Issue link: https://www.epageflip.net/i/53064
6A Daily News – Thursday, January 19, 2012 Opinion Sainthood for 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 Romney Editor: After reading Tom Purcell's commentary Jan. 18, one could nominate Mitt Romney for saint- hood — ignoring that he is a Mor- mon. 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 Purcell could add to Romney's accomplishments by pointing out that his Massachusetts health-care plan, which included state-funded abortions and specific support for Planned Parenthood, was the blue- print for President Obama's health- care plan. Also, as Massachusetts gover- nor, Romney appointed liberal judges and raised taxes on busi- nesses. Lastly, Romney's self- claimed 15 percent federal tax rate should be the envy of every multi- millionaire. Romney a saint? Maybe "yes." Romney a president? Definitely "no." Robert Wilkinson, Red Bluff Marines video Editor: The video of Marines urinating on the bodies of dead terrorists is much to do about nothing. They should have relieved themselves on them while they were still alive, then the terrorists would have known how the Marines really felt about them. Taking the video was the stupid part of this incident. Even stupider is the media and politicians, like Secretary of Defense Leon Panetta and Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, making an even bigger deal out of it. These two left-wing nuts just make it more difficult for our mili- tary to carry out an impossible mission in an area where the peo- ple don't like us and don't respect us. What we need is leadership that will put the fear of God in those people because they will never respect us under our current leader- ship. In fact, they are more outraged at these Marines than they were at the terrorists for the dragging and mutilating the bodies of our fallen heroes also, the mutilating, burning and then hanging the bodies of Blackwater security contractors from a bridge and not to mention many more real atrocities carried out by the Muslim terrorists. Politicians need to stand aside and let the Marines handle this sit- uation and keep their mouths shut; the Marines are capable of doing so. Les Wolfe, Red Bluff System in decline Editor: Undoubtedly, a number of books are likely to have been penned by experts on this crucial subject, but one hopes a little niche might still be available for the average Joe to contribute his two cents worth to the mix. It has long been common prac- tice in the modern era, for societies and countries to protect and grow their economy by providing its cit- izens a level of education essential for maintenance and longevity. An agrarian system is designed to function in the absence of higher education, while the requirement of an industrial based economy is for its schools to supply the means for upcoming generations to be conversant with the famous three Rs, once well within the grasp of U.S. high school students, at times even exceeding international stan- dards. This helped prepare our young- sters to enter the work force and essentially guaranteed employ- ment in the industrial and manufacturing sec- tor, our principal eco- nomic engine, which afforded opportunities In light of the above, one can't Your Turn to earn a reasonable income, and pursue a decent standard of living, once the envy of the world. During the past few decades, from Reagan to Obama, we have witnessed the methodical disman- tling and evisceration of millions of these jobs through downsizing, outsourcing (including to commu- nist Vietnam) mergers, factory closings, etc. all facilitated by U.S. promoted organizations, such as NAFTA, incidentally signed by Bill Clinton, GATT, along with such burgeoning arrangements as CAFTA, the North American Union, and the earlier established WTO. Poignantly, a comedian recently remarked that he lost his job here, but found it again in China. A veritable corporate feast of power and profit has ensued, undisturbed and unabated, the scope of which the world has never seen; millions of jobs and the future of our working class cit- izens sacrificed on the altar of mammon, all facilitated with full cooperation of our three hijacked and subservient branches of gov- ernment. help but extrapolate the enormity of the damage inflicted on our cit- izens by these corporations is unpatriotic, unamerican and patently treasonous.... the P.R. dri- ven display of multiple Stars and Stripes waving at their palatial headquarters, notwithstanding, Is it any wonder, that education has been neglected and is in seri- ous decline these days, with multiple school closings, firing of teach- ers, serious cutbacks in funding, a tangible manifestation of disinterest by the powers that be, which has allowed our overall scholastic achievement to deterio- rate to the point of ranking 26th in the world. Obviously, we are not headed for the aforementioned agrarian system, so in my view millions of high school graduates, (college and university