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6A Daily News – Wednesday, June 22, 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 Fight to save boating on lake 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 The Bureau of Reclamation (BOR) plans on keeping Lake Red Bluff a foot lower this summer. All summer. After an all day investiga- tion I found out that the news- paper article may not be com- pletely true. The article states that the BOR is lowering the water level to prevent flood- ing at the construction site in Red Bank Creek — what boaters call diamond. But after several questions to the facilities manager, I believe lowering the lake level is not warranted and the decision to do so was conser- vative and failed to consider recreation boaters and city revenues. Protection from flooding during the summer months is ludicrous. The BOR is lying to us. The real reason why the BOR wants lower lake levels is to make-up time lost during high flows this winter. Lower- ing the level by a foot will allow for construction in Red Bank Creek, as ordinary high water in the creek is approxi- mately 1-2 feet. The BOR may say it is to protect the construction site but it is really for accelerating construction. This is not fair to the citizens of Red Bluff. We only have one summer left, and most boats will not go to the slough during low flows because of the high risk of prop damage. We need to stand united and fight for boating on our lake. The BOR does not need to lower the lake levels. They already took two weeks from us last year. And now they lowered the water in the lake. Next year there will be no lake. And it will be too late. So I ask you, please con- tact the BOR. It only will take a minute. We need to be heard. We need to stop the lying. We need to fight for our boating rights. Michelle Clark, Red Bluff Response Editor: I am shocked at anyone calling our sheriff a spineless, oath-violating yes man (Don Bird letter June 16). He is new on the job with a cut budget and is trying to do the best he can for us all. Let's give him all the help we can. June Cooper, Red Bluff No solution Editor: I know there are those in the community that feel a per- manent homeless shelter in Red Bluff will help alleviate the problems of homelessness but let’s look at some of the issues. A permanent shelter is not a 24/7 operation nor is it a long term living arrangement for the homeless. In the morn- ing when the shelter is closed and doesn’t reopen till dinner time what procedure has PATH put into place to ensure the homeless will not be downtown, in the parks, pan- handling on the streets? When their time to stay in the shel- ter runs out where will they go? Another encampment? We know a large number of homeless will not stay in shelters due to various rea- sons so illegal encampments will still be in the community and we will still have the same problems we now have. of California may be funding for this project if the funds are available and it is your tax dollar. Your Turn Once a permanent shelter is established and word gets out we will have an even larger homeless population. How many home- less from other counties is Red Bluff willing to support? The survey taken in Tehama County shows that 60 percent of the homeless popu- lation are drug or alcohol abusers and 59 percent use drugs and alcohol on a daily basis. There are also sex offenders that frequent home- less shelters and a shelter in this location of highly popu- lated residential and commer- cial areas and nearby schools, a residential park where chil- dren play, is not in the best interest or safety of the com- munity. Will a permanent shelter change what’s happening with the homeless wandering around town, panhandling and leaving garbage in neighbor- hoods and loitering in city parks? No. PATH was offered a better location for a shelter on Hess Road some time back and turned it down for whatever reason. It is already zoned industrial with city water and sewer available. Please remember it is a million dollar grant the State If you oppose the rezoning of Breckenridge Street to allow a homeless shelter in our com- munity, please come to the City Council meeting on July 5 at the Community Cen- ter on South Jackson Street at 7 p.m. for the final vote and let your presence show your support. Sharon Eliggi, Red Bluff Dangerous pit bulls Editor: On June 16, my 11-year-old daughter and her friend were chased by pit bulls that had got- ten out of a six-foot fenced area. Not only are they fenced but they were also chained — breaking the chains — to chase the children. They are aggressive no mat- ter who is passing by. Had it not been for my neighbor driving by and witnessing and assisting the girls that had been backed up against the fence by these aggressive animals, who knows what may had happened. There are six-plus pit bulls at this one home within the city limits, they are set up for breed- ing. Numerous neighbors have complained. What will it take before something is done? Another mauling incident in Tehama County? Melinda Huffman, 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. No Illusions about country living Commentary never know. I'm wary about the idea, but you President Obama has issued an executive order to "promote eco- nomic prosperity in rural America" -- just as I am about to move back to my country home just outside Pittsburgh, which I have rented out for more than a decade. As it goes, rural America has been struggling for some time. With innovations in farming tech- nology, fewer people are needed to grow and harvest crops. Small towns are shrinking all over. In our service economy, the few jobs that are available are to be found in large metro areas, where college-educated people continue to flock. Rural living is cheaper in many ways, but high fuel costs aren't helping. The farther out you live, the more you have to drive to get places. I am wary of government pro- grams and intervention, but gov- ernment could assist the develop- ment of better roads and broad- band lines that could make rural areas more attractive to employers and residents alike. And if that were to happen, I'd have to warn folks that country liv- ing isn't all a bed of roses. I was born and raised in the sub- urbs -- smack in the middle between city folk and country folk. While street-smart city kids were raising their fists, we subur- ban kids were taking piano lessons. While country kids were rebuilding truck motors and tend- ing fields, we were doing our alge- bra. The only thing we knew was that both city and country kids could beat us up. When I first moved to my coun- try house in 1995, I dreamt of open fields and quiet. I envisioned myself raising barns with neighbor men, then shooting the bull as the women brought us sandwiches and cold beer. It didn't work out that way. My neighbors became suspi- cious of the writer fellow who worked inside his house. After all, I never owned a gun. I drove a four-door Japanese sedan, not a 4-by-4 truck -- though, trying to fit in, I did have a gun rack installed in my sedan's rear window. And I hired other people to work on my house, rather than do the work myself. My country neighbors were convinced I was in the witness protection pro- gram. And while they shunned me, my city and suburban friends didn't like to visit. One evening, I made dinner on the grill for an attractive lady from the suburbs. I hoped to impress her with the view from my deck. But as night descend- ed, we were quickly overcome by bugs. Dur- ing her flight into the kitchen, my guest was hit in the forehead by a large moth. "It's a bat!" she shouted. I reassured her it wasn't a bat, Tom Purcell but to no avail. In any event, after renting my country house out for more than a decade, I'm moving back into it. After living temporarily in Washington, D.C., the past eight months, I expect to experience cul- ture shock -- and hope to re- embrace the rugged individualism and self-reliance that is common in rural areas. I'll soon give driving directions to delivery people that include "make a left at the compost pile, and if you see the septic tank, you've gone too far." I'll tune my radio to country songs and enjoy their country humor: "My wife ran off with my best friend. I sure miss him." And I'll keep a look- out for government types, inspired by Obama's latest directive, who knock on my door and greet me with the nightmarish words President Rea- gan warned us about: "I'm from the government and I'm here to help." 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. ———