Issue link: https://www.epageflip.net/i/39734
4A Daily News – Friday, August 19, 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 I feel a bit like the lion tamer who has mesmerize his charge, but insists on pok- ing the leg of a chair at them for effect. If you are reading this column online, 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 you have no doubt noticed that the Daily News, along with a couple of dozen of other newspapers around the nation owned by MediaNews Group, has begun to charge a modest rate for access to the news and information you used to access free of charge at redbluffdailynews.com. The lion tamer in me should point out we expected the sky to come crashing down as this change was implemented. After all, we have thousands of online readers, readers don't like change, change is all we're charging per day for online subscribers, subscribers are our faithful readers, readers don't like change. Everything was lined up for a cascade of complaint. This initiative kicked in Monday and so far Chip Thompson 545 Diamond Ave. we've received exactly five complaints – saying the news isn't worth paying for and the move won't work – and two questions. To give you an idea of how much of a backlash we expected from this transition, which is taking place across the nation as legitimate news gatherers put their feet down and ask for remuneration for the work they're paid to do, we set up a separate email address and phone extension to hand the volume of complaints. Again, five complaints, two questions. I've got more than 6,000 reasons the complaints don't hold water — we call them paid subscribers to our print edition. The questions were sent by e-mail asking for a bit more information about how to sign up. Guess the concept of paying for something of value isn't so foreign after all. The good news is that we'll continue to provide news, sports, information and more – video, additional photos, breaking news, etc. – but we'll charge a small amount in exchange for the hard work that goes into to providing it each day. The price for print subscribers is $1.99 per month or $19.99 for the year. Non- subscribers are asked to pay $5.99 per month, or $59.99 for the year. Too bad, too, as I had some powerful arguments about the direction the newspaper business has been headed in the last 10 years and the cost of gathering and reporting news even with a diminished staff. I'll save those for another time, though. Chip Thompson can be reached at 527-2151, Ext. 112 or by editor@redbluffdailynews.com. e-mail at Laundry theft Editor: Yesterday my husband and son took their laundry to the Red Bluff Laundry on South Main Street. After their washers were finished they placed the two loads in a dryer. Clothing included five pairs of men's Levis, nice men's sport shirts, sum- mer shorts, underwear and socks. They then walked a few yards to the Cozy Diner for a bite to eat. Upon returning to retrieve their clothes they discovered the dryer door open and emptied. A couple and their young son told my husband and son a man and a woman, about five minutes earlier, had taken the items and got into a green Toyota car with a damaged front grill. No license plate number was taken unfortunately. I can't imagine someone stealing someone else's clothes unless they were completely destitute or just plain mean spirited. The moral of the story, I guess, is never leave your property unattend- ed, it may be gone in an instant. Shirley Smead, 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; (510) 286-8537. Fax (202) 224- 0454. The prayer mat redux Commentary Fellow columnist J. Harrop wrote Saturday of "The religious marketplace" and of recently receiving mail from St. Michael Churches in Tulsa, Okla. I find it curious that this "church" is still in business for I wrote of them back in April and thought my satire would force them to fold their tent and literally steal away for parts unknown. In case you have short term memory loss, here is what I wrote at the time: "Pascal wrote, 'Men never do evil so com- pletely and cheerfully as when they do it for religious conviction.' And speaking of religion, which I am of course reluctant to do, I received a strange letter addressed to Resident. It con- tained a prayer rug on which I was instructed to pray and then receive spiritual, physical and financial improvement. However, as times are tough, the rug is made of paper…and not even woven paper. Just paper, about the same weight of paper going into the printing of the DN. Say, do you suppose one could get the same results from praying on a sheet from the Red Bluff Daily News? If so, the Friday edition would probably produce the best results. You scoff, but miracles do happen, don't they?" * * * P. Johnston wrote a scathing letter to the edi- tor in which she castigated B. Moule. Bill needs no defense of course, but I am disappointed that she didn't try to run me over as well in said let- ter. I can only surmise, 1) She considers me now to be too old to be a card carrying member of the downtown mafia. 2) My support of the PATH program and their preferred locations gave me a free pass from her vindictive. 3) She has reconsidered her vendetta list and decided I have progressed to the level of the DN's most beloved columnist. However, I prefer my old days as an alleged shaper of city policy. * * * In last week's effort, I noted the world's pop- ulation explosion. Not so fast says L. Brown, who promptly submitted an analysis of fertility rates by country as supplied by the United Nations Population Division. If one is inclined to question the United Nations per se, they will read the report with a jaundice eye. However, if the U.N. data is correct, we are not to worry about running out of elbow room. From 1950 to 1955 the global fertility rate…the average number of children born per woman per lifetime was 5, which was way above the so-called replacement level of 2.1 children to keep a population from falling over time. This frightening growth continued for about 15 years until, by 1975 to 1980, fertility had fallen to 4 children per woman. 15 years later it was 3 and today the total fertility rate is estimated at 2.8 and sinking. Note the word "esti- mated." Perhaps we should withhold judgment until there are more defendable num- bers. Until then, I offer my apology to that unnamed church leader in the conical hat for his failure to recognize the problems created by too many people having too many romps in the hay. * * * Sources say tall Prince William and slender Cather- ine Middleton, that newly married couple, have pet names for each other: "Big Willie and Babykins." No way to verify the accuracy of these sobriquets. * * * Proper Use of The Phone Answering Device Department: If you have a time sensitive message for someone, do not leave it on a telephone record- ing machine. The person for whom it was intended may not pick it for hours or even days. Here is an example of poor use of a phone mes- sage machine. A fellow was employed to get rid of gophers in landscaped areas around our house. The dogs were put up so as not to disturb him. When he finished, no one was home, so he departed after leaving a message on our answering machine. When several hours later we picked up the mes- sage, we thought he said for us to keep the dogs off the lawns for the rest of the day...or even sev- eral days. Not being privy to the message in a timely fashion, the dogs had been let out to do their business on the lawns several times. His message implied it would be dangerous to the pets if they were in areas where he had planted bait. I was irate that he had not posted the area in some fashion other than a random message on the answering machine. When he finally responded to my call, many hours later, he was upset with my reaction to all of this and protest- ed his message said nothing of the kind. Fur- thermore, he tore up his invoice, said he would do no further business with us. Tsk, tsk. vived. By the way, the dogs sur- * * * Robert Minch I Say Last week's quiz asked for the site of the tennis match witnessed by the largest audi- ence ever. It was the Houston Astrodome on Sept. 20, 1973, in which Billie Jean King defeated former Wimbledon champ Bobby Riggs. An edi- tor of my acquaintance thought the male player might have been Jimmy Con- nors, but otherwise his answer was correct. Not much response to this quiz. This week's quiz: What is meant by the term "absolute zero?" Hint: this has nothing to do with the effectiveness of the Red Bluff City Council. Also where are the service academies for the Army, Navy, Air Force, Coast Guard and the Merchant Marine? * * * A bettor noticed that when a catholic priest stepped onto the track and blessed a horse, the horse won. The bettor noted the names of the horses and collected a bundle until the last race in which the Priest's horse came in dead last. When the bettor asked why the horse did not win, the priest replied, "That's the trouble with you Protestants. You can't tell the differ- ence between a simple blessing and last rites!" Robert Minch is a lifelong resident of Red Bluff and former columnist for the Corning Daily Observer and Meat Industry magazine. He can be reached at rminchandmurray@hotmail.com. Here kitty, kitty Your Turn