Issue link: https://www.epageflip.net/i/41453
WEDNESDAY SEPTEMBER 7, 2011 Breaking news at: www.redbluffdailynews.com Chamber reports Commerce See 8A RED BLUFF Athletes of the Week SPORTS 1B Sunny 100/64 Weather forecast 8B DAILYNEWS TEHAMACOUNTY DAILY 50¢ 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 Brown hopes to pass tax changes this week SAN DIEGO (AP) — Gov. Jerry Brown said Tuesday that he was optimistic that lawmakers will agree this week to end a tax break for companies based outside the state, signaling he was willing to modify his proposal in an effort to stop what he called a ''toxic loop- hole.'' The Democratic governor said some Republican lawmakers already support the plan and that they were working to persuade others in the party. ''I don't want to count the chickens before they're hatched, but there is a lot of cackling going on, so that bodes well,'' Brown told employees at the San Diego headquarters of Gen-Probe Inc., a medical diagnostics maker. The governor is asking law- makers to change a tax formula passed in 2009 that benefited large, out-of-state corporations. He wants companies to pay taxes based solely on sales of their goods and services. Currently, they can choose to pay taxes based partly on how many employees and how much property they have in California. ''It's toxic because it rewards companies for creating jobs not in California but somewhere else,'' Brown said. ''I don't want to count the chickens before they're hatched, but there is a lot of cackling going on, so that bodes well." — Governor Jerry Brown Brown faces a tight deadline, with lawmakers going on recess Friday until January. He said he was entertaining proposals from Republican lawmakers in an effort to pick up votes. ''I assume Republicans are going to want to create as many jobs as they can, so whatever they come up with, I'm sure it'll be good,'' he said. Snakes alive GOP leaders criticized the pro- posal when Brown unveiled it last week, casting it as a business tax increase. They said the Legislature should focus on reducing regula- tions and frivolous lawsuits, as well as lowering public pension burden on taxpayers. ''It still appears to be an attack on one set of job creators to bene- fit a different set of job creators, and that simply doesn't make sense,'' Senate Minority Leader Bob Dutton, R-Rancho Cucamon- ga, said in a statement Tuesday. ''If the governor is serious about retaining and creating California jobs, he will veto the onslaught of job-killer bills that legislative Democrats are passing these last See BROWN, page 7A Man reports pot robbery, ends up arrested himself By ANDREA WAGNER DN Staff Writer After reporting armed robbers were trying to steal his medical marijuana, Friday, a Corning man along with a 26- year-old woman living with him were arrested instead. Robert Glenn Wilbur, 43, reported armed suspects had been trying to steal his marijuana for five days and were sur- rounding his house just after 11 p.m. Friday, according to sheriff's logs. Wilbur told deputies that members of his family were armed as well and protecting the backyard in the 25000 block of Gardiner Ferry Road, according to logs. Several deputies, California Highway Patrol officers and members of the Corning Police Department arrived on scene and didn't find anybody trying to steal the marijuana nor any evidence of an intruder, a sheriff's press release said. However, authorities determined that Robert Wilbur and another resident, Amanda Lynn Wilbur, had been armed before law enforcement arrived, the release said. Amanda Wilbur, who had been armed with a .22-caliber pistol, was also found to be under the influence of a con- trolled substance, the release said. Deputies recovered six rifles, four handguns, one shotgun and ammunition from the residence. Robert Wilbur was arrested on charges of being a felon in possession of a firearm and of ammunition. His bail was set at $40,000. Amanda Wilbur was charged with being under the influ- ence of a controlled substance while armed. Her bail was set at $15,000. Both bailed out and are no longer in custody of the Photo courtesy U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service A Western Diamondback Rattlesnake sits in a field. BY MATT ELLERBECK Special to the DN Many people have a natural aversion to snakes, while many oth- ers simply hate them. However, the negative stigma that surrounds snakes is completely undeserved. Snakes are in fact extremely benefi- cial animals to have around. Many snake species prey heavily on insects and rodents. When snake populations decline the populations of these prey items increases, often causing serious problems to people. Insects and other arthropods can destroy gardens or enter people's homes where they will be unde- sired. When rodent populations serge they can destroy crops at an alarming rate, effecting supplies of food and industries. They can also spread many harmful diseases. It is well documented that rodents are also a common cause of house fires, started by the chewing of wires in walls and attics. Snakes do humans a tremendous service by helping to minimize all of these threats. Snakes are extremely valuable because they are efficient at keeping the number of rodents and insects in