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4A – Daily News – Monday, January 31, 2011 Opinion Is shelter and encouragement too much to ask? 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 The song "Home on the Range" as originally written in the 1870s by Dr. Brewster Higley and put to music by Dan Kelly is established as the Kansas state song. The first verse is: Oh, give me a home where 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 the buffalo roam, Where the deer and the ante- lope play, Where seldom is heard a dis- couraging word And the sky is not clouded all day. The same might well be said about the north valley except that cattle far outnumber buffa- lo, antelope are rare, and dis- couraging words are all too common, particularly when spoken about those that are homeless, on public assistance, drug addicted, mentally ill, or otherwise struggling. It seems that fear abounds or that many of you hold those that struggle responsible for their fate, and are unsympathetic and reluctant to offer help. This is understandable, but hardly encouraging to those try- ing to address the problems. Yes the risks and associations of homelessness and poverty with crime and substance abuse are all too real, but without aggres- sive action in our communities the problems will not go away, nor are they likely to diminish. It is likely however that Red Bluff will lose a million dollar grant already awarded to help in this quest unless you express your support. A local homeless organiza- tion, the Poor and the Homeless (PATH) has planned to build a homeless shelter in our commu- nity but so far has been con- fronted with challenges to appropriately site the facility. The shelter would have 40 beds and be the first year round and permanent homeless shelter in Red Bluff, other than the Sale House operated by them exclu- sively for women and their chil- dren. Without the shelter, PATH will have to continue relying on churches to provide space, an option that is only available 6 months out of the year. PATH had originally proposed to build the year round shelter at a site on Minch Road but that plan was abandoned because it was too costly to hook up to the city's water and sewage system. The Red Bluff Planning Commission voted Tuesday to recommend a rezone of the area at 320 Breckenridge St., which, if approved by the City Council, would allow PATH to build a year round shelter at the site. Prior to the vote, planning direc- tor Scot Timboe gave a favor- able recommendation, as did several local pastors and project supporters including the owner of a business near to the site. Predictably there are others who object. A letter to the com- mission signed by 18 neighbors, most who live on Washington Street, stated their objections. The letter said the neighborhood has beautiful historic homes, the site is too close to schools and businesses, and that the rezoning will only bring more homeless people, loitering and world is not perfect, and we should all pitch-in and promote actions that help make our world a better place. Richard Mazzucchi Positive Point littering, to the area. One of the naysayers asserted a debatable concern that this brand new facility would adversely affect neighboring property values. Such fears of the homeless and poor in our community make the lyrics of Dr. Higley ring hollow in the ears of many displaced souls. Not only are the homeless being denied a home, they are discouraged to find a safe place to sleep and charac- terized as if they are a blight in our communities that reduce the quality of life. Unfortunately the It will be a godsend to the needy if like the neighborhood busi- nessman and the vol- unteers of PATH the people of Red Bluff and their leaders rise to the opportunity to pro- vide shelter and encouragement so the poor and homeless in our midst might live with dignity and improve their lot. We should not put ques- tionable or selfish con- cerns of a few above the tangible and humanitarian benefits of this project to many, particularly for those most in need of help. Please let the city council know that you support the pro- posed zoning change to help PATH take this worthy project to completion. Providing shelter and encouragement for those that struggle should not be too much to ask of a caring commu- nity. Richard Mazzucchi 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 — Jerry Brown, 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. The left’s double standards, intimidation Commentary The Democrat-Media Com- plex, the two-headed liberal propa- ganda machine, was on full dis- play, front page of the Jan. 21 Daily News. Headline: "Brown decries political attacks." If you thought he was expressing regret or criticism over last year’s rhetoric, prevarications and hardball tactics used by his extended campaign (including the unions