Issue link: https://www.epageflip.net/i/37497
6A Daily News – Wednesday, July 27, 2011 Opinion Zero 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 Here's a riddle: What do you get when you put Don Polson and Glenn Beck together? Answer: Zip. Zero. Nothing. What I'm referring to is Pol- 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 son's July 4 column, in which he foolishly parroted Glenn Beck's nonsensical interpretation of the Three-Fifths Compromise. Not only did Polson reveal himself to be "historically challenged" in the extreme, but also just another shill for the Becks of this world running around trying to shout down every fact as conspiratorial intrigue. For those of us who haven't really thought about the Three- Fifths Compromise since high school, here's a bit of history. Dur- ing the 1787 Constitutional Con- vention the issue of how slaves should be counted for enumeration purposes was hotly debated. If slaves were counted as full persons the result would have maximized the representation of slave-holding states in the House and in the Elec- toral College. If slaves were not counted at all, the relative advan- tage would have gone to the free states. The Compromise deter- mined that each slave would be counted as 3/5 a person. It bridged the gap between Northern and Southern interests and helped pave the way for the creation of our nation. However, at Glenn's Fantasy School of American History, Instructor Beck recently decided this famous Compromise was not at all about making a deal to some- how incorporate a widespread institution into a new nation. He took the view that the delegates at the Convention saw the rule as an heroic incentive for masters to free their slaves, thereby gaining more representation for their states in the Congress. He goes on to sug- gest that folks not subscribing to this view denigrate the Framers. Nothing could be further from the truth. The debatewas a straightfor- ward one. The South, which in 1787 had nearly 600,000 slaves, insisted on an enumeration scheme that included them. The North, realizing the representa- tional advantage the South would gain by their inclusion argued vociferously against the Southern position. The Compromise was indeed just that: An agreement both sides could accept. Federalist #54, which discusses this question in great detail, makes absolutely no mention of the 3/5 concept as an incentive to free slaves. Moreover, these same dele- gates also incorporated into the Constitution a 20-year prohibition on ending importation of new slaves and a strict requirement that all fugitive slaves be returned to their owners. It would be highly inconsistent for the Framers to on one hand offer an incentive to end slavery and on the other, allow slaveholders free rein to bring in unlimited numbers of new slaves and provide a constitutional guarantee for the return of run- away slaves. This important Compromise was no grand and noble incentive to end an abhorrent practice. It was a deal, plain and simple, and one very generous to the South. Its value lies in the fact that it was a major building block in the forma- tion of our nation, a task still unfin- ished. David Janott, Red Bluff The rich Editor: I really must take exception to columnist Will Durst’s charming little diatribe regarding the rich. I believe that it is human nature to want what others have, often with little thought as to what the pos- sessor went through to obtain it. What exactly qualifies some- one as rich? Is rich anyone who makes more than you? It is far too easy to sit back and think that someone stole it, inher- ited it or got it on the backs of others and consequently really do not deserve it. The truth is that many of the people Will Durst considers rich got that way by taking risk and using their brains, backs and initiative to obtain that designation. Many of the so called rich are our small business owners in the upper mid- dle income and lower upper income tax brackets. These peo- ple are basically the backbone of taxation. If one looks at the taxes paid per tax bracket the upper tax bracket pays the majority of taxes for the privilege of the hard work they have put into acquiring and maintaining the fruits of their hard work. My understanding is that 50 percent of the citizens in this country paid no taxes last year. It would be interesting to see what the monetary benefit per capita the nonpaying 50 percent derive from the paying 50 per- cent. This country was founded not on the concept of all men are created equal, but rather that all men be given equal opportunity. It only stands to reason that those who pay the taxes are not in favor of higher taxation and those who pay no taxes could care less. Our government could take every penny earned by the so called rich for one year and Your Turn that amount would not cover the national debt accrued in one year’s time let alone close the deficit gap. So forgive me for not being able to see how paying more taxes would help