Issue link: https://www.epageflip.net/i/39585
6A Daily News – Thursday, August 18, 2011 Opinion Leash signs at 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 Dog Island Editor: There is a problem several 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. 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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 Red Bluff residents are encoun- tering at Dog Island Park. It is our understanding that there is a leash law in the city of Red Bluff and that a leash is to be on your dog everywhere in Red Bluff, including Dog Island Park. There seems to be no signs up in the park anywhere that we can find that point this reality out to people with their dogs visiting the park. What can we do to get some signs posted? I will pay for them if it is a bud- getary concern. Many evenings my partner and I leash up our little dog and take a walk into Dog Island. It's cooler there and the park is beautifully kept up and offers a sweet reprieve from the hot summer days in Red Bluff. The disc golf course has real- ly attracted a lot of new people to the park and I must say it is a welcome and inexpensive form of exercise. It is wonderful to see more young people in the park with a positive activity to spend their time. However, almost every night we encounter two to three — sometimes more — groups of people, and not just the youth, who bring their dogs and do not leash them up. In my past expe- rience — and not at Dog Island — I personally have two friends who had their little dogs killed by large unleashed dogs, so I am leery about people's ability to control their animals. I have taken it on myself to inform folks at Dog Island that their dogs need to be leashed. Sometimes people will hold up a leash from their backpack but still they do not leash their ani- mals. Others, who do not have leashes, seem to believe that because the park is called "Dog Island" that dogs are free to run. Seriously, there are some rather healthy looking pit bull type dogs that regularly are off the leash at Dog Island. We make it a practice to track around parties with loose dogs. Last Saturday night we were approached by a man and his wife whose little puppy was bit- ten by a dog. They were out- raged and went about looking for the leash law signs but found none. I think the time has some for some posting of the leash laws at Dog Island Park. What can the city of Red Bluff do to ame- liorate this problem? I would be happy to help. Elizabeth Brown, Red Bluff Who needs soaps Editor: I never was a fan for soaps. I always worked, never had the time. With this government we now have, I finally have a soap. One that keeps me riveted to the news channels at times. Months ago, I finally realized to just check in and see what the idiots are doing today. There's so much wrong, I don't even know where to begin. Obama taking a 9-day vacation at $50,000 a week on the Vineyard, that's a good beginning, while the whole darn country is in turmoil, almost frantic. I do understand his need, since he's stuck his fingers in every aspect of the American life, screwing it up, hopelessly, takes a lot out of a person to avoid situations trying not to get caught. A leader he's not. I watched a clip of Obama before he was elected, saying he would take full responsibility of what happens in this coun- try. He lied. I saw a clip of Pelosi, Reid and Dodd siding with Presi- dent Bush about the so-called war, but Bush gets all the blame. Your Turn As for this so-called war, we should train the citizens of that country we're trying to help, make them dedicate their lives for their country, not our men's lives. Look around the world, there are too many countries with greedy leaders, poor peo- ple who need help because they have no weapons or money. We can't ded- icate all our young men and women for- ever helping them all. When you have some skin in the I had hopes during the last election, but it hasn't panned out at all. The two sides are so ingrained as to being opposite, there doesn't seem to be any hope. Maybe we do need a third party. Harry Reid was re- elected because he promised his Nevada citizens so much, they bought it. Well, his job is secure for another six years, and they're still in the same mess as before. They deserve it. When a governor does try to do the right thing, implement a law, they're opposed at every turn. Gov. Jan Brewer, taking on this monumental task, win- ning to some degree, and now she's still fighting an up-hill battle, to do the lawful and right thing. Costing her state and people who have donated money to fight for the law voted in years ago. game, it makes a difference. I watched the first Republi- can debate in Ames, Iowa last night. I liked almost all candi- dates, but four in my opinion were good. I especially liked what Ron Paul said. He may not be presidential like the one we have now, but he always seemed to me to have a sensi- ble head on his shoulders. Cut through the crap attitude, which is a breathe of fresh air. I think he would give it his best shot. Be an