Issue link: https://www.epageflip.net/i/40010
6A Daily News – Tuesday, August 23, 2011 Opinion Campaign 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 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 Editor: How does this president do what he does, continually, and get away with it? We have a do-nothing Congress unwilling to enforce any- thing, that's how. Problem is, it's hard to know what's the truth? I've asked everybody I know, if the president's million-dollar plus buses is paid for from campaign contributions or are we taxpayers paying for them? I sure didn't vote to pay his way or any other candi- date. Everyone believes the taxpay- ers are paying for them. How can this happen? As usual, whoever raises the most money wins the highest office in this nation. I've heard he already has over a billion in campaign funds. I thought cam- paign reform was implemented a few years back. Appears it didn't work, like most everything else voted in. Your Turn nothing, they'll vote for it. Every- body should pay their fair share of taxes, including those on food- stamps, welfare, etc. Giving people something for nothing doesn't work. And parents should feed their own children, not our public education system. Obama preaches responsibility and then continues to give and This country has gone to the dogs. What is the job of Congress exactly if not to oversee corruption in government? These tactics are corrupt, no doubt about it. How can any elected official use taxpayer money to fund their own re-elec- tion, spend millions on traveling all over the world criticizing their own country and preach impartiality while doing exactly the opposite. I think Obama missed his true call- ing, the clergy. President Bush wasn't allowed to speak of the war in his campaign addresses. That was over 10 years ago. How things have changed. I almost hope this president doesn't change his policies, mainly because some are so stupid, they might vote for him again. Just tell them they'll get something for give to many who are too lazy to make a life for themselves and their children. As long as it's available, they'll continue taking the handout. Sadly there will always be those irresponsible parents who don't take proper care of their kids. Another problem. Here we have over a year left in Obama's term and he'll spend most of it campaigning you can count on that. He was elected for a four-year term, working. Not a two-year, four-month term, a four-year term. Anybody surprised? I'm not. I knew it would happen. But the worst of it is, it's on the taxpayer dollar. I think he truly thinks this country owes it to him. The worst problem now is jobs. How can those welfare parents feed their families or any other family if they can't find a job. From all that's on the news, we seem to know what the problem is, they just talk about it, and talk about it, and talk about it some more. Where's the action to bring manufacturers back to this country. I actually bought a blouse that was made in the U.S.A. today. Knocked my socks right off. Almost thought I was seeing things. When we know what the problem is and why, why isn't something done. Ireland has 100,000 of our jobs in American companies over there because of the corporate tax. I heard this a year ago and still nothing is happening. I vote to terminate every congres- sional member's pay until they per- form. No performance, no pay, like in the private sector, where you'd get fired most likely. That's even a better idea. Nancy Pelosi is my first choice out the door. Bernice Cressy, Cottonwood Thanks Editor: I would like to take this oppor- tunity to show my thanks and appreciation to the citizens of Red Bluff. We should all be very pleased and happy for the "400" school children who are returning to school this week wearing a big smile and complete new school clothes from head to foot, along with a new backpack and haircut. The complete support given to Kim Berry and her committee for the project is overwhelming and something Red Bluff citizens should be proud of. This is why I am so proud to be a citizen of our wonderful commu- nity. Mary Hendrickson, Red Bluff Postal Service needs to cut costs Editor: Paskenta is only one of the postal services being reviewed of 16,000 of it's 32,000 post offices. The postal service expects to save $200 million yearly by closing 3,653 underused facilities this fis- cal year. In addition, slashing 7,500 unneeded managers, supervisors, and employees and consolidating distribution centers is expected to save $750 million yearly. In the past 4 years postal volume has declined 25 percent as a majority now communicate and pay their bills by e-mail and electronic devices. Even Congress has cut their $5 million annual use of high school juniors as pages, because they have been replaced by the technology of electronics. The reality is postal workers have been overpaid and over-benefited through union ownership of the