Issue link: https://www.epageflip.net/i/52476
4A Daily News – Wednesday, January 11, 2012 Opinion Speed limits 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: Looks like the City Council has nothing better to do than play games with the drivers in town, trying to get to and from their destination, by changing the speed limits from 30 to 25, 25 to 30, and so on until it is a game to figure what the next speed will be. Why waste gas and brakes going from street to street speed limits. Seems to me one speed is fine except at our schools. Example: All streets should be 30 mph except 25mph in school zones. Why buy a motor- cycle to chase 30 mph speeders? Citizens, set your cruise con- trol on 25 and avoid a ticket and save gas. June Cooper, Red Bluff Thanks Editor: On behalf of the Job Training Center and those who enjoyed spending time in festive down- town Red Bluff this past six weeks or so, I'd like to thank Walmart for generously creating the special window display at 724 Main St. The windows are quite large and take a lot of material to fill up, let alone create a special scene. For the past six years, Walmart has shared lighted trees and moving reindeer, hanging stars and inflatable snowmen and more to transform the space. As employees, we enjoyed watching those passing by stop to enjoy the scene. I think most would agree that it adds some- thing special to Main Street, especially after dark. Thank you Store Manager Robin Collins and Annie in the Garden Center for your continued support dur- ing what we know is a very busy time of year. Kathy Garcia, Red Bluff Fish kill-off Editor: In response to Mr. Bob Bradley's letter Jan. 5, "Salmon Demise." Quoting Mr. Bradley, "I will never forget the time when they needed funding and came up with 'Whirling Disease' as a reason to kill an entire year's run of both salmon and steel- head juveniles in order to get the attention of and money out of our Congress. That's the year the steelhead run in our river died." Funding may have been the reason for destroying, as I recall 100,000 healthy steelhead that showed no sign of Whirling Disease. The only way it was detected was under a micro- scope after the brain was pureed. The official reason given was the US Fish and Wildlife ser- vice didn't want the disease to spread to the Columbia River Basin and that decision was made after a lot of political pressure from a powerful US Senator that represented that area. On behalf of the Tehama Fly Fishers I sent a letter of protest to the USF&WS pointing out that Sacramento River steelhead didn't migrate that far north and a tributary to the Snake River, which is a tributary to the Columbia River, was on record of being infected with Whirling Disease. I also pointed out if they fol- lowed their rules that along with destroying the infected steelhead they would have to eradicate the disease from the Sacramento River and all its tributaries. The bottom line in their response was, I may be right but US Senators and politics trump the facts and the concerns of local fishermen. Mr. Bradley is also correct in all the reasons and many more for the demise of the salmon and steelhead in the Sacramento River. All of the tears shed over the loss of Lake Red Bluff is from a lost generation and peo- ple who recently moved here, or the boat drag promoters. Which proves, those who have never caught a wild salmon, steelhead or shad will never miss the experience and the excitement of landing one, not to mention the tens of millions of dollars they contributed to the local and state economy annually. Les Wolfe, Red Bluff Barnyard chatter Editor: An overachiever's list for New Year resolutions. Within 10 min- utes randomly list all projects to do in the year ahead. Prioritize them. Then separate them on a target as to news, wants and like to do or have done. Your Turn Then separate into what will help to achieve the goal and what will hinder accomplishment. Again go over the list. designate what you can do yourself and what you need help doing. Success. To get a leg up on the ladder to success, analyze LEGG. L-Learn more. E-Earn more. G-Give more. G-Get more. Doesn't necessarily mean more material wealth. May mean more satisfaction from the things you do. How many people who go to church make New Year's resolu- tions and keep them. How many people ask daily "How well do I carry the responsibility to enhance the lives of others? How well do I demonstrate to the best of my ability to make living more pleasant for others? Do I forgive as Jesus did on the cross?" A farmer doesn't fight against the weather to lose, but fights with it to win. Fighting against government regulation just to be fighting is a way to lose. Fighting to retain freedom and liberty given in the Constitution is right. Monks throwing brooms at each other in church illustrates human behavior. It's not the weapon to be controlled but the human. Gun control laws are attempted human behavior con- trol. A fellow said, "I don't smoke, the cigarette does." Another fellow said, "That's right, you're the sucker." P.S. Last month Corning Post Office delivered several letters with wrong zip code within two days. Good service. Steve Kelsey, 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), 2595 Cean- othus Ave., Ste. 182, Chico, CA 95973; 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. Confusion vs. my nest egg Commentary After a volatile 2011, the stock market is off to a relative- ly good start in 2012 -- at least as I'm writing this -- though I'm still plenty confused about my retirement savings. My confusion kicked into high gear in 1987 when the mar- ket plunged 508 points in one day, losing 22 percent of its value and killing my IRA. The experts had lots of expla- nations after the collapse, but most failed to see it coming. I vaguely remember the Asian financial crisis of 1997, too. It caused another Wall Street collapse that the experts didn't see coming. Afterward, they explained that some banks in Thailand had credit problems. This caused a run on the baht, which is either the Thai currency or a really tasty dish along the lines of Gen. Tso's chicken. Well, the bank run caused other Asian currencies to suffer, which caused the Hong Kong stock market to take a hit, which caused fear and panic at other stock markets throughout the world, which eventually caused a bunch of New York guys in suits to jump out windows. And my IRA took another beating. There have been lots of con- fusing ups and downs since then. I have been confused by the tech-stock bubble collapse of 2002, the housing bubble col- lapse of 2008 -- thousands of experts completely missed that one -- and the highly volatile stock market of the last three years. If only the experts had had the same economics professor as I did back in 1984. Purcell: "A rapidly growing economy is good, sir, because then we can all get rich!" Professor: "Rapid growth causes inflation, you nitwit!" Purcell: "Low unemployment is terrific because that means everyone gets to have a job!" Professor: "Low unemploy- ment can cause wage pressures, which cause inflation, you idiot!" Believe it or not, I got an A- plus in the class. I answered every test question with the exact opposite of what I thought was right. Boy, did that approach help in 2006 when housing values were soaring and everybody was jumping in. I, a lousy English major, warned everyone I knew to do the opposite! Son of a gun if a massive collapse didn't occur soon after. For the most part, though, I and the experts remain confused. That's because everything is linked together in ways even economic geniuses can't comprehend. Governments around the world have their tentacles all over the marketplace. Thus, every time a Chinese communist sneezes, worldwide sell-offs follow. When Angela Merkel has a bad hair day, Mercedes stock plummets. When Benjamin Netanyahu gets a pim- ple, oil prices soar. At least I think that's what happens. That's why part of me is nos- talgic for the old days, when America was largely self-con- tained. We created jobs by manufac- turing and buying our own cars. We drove the cars for two years, until they rusted into the ground, which caused us to buy more cars, which created more jobs! But not anymore. American cars are built with motors made in Mexico, bumpers made in Brazil, ignition systems made in Taiwan, bodies assem- bled in Canada. You want an American car? Buy a Honda. They make those in Ohio. In any event, all this interweaving of inter- national investment means anything that happens anywhere can make or break my retirement. Tom Purcell It means European countries that over- spend, over borrow and eventually col- lapse will have a painful impact on an America that continues to overspend, over borrow and will -- if we don't get our act together -- eventually col- lapse. Tom Purcell, a humor columnist for the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review, is nationally syndicated exclusively by Cagle Cartoons newspaper syndicate. Visit Tom on the Web at www.TomPurcell.com or e-mail him at Purcell@caglecartoons.com. That's why I'm so confused about my retirement savings. ———