issues should be addressed separately) unable to find gainful employment over the years, will eventually cre- ate a growing cauldron of unre- solved mass unemployment, poverty, misery, anger and frustra- tion, that could some day lead to protracted civil unrest and vio- lence, which represents the plausi- ble result of the free (a free for all, in which only the Elite and well connected thrive) market myth, that rates profit superior to humans. Allow me to add and empha- size here, that it is my fervent wish, future developments will take an unexpected turn for the better, and happily accept being proven wrong in the process. Joe Bahlke, Red Bluff 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. Over-regulation is choking life out of business Commentary I guess we were supposed to be encouraged last week when the regulator-in-chief pulled out his plastic preschool scissors while promising to cut the gov- ernment down to size. "The gov- ernment we have is not the gov- ernment we need," Obama announced to a group of busi- ness owners at the White House on Jan. 13, 2011. Obama promised he'd snip off a scant $3 billion over the next ten years -- in exchange for just a little more power. Given the increase in the size of government since Obama took office, he'll need an earth mover to make any real differ- ence. Next week he'll be selling snake oil in the Rose Garden to reduce the deficit. There are many areas in government to cut, chief among them are excessive regulations, which are choking the life out of small businesses in this country. The Obama administration cannot be part of the problem and the solu- tion at the same time. Awhile back, my brother Pete decided to chase his version of the American dream. He did his homework; purchased quality used equipment via the internet, and signed a lease – in hopes of opening a small mom and pop style yogurt shop near Charleston, S.C. He's a smart businessman, who tries to calcu- late his decisions carefully. Nonetheless, it wasn't long before he found himself tangled in a web of regulatory red tape. He was told he needed to pur- chase environmentally friendly grease trap equipment, although no frying is involved in serving non-fat yogurt. It didn't stop there. Additional environmental requirements like the installa- tion of specialized wastewater drains, and tens of thousands of dollars for more unessential equipment left him watching his hopes of the American dream go down the drain, along with any hopes of hiring new people should his business succeed. My brother is not alone; his experience has become all too common in the Obama adminis- tration's new regulatory normal. South Carolina's Nikki Haley said it best when she recently told Fox News' Sean Hannity, "I need a partner in the White House." Haley claimed the hard- est thing about her job had been the federal government intrusion into South Carolina's business. Though she was a Tea Party favorite, Haley endorsed presi- dential hopeful Mitt Romney. She said Romney promised to keep the federal government out of South Carolina's way, so it can create jobs. My brother's experience, along with the Department of Labor's January 7, 2012 unem- ployment report show- ing an increase in unemployment by 24,000 over the last week makes it quite clear increased regula- tion is making matters worse. Over-regulation has turned the country once hailed as the Land of Opportunity into a place where opportuni- ty only happens in your dreams. lations in a comparable time period." According to a July 25, 2011 Heritage Foundation article titled "Red Tape Ris- ing: A 2011 Mid-Year Report," the Obama administration has enacted "75 new major regula- tions from January 2009 to mid- FY 2011, with annual costs of $38 billion." Between Oct. 1, 2010 and March 21, 2011, the administration completed 1827 "rulemaking proceedings," envi- ronmental and otherwise, some of which will directly affect pri- vate sector start-ups. The Heritage report found that Obama has outdone his pre- decessors in that "no other pres- ident has burdened businesses and individuals with a higher number and larger cost of regu- Susan Brown And the worst is yet to come when you look at the job-killing, business- quelling regulations under Obamacare's 159 new government offices and programs, the EPA's seven new environmental regula- tions that will cost businesses $38 billion annually, in addition to compliance costs of $100 billion, and the 2400-page Dodd- Frank bill the Harvard Business Law Review cites as "the most sig- nificant regulatory overhaul since the New Deal." The cost of overregulation is compounding exponentially, and in the process, is destroying the Land of Opportunity, dream by dream. But don't just take my word for it, ask my brother. Susan Stamper Brown is an op-ed columnist, motivational speaker, military family advocate and grief counselor who writes about politics, the military, the economy and culture. she can be reached at susan@susanstamperbrown.co m.