Issue link: https://www.epageflip.net/i/43601
Saturday, October 1, 2011 – Daily News 5A Opinion Council wrong 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 Editor: I wonder if the people of this 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 town are aware of the under-hand- ed people currently serving on the City Council. I wonder if they are aware that the council is trying to force cer- tain city employees to give them $60,000 out of their own pockets. Force them, by reducing multiple employees' wages by 5 hours a week, trying to swing the vote in their favor. They won't negotiate, not even with state mediation. Shame on you City Council, for trying to threaten people into giving you money out of their pockets instead of balancing the budget. Lindsay Hartwick, Red Bluff Inspired Editor: It's nice to pick up the Daily News and read a letter from a Red Bluff resident that is forward look- ing, inspiring and globally interest- ing. James Bryant's letter "Look away" in Tuesday's paper is just that. How refreshing to look beyond petty party lines and be able to visualize the larger global patterns within our lives, entwined with the ideas of patriotism and freedom. "One can only get there (free- dom) by raising one's eyes. To the world. To know that it is not about us (U.S.A.) showing what we alone can do. It now can be only about us leading the world by helping, and respecting, and work- ing with them, accepting that it is only by chance that we, not they, are so strong." cultivated. That is the outlook that must be Linda Fugate, Red Bluff Wind and solar Editor: Currently federal taxpayers pay a 30 percent subsidy for anyone building a solar or wind project and California State tax- payers pay an additional 20 per- cent subsidy. This makes no eco- nomic sense for taxpayers since it increases the cost of electrici- ty. State and federal government should end the tax subsidies to build solar and wind generator factories, battery vehi- cle plants, and subsi- dies for those who install wind and solar facilities on public or private property. There is no positive return on investment for these subsidies. Private investors should fully self fund solar, wind, and biofu- els projects. Government should limit their funding involvement to university research projects related to alternative energy and exit the private sector projects. Joseph Neff, Corning Guns a'blazin' Editor: File this somewhere between Governor Rick Perry's crazy claims that evolution is a lie and that Social Security is a ponzi scheme. Your Turn Guns a'blazin Perry, candi- date for the GOP presidential nomination, is claiming that his pro-business lack of regulation is responsible for Texas' improving air quality. Never mind that national standards put in place by the EPA he rails against have pro- duced improvements in all states. Never mind that Texas still has the worst air pollution than nearly every other state. And never mind that lower level Texas officials responsible for results, not rhetoric, routinely turn to the EPA for guidance and funding. And yes, I guess you could say I'm a little biased, having spent 6 years on the U.S. Senate staffs of U.S. Senators Edmund Muskie and George Mitchell (D-Maine). Susan Riegel-Price, 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. Truth, justice and responsibility? Commentary "It would be so nice if some- thing made sense for a change."- - Alice in Alice in Wonderland In 1633 the Vatican put Galileo on trial because he sup- ported and asserted the Coperni- can model of the solar system, ignoring the papal injunction of 1616 prohibiting holding, pub- lishing or teaching such views. He was over 70 years old and frail when he came to trial; the trial was pro forma since his fate had been determined before he appeared before the cardinals who "heard" him. His views were contrary to God's orderly universe supported by the Roman Catholic Church. His sentence was: "And, so that you will be more cautious in future, and an example for others to abstain from delinquencies of this sort, we order that the book Dialogue of Galileo Galilei be prohibited by public edict. We condemn you to formal impris- onment in this Holy Office at our pleasure." (One wonders what the church of Einstein will do to those CERN scientists who have preliminarily announced they have accelerated a neutrino faster than the speed of light this summer.) Galileo was only held for a short while and eventually died after going blind nine years later. Copernicus, the astronomer whom he defended had been declared a heretic, but in last year, 467 years after he was buried in an unmarked grave, was reburied by Polish priests with honor in the cathe- dral where he had served. Times have changed, and we listen more to new scientific dis- coveries than our ancestors did, at least some of the time. For the most part churches do not