Issue link: https://www.epageflip.net/i/55555
6A Daily News – Thursday, February 16, 2012 Opinion No thanks Editor: 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 In his 12-30-11 weekly Com- mentary Mr. Minch calls me "writer from Gerber" and "gen- tleman from Gerber." I am the Norman who found a lost Sam- sung cell phone/plus and had it returned to the owner, without a thank you forthcoming. The main point in my 10-8-11 letter was that I expected good old fashioned gratitude and a thank you from the owner, but it didn't happen. In Mr. Minch's 10-14-11 Commentary he suggested if I needed a thank you that I drop a coin into the Salvation Army pot at Christmas they would say thank you. My 10-19-11 response was that Mr. Minch simply missed the point of cour- tesy, and I did donate in the Sal- vation Army kettle at Christmas time and did/do donate yearly to the Salvation Army. In his 10-28-11 weekly Com- mentary Mr. Minch is still after me. He accused me of "not leav- ing well enough alone and lick- ing his wounds in private." Never happened. My 11-24-11 rebuttal discredited his state- ments and I thought I was done with this exchange. Now in his 12-30-11 Com- mentary Mr. Minch is on the attack and proposed chain let- ters of thank you be sent to me. He finally presents a good idea. Chain letters of thank you accompanied with a donation, not to me, but to the Salvation Army. Good going Mr. Minch. I challenge you to be the first. In his 10-28-11 Commentary Mr. Minch stated in high school he was viewed as "that of an agitator and all around jerk." In his 12-30-11 Commentary he confessed that "in any case he was a pain in the butt to many, not only in elementary but high school as well." And so once again all I can say is "some folks grow up and change for the better and others don't." Norman Weitzel, Gerber Coconut oil Editor: Last week the Daily News ran an article on the health ben- efits plus pros and cons of coconut oil and reports that coconut oil is regarded as a heart stopper. The article stated that research was not in as to the effects of virgin coconut oil, if it affects the heart like traditional- ly extracted coconut oil. I need to share a family expe- rience with your readers regard- ing virgin coconut oil that may save a life. Extra virgin coconut oil is also a heart stopper and potentially deadly for heart patients, those with peripheral artery disease and those with diabetes. My 87-year-old father was sent extra virgin coconut oil as a gift. It was touted as excellent for the treatment of eczema. The oil did not arrive with instruc- tions for external application as was intended by the gifter. The extra virgin coconut oil container gave instructions for use as a dietary supplement and recommended ingestion of one tablespoon three times a day. It also states that diabetics and heart patients contact their physicians before tak- ing this product. Like most people taking supplements recommended by friends or family the family doctor was not consulted. The results of three days of consumption was a spike in blood pressure from average daily readings of 115/65 to 195/145, with the meter advising that it be recali- brate for readings over 195. Except for our father's excel- lent health this would have been a disastrous experience. It took three more days to get his blood pressure back to normal. From our experience coconut oil in any form is deadly when ingested. As a topical treatment for eczema it has yet to prove itself any better than most lubri- cants used for the treatment of eczema. Irene Fuller, Red Bluff School waste Editor: The excess spending for pub- lic schools won't end until legis- lators and school boards make drastic cuts in wasted spending and allow school choice compe- tition. For a century, private, parochial, and home schools, have avoided using their educa- tion tax dollars for school bus- ing. Parents have long absorbed this responsibility. Public schools should follow their example. Your Turn It is long proven that a bonus for a pub- lic school teacher's masters degree has no benefits for student academic achieve- ment. Drop this labor union benefit and put the money into early childhood education. Ending teacher's union col- lective bargaining will allow school boards to rededicate the funds towards academic achievement instead of ineffi- cient union mandated work rules. Allow any parent to use their $8,000 per student state public school funding, for school choice: public, private, parochial, charter, or home schools. All taxpayers will con- tinue to pay the $2,000 per child local taxes only for public schools. Everyone wins through competition and lower total edu- cation costs. Education reform requires school boards and legislators to end