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6A – Daily News – Tuesday, March 22, 2011 Opinion Homelessness 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 not a crime 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 Excuse me Mr. Felder, but this is not 1957. Of course the city and county have changed as has our country and the world. More and more as each day passes. Homeless people are now part of America, not just Tehama Coun- ty. I too have watched the Home- less expand and grow. You ask city officials to do something about this problem, as you see it. Yet you have no alternative for this prob- lem, other than to remove these people. Where do you propose to move them or do you propose to help them? Homelessness is not a crime. Unlike you I feel a sadness for these people who have been dis- placed for one reason or another. What about the children who live out in the elements? They don't have the little knob on the wall for more heat. They can't run to the refrigerator or heat up the oven or use the micro-wave. So if you find the homeless a nuisance, a bit of self-reflection may be of use. Put yourself in their place... Slide your feet in their shoes, and try to remember...."there but for fortune go I” J.W. Ostrowski, Red Bluff Hooked up teenagers Editor: Enlightening to know if you get bored in Red Bluff you can “hook up” with someone and have a pub- licly-funded baby. How special. A word for the invisible father. If you're not ready or willing to support the new arrival, keep your pants on. Mike Murphy, Red Bluff At last, an absolute truth Editor: Senator Doug LaMalfa's opin- ion article in Marth 17 paper is right on. Even when we vote 65 per- cent in favor of not extending a "tempo- rary" tax, it doesn't even slowthe nitwits in this state down. They think we really don't mean it. After all, it isn't a new tax, it's only a temporary tax, again. An extension, for five years this time, not two.I guess we have to hit them along side the head and scream at them, "we mean it!" Part of the problem is, so many have been in those offices way too long. They really believe they're doing what is best for us. As long as we as individuals are getting along okay, we don't pay attention on what is happening around us until it starts to pinch us in the pocket book. We must continue to send them messages until they real- ly get it and still vote them out first chance we get. They've had their chance, throw them out. I have sev- eral names in mind, they need to retire and go far, far away. All the liberals know is to raise taxes, cut services to the ones who need it most, cut community sup- port, but give more to their special people in wages, benefits, etc. Still there and thriving is fraud, waste, abuse, thievery, you name it. We gave for the Haiti earthquake, but probably only 30 percent even reached those we wanted to help. Property values are down, less money in property taxes, it isn't going to get any better. Remember last year, we could- Your Turn n't find flu shots. This year they were everywhere and early.Are they getting rid of expired shots from last year?Wouldn't surprise me. I've lost so much trust in this country and our political system, I'm having a meltdown. This entire year so far has been a comedy. Nothing works. We can't even buy good windshield wipers. Forget green lightbulbs. They burn out before we get them paid for. Green paint remover. It was awful. Took it back, told the clerk, "this is crap." She put down "cus- tomer didn't like." Next time I'm going to call the manager and make them put down what I said. Let's get to the truth and make changes that are fair, reasonable and hon- est. Get back to basics. SmartMeters on the horizon. More uncertainties to deal with most likely. I hate being in situa- tions that I can't figure out if it's the truth or if I'm being taken advan- tage of. My sister loves them in Arizona, but of course, that's anoth- er state and utility. When a governor does take a stand trying to do the right thing, they get absolutely no support from our president. I chastised him for being gone so much, out of the country, I've changed my mind, it's better when he's gone. I think we should close our bor- ders to everyone until we stabilize this country. Also, quit giving any- body money until we have it to give and devise a system to monitor where it goes. The problem is, there's so many abusive nations that brutalize their own people, it's heart wrenching to do this. It's a horrible existence for so many. I don't know what the solution is to that. I'm still hoping for the best. Every once in a while there's a glimmer of hope, as was Senator Doug LaMalfa's opinion piece. He has my vote. Bernice Cressy, Cottonwood Refunds harm economy Editor: A tax credit for working, does not boost the local economy, because