Issue link: https://www.epageflip.net/i/26854
4A – Daily News – Thursday, March 10, 2011 Opinion 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 Marijuana dispensaries Editor: Hey, why doesn't Red Bluff allow medical marijuana dis- pensaries? 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 Surely this town could profit from the income? These streets that need repair, people needs jobs, the town could use the money earned from it, yet all your money is going up to Red- ding since they are allowing this legitimate business to continue as it should. Make no mistake, citizens of Red Bluff are going to Redding to purchase medical marijuana. They are reaping the benefits that should be yours. On top of that you are keep- ing the illegal street dealers in business and on the streets, bad business for any town, especial- ly where things can and should be allowed that are legal. And you put dummies in police cars probably because you can't afford a real one. Yet you won't allow yourself the chance to profit from it all. Wake up Red Bluff. You’re cutting off your nose to spite your own old face. Start allow- ing medical marijuana dispen- saries here before things dry up here. Susan Askin, Red Bluff Playgrounds Editor: Having reviewed the agenda item and the supporting docu- ment about the condition of cer- tain playground equipment and the article in the paper and the comments about the situation, I am very much surprised that people think it is wise to ignore the recommendations of a pro- fessional playground equipment inspector from the insurance company that is there to protect us as a city from potential litiga- tion and physical harm to our children. It is expected that upon enter- ing a city facility that we should be reasonably safe in using that facility and its contents. The water in the city pool should be free from contaminants and watchful eyes by guards to make sure that there is no horse- play. Our police are there like the fire department personnel to protect us from bad situations. Our City Council members are there to protect our assets and make decisions with the best information possible. Are we really ready to say that we have to question every- thing ourselves before we use, eat or drink anything? Sure we have the final job as parents to know what is good and what is bad for our children and our- selves but a reasonable expecta- tion of safety is also implied. Now that a formal inspection has been completed and the council failed to respond to the recommendations, should an accident happen, will the insur- ance company pay or will that fall completely on the backs of you and I the taxpayers result- ing in another cut somewhere in the budget to pay for our lack of being pro active rather than act- ing after something bad hap- pens. It is sort of like putting in a crosswalk or a stop sign after someone is killed. Wake up City Council, it's time to rethink this decision. Larry Stevens, Red Bluff Information Editor: Hamlet was told his step father had killed his real father but was told that by a ghost. Hitler was told the invasion was coming at Normandy, Calais, and half a dozen other places. A wife tells a husband his brother attacked her and the brother denies it. The validity of the informa- tion we receive. existed. Left to himself, not a clue. Lesson: it is not easy to find Your Turn Don Polson, Sept 1, 2008 "the economy grew in the second quarter by 3.3 percent, which means there has been no recession, there is no reces- sion, and (I predict) there will be no recession." President George Bush, autumn, 2008 "Those of you who have followed my career know that I am a free market person. Until you’re told that if you don't take decisive measures then it's conceivable that our country could go into a depression greater than the great depression." The greatest negative eco- nomic disruption in 80 years, accompanied by our local blind following the national blind. And that leader actually had to be told that the situation valid information on econom- ics (and therefore politics). It is difficult. Can the ignorant be blamed? No. Can the bom- basts, passing political rhetoric as valid knowledge be blamed? Absolutely. They misdirect effort from the hard task to childish affirmation of false knowledge. So do we know anything? We both do know that we do not like what happened a few years ago (and the current result of that) and we both do know that we don’t like corporate monopoly capitalism. The Tea Party is composed of adequately intelligent, some exceedingly gracious, people who aspire, as does Coffee, to do the right thing. The Coffee Party thinks that a large source of mis-information is two peo- ple identified as the Koch brothers. The Tea Party thinks, I suppose, that "liberals" don’t have enough brains to think clearly about anything. And that means we both know, and agree, on one thing. We both know that one of us is grossly misinformed. You can- not have two entities in such diametric disagreement over such an important subject unless the general conversa- tional mechanism is distorted. Ignorance breeds disagree- ment. Education breeds agree- ment. James Bryant, 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. Jury service: Business casual for blind justice Commentary I consider myself to be a decent citizen. I vote. I recycle. I don’t litter. I yield to most pedestrian traffic. But when I received notice I was selected for jury service, I did what every red-blooded American does – I wondered if I should pretend it got lost in the mail. "Notice? What notice? I’ve never seen any notice. Maybe this notice you speak of, maybe it had a little …accident?" The draft has been gone for more than 30 years. Today if you’re like me, you consider "compulsory service" to be putting down a book to listen to a flight attendant go over the safety announcements. Plus, I suspected the phrase "No good deed ever goes unpun- ished," was written by a juror. But that still didn’t stop me. No proverb was going to deter me. This was my chance to partici- pate in a justice system of the people, by the people, for the people. I didn’t even ask for a deferment. I was going against my instincts. I was stepping up to my civic duty enthusiastically … even if it was 7:30 a.m. … across town … during road construction. No prob. The notice stated jurors should dress "business casual." I’ve always considered business casual to be something ironed worn with uncomfortable shoes. Maybe it depends on your vocation. From the looks of some of the other jurors plodding along the halls of the courthouse their "business" was either a Crocs model, a life- guard or an adult industry pro- fessional. It’s justice who’s blind … as for the rest of us – we see you. It was like their outfits were trying to increase their chances of being dismissed. "You’re looking for someone who is impartial and has common sense. As you can see from my corduroy cut offs and Megadeth T-shirt – clearly that’s not me." I felt like some dingbat on a reality show who just realized the other housemates have a strategy. When we reported for jury service, we were asked to sit in a large waiting room. We were given our badges. We were asked to fill out paperwork and turn it in. Then they called out a list of everyone who filled out their paperwork wrong or incomplete. Out of 80 people, about a third weren’t able to fill out the paperwork on the first try. No but- terfly ballots or any- thing. Just a straight- forward — fill in the bubble and sign here questionnaire of eligi- bility. At first I thought this was a good argu- ment against the death penalty — obviously these folks shouldn’t be able to dole out any punishment you can’t go back and correct later. But afterwards, I think it was anoth- er attempt —feeble of course — to get out of serving. "If I don’t know my zip code, how am I gonna know ‘reasonable doubt?’" But there I was: Dressed appropriately, on time, paper- work correctly completed in black ink. Just a sitting duck, vulnerable with no exit strategy. I felt like Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker. Not even a Koch broth- er could save me. Tina Dupuy We were told to wait for our names to be called. I read a couple of magazines. More names were called. I scrolled Twitter. More names were called. I played iPhone Scrabble and listened to the kvetching of the oth- ers without a strategy. You’d think they had been forced to stack marbles in Siberia by the whining. Hours went by. My name was never called. Finally at four in the afternoon, the announcement was made — I had fulfilled my duty and could go home. That was it. I was done. Maybe I was over qualified. Maybe it’s random. Maybe I should be happy about it. I literally sat around, did nothing and it was performing my civic duty. It made me feel like a member of Congress. ----- Tina Dupuy is an award-winning writer and fill-in host at The Young Turks. Tina can be reached at tinadupuy@yahoo.com.