their allegiance to union lobby funds. Saying no to Gov- ernor Brown's tax increases is a first step towards needed reform. Joseph Neff, 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. Obama the almighty conjures up the female vote Commentary Sometimes, the very thing that could serve to become our demise becomes our pathway to victory when we choose to face it head-on and humble ourselves long enough to ask for a little help from the Almighty. Moses had his Red Sea, George Wash- ington his Valley Forge, and Barack Obama has his 2012 re- election campaign. Moses lifted his eyes and his staff toward heaven while George Washington bowed his head and bent his knee. And, Barack Obama? Why ask for help when you can take matters into your own hands by assum- ing the role of the Almighty? This attitude was on full display recently, when Obama attempt- ed to drum up the female vote by forcing religious employers to dole out contraceptives despite their convictions. In 2008, women outvoted men for Obama by 7 percent (or 56 to 49). Obama won the unmarried female vote by 70 percent and 56 percent of females overall -- but those numbers have been moving in the wrong direction ever since. Overall, Obama's approval numbers have inched upward to put him in a more favorable position for re-election. Nonetheless, statistics from a Gallup poll indicate the female voter block is up for grabs come November. The weekly presi- dential approval poll by Gallup (broken down demographically by age, marital status, church attendance, region, race, educa- tion, monthly income, party identification, ideology, and gender) should give everyone reason for pause. Since the 70 percent approval number that peaked February, 2009, female approval numbers plummeted to 52 percent in Feb- ruary 2010, 49 percent in Febru- ary 2011, and to 48 percent last week. (The multiple-year poll can be viewed online at www.gallup.com/poll/file/1224 65/obama-weekly-job-approval- by-demographics100301.xlsx.) These numbers shed some light as to why the administra- tion would suddenly toss a false "female rights" contraception issue into the mix without antic- ipating the blowback. The real issue at hand is that the president intentionally stomped on the Constitution's Free Exercise Clause that inhibits the federal government from interference in church matters. It matters little that the admin- istration recently "compro- mised" on its stance by placing the onus of offering free contra- ceptives on insurance companies rather than religious organiza- tions. This so-called "compro- mise" was moot in that many religious organizations are also self-insured, henceforth placing them in a "darned-if-you-do- darned-if-you-don't" position to either compromise on their beliefs or get out of the insurance business altogether. In the end, liberals get what liberals want, and the rest of us are left to clean up the mess. Most troubling is that so few people are keen enough to notice the prowling lion roam- ing about: The contra- ception issue is eerily similar to the Oba- macare discussion (not) – which began with the faux assertion of a looming national crisis. Obama and the Democ- ratic-controlled Congress offered the electorate variant versions (orally and written) of Obamacare – to the point that everyone forgot about real issues at hand like the failing economy. Democrats wanted to talk about healthcare, and so they talked about healthcare, and they talked, and talked and talked. Like a nagging wife who refuses to take "no" for an answer, Democrats wore us down to the point that everyone was relieved when it was finally over without fully understanding the ramifications. With a self-appointed "high- er-than-the-Constitution" author- ity, Democrats began, controlled Susan Brown and ended the healthcare "dis- cussion," (mandate) without consideration for the majority of Americans who stood (and remain) in stark oppo- sition to Obamacare. And they are doing the same thing to us again, but this time they say it is about contraception and after that, it will be about something else -- because this is what happens when the fed- eral government tosses aside the Constitution and crosses into terri- tory the Constitution was meant to protect. Unless the Supreme Court deems Oba- macare unconstitutional, all Americans, regardless of their religion (or irreligion), will have their own version of the Red Sea to cross. And if Barack Obama is still in charge, it might be smart to bring along your scuba gear. Susan Stamper Brown is an opinion page columnist, motivational speaker and military advocate who writes about politics, the military, the economy and culture. Email Susan at writestamper@gmail.com or her website at susanstamperbrown.com. -----