Issue link: https://www.epageflip.net/i/28774
6A – Daily News – Thursday, April 7, 2011 Opinion Seatbelt? Editor: 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 This is in no way meant 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. 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 make light of the injuries that Ned Hodges received from his motor- cycle accident. As a fellow rider, my prayers are with him. Rather, I was amused that the paper reported that officer Mack- intosh supposedly stated that "he (Mr. Hodges) was not wearing his seatbelt." Huh, maybe I was shortchanged, ‘cause my motor- cycle doesn't have one of them new-fangled motorcycle seat- belts. Again, praying that Mr. Hodges will have a speedy recov- ery. Sheryl Georgi, Red Bluff Thanks Herger Editor: In April of 2009, the city set- tled its lawsuit against the Tehama-Colusa Canal Authority regarding the loss of Lake Red Bluff, at least partially based on Congressman Wally Herger's assurances that he would assist the city in finding ways to miti- gate the recreation and economic loss of the lake. It is important for the residents of the city and our region to know that Wally Herger has fully lived up to his commitment. He was steadfast in his efforts to obtain approval of a grant to restore fish habitat along the River Park last year, and is now working with the city on new grants with similar purposes. Thank you Congressman Herger. We sincerely appreciate your past and future efforts on our behalf. Mayor Bob Carrel, Red Bluff Burritos Editor: I am finding your Burrito Madness fun and interesting. I always thought the food at the little place in Los Molinos to be as authentic as any in the area. Now, down here in deepest Mexico, tacos are king, not burri- tos. Our best burritos are the Super Donkeys from the Super Burro. They have something that all the burritos in the Red Bluff area don't, homemade tortillas, either corn or flour. These tortillas are formed by hand and cooked over an open mesquite fire. This alone will win any contest. Thanks again for the story. Ray Lieberenz Loreto, Baja California Sur, Mexico Crooked Editor: In 1644 a Presbyterian minister by the name of Samuel Rutherford wrote a controversial book called Lex, Rex. He was a professor of Latin thus the Latin title. Lex is Law and Rex King. What he was asking in his manuscript was, which is superior the laws of the land or the king’s commands? A good friend of mine has in essence been asking the same thing only modified a bit. His question to our county grand jury members, sheriff and judiciary was, what is stronger the good-o- boy system of, you scratch my back and I’ll return the favor, or the laws of our state. Unfortunately so far the law seems not to be regard- ed too highly. The issue is whether or not a particular politician had the right to run for and thus serve the public in the capacity that he does. I am of course referring to the controversy of Assem- blyman Jim Nielsen’s residency. Some feel this to be a long ago settled issue but it is not. Wealth Editor: Your Turn Judge Garaventa handled it like a hot potato by telling Don Bird he was in the wrong court. At con- siderable expense to himself, Bird went to the court suggested only to be directed back to the previous one. We indeed have the finest judiciary money can buy. Why should you be concerned about this trivialness you may be asking yourself. The answer is that it is not a trivial matter at all, in fact if Bird’s allegation proves truthful Neilson is guilty of defrauding the people of this dis- trict of a substantial amount of money. Besides his generous salary there is the extra living allowance he gets while in Sacra- mento because supposedly he lives so far away. And this at a time when the state, county and most residing in them are hurting financially. Ah, whoever heard of a crooked politician? Orval Strong, Gerber Here are a pair of worthwhile quotations to consider. One from a brilliant and highly respected Supreme Court Jus- tice of the early 20th century, the other from a very controver- sial Marxist — Karl Marx him- self. However, they are related in their views of the disparity in wealth in this coun- try. “We can have democracy in this country, or we can have great wealth concentrated in the hands of a few, but we can‚t have both,” Louis Brandeis, 1856 - 1941, Associate Justice U.S. Supreme court, 1916 to 1939. “Democracy is a form of government that cannot long survive, for as soon as the peo- ple learn that they have a voice in the fiscal policies of the gov- ernment, they will move to vote for themselves all the money in the treasury, and bankrupt the nation,” Karl Marx . Who has managed to wrest so much wealth from our trea- sury in very