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4A Daily News – Monday, May 23, 2011 Opinion Where’s my pick-a-nic basket, Mr. Ranger? 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 After July of 2012 neither you 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 nor Yogi will see any picnic bas- kets at seventy of California’s 278 state parks unless taxpayers pony- up sufficient revenue or locals organize to keep them open. The closures include the William B. Ide Adobe State Historical Park in Red Bluff and Woodson Bridge State Recreation Area in Corning, leaving no state parks in Tehama County. There is no free lunch in Cali- fornia as minority Republican leg- islators insist on tax reductions and fail to provide sufficient funds for desired services at a time of growing need. To add to their self-interests these legislators are blocking the electorate from addressing the problem. This insistence to balance the state bud- get on the backs of the neediest Californians leaves the state with no recourse but to close the budget gap with draconian budget cuts for education, recreation, health, and other public services. It is clear that conservatives couldn’t care less if others suffer, so long as they can pad their nests during this period of economic upheaval. Although the park closures will not happen for over a year mea- sures are now being taken to ease into that step starting with the cut- ting of $11 million from the Park Department's budget in the 2011- 2012 fiscal year with a permanent $22 million cut each fiscal year thereafter. That will reduce their general fund by over 20% to $99 million. While paid staff at the parks will not automatically lose their jobs many will be forced to move from the closed parks to fill vacancies in other areas, with commensurate loss of local wages and commerce. The closure is mandated by AB 95, passed by the Legislature and signed into law by the gover- nor in March to help reduce the state budget shortfall. Fortunately things are ok for now as the Parks Department doesn’t anticipate any budget reaction related closures before July of 2012, leaving the citizens an opportunity to avert this travesty by keeping taxes as they are or by working with the Parks Department to develop other means of keeping the parks open. Despite the large number of parks closing, the remaining parks represent the preservation of 92 percent of attendance and 94 per- cent of existing revenue. State Parks had three goals for closure: 1) protect the most significant nat- ural and cultural resources, 2) maintain public access and rev- enue generation as much as possi- ble and 3) protect closed parks so that they remain attractive and usable for potential partners. The depart- ment hopes volunteers will offer to help keep an eye on the closed facilities and will put parks in a caretaker sta- tus with park rangers and maintenance peo- ple periodically check- ing the parks to ensure they are OK. The Parks Depart- ment hopes to enter partnership agreements to keep open as many parks as possible. Already 32 operating agreements are in place with cities, counties and nonprofits, to oper- ate state parks. Now is the time for leaders of Tehama County to step-up and keep our local state parks operating and well main- tained. They should do this not only to provide recreation and educational opportunities for our communities, but also to help draw sorely needed commerce to support our local economy. I challenge the local Chamber of Commerce members to rally and coordinate with the Parks Department to fashion operating Richard Mazzucchi Positive Point agreements for both the William B. Ide Adobe State Historical Park in Red Bluff and Woodson Bridge State Recreation Area in Corning. If they are not able to marshal volun- teers and financial sup- port then they can at least urge our conserva- tive legislators to end the state budget blockade and ensure we maintain sufficient revenues to serve public needs. Apparently no amount of pressure from low and middle income Cal- ifornians, Democrats or liberals is sufficient to compel them to address the concerns of anyone but their well heeled supporters. For heaven’s sake folks, if you won’t give us a free lunch, at least give us a place to eat it, celebrate our heritage, and enjoy the great outdoors. Only such efforts will allow our public servants and Mr. Ranger to do something other than just shrug their shoulders when asked, "Where’s my pick-a-nic basket, Mr. Ranger?" Richard Mazzucchi can be reached at living-green@att.net. 