attempt to do science anymore; there are exceptions. Things tend to come full cir- cle. Apparently in Italy, the country where Galileo was accused of advocating an order contrary to God's holy order, some people are suing scientists for not playing God. The Sep- tember 21st San Francisco Chronicle had an Associated Press article with the following headline: "Scientists on Trial for Lack of Warning before Quake." I guess someone in Italy has decided to create a diversion from their own debt crisis, and instead of crying "class warfare" or threatening to shut down the government, has decided to put seismologists on trial for manslaughter because people were killed in the 2009 earth- quake in central Italy. "The seven defendants are accused of giving inexact, incomplete and contradictory information about whether small tremors felt by L'Aquila in the six months before the April 6, 2009 quake, should have constituted grounds for a quake warning." Three hundred and eight people died in the quake. The assumption is that a warning might have been heeded by some of the people who died in the quake and they could have made preparations. The scientists are being sued for malpractice. In California, of course, we are "prepared" for earthquakes. We have building codes which assure less risk from the occa- sional tremblers; schools do reg- ular earthquake drills; and quakes are familiar to us. In the future Italian seismologists will most likely have to publish the following disclaimer when reporting on seismic activities: "In some cases seismic activity portend serious earthquakes in the unforeseeable future; resi- dents of potentially affected areas should always be prepared for acts of God. Seismologists are not responsible for inade- quate building codes or code enforcement, nor can they assume responsibility for those who take no precautions against earthquake damage." Meanwhile in Red Bluff, in another assault on common sense, a man originally charged with murder for killing a cyclist while driving drunk, had those charges dropped because no one told him he could be charged with murder while dri- ving drunk. Apparently the individual had at least one prior DUI and had gone to DUI traffic school, but a review of the curriculum and inter- views with instructors indicated that specific information about the possibility of being charged with murder when killing someone while drive drunk was never presented. Therefore the formerly accused murderer had limited informa- tion to determine, in his limiting condition of inebriation, whether or not to drive under the influ- ence. The DA's office could find no witnesses who had warned the driver about the dangers of driving under the influence; obviously the DUI advertizing campaign had no impact on the accused in this case. (I am sure he will get more than an "I'm sorry" from the DA who may be more focused on the Nielsen res- idency issue, and perhaps other charges will be applied.) In California judges are required to read the Watson Warning to those convicted of DUI; the warning is as follows: "You understand that being under the influence, of alcohol or drugs, or both, impairs your ability to safely operate a motor vehicle. Therefore, it is extreme- ly dangerous to human life to drive while under the influence of alcohol or drugs, or both. If you continue to drive while under the influence of alcohol or drugs, or both, and as a result of your driving, someone is killed, you can be charged with mur- der." That seems fairly straight- forward to me. This is a strange Joe Harrop world. The Italians try to hold seismolo- gists accountable for acts of God while the Tehama County Dis- trict Attorney dis- misses charges against a man who chose to drive under self inflicted drunk- enness. We are a very liti- gious country; people sue each other over very bizarre matters; they sue because they can in spite of what common sense might tell us . We have labels on our coffee cups telling us our coffee is hot, meaning, of course, "don't spill it on yourself, stupid." Drug companies adver- tize negative reactions to their prescription medications and warn us to contact our physician if we experience one of those reactions, in many cases "serious side effects including death." It seems like every television show is interrupted by a law firm claiming to get us what we deserve for an injury, real or imagined. The largest section in our yellow pages is for attorneys. I can imagine Galileo being approached by an attorney telling him to sue the church for assuming a monopoly status in the area of science and flouting the free market system, or suing God for incompetence in appointing the Pope. As Alice would say the legal system just gets "Curiouser and curiouser!" Joe Harrop is a retired educator with more than 30 years of service to the North State. He can be reached at DrJoeHarrop@sbcglobal.net.