Issue link: https://www.epageflip.net/i/64640
4A Daily News – Saturday, May 5, 2012 Opinion Recreation is DAILYNEWS 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 Last year the Budget Commit- tee decided to move the Parks department to Public Works, reduce the administrative assis- tant's position by 12 hours per week and cut the Recreation and Seniors Director pay by $20,000 per year beginning the 2012-2013 fiscal budget. vital to city Editor: classes and Indoor Soccer all being managed by the Recreation department. The cuts made last year only reduced the staff by four employ- ees, leaving the director's position to still oversee 20-30 employees, while covering the 12 hours lost from their administrative assistant, and also covering maintenance — sometimes up to 6 hours per day — when they are not available. My question is what does this mean for the recreation in our community? Is the Budget Committee aware of all the things the Recreation department does for Red Bluff? Right now we have 40 softball teams and their families enjoying the opening week of the softball season. Also, there is Line Danc- ing, Photo Shop and Camera When summer arrives there will be hundreds of kids that will be out of school and will need something to do. The Recreation department will have the Summer Fun Zone that gives the parents economical childcare and pro- vides their children with a safe and fun place to spend their summer vacation. There will also be spe- cial kid camps such as Fire, Res- cue and Police Camp, which the Recreation department also offers scholarships for those that can't afford the cost. Of course there is also the McGlynn pool that will need life- guards and support staff, which is managed by this department. There are many more activities that are offered by the Recreation department through the year, including themed camps for the kids when there are school breaks and other adult sports. All of the recreation opportunities offered by this department make money while supplying many options for our citizens to have an affordable way to entertain themselves and their families. Are we going to allow the Bud- get Committee, made up of Coun- cilmen Wayne Brown and Bob Carroll, to just eliminate all of this because they think it's an unneces- sary department and an easy way to cut the budget? I know balancing a budget during these tough economic times is a very difficult job but when offered an alterna- tive option to cut the money from the Parks & Recreation department that would have also met the required cut backs, Councilman Brown said no without any explanation as to why it would not meet their needs. We need to send a message to the City Council and the Budget Committee that the Recreation department is an indispensable need for our community and they should take a look at other alterna- tives to cut the budget that will save our Recreation department and all it provides to our citizens. Debbie Morisch, Red Bluff Editor: He is facing a tough reelection and I hope for the sake of the Obama Your Turn country he wins big time, for you see folks he is not a communist, socialist, nor a muslim or any other legal party or religion, but if he were, so what, who cares? I thought that when we look at our ballots we see candidates from many different parties including the aforementioned. Yes I am a liberal Democrat who believes that every citizen (18 and over) has the right to run for office. So what if he is not white? The question is, "can he do the job?" If the answer is yes, vote for him. If no, don't. For you see, lads and lassies, this is America and we must re-elect President Obama, not as before, like many of you did for the color of his skin, but for his ability to do the job. ical essay, but is a hope that we as a nation may project into the future, not retreat into the past. But whoever your candidate This was not written as a polit- is, vote otherwise some one else will choose their candidate for you. Bob Hogan, 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. This is the winter (I mean spring) of our discontent Commentary With due respect to Shake- speare, I couldn't help thinking of his opening line to Richard III and also the title to John Steinbeck's last novel; I changed the season from winter to spring to fit our current situa- tion. This is certainly the grumpy season. Normally May Day triggers visions of the Maypole dance, with its careful intertwining and then unwinding of colorful rib- bons around the pole. The dance requires coordination and preci- sion, or the result would be a big mess; a good Maypole dance is an example of how good government should work. May Day, of course, began as a spring festival, was turned into a workers' holiday. This May Day I went to San Francisco for a doctor's check up. The city was visited by several demon- strations of people protesting a variety of issues on the theme of "us versus them", with the "us" being the "regular citizens" and the "them" being some version of the "elite". Traffic was blocked from time to time, and in one case materials were tossed off of an "occupied" roof. The definitions of "us" and "them" vary from group to group, but the overlying theme is the same. Before we got home from SF we passed a sign urging us to vote all of "them" out of office. I am not sure we need totally inexperienced representatives, but I do share a lot of the dissat- isfaction in the air. Both parties share our discontent with very good reason. Our state legisla- ture probably has a rating equal to Congress' all time low. The SF Chronicle had an article the other day about how our "full time" legislature works from Monday through Thurs- day; last year this totaled 130 days in Sacramento. It's not that they ran out of things to do the other 235 days and so took off to Gerber or wherever, but dur- ing that 130 days they managed to do the vast majority of their fund raising. The paper reports that 42 percent of their fund raising efforts took place on Monday or Tuesday, and only 6 percent on weekends. Proposition 28 would increase the length of term lim- its. The SF Chronicle on May 2 had op-ed pieces both for and against term limits; neither position sounded particular happy about our political situa- tion in California. Those favor- ing Proposition 28 say it would allow us to focus more on poli- cy than politics. One conclusion by a professor of mathematics was that if passed, Proposition 28 "four out of five politicians in Sacramento would be able to serve longer."I am not sure I believe in term limits, particu- larly longer term limits, but I am sure I am tired of the career politicians who are constantly jockeying for new offices when they are termed out. I know that term limits increase the power and influence of lobbyists and staffers, which is a downside, but I also know we are reluctant to vote incumbents out of office. I am also convinced that we no longer need a two house legisla- ture in Sacramento. While driving home we also heard a review of a new book, "It's Even Worse than It Looks" by the writing team of Mann and Ornstein. One author is with the Bookings Institute the other with the America Enter- prise Institute, not normally institutions that would agree on many things. Both authors condemn our Congress and particu- larly point fingers at the Republican Party for exacerbating an already dysfunctional system. There is grumpi- ness at home as well. On May Day one local columnist called one of his peers, another local columnist, an "enviro-liberalist". This is a new epithet to me. My guess the term was coined by Exxon Oil when the company was funding its own "science research" that agreed with Exxon's unfounded position on climate change. Exxon has since softened its approach, but the local columnist resorted to name calling rather than explore the complex issues involved in climate change science. This is grumpiness and discontent. During the news we saw an anti-Prop 29 ad sponsored by two large tobacco companies who are grumpy because they sense additional taxes on tobac- co will cut into their sales. (That of course was not the reason given in the ad.) The ad featured a presentation by a doctor who could just barely read her lines with any feeling complaining about how the proposition could pull the wool over our eyes, as if the electorate couldn't think for itself. She expressed feigned concern the money from the taxes would not go to smoking Joe Harrop Then there were the hard edged simplistic phrases on various candidates' placards all over our area. These phrases assume our ignorance and are a poor substitute for substantial plans. It was refreshing, however, to return home and to be greet- ed in Red Bluff by the Steve Chamblin signs for Supervisor, District One. The signs were pleasant to look at; there was no hard edged slogan; they merely present Steve as willing to serve. Chamblin, of course, is a trained professional who was required to be a good listener, whether it was working in a hostage situation or working as a counselor. That is a good trait for all of our elected officials. Steve has also done a lot of fly- ing, and flyers learn early to be careful, also a good trait. There is no grumpiness in his presen- tations to the public; that has not generally been the case this spring. Joe Harrop is a retired educator with more than 30 years of service to the North State. He can be reached at DrJoeHarrop@sbcglobal.net. prevention, something she must believe the tobacco companies are for, and that it might be spent out of state. I am sorry for big tobacco which propa- gated the big lie for so long; they should be grumpy and ashamed. The simplest solution would be to ban tobac- co, a public health step that would be political suicide.