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. Construe or misconstrue? That is the question Commentary I’ll be the first to admit that rhetorical questions or statements can be interpreted in numerous ways and are often meant to pro- voke a reaction. I wrote, "I could easily state that teachers aren’t worth what they are paid. What would disprove that statement when the teachers unions have prevented compensation based on merit?" What followed that rhetorical query was a rather straightfor- ward and brief explanation of the inherent weakness of relying almost solely on length of employment to determine teach- ers’ salaries. My words were taken by one teacher to suggest that I consider all teachers to be overpaid, in spite of my other statements: "I’m not assuming pay and benefits are exorbitant or unfair … No one is begrudging professionals their due … good, better and best teachers deserve fair and generous compensation for their fine, selfless service." I was misconstrued. Subsequent paragraphs clearly pointed out that American public education in general, and Califor- nia’s in particular, falls short of what taxpayers and parents have a right to expect for the generous tax dollars that fund it. Such bud- getary generosity, compared to other states, other countries, pri- vate or parochial schools, is not turning out better educated stu- dents for the dramatic rise in funding over the last 40 years. If public school children can’t be properly educated for the money devoted to that cause, why is home schooling – which I might add costs a fraction of a public school education – consistently producing equal or better results? Why is it that anywhere vouchers are made available and parents use them to secure non-public education for their children, the results and satisfaction generally exceed the public school educa- tion? I’ll rephrase: Since teachers unions have prevented individual compensation based on merit; since there are no evaluation processes to objectively rate a teacher’s results, accomplish- ments and improvement; since accountability and quantification of a teacher’s efforts is not a fac- tor in their pay and benefits; and since length of service almost alone drives raises, retention and firing – it could be stated by any- one that teachers aren’t worth what they are paid. How would you disprove the above line of reasoning? Someone simply "feeling" that they are or aren’t properly compensated is not an objective measure of their finan- cial worthiness. My 43 years in the non-public work force of America included punching a clock for hourly wages in food service and con- struction; putting in 50+ hour weeks for a salary, benefits and bonuses as a manager; salary plus commission or commission alone for sales of everything from can- dles, home improvement prod- ucts, restaurant supplies and equipment, to real estate, before retiring in November of 2010. There was also a period of volun- teer work on a church staff for a small monthly stipend. Kind of a cross-section of what people do to earn a living. While sometimes holding down three jobs, at no time in those 43 years was I paid just for having been around for any length of time, going through the motions. I don’t suggest that teachers all fall into that category but there are plenty of anecdotal reports of non-perform- ing teachers that can’t be fired or demoted in any way, or cases of moral or ethical lapses that are unpunishable in the face of union intran- sigence. A teacher wrote Don favorably of what his union affiliation has done for him. I would point out that union membership is a rarity in the private workplace and the market forces determine the lev- els of compensation, benefits and retirement. Virginia teachers, for instance, are not unionized but have remuneration comparable to the highly unionized, highly aggressive Wisconsin and Cali- fornia teacher workforce. Have student results shown Polson The way I see it tivity improvements. Compare Detroit auto factories to Toyota’s in the non-unionized South. Pub- lic education is no different. One commenter wrote that he felt better about giving higher salaries to teachers than about letting rich people keep their ill-gotten gains. California’s tax- payers are already among the most taxed in America. Our budget revenues are already overly dependent on the incomes of the rich, resulting in many of them fleeing our state, together with their busi- nesses, entrepreneurial genius and wealth-cre- ating abilities. Anybody recall what I wrote about the theme of the any improvement since then- Governor Jerry Brown signed on to allowing teachers to unionize in 1978? That would be a very big no! How about graduation rates? Also, not improved. This is at the same time as American worker productivity has proceeded to unprecedented levels in many of our industries and services. Unions almost universally stand in the way of quality and produc- book and movie "Atlas Shrugged"? I don’t doubt many teachers are among the "better and best" categories, deserving every dollar of salary, benefits and retirement. However, taxpayers can only afford so much and if a given teacher feels it is inadequate, or they are unwilling to make down- ward adjustments to help our bud- get situation, they are free to find another line of work or develop a second income in their spare time. Many millions of Ameri- cans have had to do just that in this down economy. Don Polson has called Red Bluff home since 1988.He can be reached by e-mail at donplsn@yahoo.com.