition, our industrial arts classes have been reduced; for instance, ROP Cabinetry and ROP Construction. Teachers who are highly effective, have taught for more than 20 years and are loved by their students are finding that this may be their last year in their current positions due to their credential. The opinion also discussed evaluations. As far as evaluations are concerned, we welcome them. Evaluations, when done properly, actually provide feedback that can help with teaching. Last year our teachers agreed to the new evaluation process, one also endorsed by California Teachers Association. The most recent accreditation report issued by Western Association of Schools and Colleges (WASC), April 2011, lists our School Wide Areas of Strength: "1. High levels of trust and strong, positive relationships are evident between staff and students. 2. The school staff is deeply committed to the success of their students." Many teachers have children who go to this school, and our unit has a deep interest in making this school the best that it can be for all students. Mary White, Red Bluff there may be some benefits of GMOs but they should be labeled to give us a choice of avoiding them if we choose and stringent regulations should be imposed so that GMOs don't migrate to other non-GMO fields. I got cheers and widespread approval. Then someone Your asked how we felt about undocumented students getting state financial support for Editor: college. My opponents I recently attended a Corning both said they were against it. I Patriots' meeting with my two said it was good thing, that these Republican opponents in the 3rd were children who didn't choose Assembly District 2014 race. I to come to the US but were have spoken before at Tea Party brought here by parents or others; meetings when I was running for we should encourage them to Congress and, although much of obtain higher education to better the audience often disagrees with contribute to our nation and the what I had to say, they always lis- world. It would be an extreme tened attentively and showed me understatement to say my position respect. was unpopular. In Corning my opponents both Then people started making spoke of shrinking the state gov- unbelievably false statements ernment that they claimed was about what they thought the law dysfunctional and reducing regu- to be. One lady said these stulation which they asserted would dents were being given preferbe good for businesses in Califor- ence over our own citizens. nia. I spoke of the disappearing Another said even if these chilmiddle class and its causes and dren had been brought into the remedies; the audience seemed US involuntarily, they should be more receptive to my opponents' treated as criminals. Many talked point of view. Then it was time for about how their own child had questions from the audience and I not obtained financial aid for knew from the past, my position higher education so undocuon immigration would not be pop- mented students shouldn't ular with the Tea Party. receive aid either. I tried to To my surprise an early ques- explain that these undocumented tion was about our positions on students were not getting any Genetically Modified Organisms. sort of preference but were being My opponents, both farmers, sang treated equally; few in the the praises of GMOs. I pointed audience believed me. They out, coming from a science and should read AB 540. engineering background, that Jim Reed, Red Bluff Evening with the Tea Party Turn 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 Dog days of Obamacare I've heard a lot of interesting stories of people trying, and failing, to sign up for ObamaCare, but this one takes the cake. According to UPI, Shane Smith, of Fort Collins, Colo., had his new ObamaCare insurance opened under his dog's name. As it goes, Smith's existing plan was canceled because it failed to meet the requirements of ObamaCare. After considerable effort, he was finally able to establish an ObamaCare policy — but the government service representative accidentally assigned the policy to Baxter, Smith's 14-year-old Yorkshire terrier. I'll bet that could lead to some interesting medical situations: Smith: Doctor, I strained a tendon in my foot pretty badly. Doctor: You were chasing the mailman? Such is the law of unintended consequences when the government — to keep our dog analogy going — bites off way more than it can chew. Doctors' appointments will be the least of Smith's problems, though. If the government assigned his insurance policy to his dog, what other information might it have gotten wrong? What happens when he needs to make use of his insurance policy? Smith to ObamaCare representative: I had cataract surgery, but my insurance company refuses to pay the claim! ObamaCare representative: I'm sorry, Baxter, but your policy doesn't cover DOG cataracts. Smith: My name isn't Baxter and I am not a dog! ObamaCare representative: Then why are you barking at me? Baxter will likely be upset with his new insurance policy, too. His premium will likely be double or triple what he was able to get before ObamaCare. He'll bark when he realizes he has to carry maternity coverage — despite getting neutered in 1999. He'll growl when sees how high his deductibles will be — and that Smith's middle-class income disqualifies him for government subsidies. He'll howl when he loses his biscuits — especially since President Obama promised him that if he liked his biscuits, he could keep his biscuits! Where government bureaucracy is concerned, bureaucratic errors have a way of multiply- The many unintended conseing. Will Smith endure a full IRS quences of ObamaCare are rearing their ugly heads, audit for taking interest causing many of the deductions on a dogprogram's most enthuhouse? siastic supporters to What happens when pause and ask, "Isn't Smith retires and there a better way to begins receiving Social help the uninsured Security — and the without the governpayments are to Baxment playing such a ter? hands-on role?" Baxter, already 98 in Well, Smith says dog years, likely won't that after some effort, be cashing checks for he thinks he got his long. When he passes, dog's name removed will Smith spend the Tom from his policy. But rest of his retirement with government trying to correct an bureaucracy being error that originated what it is, there are no with ObamaCare? Anyone who has ever dealt guarantees his problem is solved. He'll know for sure if a highwith government bureaucracy — anyone who has ever sat at ranking ObamaCare bureaucrat the Department of Motor Vehi- makes this promise to him: "If you want to keep your cles, waiting to get a license photo taken — is aware of the name on your insurance policy, limitations of government you can keep your name on your policy!" bureaucracy. Sure, there are always going Tom Purcell, a humor to be functions that we should rely on local, state and federal columnist for the Pittsburgh governments to do — but Tribune-Review, is nationally shouldn't we limit these func- syndicated exclusively by tions? Do we really want some- Cagle Cartoons newspaper thing as personal and important syndicate. Visit Tom on the Web as our health care to be man- at www.TomPurcell.com or ehim at aged by government bureaucra- mail Purcell@caglecartoons.com. cies? Purcell