postal services, and now there is a price to pay for this deficit spend- ing. Private sector businesses would have terminated employees to match the Postal Service down- turn, eliminated underused facili- ties that don't fully pay for contin- ued operation, reduced pay and benefits to nonunionized competi- tive levels, limited pensions to Social Security and a three percent match of salary each year for a 401(k) retirement plan. They would require employees to pay 25 percent of health care costs, limited vacations to three weeks and holi- days to 8 days, delayed pensions until age 65, and end health care coverage upon early retirement. The postal service is hampered by the requirement to pay $5.5 billion into a fund for future retiree health benefits. The $14 trillion US deficit is from thousands of similar govern- ment bureaucracies that are over- paid and receive excess benefits compared to their civilian nonunion equals. This coming decade will see most major pro- grams cut to pay for this past 30 years of deficit government spend- ing for generous public welfare programs. Joseph J. Neff, 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; (510) 286-8537. Fax (202) 224- 0454. Super Duper Congress Commentary Oh sure, they made a big show of signing the debt-ceiling agree- ment, with official photo- ops and fancy commemorative pens all accompanied by great racking sighs of relief. But now both Con- gress and the president are having second thoughts; treating the deal like a dead horsefly floating in their cut-glass tumbler of 25-year-old Scotch. You'd find more enthusi- asm from the contestants of a beach volleyball tournament sur- veying a sand court littered with scorpions scurrying under a sea of broken beer bottles. Speaking of scorpions, included in the agreement was a provision forming a committee responsible for future deficit reduction. Twelve members appointed by party lead- ers from both the House and Sen- ate. Whose mission, should they accept it, is to find $1.5 trillion over a ten-year period by digging past the bare bones, down into the mar- row. Charged to construct a plan by Thanksgiving Eve or risk trigger- ing automatic cuts. Doomsday cuts. Cuts designed to frighten politicians from the most stable of districts. That's right: cuts to the military. A majority of the committee, equally split between Republicans and Democrats, must agree on the proposal to send it to the whole of Congress, who will vote either up or down with no amendments or filibusters allowed: meaning one member has to cross party lines, which is about as likely as pimen- to-flavored Velveeta taking first place in the 2012 World Champi- onship Artisan Cheese Contest. Even though the American pub- lic and pretty much every econo- mist on the face of the planet agrees we need a balance between entitlement cuts and revenue enhancement, the Democrats already snapped that entitlement cuts are off the table and the Republicans are shouting no new revenue will be accepted, so really what they did was not so much kick the can down the road, but throw it onto the back of a passing flatbed truck where it disappeared over the asphalt horizon. Now, this group has been called many things. Useless. The Super- committee. Business as Usual. The Twerpy Twelve. A Dozen Punters. The Craven Caucus. Esteemed Assembly of the Ill-Advisable. League of the Unexcep- tionally Pontificating Pool of Party Hacks. But most commonly, it is referred to as: "Super Congress." "Slower than a slug on Thorazine; less powerful than a soggy Kleenex; unable to compromise in a million years. Look! Up in that swiveling leather club seat of that private jet. It's a ruse, it's a sham, it's... Super Congress. "Yes, Super Congress. Strange hybrid from another reality, comes to Capitol Hill with powers and abilities far beyond those of mortal members. "Super Congress. Who can change the course of appropriations, bend ethics regulations in the wink of an eye and who, disguised as... the United States Congress Joint Select Committee on Deficit Reduction, mild mannered func- tionary of the Hall of Invertebrates, fights the never-ending battle against Truth, Justice and the American Way." Will Durst Raging Moderate And when their capes are dis- carded and utility belts back in storage, we can move onto the next level of logical suspen- sion and form the Super Duper Con- gress. Then... Son of Super Duper Con- gress. And call in Bat- man or maybe the Jus- tice League or recon- vene the Watchmen or that little guy who talks backwards and doesn't make any sense. Mr. Mxyztplk. You may know him as: Ron Paul. More scor- pions, please. The New York Times says Emmy- nominated comedian and writer Will Durst "is quite possibly the best political satirist working in the country today." Check out the website: willdurst.com to find out more about upcoming stand-up performances or to buy his book, "The All American Sport of Bipartisan Bashing."