recent years? And just who is it that has exercised the power to hold the great majority of the wealth today and control our political processes? There is something suspi- cious about 400 families con- trolling as much private wealth as the combined wealth of 150 million to 180 million citizens. Hugh Merhoff, 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. If the First Amendment had to be ratified today... Commentary Republicans will tell you they’re the sole Constitutional purists in the country; they wor- ship the document more and better than you do. But imagine if the First Amendment had to be voted on today. It would need two-thirds majority in both Houses just to be proposed. Consider it: "Congress shall make no law respecting an estab- lishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances." First, it’s way too progressive for today’s rabid rightwing. And if the Republicans saw this Amend- ment as a win for Obama – it would have to be stopped by any means necessary. All the President would have to do is say he thinks it’s important for Americans to have freedom of speech, religion, the press and assembly. Then the Tea nee Republican Party would call them "Obama Freedoms." Right-wing blogs next would tap, "What do Hitler, Machiavelli, Darwin, Che Guevara and the New Black Panther Party all have in common? They all love Obama Freedoms." "Obama Freedoms will indoc- trinate our children to be secular Islamists who want taxpayers to pay for gay marriage abortions at Ground Zero," Newt Gingrich would say in some Vaseline- lensed ominous music-packed video he’d hawk on his website. Lawmakers would rush the House floor to accuse freedom of speech as being "bad for busi- ness." Others would call it "disrup- tive." Speaker John Boehner, call- ing himself an originalist, would decry (get it?) any changes what- soever to the Constitution. "Hell no, you can’t!" AM talk radio would chime in: "Obama Freedoms will even apply to people here illegally! Drug deal- ers will be able to protest in your front yard! We’re a nation of laws, not Obama Freedoms!" Others would use it as an opportunity to rail against the press. Media critic Sarah Palin would take to her Twitter account, "LSMwnt 2Bfree noh8ve Obma& wrk,cost jobs. Hurt 4US kllrep$. SeeFB post." Inadvertently proving them- selves, in fact, lame — an entire 24-hour news cycle would be devoted to deciphering her tweet. Then the self-proclaimed modern- day Shakespeare would make up a word just for the occasion: virrifi- cation. It’s a cross of verification and vilify and maybe viral, but no one would know for sure. It would just seem to fit perfectly for the issue, and then it would be overused until it lost all irony. UrbanDictionary.com would offer to use the new word in a sen- tence: To kill the bill, use virrification (see: refudiate and squirmish). Lopsided, meaning- less polls will be taken: "Do you think people who just so happen to call themselves journal- ists should be free to do so?" The results will be split. People will com- ment, "I don’t know how comfortable I am with people being able to say anything they want. We’re in three wars!" And, "Free speech will shove pornography down our throats!" Commercials would be launched, and the amendment would be called a "government take over of religion" by Koch- brother-funded shadow groups. Average-looking character actors would be hired to say how scared they are of Muslims stoning their children in schools. "You know what Obama Free- doms will do to this country?! Criminalize bacon! What could stop them?" Fox and Friends would snicker that being able to assemble peace- fully should be called "The Grid- lock Amendment." They’d point out if it gets passed, it would cause traffic and clog America’s thor- oughfares. Traffic costs jobs and money! It will ruin this country! "People should be working, but instead the government wants to force us to be on the streets with picket signs." Tina Dupuy Democratic lawmak- ers, trying to sound rea- sonable instead of mere- ly capitulatory, would say there’s too much in the bill - that these con- troversial freedoms need to be in separate bills so they can be debated individually. "It’s just not realistic to put all these – what the rightwing are calling ‘Obama Freedoms’ – what I’m calling basic rights – in one Amendment to the Constitu- tion. I’m proposing a series of Amendments which can be voted on individually – that way we can have an opportunity to debate each one." The First Amendment – arguably the foundation of our democracy – if brought up today would die in committee. Yes, our time is just that stupid. ----- Tina Dupuy is an award-winning writer and fill-in host at The Young Turks. Tina can be reached at tinadupuy@yahoo.com.