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6A – Daily News – Thursday, March 17, 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 Why the Taxpayers’ Caucus At some point we have to 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. 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Who comes calling to represent their inter- ests? The Legislature keeps telling the taxpayers that we just need a little bit more of their money - money the citizens need to pay their mortgages, buy food, pay for utilities, and save for retire- ment. Two years ago, the Leg- islature approved what was termed a temporary tax increase to fill the state’s gaping budget hole and, in May of 2009, the voters were asked whether they were willing to extend these “temporary” taxes an additional two years. The voters rejected Proposition 1A 65 percent to 35 percent - a two-to-one margin. Now with those taxes expir- ing, the spend-it-all-and-tax- them-more crowd is clamoring for more. This time “tempo- rary” means five years. The new mantra we will hear is, “This is not really a tax increase; it’s an extension of taxes we’re already paying" or, "the public is used to them.” (Ask them if they are used to it.) I can virtually guarantee that the cry for more will be even louder after another five years. These taxes have real- life impact and cost the average family of four about $1,500 more a year. Republicans have met with Governor Brown and Democrat legislators to seek real reforms. We’ve suggested real spending caps, pension reform, eliminat- ing costly and burdensome reg- ulations. We’ve put our ideas on the table, only to be ignored or have them blocked. Who is the real party of “No”? Instead, Governor Brown is asking us to believe that this time things will be different - burdensome taxes will help our state’s economy and balance the budget – despite the fact that tax increases two years ago have led to nothing but a drop in state tax receipts. In fact, the Governor’s own budget projec- tions predict more deficits and increased spending down the road. Simultaneously, ongoing calls for aggressive regulatory reform continue to fall on deaf ears, though we know that vig- orous economic opportunity is the lifeblood of Cali- fornia’s long-term prosperity. Right now, California has the sec- ond highest unemploy- ment rate, ranks third from the bottom in employment growth and Chief Executive Magazine continues to rate us as the most anti-business state in the nation. There is no doubt that the state will con- tinue to struggle until we can demonstrate that California means business. New jobs mean less unemploy- ment, increased con- sumer spending, and new rev- enue to support state services. What’s not to like? posed to impose new taxes on sodas, tobacco and probably other tax increases yet to be discovered, not to mention a litany of costly new regulations. These Sen. Doug LaMalfa Guest View Speaking of reform, Califor- nia’s under-funded retiree expenses cost California’s tax- payers close to $6 billion this fiscal year, consuming close to 7 percent of the General Fund. However, this severely under- funded liability isn’t even on the table and there is no reason to believe that the tax-raisers will stop asking for more. Leg- islation has already been pro- are not budget items, but they point to an insatiable appetite for more of taxpay- ers’ hard-earned money. Anyone that can do arithmetic can see we have a need for reform; it’s a matter of when will there be enough like-minded legislators and enough public opin- ion to turn that cor- ner. I joined the Taxpayers’ Caucus as a public statement of conviction, recog- nizing that, in the Capitol, the voices of those who pay the bills need to be heard above the clamor of those who will spend every dime – and then some. Senator Doug LaMalfa is a lifelong farmer representing the fourth Senate District including Shasta, Tehama, Butte, Colusa, Glenn, Siskiyou, Sutter, Del Norte, Placer, Trinity, Yuba and Nevada counties. 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. Wisconsin going forward Commentary Wisconsin adopted "For- ward" as their state motto in 1851. Sculptor Jean Pond Miner was commissioned to create a representation of her home state and in 1893 created a seven-foot tall bronze statue of a female figure bearing the state’s maxim. The Wisconsin Historical Society notes, "For- ward is an allegory of devotion and progress, qualities Miner felt Wisconsin embodied." The statue is dedicated as a women’s memorial and now stands proudly at the west entrance of the Capitol in Madi- son. Notably, Forward, predates the signing of the national civil rights bill by the better half of a century. She was nearly 30 years old before women had the right to vote. Ditto for the first labor movement. When it comes to progress, Wisconsin and Forward have been ahead of their time. Now Forward has been at the heart of the last month of protests and rallies in Madison. She’s the centerpiece. Protest- ers have utilized her as a bill- board to express their frustra- tions. She’s been blindfolded while wearing "recall" signs. She’s been adorned with pro- union and anti-Republican law- maker placards. Last Saturday during the biggest rally since the standoff began, she was wearing a Guy Fawkes now identified as an Anonymous mask while holding the "blue book" of Wisconsin Law and procedure in her hand. The morning after, a handful of Wisconsin women removed all the debris and instead laid flowers at Forward’s feet. They held a sign, "Women’s Vigil for Labor Rights." Their children clad in "Cops for Labor" t- shirts bounced around the stairs of the Capitol as they posed for pictures from passers-by. Melissa Austin, wife of a Madison Police Department detective explained, "Flowers sometimes mean saying good- bye. You put flowers on some- body when they die…But flow- ers are spring. Flowers are com- ing. Flowers are a renewal." She added, "It’s not saying good-bye to Forward, it’s what’s to come." Sarah Mackesey also held the sign. A Madison police offi- cer on her day off, Mackesey offered, "Forward is our motto and Forward rocks." Wisconsin’s new Republican governor Scott Walker had been insisting he needed to eradicate the public employees’ collec- tive bargaining rights to "bal- ance the budget" – a budget he made worse when he gave tax breaks to corporations. Walker’s real goal was revealed in a conversation with a man impersonating the oil heir David Koch. Walker wants to be like Ronald Reagan. He wants to "do something big." Under the guise of "fiscal responsibility," Walk- er has been trying to kill a long time foe of the right wing – orga- nized labor - and with it wages, pensions and working conditions for which people have fought for decades. "Balancing the budget" has become the lukewarm excuse to bust unions much like the iffy deviated septum is why you have to get that nose job. "I do Botox…for my headaches." Sure. "People making $40,000 a year to teach kids are greedy parasitic union thugs." Uh huh. Tina Dupuy If this had happened in another state, the response would have been different. But in Wisconsin people have always thought of themselves as easygoing, open-minded and mellow – and their reaction has been visceral. Besides the big rallies overtaking the Capitol, many Wisconsinites have been showing up to be near Forward as a part of their daily errands. "Go grocery shopping, protest Scott Walker taking away union rights, pick up school uniforms and start dinner." These purported "union thugs" held G-rated, family- friendly, stroller-packed affable demonstrations. In true courte- ous Wisconsin fashion one of their chants to the 14 senators who left the state to hold off a vote was "Thank you!" The several genera- tions of Wisconsinites sauntering around the Capitol in the cold are even more of an apt symbol of what orga- nized labor, pensions, health care and a living wage mean for work- ing people: It’s family. The ability to take care of their families. The protesters I talked to are afraid for their families and concerned for their neighbors. They’re shocked by the injustice and ashamed they weren’t more vigilant when electing Walker. But mostly they’re resolute. "It’s painful standing up for your rights," said Austin, not- ing her generation born in the ‘70s has never before had to deal with this kind of strife. Austin relayed, "They [rights] were fought for…" Mackesey jumped in, "Again and again and again!" Tina Dupuy is an award- winning writer and fill-in host at The Young Turks. Tina can be reached at tinadupuy@yahoo.com.