Issue link: https://www.epageflip.net/i/60233
4A Daily News – Friday, March 30, 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 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. 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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 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. End this war also Commentary What question should you ask your can- didate for public office…a question that the front runners are unlikely to answer in the affirmative? It is, "If elected, will you vote to legalize drugs?" All will acknowledge that the war on drugs has failed…but then the waffling will begin. As a result of this "war", that can never be won, the numbers are staggering. There are now more people under "correctional supervision" in America ….6 million…than were in the Gulag Arch- ipelago under Stalin at its height. The U.S. has 760 prisoners per 100,000 citizens. That is 7 to10 times more than most other devel- oped countries. In 1980 our prison popula- tion was about 150 per 100,000 adults. It is four times that today. More than half of America's federal inmates today are in prison on drug convictions…4 out of 5 for simple possession. Partly as a result, the money spent on prisons has risen six times the rate of spending on higher education in the past 20 years. Since 1980, California has built one college campus and 21 prisons. A student costs the state $8,667 per year; a prisoner costs it $45,006 a year. (Source: TIME and the New Yorker). *** Oregon has a right-to-die law. A propo- nent of same, Dr. Peter Goodwin, who recently availed himself of this law in his own demise, wrote knowingly about the subject when asked if being a doctor made it easier or more difficult to make this deci- sion: "Physicians die in a different way from the majority of their patients, long before they've had a huge amount of chemotherapy. They know what's in store, and they have a way out." What that way out was he did not say. *** Recent police logs reported a woman was arrested on a warrant at Pine and Jackson for walking around with a bat in hand. If she had been wearing a Giants cap she might have avoided the warrant. About the same time, a woman reported to be strolling about Hooker Creek Road carrying a saw and talk- ing loudly to herself, but was not to be seen when sherriff's deputies arrived. In each of these cases, I suspect politics may have played a part in their behavior. Whereas it should not be construed that a Tea Party member, for example, was spoiling for a fight, it certainly has been a time when aggressive behavior has come to the political forefront. *** There appears to be no truth to the rumor that For- mer President Bush made an appearance at the former Vice President's hospital, hanging a "Mission Accomplished" banner in Mr. Cheney's room hours before the operation was completed. *** Sources say within a generation, a majority of working wives will out earn their husbands. This is star- tling news. How can that be? In my generation the man was the breadwinner. If a woman worked she was a widow, a spinster or biding her time until swept off her feet by some fellow who could provide for her a life of domestic bliss free of the demands of the business world. What put women into pants and into the driver's seat when it came to earnings? Some say education. Some say modern household appliances. No wonder more women are engaged in revolutions sweeping the eastern countries heretofore dominated by males. They have seen the good life as displayed on the Internet…and they are demanding a part of the action. *** Regarding the Florida teenager shooting, is it not reassuring that Jesse and Al have shoveled their way into the front row of this unfolding drama? That should cause viewers to dive for the mute button on their remote. *** Last week's quiz was answered by many, but R Hogan was first in by completing the sentences, "Was Clare Boothe Luce, What did Ezra Pound, What did Saul Bellows and What did Alistair Cooke? This week's quiz: "A word there is of plural number foe to ease and tranquil to slumber. Any other word you take and add an s will plural make; But if you add an s to this so strange the metamorphosis: Plural is now plural no more and sweet what bitter was before." Hint: the word is often found in any dis- cussion of homes for the homeless. *** Robert Minch I Say A Russian grappler and Ole, the Norwegian wrestler, were set to square off for the Olympic Gold Medal. Before the final match, the Norwegian wrestling coach came to Ole and said, "Now, don't forget all the research we've done on this Russian. He's never lost a match because of this 'pretzel' hold he applies. Whatever you do, do not let him get you in that hold. If he does, you're finished. Ole nodded in acknowledgment. The match started when suddenly, the Russian lunged forward, grabbed Ole and wrapped him up in the dreaded pretzel hold. The coach buried his face in his hands, for he knew all was lost. He couldn't bear to watch the inevitable hap- pen when suddenly there was a scream, then a cheer from the crowd and the coach raised his eyes just in time to watch the Russian go flying up in the air. His back hit the mat with a thud and Ole collapsed on top of him mak- ing the pin and winning the match. The crowd went crazy. The coach was astounded. When he final- ly got his wrestler alone, he asked, "How did you ever get out of that hold?" Ole answered, "Vell, I vas ready to give up ven he got me in dat hold, but at da last moment, I opened my eyes and saw dis pair of testicles right in front of my face...I had nuttin' to lose so wid my last ounce of strength I stretched out my neck and bit dose babies yust as hard as I could." The trainer exclaimed, "That's what fin- ished him off." "Vel not really. You'd be amazed how strong you get ven you bite your own nuts." Robert Minch is a lifelong resident of Red Bluff, former columnist for the Corning Daily Observer and Meat Industry magazine and author of the "The Knocking Pen." He can be reached at rminchandmurray@hotmail.com. It's been a week since I put it out to you, the readers, to decide whether the alliterative head- lines attached to Annie's Mail- box each day were simply tedious tripe or clever chi- canery. Tastes tend toward tripe. The online poll at redbluff- dailynews.com shows nearly 60 percent of you believe I should be spending those five minutes spent writing an alliterative headline each day on improving news coverage. Fewer than 15 percent would like to see the headlines continue as is. I won't pretend that the anonymous polls we post at red- bluffdailynews.com are the be all, end all of public opinion, but they do count for something. Anyone in the community can weigh in and no single opinion is granted any more weight than another. The one flaw in the online poll, at least for now, is many of our dedicated print subscribers, who have kept us in business for more than a century, don't both- er with it. As expected, print readers have been quite forthcoming about their support for the allit- erative headlines — most look- ing forward to them, others merely tolerating them. The dif- ference is that these folks took the time to call or speak to me in person to share their view. I laid down the gauntlet and will live by the results, though. We'll give the alliteration a rest for now. *** With the loss of a reporter position a little while back, we're down to just two. I mention this for a couple of reasons. First, when you call and want me to send a reporter across town or into the country to take a pho- tograph of your meet- ing or event, please understand I won't always have that luxu- ry. Reporters will need to focus even more on the hard news we aim to cover and I will rely more on readers to provide photos and information about club, school and church functions. We want these items in the paper, just as you do, but there are simply too many for us to cover them in person. staffed during the week. Chip Thompson 545 Diamond Ave. soon. The other result of shrinking the newsroom is a positive. Shifting schedules find me don- ning my reporter cap on week- ends in order to keep us better Chip Thompson can be reached at 527-2151, Ext. 112 or by email at editor@redbluffdailynews.com. When I first became an editor, a colleague told me to make sure I continued to cover and write at least one story a week to keep myself loose. I haven't always made time to do so and notice that fall into a rut when I haven't written in awhile. Next time you're at a community event on a weekend, there's a good chance I'll be there, too. See you You have spoken, or at least clicked