Issue link: https://www.epageflip.net/i/59951
6A Daily News – Wednesday, March 28, 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 is due. 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 Republicans in the state Leg- islature hit the political daily double by unequivocally endorsing Gov. Jerry Brown's pension reform plan. GOP leg- islators did the right thing, and, in the process, they turned up the heat on their Democratic colleagues. ''There's no strings attached to this,'' Senate Republican Senate leader Bob Huff, R-Dia- mond Bar, told reporters in Sacramento recently. ''It's just good government reform need- ed in pensions, and we're will- ing to help that come about.'' We urged Sonoma County's legislators to sign on to the gov- ernor's plan, but so far Brown's fellow Democrats have shown little enthusiasm for pension reform, which, not coincidental- GOP taking lead on state pension fix The following editorial was published March 12 in the Santa Rosa Press Democrat: Let's give credit where credit ly, is strongly opposed by their allies in organized labor. The governor's 12-point plan would constitute a modest reform of a pension program whose costs have soared wildly since 1999, when benefits were retroactively increased by 50 percent without adding any additional revenue. The stock market collapse in 2008 added to unfunded liabilities now esti- mated at as much as $500 bil- lion, with local pension funds, including the Sonoma County Employee Retirement System, short tens of billions more. Key provisions of Brown's plan include: —Creating a hybrid retire- ment system with smaller guar- anteed benefits, a 401(k)-style savings plan and Social Securi- ty. —Raising the retirement age for most state and local govern- ment employees from 55 to 67, and from 50 to 57 for public Prop 13 did not create spending deficit mess Editor: It took career politicians and those who elected them decades to create the deficit mess from excess welfare pro- grams, including public sector pay and benefits. Since voters created Prop 13 in 1978, taxes on income, sales, and proper- ty have almost doubled due to actions of career politicians who buy votes. Our 1987 purchased home in Fremont, sold at a $40,000 loss in 1994 during the safety employees. —Ending the disreputable practices of pension spiking and purchasing ''air time,'' or retire- ment credit in excess of years actually worked. —Prohibiting Editorial What do retroactive benefit increases and ''pension holidays,'' waivers of contributions by employers, and sometimes employees, when retirement systems are tem- porarily overfunded due to ris- ing stock prices. —Splitting pension costs equally between employers and employees, a provision that would extend to present as well as future employees. Estimated savings: Between $4 billion and $11 billion over 30 years. That's a good down payment. But additional reforms will be required to make pension funds deep recession from the end of the cold war. The value of our Corning home, pur- chased in 1993 has not even kept pace with inflation, due to the year 2000 and continuing year 2007 recessions. Yet, the property tax on our corning home has doubled to pay for the pay and benefits of pubic employees. now double that of equal private sector jobs. Entrenched career politicians are clue- less about the annual inflation declining income that accompanies retirement. Pri- vate sector employers don't adjust pen- sions for inflation, don't continue post you think? Let us know fiscally sustainable without siphoning still more scarce tax dollars from other services. Le gislati v e Democrats, including Senate President Dar- rell Steinberg, are promising to address pensions this spring. But they have yet to say what reforms they're willing to support. If it's less than the governor proposed, there will be little reason for voters to support their proposal to temporarily increase income and sales taxes to provide more money for public education and county jails. Brown's plan ultimately requires voter approval. His Democratic colleagues need to step up and give voters a chance to weigh in on pension reform. On this issue, they appear to have willing allies among leg- islative Republicans. Your Turn retirement health care coverage, and don't pay benefits for early retirement. Savings, Social Security, and tiny non inflation adjusted pensions are normal for private sector retirees. Hopefully there will be enough voters saying no to Governor Brown's program to increase sales and income taxes. Public pension reform will not occur until voters end the process of approving continuous tax increases to fund wasteful local and state spending. 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. No shame in moving back with Mom and Dad Commentary At least I was embarrassed about it. Maybe I better explain. The Pew Research Center released the findings of a recent report: Some 30 percent of Americans ages 25 to 34 have moved back in with their par- ents. Just 24 percent of the young adults said moving in with Mom and Dad was bad for their rela- tionship with their parents. A quarter said it was good for that relationship. The rest said it did- n't matter. I know a thing or two about this. In my late 20s, I hit a bad patch and moved back in with my parents for a spell -- the last thing on Earth I wanted to do at the time. Earlier in my 20s I was a very cocky lad. I'd worked a great job my first three years out of col- lege, then quit to make some real dough in sales. I hated the sales job, though, and as soon as spring broke, I gave my notice. Lucky for me, I had taught myself to do stone masonry dur- ing high school and college. I made terrific money rebuilding retaining walls and was able to pay for most of my Penn State tuition. So, after quitting my sales job, I enjoyed that spring and summer, working hard labor. While selling one stone job, I met the president of a small communications agency, who offered me a job there. Within a year, and cocky as ever, I joined up with another fellow to form my own commu- nications agency. We did exceedingly well at first and I got cockier. We decided to invest time and money in another venture we were sure would make us rich -- one with a few tech wizards. But it made us broke. One spring Sunday morning after I'd paid my federal income taxes, I was down to my last $3.40. My credit card was maxed out. I went to a Burger King, downed a coffee and a bagel, then started knocking on doors, looking for more stone walls to rebuild. I sold a small job and began making a few bucks. It never occurred to me at that low point that I could have qualified for food stamps or unemployment or any kind of government help. That spring and summer were grand. That autumn, I took a cushy position with a big com- pany. Initially, my income was wonderful. I got myself nice suits, a new car, a nice apartment. Then a recession hit and business was horri- ble. My income sud- denly was lower than my outgo. I loathed the job. After so many ups and downs -- and so many more downs than ups -- I was finally beaten down. I sublet the apartment, sold the car and moved home, tail tucked between my legs. Tom Purcell That was because there was a stigma then that frowned upon able-bodied fellows in their 20s, adults by any measure, who moved back in with their parents -- for any reason. I felt that stigma keenly. When others asked where I lived, I told them I had a house in a nice suburb. When people discovered I lived with my parents, I told them Mom and Dad had lost a fortune in the stock market and I had to take them in. If any people knew the truth, I avoided them. But there's no such stigma anymore. One therapist told The Washington Times that the trend of adult children moving back home was well under way before the Great Recession, which "normalized" that behavior. Chil- dren now become "adults" much later in life. For me, moving home for a spell made it easier to start a free- lance writing business and save just enough to buy my first house. 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. My only point? At least I was embarrassed about it. ———