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6A – Daily News – Wednesday, February 9, 2011 Opinion Antelope sewer 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 story incomplete Editor: 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 I wish the Daily News, as so called, would tell the whole story, “JPA formed to oversee Antelope area sewer.” Those included to oversee this project can’t even figure out what to do about parking at the fairgrounds, and the answer lies in what they did with the “motel tax” monies collected for these purposes, and they are shuffled into the general fund. Now even the Chamber of Commerce has to beg for funds that this fee on top was extended. In moving to Antelope Val- ley in 1972, I was located on Sherman Drive. Mr. Scott was the water and sewer authority for Tehama County and very knowledgeable. His advice on the well water was that all had contaminants and all had been the same for years. We in Ante- lope were no different than Red Bluff or most other cities throughout the country. His advice at the time was pour a little “bleach” in the well occasionally to reduce the “bugs.” Several months ago, I sent the Daily News photo copies of “Toxic Water” cities, including Red Bluff and Los Angeles. As I understand there are 44 water systems in Tehama County, and all are somewhat contaminated, so the proposed project is to cost $44 million. Then do the math and I believe you could buy the entire county of Tehama 44 water systems plus what these geniuses figure the cost. On top of that, my water is still going to be not bug free. You also can buy a lot of bottled water for $44 million. So let’s get realistic. W R Hendrix, Red Bluff How I see it Editor: Someone got Mr. Polson all riled up. You could almost visu- alize the fire shooting from him. For people like him, his opinion counts. I don’t know if the killer was a Palin follower. I’m also not an expert on symbols. I don’t know if the killer thought Ms. Palin’s symbols are crosshairs or not. Only Palin knows if they are. When I think I’m right, I stand my ground. You can ask anyone who knows me. From Democrats to my extreme Tea Party family. I don’t care if you’re left or right. I only care about the truth. Tina Dupuy’s opinion does- n’t matter to me. Neither does Mr. Polson’s opinion. Ms. Palin’s opinion is. They were rifle crosshairs, so she took them off. Her opinion is the only one that matters. Jon Blankenship, Red Bluff Responsibility Editor: As I read this article it made me sad, sad that today's parents chose to blame the government on their children’s lack of self control. I have two teenagers, they have not had it easy, life has shown them the realities that I was unable to protect them from. They still work hard and are respectful teenagers. You have every right to disci- pline your children, I have never raised a hand to either of my kids, I took the time when they were small to teach them that for ever action good or bad there is a con- sequence. It has been years since I have had to ground them. They understand that they are entitled to certain thing, my unconditional love, 3 meal a day, clean clothing, a roof over their heads, other then that everything else is a privilege. Children, teens do not have the right to cell phones, internet, cable TV, extra spending money, these are all things that they have to earn. They earn them by be respectful to their parents and teachers, helpful to friends and neighbors, to get the best grade they are capable of getting. When a problem comes up and they are angry or treating me like crap, we wait until we are both calm, look at it as a grown up time out, then when we are both calm we talk about it, 9 times out of ten it was something that happen ear- lier in the day and has nothing to do with me. An open line of com- munication is all that it takes, my children know that know matter what they need to talk to me about I will try to not judge them. I am not perfect and when I mess up I tell them I have done so, I apolo- gize to them, I give them the same respect that they give me. It is not always easy but we figure it out. So how about we stop blaming everyone else for our mess ups and admit that somewhere along the line we got lazy in our parenting, because we all know it is so much easier to throw a new phone or i pod to our child or dump them in front of the TV instead of talking to them, sitting with them or just playing a simple card game with them. Jennifer Orton, Red Bluff Questions Editor: Maybe someone can answer a couple of questions for me. Number one: How many of the members of the house have shares in an oil company? Number 2: Can they legally vote on bills for companies in which they have an interest? Stephanie Mae, Corning The powers that be create stress Editor: The things that run this country is power, greed and lust, a dehu- manizing, money changers at the top of the food change feeding off the poor and what’s left over of the middle class. Most laws are created against our will so corporations legally rip us off at the market place and a court of law that extorts and takes our money so they can live better than you, the poor and middle class. They want to create a new middle class to keep them in power. We are servants and slave to these monsters and predators. They are killing us off with stress and lies. Most doctors are having a feeding frenzy on the poor and honest working class. Hollywood New York movie makers create images to capture our imaginations by knowing our nature. They get rich and you stay poor. The poor and middle classes strive for a home, car and most men escape in the women. It’s his only outlet to fight stress for a brief time. The American nightmare will come to the real world. R L Pruitt, Red Bluff 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 3070 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. Shedding my David Cassidy hair Commentary First-wave baby boomers will begin turning 65 this year -- and they’re still imposing their ways on younger people, such as tail-end boomers like me. Though maybe I’m still upset about the David Cassidy haircut my sisters made me get in 1973. Like every teen girl then, my sisters were smitten with Cassidy. They exploited my chief insecurity to get me to cut my hair like his. "If you part your hair down the middle and feather it over the sides, you'll be able to hide your big flop- py ears," they said. And so it was that I would do the unthinkable: I would become the first kid in St. Germaine School to don the Cassidy look. I pedaled my bike three miles to the unisex hair salon. I approached the salon's owner, a cranky middle- aged woman with a cigarette dan- gling from her lip, and set a pile of crumpled bills and coins on the counter. "Make me look like David Cas- sidy," I said. She clipped and she cut, she styled and she set. She applied goops and sprays of every kind. When she finished, she turned the chair around so I could see in the mirror what she had done. I didn't look a whit like David Cas- sidy. I looked like Danny Bonaduce. I pedaled home as fast as I could and I hid in my room the rest of the day. I finally had to come out when my father called me down for sup- per. I took my seat to his right. He sensed something was off immedi- ately. As he washed his burger down with man-sized gulps of Pabst Blue Ribbon, he kept looking over to me. “What the hell happened to your hair?” he finally said. “I got it cut.” dle.” “But it's parted down the mid- “Yes.” “Who parts hair down the mid- dle?” “The unisex hair salon.” “The uni-what?” “A place that cuts hair for both men and women.” “You went to a lady’s hair salon!” “A unisex salon.” “But your hair is parted down the middle!” My David Cassidy haircut was as painful for my father as it was for me. Our suffering had a com- mon source: first-wave baby boomers. Since the first boomer was born in 1946, boomers have been set- ting the pace. They've foisted their politics, their music and their clothing on younger generations. Now, as they begin pushing 70, they’re foist- ing all kinds of problems on us. As millions retire, they will stop contributing to Social Security and begin receiving payments. Our taxes will surely rise to keep their cash flowing. That’s because older boomers have the numbers to demand lots of government good- ies from politicians eager to trade taxpayer dough for votes. Will hair transplants and Though it’s not like older boomers are broke. Dow Jones reports that many have amassed a fine nest egg -- which they do not intend to leave for their kids. Some will sell their suburban homes and flock to resort areas in Tom Purcell other countries — further driving down the value of homes here, while driving up the home values else- where. To be sure, younger generations have spent their lives fighting off the influence and agita- tion of the older boomers, and we’ve failed at every turn. It wasn’t until my mid 20s that I finally got rid of my David Cassidy haircut. I told the hairdresser to try something modern and original. She cut my hair facelifts be paid for by govern- ment-directed healthcare pro- grams? short and slicked it straight back. When she spun my chair around to show me her work, I was horrified by what I saw. I looked like Eddie Munster. ——— Tom Purcell, a humor columnist for the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review, is nationally syndicated exclusively by Cagle Cartoons newspaper syndicate.Visit Tom on the Web at www.TomPurcell.com or e-mail him at Purcell@caglecartoons.com.