and illegal- alien-maid-defending Gloria Allred), you would be mistaken. No, being a liberal means never having to apologize, even while disingenuously lobbing accusa- tions against political opponents, accusations that apply to the accuser. Laughable examples: "What is the vision today? The vision is divisiveness … I know politics is always negative, but the attacks on President Obama go beyond what is usual." His urging "people in the state and elsewhere to strike a less polarizing tone" had me screaming in laughter. Yeah, forget the ten years of liberal and so-called pro- gressive hate speech, kill Bush posters, books, plays and class themes, and violence directed at Republican storefronts, conserva- tive speakers, military recruiters and homes with Republican signs. The accompanying story by the AP conveniently included every fringe element of the protests from last fall, much of which has been debunked. It’s despicable for the AP to castigate an entire wide- spread, broad based and main- stream movement, over the extremely rare "racist" (to the AP) sign, often carried by provable lib- eral plants for the sole purpose of getting photographed by media reporters like the AP. I wonder how Governor Brown would characterize the person who spit on my van in a parking lot due to my political bumper stickers. Would he have called it a "vision of divisiveness" to see the woman in a white van last fall, passing me and yelling, with contorted face and gesticulating hands, over my obvi- ous Republican candidate and Tea Party advocacy? How about the question from a woman in a Bend, OR, sports bar where we were enjoying the col- lege championship game (thank you BCS for depriving us of the comfort of viewing the game in our home on broadcast channels)? "Are you wearing those (Tea Party Patriots) caps as a joke or are you proud of them?" Being there to watch a game, we simply said that we were proud of them and dropped it. What I should have said was that we were, indeed, proud to be a part of the most popular, effective, truly grass-roots movement to arise and influence this country in many generations. Here’s a reminder: showing up is more than half the battle and the Tea Party Patriots meeting is on Tuesdays at 6 PM, listed under "Local Calendar." Every week has a program worth attending; last Tuesday they had a very informative NRA presenta- tion on the many considerations and responsibilities of choosing to defend yourself in your own home with hand guns. Show up, get on the emailing list and find out what’s coming up. Then there was a loud-mouthed drunk at the same bar that insisted on regaling everyone with horse-pucky he heard on some left wing radio show about Sarah Palin having paid the Tucson shooter. Really, such is the unhinged vit- riol that passes for rhetoric on the other side. On that subject, just to mildly take issue with some of our local parti- san writers, let me clear the record: I just looked through my rifle tele- scope to confirm that even an inexpensive scope does not have a simplistic crossing of two thin lines to look through. I truthfully stated, and have seen, that the "crosshair" symbol is used on survey maps and in drafting; I never referred to a "landscaping symbol." For some- one to write that I’m "just plain dis- honest" and "need to lie," is char- acter assassination and in itself dis- honest. I will risk repetition and chide my critics thusly: Democrats, as I pointed out, have repeatedly used "targets" and "bulls-eye" (Web- ster’s dictionary: "target center") symbols. Liberal cable channel CNN used the phrase "cross hair" half a dozen times in the days leading up to the shooting, putting Don Polson The way I see it both Sarah Palin, and Tea Party favorite Michelle Bachman, "in the cross hairs." CNN had a long- running talk show called "Crossfire," for crying out loud. Was Palin holding a gun or telling people to get a gun, when she said "Don’t retreat, reload"? No! Moreover, when Michelle Bachman told listeners to get educated with facts on the "cap and trade" issue, so they would be "armed (with facts)" and "dangerous (politically to the ped- dlers of falsehoods)," was she suggesting any sort of physical vio- lence? Of course not! But such is the nature of the intimidation coming from liberals now that they have lost at the voting booth, and con- tinue to lose in voter polls. Con- trary to one writer’s opinion, con- servatives don’t want debate sti- fled – we simply want honest debate based on facts, and we find ourselves having to push back at opponents who intentionally, it seems, misrepresent the facts at every turn. By the way, conservative Jews said Palin was right to use the term "blood libel" in the sense that she was falsely, baselessly accused of a bloody, horrific crime. They’re right. Don Polson can be reached by e-mail at donplsn@yahoo.com.