Issue link: https://www.epageflip.net/i/45401
6A Daily News – Saturday, October 22, 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 choices Editor: 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 It seems that most of the protesting is about the poor life choices that so many have made. Taking out a variable rate interest rate mortgage on a home priced at twice its 1995 value, for nothing down, is a personal decision and not vic- timhood. Obtaining a liberal arts degree, with $25,000 to $50,000 debt, for degrees with limited market value is a personal choice, and not victimhood. Dropping out of high school with the certainty of few job opportunities is a personal choice. Neglecting to continue lifelong education to maintain market skills is personal choice, and not victimhood. Those with Subprime fore- closed home loans should protest the government and the then Democrat majority for refusing to rein in Fanny Mae and Freddie Mac who granted low interest mortgage rates, and encouraged home ownership for those with poor credit ratings. Occupiers protesting own Protesters should admonish the unions for forcing so many jobs to move overseas to escape the excessive union pay, bene- fits, and inefficient work rules. The protesters should chal- lenge President Obama to return the stimulus funds wasted on the myth that government spending creates jobs through taking taxes from businesses and pri- vate sector workers. Protest state and federal gov- ernment leaders for refusing to reform public employment pay and benefits now double that of equally educated private sector nonunion workers, who work 45 year careers instead of taxpayer subsidized 35 year government careers. Protest the US Senate and Congress these past decades who spent your Social Security and Medicare 15.3 percent of salary taxes instead of investing these funds at the prevailing 6 percent Treasury Bond com- pound interest rates during the 45 year work careers and there- after during retirement. Protest the high school coun- selors and college advisors who suggested nontechnical degrees with few job opportunities instead of science, technology, engineering, and science voca- tions where there are jobs. Poor choices can lead to life- long work career damage. Jobs are not created from protesting but from obtaining vocational skills to fill the vacant positions and accept- ing the available jobs filled by illegal border crossers. Joseph Neff, Corning Economy Editor: If we stopped taxing the wealthy altogether and outlawed all unions our nation would prosper like never before. That is what some would have you believe. Unfortunately the above is far from true. How many jobs have we gotten since the Bush tax cuts went into effect? David Cay Johnston at Tax.com says, "Total income was $2.74 trillion less during the eight Bush years than if incomes had stayed at 2000 levels." Jobs may not have skyrocket- ed but the unemployment and homeless figures have. Unions are indeed pesky critters. That is to an employer's point of view, especially one like old Scrooge. They tend to demand and get higher wages and better work- ing conditions for their mem- bers. Your Turn I can't say unions never go a mite over- board with their demands but for the most part they have been live able. One thing is certain, back when unions were strong and the tax burden on the rich was considerably heavier then it is now, our economy flourished. For instance my Dad with a fifth grade education was able in the '50s to buy his own home, drive a fairly late model car, feed and clothe me and my five sisters and still have plenty of funds for his favorite recreation. Today even a bright industri- ous college graduate has a diffi- cult time getting a job. Accord- ing to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics' Current Population Survey, the unemployment rate for college graduates between the ages of 20 to 24 soared 5 percentage points. Going from 7.1 percent in May to 12.1 per- cent in June. Orval Strong, Gerber 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. A tour de farce Commentary Reading the news is always time for a chuckle or two. I just finished reviewing the almost two weeks of newspapers that accumulated while we were on vacation, and it was clear to me that the Headline Hip- ster had hit the Daily News while I was gone, and that he continues to haunt the editorial offices puckishly adjusting headlines when no one is watching; such headlines as "Traf- fic Stop Stops Trafficking" and "I taut I taw…" are surely not the product of the Lois Lanes and Clark Kents of our local newspa- per; they must be that of some mys- terious ghost writer. The "I taut I taw…" was partic- ularly bothersome; it seemed to make light of a potentially serious problem. If the sighting of a moun- tain lion is true, it will pose a more real threat to the Breckenridge neighborhood than the imagined dangers of a homeless shelter. Per- haps the mountain lion is the pre- cursor of the Occupy the Brecken- ridge movement. Wouldn't be great if the "Traffic Stop Stops Trafficking" were true, but almost every day there are reported arrests of individuals transporting drugs through our area. Most seem to be pulled over for traffic violations; clearly drug traffickers are not smart enough to study traffic rules and regulations or to maintain their vehicles; perhaps they should sign up for traffic school. Then there was the headline "DA warns of on-going scams." This headline was clearly mislead- ing; I was sure it meant the ongoing investigation of the residency of an allegedly local Assemblyman. Of course, I figured, the DA has been busy trying to figure out what to charge the drunk driver who killed someone before I left on vacation; so I could forgive him being dis- tracted. Nevertheless the article was about some rather mundane scams being perpetrated on local citizens, hardly headline first page news, but at least it got the DA some positive press. Speaking of those with dubious resident status, I see our Assembly- man has warned us again about things we should be afraid of with the new "early release" program, and how it may affect our local safety. He has a good track record of warning us about dire conse- quences, and it is easy to ignore some of those warnings. However, in a recent Record Searchlight an article described how a recently arrested sex offender was released to make room for those coming to Shasta County under the new state program. According to the article there are over 800 registered sex offenders in Shasta County, and over 400 in Redding alone. This may be another example of the state "generosity" to local entities when fiscal times are tough. Unfor- tunately our local law enforcement agencies are so underfunded they rely on whatever state "aid" they can get. There was a lot written about our favorite public utility recently, but there is no truth to the rumor that the Pacific Gas and Electricity, or PG&E as we know it, has con- sidered changing its name in response to recent revelations about its poor record keeping, inspection practices, and apparent disregard of the safety of its natural gas lines. The name most recently suggested to me was "Perpetually Guessing and Evading" Inc. It was interest- ing, however, that about a week after the company affirmed the reliability of its plastic pipe line it pulled a Netflix and decided to replace 1,200 miles of such pipeline in the near future. Most likely our newspaper's coffers will benefit from another full page apology from that company, telling us that all is okay and that they are sorry for something or other they won't take blame for. In a major crime bust while we were gone "Police nab graffiti sus- pects". That was great. It's frustrat- ing that the suspects are so ignorant that they would stoop to imitating subhuman animals by marking their territory; of course animals use bodily fluids to do that, but our local ignoramuses used paint, which at least starts with the right letter. It is hard to believe they are so proud of their work that they wanted everyone to see it. Maybe a stay in our county jail will help them take some responsibility in their lives. Then there was a letter to the editor which stated the DA decided not to prosecute someone who had pawned stolen goods; the suspect said the goods were given to him/her. It is not stated whether the DA took time to ask who the gifter was. Some people will re-gift pre- sents they don't want to keep. That is different from pawning them; of course if you do not have a gift receipt pawning may be an accept- able measure using the DA's logic. In a brief piece titled, "Update," Joe Harrop the DA followed what is becoming a pattern for his office by not pursuing charges against a 48-year-old man who had apparently claimed he had no inten- tion of harm when, according to the DA's office, he "just made an angry outburst." When people are angry at you it is hard to tell if they mean what they say, and a person can feel threat- ened with violence. I make no claims about legal expertise, but I was taught that assault was a crime causing the victim to fear violence. Using anger as an excuse for verbally assaulting somebody may become a legal defense in Tehama County if we are not careful. If that happens, the fear inflicted on the victims will be totally ignored. Of course, if people could be charged for not meaning what they say, there is an entire class of elect- ed officials and candidates for office who might feel threatened. "Man eludes cops following chase" was another interesting headline; normally the eluding takes place during the chase, not after. Maybe the parties to the chase took a break shared a word or two and then started over after the sus- pect was given a head start. 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.