our current sit- uation. In observing the econom- ic trends for the past three years, I see more businesses closed every day, meaning fewer jobs and loss of tax revenue. Our mid- dle class is disappear- ing and the upper class is next. We are effec- tively killing the gold- en goose and when it is gone there will be only a few at the upper echelon who will have it all and all the rest of us will have none. When the so called rich are reduced to nothing, the have nots will have nothing as well. And yes, Will, I am one of those so called rich people. My husband and I work every day along side our 9 employees. We pay our employees a good wage, provide health insurance and try to provide a safe and good place to work. When our employees go home we are still at work worry- ing about having enough work and money to make payroll, pay the bills and the liability insur- ance and have enough left over for the tax man, on top of gener- ating enough paperwork to satis- fy the government bureaucrats. When the money we are allowed to keep no longer justi- fies the risk and the amount of time and energy to keep our doors open, we will be forced to sit down as well and our employ- ees will join the ranks of the unemployed. It is a sad day when the American dream of success is scorned and held up as some- thing less than desirable. Terri Sullivan, 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. Dog days for PETA Commentary Ah, heck. I wasn't in Washing- ton, D.C., a week ago and missed the Lettuce Ladies. You see, July, according to the National Hot Dog and Sausage Council, is National Hot Dog Month. It's when we pay homage to the 7 billion delicious dogs we'll eat between Memorial Day and Labor Day this year. But People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) is none too happy about that. Every July, PETA sends babes clad in bikinis made from lettuce leaves to Capitol Hill, where they promote vegetarian dogs. As the bikini babes mesmerize congressional members and staffers, PETA folks chat them up. According to peta.org, they're told that "pigs suffer on factory farms and that flesh-based hot dogs contain noses, toes, anuses, and other 'undesirable' body parts." Sounds like a Harry Potter recipe. Sounds mighty tasty, too -- so long as it's all ground up, stuffed into a sausage casing, grilled to perfection and washed down with ice-cold beer. PETA says "meat not only causes life-threatening health con- ditions and animal suffering, but also greenhouse-gas emissions, water pollution, and land degrada- tion." And that "sexy vegetarians are living proof that kicking the meat habit is a great way to stay fit, trim, and energetic!" That may be true, but another way to stay fit, trim and energetic is to stay a 21-year-old bikini babe. Still, I have to give PETA cred- it for its strategy. In the old days, PETA had a reputation as a nutty organization best known for extreme activities. Though a spokesperson told me PETA never sponsored spray- painting of fur coats, bombing of animal-testing labs or throwing of tofu pies at public figures, PETA supporters were associated with such acts, and much of America viewed the lot of them as the nuts they were. They've gotten smarter. Instead of hammering away directly at their agenda -- to stop all meat eating, slaughter and ani- mal research -- they've shifted their focus to something nearer and dearer to our hearts: impotence. PETA says eating meat clogs arteries, which weakens all organs. It created bill- boards displaying a biki- ni babe holding a plate of sausages and saying, "I threw a party but the cattlemen couldn't ..." In any event, though I missed the Lettuce Ladies this year, their annual outing seems to be losing its oomph. This year's Lettuce Ladies included "Sexi- est Vegetarian Next Door" winner Kate Veltkamp and runner-up Udara Perera -- attractive lasses, judging by their photos. raise funds for the effort. A UPI photographer next to me nearly fainted -- a portly Reuters reporter began to shake - - but I managed to keep my composure. I asked her if she took credit cards. Tom Purcell But the Lettuce Ladies I'd met included two former Playboy models, who generated lots more press. I was smitten by the curvaceous Julie McCullough, a former Play- mate of the Year, who said she'd do anything -- anything -- to dis- courage eating meat, including running naked down the street to Perhaps it's a sign of our troubled times that fewer folks seem inter- ested in PETA and its Lettuce Ladies this year — media coverage was modest. I suppose people worried about making mortgage payments embrace more commonsense thinking, such as this: If God didn't want us to eat ground-up pig toes in sausage cas- ings, why'd he make them taste so good? Tom Purcell, a freelance writer is also a humor columnist for the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review, and is nationally syndicated exclusively by Cagle Cartoons newspaper syndicate. Email Tom at Purcell@caglecartoons.com.