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4A Daily News – Friday, January 27, 2012 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 Cattlemen speak out on downer livestock ruling 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. 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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 Following this week's U.S. Supreme Court ruling on the slaughter of non-ambulatory livestock, there is some lin- gering confusion about the slaughter of non-ambulatory cattle. In short, the court's ruling that California law can- not be stricter than federal law does not affect the slaughter of non-ambulatory cattle because federal regula- tions already prohibit the slaughter and sale of meat from cattle that are unable to walk. But federal law allows meat sales from other non- ambulatory animals, like pigs, sheep and goats that pass fed- eral inspection and are deemed safe to eat. The following is a state- ment from California Cattle- men's Association President Kevin Kester, a beef producer from Parkfield, Calif., stress- ing that the new ruling is not an issue related to the slaugh- ter of beef as some have indi- cated: "This week, the U.S. Supreme Court said the ban on the sale of pork from non- ambulatory or "sleeping" hogs, those that are too weak to walk before being slaugh- tered, can't be enforced because a less stringent feder- al law regulates slaughter- house inspections. "This decision was made primarily regarding the slaughter of pigs and does not change the way that beef is harvested in Califor- nia or across the nation. "I want to make clear that the new rul- ing does not relieve tle. Guest View California Cattlemen's Assoc. cattle producers, auction yards or packing houses from the responsibility of treating sick or crippled animals ethically, humanely and in accordance with state and federal statues. It continues to be illegal to sell and slaughter downer cat- "In 2008, the California Cattlemen's Associa- tion supported efforts to ban the sale and slaughter of downer livestock and today, beef producers continue to follow those rules and work daily to provide humane care for their cattle." Founded in 1917, the California Cattlemen's Association (CCA) represents California's $1.78 billion beef cattle industry on legislative and regulatory affairs and remains the number one voice for the industry today. 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. None of the above Commentary If you are absorbing what you are wit- nessing on the debates, you may be voting "None of the above" if Newt Gingrich becomes the Republican nominee for Presi- dent. He is a character flawed, and does not seem to possess presidential qualities or moral fiber. Here is Hendrick Hertzberg, writing in the New Yorker: "Gingrich, after being written off as an unpleasant relic of the mid-nineties, can now plausi- bly imagine himself behind a desk in the Oval Office. Can you? Go on. Imagine it." Hertzberg continues, "Gingrich, as Speaker of the House, orchestrated the impeachment of a President for an adul- terous affair with a White House aide twenty-six years his junior, while he him- self was conducting an adulterous affair with a congressional aide twenty-two years his junior, having earlier left the first of his three wives while she was hos- pitalized with cancer. Imagine a man who became the only House Speaker ever dis- ciplined for ethics violations." Today there is so much disarray amongst the Republicans as to give cred- ibility to emerging factions who demon- strate unity, such as the peace loving Tea Party Patriots, for example. However, as reported by the non-inflammatory D. Pol- son in his Tuesday column, some TPs got into near fisticuffs last week. He wrote, "Two loud men were from the Redding Tea Party Patriots; the loud woman, I am told, was from the Corning Tea Party Patriots. A Red Bluff Tea Party Patriot was trying to get one of the Redding men to pipe down and let the folks running the meeting speak, and some heated words were exchanged." Indeed. Sources say our men in blue were called in to restore order. Such is the state of political fervor these days. Tsk,tsk. *** Sports writers have been giving 49ers Head Coach Harbaugh advice as to what he should have done to avert his team's playoff loss to the N.Y. Giants. It is a subject ripe for speculation, which either lets fans down easier or subjects them to further humiliation. I think Coach Har- baugh did a splendid job all season long, and just got some bad breaks during the game such as questionable calls by the refs. However, this is what, in my humble opinion, he might have said when addressing the team in the locker room after the game. "Boys, you played great but lost to an equally great team by only 3 measly points, which makes us all feel disap- pointed. But if you think that's bad, think how you would feel if you got blown away by 20 points or more. Then you'd real- ly have something to bitch about!" But he did- n't and I guess that why he is coach and I'm not. *** Cousin W.B. Kelsey of Burlingame, hearing of my book in progress a few months ago, suggest- ed various clever titles for same such as "Gone With the Beef," all of which I rejected as too cute and not in keeping with my former status...cough, cough, in the industry. They may have caught the fancy of some readers, but I think I will stick with "The Knocking Pen" and let readers figure out the double meaning. W. B. did enclose a copy of an insur- ance form that was filled out by a claimant whose car hit a cow: Question: What warning was given by you? Answer: A horn. Question: What warning was given by the other party? Answer: Moo. comes out with a dust cover, can I use your words as a testimonial?" He has not responded so we decided against the dust cover. At any rate, I can assure you that he is not vexed and biting his rear over my book predating his. *** Robert Minch I Say Last week's quiz was answered by none. Per- haps the anticipation of my book left them inca- pable of serious thought. In any case, the quiz asked the color of Dorothy's shoes in the Wizard of Oz...not the movie, but in the book by Frank Baum. The answer is silver. Then I asked how many com- mon words of 4 letters or more can you make out of the word "peace?" I came up with only two: pace and cape. But then I asked how many words can you make out of the word "January," and that readers should get 5 or more. However, I have mis- placed the answers, so the hell with it. I don't like quizzes where you have to think hard, do you? This week's quiz: What is the name of the RBUHS fight song, and give an example of a Spartan yell. *** Speaking of the book, I have informed C. Larimer, The Word Merchant, now residing in the Texas wilds, that my book was imminent and would come out prior to his book. He responded, in part, "You have no greater supporter than me, Robert, but you need to get off that high horse you've been attempting to ride since I first met you nearly a half century ago. You ain't no better than me, Robert, despite the fact your Daddy left you well off with a silver spoon in your mouth. What you've got was given to you. I don't think you necessarily earned it or have handled it very well." After receiving this rather touching accolade, I asked, "Clifford, if my book A blonde wanted to go ice fishing. She gathered the necessary equipment and headed for the ice. She started to cut a hole in the ice when a voice boomed "There are no fish under the ice." Star- tled, she moved further down the ice, started another cut when she heard again, "There are no fish under the ice." Now worried, she moved to the opposite end of the ice and got ready to try again, when the voice boomed again the same message. She stopped, looked skyward and said, "Is that you Lord?" and the voice answered, "No, this is the manager of the hockey rink." Robert Minch is a lifelong resident of Red Bluff and former columnist for the Corning Daily Observer and Meat Industry magazine. He can be reached at rminchandmurray@hotmail.com.