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6A – Daily News – Wednesday, April 27, 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 How do I love thee ... Let me 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 count the ways Editor: As a fairly recent transplant to Red Bluff from the chaos of Southern California, I am com- pelled to share some of my observations and feelings about this town I have grown to love. I moved here permanently less than a year ago. Prior to that, I had spent some time here with two of my amazing sisters and brother-in-law, as well as the best darn Labrador Retriev- er in the whole wide world, who live here. I was drawn to the small-town atmosphere, the lack of crowds, traffic jams and gangs, as well as the idea that I could look out my sisters’ win- dow and see a rafter of turkeys running down the hill, deer casually roaming about, or gigantic jackrabbits just hang- ing around the back of the prop- erty. In So Cal, wild life meant an entirely different thing. I fell in love with the big sky, the openness and Mts. Shasta and Lassen looming on the horizon like royal guards. So, the opportunity arose and I packed up my life and moved here. My sisters made sure I had a beautiful Victorian house to move into - and I marveled that I could actually have a home like that. In So Cal, I would have been able to afford a 'room' and possibly have kitchen privi- leges. I love that church bells can play gospel hymns here without someone whining about being offended and calling the ACLU... and that there are churches everywhere. I love the clock tower, with its beautiful windows from Sier- ra Pacific. I love the Christmas Parade - so much like the original St Patrick's Day parade that my father. Dr. O'Connell and his dear friend Dr. O’Sullivan start- ed in Santa Ana in the early 70s. It was small, charming, avail- able to anyone who had an idea, and just good down-home fun. I love the House of Design and the beautiful lights, decora- tions and gardens that adorn that exquisite building - inside and out. I love Main Street and the fabulous shops. I love the thrift stores -so much better than the ones down south (and my friend Nancy and I have done compar- ison shopping and can attest to that). I love my neighborhood - with the precious young girls in the house on the corner who came and raked my leaves in the fall with no agenda other than wanting to help a neighbor. I love Thomasina, her shop- ping cart and her dogs - she has become an integral part of my day, as I work at home and my neighborhood is on her daily route. I miss her on days when the weather prohibits her daily constitutionals. I love reading the Red Bluff paper each morning — seeing what is going on around town and always enjoying the Police Log, especially the 'Odd' cate- gory. Any paper that lists all the locals in the military by name gets on my favorites list. And, especially, I love the Police Department and the Fire Department. I love the fact that you can call 911 and almost immediately hear a siren — in So Cal, you would probably be put on hold. Last weekend, the chase after the drunk driver who hit the woman riding her bicy- cle, ended up right in front of my house. The situation was extremely heated and would have ended up even worse than it already was if the police had not been so quick to arrive on scene. So, I say thank you to our police, fire and other first responders. I feel safe here — and secure. I pray every day that this Your Turn town would flourish, with exist- ing businesses prospering, new businesses moving in, and the townsfolk supporting them. I visualize it as thriving. And every day, I count my blessings for the privilege of liv- ing here. Carol O’Connell, Red Bluff Zero taxes Editor: In a recent year, a hedge fund manager "earned" nearly $5 bil- lion and pays little or no taxes on that at present — it is called "carried interest" and requires no immediate taxation. Try that on for size with your current income tax on earnings. John Paulson, the most suc- cessful hedge-fund manager of all, bet against the mort- gage market one year and then bet with Glenn Beck in the gold market the next. Paulson made himself $9 billion in fees in just two years. His cur- rent tax bill on that $9 billion? Zero. Congress lets hedge-fund managers earn all they can now and pay their taxes years from now. In 2007, Congress debated whether hedge-fund managers should pay the top tax rate that applies to wages, bonuses and other compensation for their labors, which is 35 percent. That tax rate starts at about $300,000 of taxable income; not even pocket change to Paulson, but almost 12 years of gross pay to the median-wage worker. What the news media missed is that hedge-fund managers don’t even pay 15 percent. At least, not currently. So long as they leave their money, known as “carried interest,” in the hedge fund, their taxes are deferred. They pay taxes only when they cash out, which could be decades from now for younger managers. How do these hedge-fund managers get money in the meantime? By borrowing against the carried interest, often at absurdly low rates — currently about 2 per- cent. What do you pay on loans now? In summary, there seems to be a little insanity in claiming that the super rich are taxed too much now. Can you even imag- ine someone earning $5,000 million dollars in one year? Increasing the tax rate to a level equal to what the super rich were paying in 1992, and demanding that it be paid in the same year, seems perfectly rea- sonable to me. If the general public were awake and knew of this chi- canery, there might be an armed revolution rather than a teabag revolution at hand. 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. Take Your Middle-Aged Kid to Retirement Day Commentary Take Our Daughters and Sons to Work Day ought to be expanded. One day every April -- this year, it'll be on Thursday -- par- ents bring their kids to work- places to help them "envision their future and begin steps toward their end goals." It’s a great program, but why limit it to kids 8 to 18? In these difficult economic times, we middle-aged people need dreams and aspirations, too. That's why, every year, I spend that day shadowing my parents. They are retired. It usually begins at 5:30 a.m., when my father and I drink cof- fee and complete the crossword puzzle. "This is the life," I say. "No job, no boss and lots of time to do whatever you want!" My father asks me for a three-letter word for a son who gets on his father's nerves, but I'm never very sharp at that hour. Shouting out several wrong answers, I accidentally wake Mom, who stumbles in to join us. "What do you want with us?" she says, rubbing her eyes. As I jump up and attempt to prepare her coffee, I drop a car- ton of milk on the floor. "Your father is calling you from the other room," she says. I don't hear his calls, though. All I hear are his heavy steps heading to the bathroom. He slams the bathroom door shut just as I get there. "Did you call me, Dad?" "No." "If you're going to finish the crossword puzzle in there, can you hand me the Reader's Digest?" Later that morning, Mom explains that every month, she and Dad receive two deposits in their bank account -- one from a private retirement account, one from Social Security. "Now that's what I'm talking about!" I shout, as Mom and Dad roll their eyes. Dad and I head to the bank to get some money. The manager has her young daughter with her at work. The girl proudly tells me she will be a bank president one day. "I hope to retire," I tell her. By early afternoon, I am real- ly taking to the retired life. As Mom leaves the house to go for a walk with her retired friends, Dad and I watch "Judge Judy." "How do you think she’ll rule on this one?" I say. "Don't you have to go to work?" he says. "Can we watch 'The Price is Right' later?" I say. "Your mother wor- ries about you," he says. We are both pretty drowsy about then. I nod off on the family- room couch as Dad saws logs in his favorite leather chair. I wake refreshed as Mom arrives back home. "How was your walk?" I ask her. "Why aren't you married?" she replies. Take Our Daughters and Sons to Work Day, originally Take Our Daughters to Work Day, was established by the Ms. Foundation 18 years ago. In 2003, the program was expanded to include boys. I say it's high time we expand it to include everybody else, too. Aspiring to the simple retire- ment so many of our parents Tom Purcell enjoy may drive more adults to make our politicians get our affairs in order. If we don't get spending down, we face a certain future of massive taxes and a dead economy that will make retirement much harder for my generation. After I splurged on dinner – it was two- for-one night at the subway shop – Mom and Dad told me they were very tired and needed to go to sleep immediately. They thanked me for spending the day with them, then locked themselves in their bedroom. I could hear them laughing at their television, though. ——— 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.