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6A Daily News – Friday, January 3, 2014 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. Shifting tides Editor: It is simply amazing to witness the incredible changes this country and system have undergone in the course of just a few decades, and the deleterious conditions it has created in the lives of the poor, who will always be with us, decimated our once outstanding productive working class and ravaged the middle class, which has impacted its traditional role as a buffer between two potentially volatile extremes. Societal and economic shifts that once developed slowly over many years, are now occurring within the span of a few generations and ongoing as we speak. To wit: Until the late '70s the U.S. was hailed as the greatest creditor ever, until it opted to morph into the biggest debtor in history, solely by design, and now owes financial allegiance to a number of countries, including a few controlled by despots, dictators and communists. An infinite number of egregious practices during today's institutional change begs inclusion, but let banks throughout the country and the manner in which they treat their customers and conduct business these days, serve as a suitable example of usurpers taking over the temple. It wasn't long ago when these establishments outbid each other in a competitive way, with offers of free toasters,electric irons, an extra 1/2 of 1 percent interest and other 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 Turn your account, extra for returning a photo copy of your monthly checks, a set of imprinted checks will set you back $25, while a $10 overdraft draws a penalties of up to $25. Incredibly, at that juncture for many the only refuge left from such a setback is to obtain a payday loan, which is the end of the road and represents a slippery slope that eventually leads to ever expanding permanent indebtedness. Suffice it to quote Yogi Berra, "It ain't over till it's over" because the systematic dismantling of our commons and institutions, which benefits the few to the detriment of the many, is by no means over yet. Stay tuned. Joe Bahlke, Red Bluff Your officials 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. perks, in an effort to attract new customers, checks were provided free of charge and even an occasional small overdraft was covered in the presence of a clean record. Savings accounts grew through compound interest, and at Your times may even have provided a monthly addition to the family budget when needed. Throughout centuries the sole source of profit for the banks was provided by the difference in interest levels from lender to borrower. Today, instead of paying interest to depositors, Banks rake in billions by charging a service fee for maintaining 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 moving finger writes; and, having writ… Columns for the New Year should say something of significance. They might focus on the fact that readers and contributors have survived another year and all are hopefully none the worse for wear. But the list of notables who have demised is impressive and their passing suggests our own suspense date may be right around the corner. A partial list of celebrities includes the passing of Jonathan Winters, Joan Fontaine, Peter O'Toole, and so on...which reminds us that entertainers are more likely to be mourned than politicians and world leaders. That's because they, the entertainers, have made our lives more enjoyable, while the movers and shakers of the world have often made our lives more miserable. To correct this deficit of leadership, we might start the New Year off by resolving to replace men with women as our leaders. There is something gender specific about having a mom decide when to make war and whom to send off to be maimed or killed. This female doesn't have to be a mom, but she needs to have the instincts of survival for her brood...which will be comprised of all mankind. Make that humankind. TIME recently ran a column by Camille Paglia titled "2013: The Year Men Became Obsolete". The concept is startling, especially to men, but TIME hedged its bet by putting a question mark at the end of the title as though to say that the jury is still out on the matter. However, Camille has a couple of mitigating quotes: "When an educated culture routinely denigrates masculinity and manhood, then women will be perpetually stuck with boys. And without strong men as models to either embrace or resist, women will never attain a centered and profound sense of themselves as women". And "After the next inevitable apocalypse, men will be desperately needed again as most women and children will be expecting men to scrounge for food and defend the home turf." So, gentlemen, all is not lost. We just have to wait to be needed once again. *** Speaking of the allegedly stronger of the sexes, one spring day, as our class graduated from Lincoln Elementary, a young lady classmate, B. Carlson, slugged me so hard it brought tears to my eyes. And later that summer, I thought the attractive R. Williams might become my girlfriend until she demonstrated she could chin herself...and I couldn't. Sigh. *** Reading volume 2 of Mark Twain's Autobiography, published 100 years after his death, we learned that in 1906, he owned 11 cats! Well, as he admits, one doesn't actually own cats. They may take up with humans for food and shelter, but go their own way the majority of time. I have always been a dog lover, but find myself also currently feeding 11 cats. Felines are good to have around the ranch as they help keep the rodent population in check. However, they often become victims themselves to predators if they stroll too far from haven. Haven for these feral and untamed cats is a shop building contiguous to our house, which is elevated 3 or 4 inches above a concrete slab...and by scurrying under same at the first sign of danger, they have survived and multiplied. The missus sends them scurrying with a loud "Shoo!" whenever they encroach on her domain. I benevolently call "Here kitty, kitty" and feed them near the shop with Meow Mix from large bags purchased at WalMart. I feel better for the exercise and I'm sure the cats second that for that matter. These can be nebumotion. lous concepts lacking in common *** Two items of particular interest sense. *** appeared in Tuesday's The last quiz DN. One in the was correctly Tuesday "The answered by N. Way I See It" colRick who knew umn in which the that the first writer bemoaned book about OZ the "sweep of was named anti- Christian "The Wonderagendas and ful Wizard of attacks" adding Oz" written by that "When reliL. Frank Baum gious liberties and the film vanish, no one Robert featured Frank has liberty or Morgan as the rights". He conWizard, Marcludes with "The garet Hamilton long term as the wicked prospects for the witch and Billie ideological attackers of Christianity are not Burke as the good witch This week's quiz: "Axes" is the hopeful. Graveyards and cemeteries are full of people, their antago- plural of two words, "bases" is the nisms and efforts to crush religion, plural of two words and "taxes" is which has somehow survived, the plural of two words. Name even thrived, over millennia". these words. *** Well, yes, but those resting places Laudable quotes: are also filled with the devout who Mahatma Gandhi was on an expected said sites to be only temporary way stops in their journey important mission to London. to heaven. Hard to have it both Leaving the first session, Gandhi was greeted by dozens of ways, right? The second item in the Tuesday reporters, and one of them asked, edition headlined the scam "What do you think of western "Church-goers bilked by 'divine' civilization?" Gandhi answered, "I advice" which proceeded to detail think it would be a good idea." It was late in the evening and as how Bethel Temple members in Redding were separated from their guests were leaving a party hosted money to the tune of more than by Chico Marx, a departing guest $600,000 by one David Arnold shook the hand of Chico saying, "I Souza who claimed his investment would like to say good-bye to your decisions were divinely guided. I wife." Marx replied, "Who wouldpersonally have not invested in any n't?" divinely guided investment proRobert Minch is a lifelong grams and would suggest that any such be carefully scrutinized by resident of Red Bluff, former church goers, or even common columnist for the Corning Daily everyday heathens out to make a Observer and Meat Industry good return on their investment. magazine and author of the "The Check the credentials and track Knocking Pen." He can be at record of all who promise a get reached rich scheme...or a ticket to heaven rminchandmurray@hotmail.com. Minch I Say