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6A – Daily News – Tuesday, February 1, 2011 Opinion Science only 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 when convenient Editor: While the recent flurry of let- ters to the editor regarding evo- lution have been interesting reading, some are a bit disturb- ing. 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 Many of these letters exhibit a mistrust of science. A slipping back to the time when we believed things happen magical- ly, because we had no other way to explain them. Why are so many in denial of science? It's obvious that many of the writers have not taken any type of biology class, or have sought non-biased information. Science is what took us to the moon. It's what's keeping most of you alive into your 70s, 80s and beyond via new drugs, treat- ments, etc. It's sure convenient to believe in science when it comes to our health, not so much when it challenges beliefs. Carolyn Lane, Los Molinos Corporate elite Editor: This is a response to Mr. Stiglich’s “The day of reckon- ing” letter of Jan. 27. He bemoaned the national debt ceiling and the prospect of Obama raising it to even greater levels. His main point seemed to be that it is time for us, the gen- eral public to tighten our belts. News flash — belts, shirts and other essentials have been systematically snatched away from more and more of us. Seniors and Disabled Veterans have not received a cost of liv- ing pay increase for 2 years. California’s unemployment rate is 12.5 percent. Mr. Stiglich, it’s not time for most Americans to tighten their belts, it’s time the corporate elite shared more of its loot with the rest of their country. After all it was their finaglings that got us into this mess in the first place. Before deciding to layoff more teachers and make deeper cuts in social spending, why not look at our corporate welfare system and see what can be done about it. Details of corporate welfare, farm subsidies and Department of Defense waste are available at www.progress.org. Finally how about cutting our losses and getting out of Iraq and Afghanistan? Our continual execution of that fiasco will only result in our losing more lives and receiving less and less esteem from the world commu- nity. Orval Strong, Gerber Herger votes with the insurance industry Editor: As communities throughout Northern California continue to struggle with a devastating economic crisis, Rep. Wally Herger has chosen to engage in symbolic folly, attempting to repeal the health care reform act, rather than buck- ling down to do the real work necessary to get our communi- ty back on track. It is time for him to actual- ly get to work solving the cri- sis which has made ghost towns of our communities and devastated families across California, rather grandstand- ing and posturing. The Health Care Reform Act enacted last year has already provided relief to 1,013,384 California residents through the extension of unemployment bene- fits; helped 382,000 seniors close the Medicare prescription drug coverage gap — while creating or sav- ing 365,000 California jobs. insurance have more than dou- bled–a growth rate four times faster than cumulative wage increases. And to top it all off, repeal Your Turn In Wally Herger’s district alone, the Act has already helped 15,700 residents with pre-existing conditions who can no longer be denied cover- age and 68,000 young adults who are now able to remain on their parents’ health coverage. Before Democrats passed the Affordable Care Act, 6,610,000 people in Califor- nia, or 20.4 percent of the state, did not have health insurance coverage, according to The Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation. Letting insurance compa- nies drop sick people, deny children with pre-existing conditions for coverage, and increase drug costs for seniors is not a cost-cutting measure, and it would not create even a single job. The fact is, repeal will eliminate millions of Ameri- can jobs that are expected to be created by reducing employer costs for health cov- erage. It will hurt America's middle class and small busi- nesses by ending tax breaks that help millions of families and businesses pay for their coverage. Premiums for employer-sponsored health will explode the federal deficit by billions of dollars over the next two decades. Although the Con- gressional Republi- cans have employed some fancy phrasing for their self-aggran- dizing repeal attempt, the Congressional Budget Office itself recently stated regarding the attempt to repeal the Act: "...CBO expects that enacting H.R. 2 would probably increase federal budget deficits over the 2012–2019 period by a total of roughly $145 billion... Adding two more years (through 2021) brings the projected increase in deficits to something in the vicinity of $230 billion..." How is that fiscally respon- sible? Sue Gallagher, Los Molinos Thank you Editor: Thank you to Mark. Today I accidentally looked my keys in my car while I was at the park. That was pretty annoying but what made it worse was that my poor baby was in the back seat. A nice stranger pulled up next to me and asked if every- thing was OK. He called us a tow truck and saved the day. He said he wasn’t really sure why he was taking his dog to the park but now he knows it was to do a good deed. Thanks again, you were a lifesaver. Jessica Root, Los Molinos 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. Boffo smash or miserable flop? Commentary Once again, in terms of political theater, the president has managed to flummox both critics and angels alike. Reviews of his State of the Union address have been more mixed than a Kansas Cuisinart stuck in a tornado on puree. Notwithstanding the ritualistic 79 applause breaks by his Geek Cho- rus, the production could best be described as a work-in-progress. Nowhere near Pulitzer Prize lun- cheon territory; but not destined for a trip to Joe Allen’s flop wall either. Think “Tony & Tina’s Wedding” with added intellectual posturing. Producers of the rival big show in town, “Burning Down the House,” immediately dismissed Obama’s book as more radical agit- prop dramaturgy, but most inde- pendent scribes saw it as an old- fashioned sports melodrama featur- ing a beleaguered coach giving a locker room halftime speech invok- ing the spirit of his old friend Sput- nik while exhorting his team to pull together and defeat the villainous adversary, Doctor Deficit. Lesson being, if you’re going to borrow, steal from the classics. Production values remained high with costumes and sets ably handled, but the choreography was listless and hackneyed. After the huge pre-show publicity push, the extended cast opening seating stag- ing seemed silly and superfluous, and as the night wore on, the ensemble’s dance steps deteriorated into a space best described as clum- sy and clichéd. “Us good. Him bad.” Yeah. Yeah. Been there. Seen that. There were fleeting moments of mad genius as the president flashed his trademark messianic zeal, but all momentum visibly fizzled whenever he tap-danced around specifics in wooden numbers that reeked of the fuzzy and familiar: “The State of the Union is Strong but Could be Stronger,” “Invest- ment is Like Spending Only Bet- ter,” and what was surely intended to be the rousing curtain closer, “Win the Future.” Didn’t exactly bring down the house, but backers have to be encouraged by the large percentage of audience members humming the tune on the way out and in the days since. Only registered ogres could deny the overall vaguely uplifting feel of the creaky vehicle. And they did. The FOO, Friends of Ogres, (Republican Party) responded to the blurry optimism with not one but two overly scripted political procedu- rals, as their rising stars, Paul Ryan and Michele Bach- mann, stared vari- ously into and near- by cameras spew- ing enough doom and gloom to make Arthur Miller look like Neil Simon. Commedia Dell’ Arte with a scythe. Will Durst Raging Moderate King Lear without the happy end- ing. On reflection, Obama’s subtex- tual message still remains more elu- sive than opening night tickets to “Spiderman: Turn Off the Dark.” A shame to see all that good pre-show buzz so extravagantly wasted. Ulti- mately, it’s a wash, buddy. Neither a boffo smash, nor a miserable dud or pandering tear-jerker, although one could be spotted sitting behind the president. The whole experience was like kissing your sister or a rainstorm in Hawaii or doing yard work on a good hair day. It is doubtful in these quar- ters the show will be able to sprout legs and spawn any road company action. And spin-offs and sequels: out of the question, right now. Then again, the Tonys are lurking and prospects for an extended run could hinge on whether that “Win the Future” theme is catchy enough to snatch the show an Original Score nomi- nation. Considering the olden- timey Reaganesque/ Clinton- ian vibe given off by the whole thing, it’s a virtual lock for Best Revival. San Francisco-based political comedian Will Durst writes sometimes: this is one of them.