other taxpayers must cut their funding for job creation to fund the tax credit. Increased tax rates always cuts jobs as evidenced by the high California unemploy- ment rate versus states with right to work laws and much lower tax rates. A self-employed job creator pays about 25 percent of their income in Federal taxes, 10 per- cent to state income taxes, 8 1/4 percent for local sales tax, and 2 percent for property taxes. In addi- tion they must pay 15.2 percent of gross income for Social Security and Medicare taxes. In summary two self-employed individuals must pay 50 percent of their income in taxes to pay $1 for earned income tax credit for a poor working person. Taxes paid to provide tax cred- its to others, for no services ren- dered, requires jobs to be cut in pri- vate sector businesses. Each public sector job requires two private sec- tor job cuts because of the early retirement and high pensions of public employees. Too many politicians have fed at the public trough for most of their careers and have no financial sense of what is required in the private sector to create jobs. Joseph J. Neff, Corning 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. Pitchforks and rainbows Commentary America dodged the immediate damage of the killer tsunami, but a potentially more dangerous phe- nomenon threatens to wash across our nation. The new political para- digm — concrete intransigency. No quarter asked for — no quarter given. Us versus Them, and Us is me. And whoever likes me at the time. The Colosseum relocated to the Senate. I’m so right and you’re so wrong that anybody who agrees with you should be ambushed, assaulted and abused. Say what you will about the Lib- erals, for the most part, they actual- ly believe deep down in their hearts that impoverished kids enrolled in Head Start programs can contribute to society and make the world a better place to live. For all of us. And rich people should pay for that. Conservatives wonder why these kids don’t pull themselves up by their bootstraps the way they did when Daddy bequeathed them their first oil well. Life is a race and any- body with a Head Start is cheating. Anybody not part of their family, that is. These basic attitudes stem from deep-rooted philosophical differ- ences. The Liberal idea is by help- ing the greater good, it will eventu- ally come back and benefit every- one. While Conservatives believe exactly the opposite. By helping themselves, it will eventually come back and benefit themselves. And now that politics is a 24/7 media proposition, those positions are calcifying. Conservative voices dominating center stage today can be divided into three groups. The Greedy. The Mean. And the Stupid. They live in a black and white land where compromise equals defeat and "discussion" means you take notes while they talk. Liberals can be distilled into three groups as well. The Pompous. The Weak. And the Stupid. Their world is a rainbow of colors, where the gov- ernment provides everyone with that big box of 64 crayons and encourages them to write on the walls. Anybody’s walls. Liberals want to nurture the brotherhood of man while Conser- vatives deem this mythical brother- hood just another left-wing con- spiracy trying to separate them from their money. Conservatives are sincerely of the opinion that they stole all their stuff fair and square, while Liberals think people with too much stuff should give some of their stuff to people who don’t have any stuff. The problem is nobody con- siders their collection of stuff to be too much. Liberals want to reform prisoners. Con- servatives don’t believe in taking any. Liberals would rather lose honor- ably than be accused of acting unfairly. As a matter of fact, Liberals are more comfortable losing than they are win- ning. Conservatives will do whatever it takes to win, including painting their kids’ teachers as the enemy. Not only are they bad losers, they’re bad winners as well. Another odd thing is the two sides continue to play the game under entirely different narratives. Liberals act like associate produc- ers at a folk fair trying to choreo- graph the welcoming dance of converging cul- tures, while failing to notice the ragged band of Conservatives lighting torches and running headlong towards them up the castle hill armed with pitchforks. There’s a war going Will Durst Raging Moderate on but only one side seems aware of it. You’d think the mugging that went down in Wisconsin would be the sharp poke in the side necessary to wake Liberals up. But knowing them, they’ll probably be more con- cerned with strengthen- ing the guardrails on the castle hill road and intro- ducing legislation to reform pitch- fork safety standards. Will Durst is an award-winning, San Francisco-based political comic who often jots his thoughts down on paper. Such as here.