check, without relying on damaging chemical pesticides which can degrade the environment and harm other animal species. Snakes are very effective at hunting such prey because they can crawl into small burrows and other areas that rodents use as shelters. These places are too small for other predators to get into. Snakes are also helping to save the lives of millions of people every year, as the venoms from snakes are being used to treat many serious health ailments like cancers, heart and stroke disease, Parkinsons, and many more. However, despite these benefits legions of snakes are directly killed by fearful people every year. Human fear of snakes is mainly derived from the fact that some species have the ability to inject toxic venom, or from the belief that snakes are notoriously aggressive. However, the snake's horrible repu- tation is not deserved. Snakes are very shy, timid, secretive, and gen- erally docile creatures that try to avoid conflict when ever possible. Snakes will not make unpro- voked attacks on people. When a person comes in contact with a snake, the animal's first instinct will be to rapidly flee the area and find shelter. If the snake doesn't do this, it may just stay perfectly still to try to blend in with the surroundings. Even if the snake is captured, it may still not resort to biting – proof of its gentle demeanor. The snake has See SNAKES, page 7A Tehama County Jail while awaiting court dates. At about 4:30 p.m. on Saturday, Robert Wilbur called law enforcement again, logs said. He said he saw glimpses of people trespassing on his property again, according to logs. Deputies were unable to find any evidence of trespassing. RB woman charged with arson after Sunday fire A 39-year-old Red Bluff woman was charged with arson after a fire broke out south of Red Bluff near Hat- field and Rawson roads Sunday afternoon. Shawna Marie Anaya, 39, was charged with posses- sion of arson materials or device and arson to a proper- ty. The fire reportedly caused $500 damage, a CalFire spokesman said. About $10,000 worth of property was saved by firefighters who contained the blaze within 15 minutes. Two children were placed with Child Protective Ser- vices at the scene, logs said. Anaya, also known by the last names of Guiol or Partridge, was booked into Tehama County Jail in lieu of $100,000 bail. -Andrea Wagner Lawmakers seek stronger Internet sales tax law SACRAMENTO (AP) — Supporters of a bill that would force some Internet retailers to begin collecting sales taxes immediately pressed lawmakers on Tues- day to pass the measure before the end of the session this week. Gov. Jerry Brown signed a bill as part of this year's budget to expand tax collec- tion by Internet retailers effective July 1, but Ama- zon.com has spent more than $5 million toward a 2012 ballot referendum to overturn it. If approved, the bill under consideration this week could not be over- turned by voters because it would be considered an urgency measure. A first set of attempts to win approval of the bill in the California Senate Tues- day afternoon stalled 22-12 with no Republican support and senators from both par- ties not voting. The bill needs 27 votes for approval. It can be considered again later this week. Democratic lawmakers and retail busi- nesses that support the new bill, AB155, say Amazon is trying to undermine the leg- islation with a proposal to add 7,000 California jobs at 7 5 8 5 5 1 6 9 0 0 1 9 Red Bluff Outdoor Power new distribution centers if the online sales tax law is delayed for at least two years. Speaker of the Assembly John Perez, a Los Angeles Democrat, said Amazon and other Internet retailers kill thousands of California- based jobs each year by unfairly undercutting local businesses on price because they don't charge the tax. In the flurry of legislative activity in the last week of the session, Perez said, ''California will not sacrifice real jobs for phantom promises.'' Amazon has proposed adding a total of nearly 22,000 jobs in six states that have stepped up tax collec- tion efforts, which would amount to roughly a two- thirds increase in its world- wide workforce of about 38,000, said Bill Dom- browski, president of the California Retailers Associ- ation. ''The job numbers appear to be nothing but fic- tion,'' Dombrowski said. The retailer group paid for a full-page advertisement Tuesday in The Sacramento Bee newspaper urging approval of AB155. Amazon has been push- ing for a major expansion of its distribution network, adding at least 15 distribu- tion centers as part of an effort to speed deliveries to customers. Because of that planned expansion, Amazon might well have added distribution centers in the huge Califor- nia market even without a delay on tax collection, said Hut Landon, executive director of the Northern Cal- ifornia Independent Book- sellers Association Amazon did not immedi- ately respond to a request for comment. Amazon's lobbyists began circulating a proposal last week to carve out an exemption from the tax col- lection rules for retailers that invest $500 million in the state and add 7,000 full-time jobs with health benefits by See SALES, page 7A PHYSICIAN REFERRAL A FREE SERVICE PROVIDED FOR YOUR CONVENIENCE 1-800-990-9971 CHW North State Region