on-site leader which we need badly. So, who needs soaps? I was never a fan of politics, didn't understand it, didn't want to. Something got my attention thank goodness. My daughter said one time, you can't fight city hall. I know for a fact, that's not true. We lived in a small town down south, and our 5,000 community fought a prison, a county airport, huge housing development and a water sys- tem. We won them all. Don't tell me you can't fight city hall. Bernice Cressy, Cottonwood 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; (510) 286-8537. Fax (202) 224- 0454. Forget Perry - Romney is perfect for the GOP Commentary The Iowa Straw Poll last week- end is to election season what Labor Day is to Fall; it's official now – the season has begun! I don't care about the "viability" of candidates. I am not a prognos- ticator. Well, if I were, I'd be a very bad one. I said former Minnesota Governor Tim Pawlenty was most likely to get the nomination because his name is the easiest to make puns with (i.e. Pawlenty of Votes!) and he was the first one to drop out of the race. Plus, I've yet to see anyone (besides me) make any puns with his name. Pawlenty of wrong guesses! But I'm also not interested in "who could go all the way." I'm interested in this moment in time. And if you look at the former Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney – he's perfect for the cur- rent Republican Party. The first reason is he has five gorgeous, able-bodied adult sons who've never spent a day in the military. Actually, none of the as- yet announced Republican candi- dates have children serving in the military. We've been in two wars now for nearly a decade each and yet the all-volunteer force is entire- ly made up of Americans not spawned from GOP candidates. For the last 30 years at least, the Republicans have been relentless- ly, uniformly hawkish – but mostly with other peoples' children. This disconnect was made evident in the '08 election when soldiers donated money to candidate Barack Obama 6-1 over Senator John McCain. The second is Romney's hard turn (read: total flip-flop) on women's reproductive freedoms. When Romney ran against Senator Ted Kennedy in 1994, unprompted he offered, "Many, many years ago, I had a dear, close family rela- tive that was very close to me who passed away from an illegal abor- tion. It is since that time that my mother and my family have been committed to the belief that we can believe as we want, but we will not force our beliefs on others on that matter. And you will not see me wavering on that." Of course, he wavered on that. His "family rela- tive" was Ann Keenan, who died from an infection due to her illegal abortion in 1963 when Romney was 16. Now at 64, Romney toes the party line on abortion: He's against it. He's now against the law that could have saved his relative's life. But this is consistent with the Republican Party of today. The man known as "Mr. Conservative" himself – 1964's Republican can- didate, Barry Goldwater was not pro-life. His wife Margaret Gold- water helped found the first Planned Parenthood in Arizona in the 1930s. If ever there was an issue (or an area) for government to get out of – it's a uterus. But as much as current Republicans like to bark that government is getting too intrusive – Romney and his ilk want the government to tell women what to do. Speaking of the gov- ernment telling us what to do – the health care reform "individual man- date" that Republicans are so rabidly against? That was a Republican idea (first introduced in 1993) Romney imple- mented in his state in 2005. Now? It's a job- killing communist plot that will destroy America. Romney and his parallel Republicans were for this job-killing communist plot that will destroy America - before they were against it. The third thing that makes Romney the ideal representation for his party is his time in the pri- vate sector. Yes, Romney calls himself (un-ironically) a job cre- ator. And well, he did create jobs, but mainly in other countries. He cut thousands here at home. But he touts this accomplishment anyway. Tina Dupuy The GOP has become an anti- worker movement. They use the language of the common man, rail- ing against "the elites." But when it comes to policy – the GOP wor- ships the privileged. They love the gilded class and don't want them to have to pay taxes or hear a cross word about themselves. They've convinced non- elites that the top one percent are all-Ameri- can magical job makers and that if we just make this tiny fraction of our country happy – our economy will once again flourish. There's no evidence of this ever being the case. It's pure fantasy. But Republi- cans treat lies like incan- tations – they just have to say something enough and it will man- ifest. So regardless of whoever gets in the race or drops out – Romney is the ideal symbol of his party. He is the GOP. His story is the story of the Republican Party. He's perfect. Tina Dupuy is an award-winning writer and fill-in host at The Young Turks. Tina can be reached at tinadupuy@yahoo.com.