Issue link: https://www.epageflip.net/i/701112
Ifitwerenot forCalifornia voters approving Proposition 140 in 1990, I might still be Tehama Coun- ty's represen- tative serving you in the Cal- ifornia Assem- bly. That first term limit be- came law with a bare 52.17% of the vote. This slight majority then limited Assembly Members to serving only 6 years and State Senators 8 years. The whole idea of term limits was to restrict the time our state representatives could stay in office. I believe now that first term limit did not change much of anything. So, it was then changed in 2012. It now allows a person to serve a total of 12 years, ei- ther in the Assembly or Sen- ate, or that representative could split those 12 years be- tween both houses of the leg- islature. It was in 1990 that I and my colleagues in Sac- ramento learned rather sud- denly their political clocks were ticking. It forced all members of the legislature to properly reflect on their next profession. I knew I would have to leave the Assembly no later than 1996. It felt like I was being fired for no good reason. I really didn't do anything wrong. My first thought about this law was that it is undemocratic. My final take, then and now, if you want a particular representative, you should be able to keep that person as your representative as long as you like. Many say the movement was started just to get rid of one of the two most powerful Speakers ever to have served in California's Assembly, Wil- lie Louis Brown. I used my last re-election campaign funds that year to unsuccess- fully fight against these term limits. I believe now, more than 2 decades later, these lim- its have hurt more than im- proved our government. More often than not, citizens don't readily even recall the name of their representa- tive, so this term limit makes things more artificial at best. As a result of these limits, our representatives have no good career options. They have to constantly think of what they should do next. I don't think a government of musical chairs is really what the voters wanted. There has been a definite loss because of these limits. It is the loss of institutional knowledge. For my first year or so, I actually accomplished very little in the Assembly. Then, experience clicked in and it was not only easier to get something accomplished, it felt good and was fun. It seems to me that every cen- tury or so government gets a little more muddled. Can you imagine Abraham Lincoln, Thomas Jefferson, James Madison or the like having a time limit deter- mining how long they could served in office? No voters had to limit George Wash- ington. He decided that stay- ing in office was too much like the monarchy in Eng- land. Of all things, govern- ment should be the definition of free enterprise and I think term limits simply do not be- long in our free enterprise system of government. Somehow, members of the United States Senate and the House of Representatives are constitutional protected from a limited term. They may serve an unlimited num- ber of years in office. Strom Thurmond served 48 years as a United States Senator from South Carolina. Mytakeonthemovies I saw Independence Day: Re- surgence, starring Daniel Gelb, even though I knew Hollywood was manipulating me. Jeff Goldblum and Bill Pull- man reprised their rolls from the original filmed in 1996. Like most Hollywood se- quels this film is over the top. It does stay exciting, but I did find myself waiting for the end. StanStathamserved1976-1994 in the California Assembly and was a television news anchor at KHSL-TV in Chico 1965-1975. He is past president of the California Broadcasters Association and can be reached at StanStatham@ gmail.com. StanStatham Mytakeon California's term limits It felt like I was being fired for no good reason. I really didn't do anything wrong. My first thought about this law was that it is undemocratic. Fourth of July Editor: I would like to be the first to thank the Tehama County Fire- works Committee for their efforts to give Tehama County a first class fireworks show. Committee head Jennifer Zirkle and her co-chairwoman Jennifer Guardino worked hard all year to raise the funds neces- sary to put on a first class show for all to enjoy. This requires a lot of work and planning as well as many volunteers. I believe I speak for everyone present that this year's show was spectacular and enjoyed by all. I would also like to thank The Home Depot for their assistance in the fireworks booth and the Red Bluff Elks Lodge for their sponsorship. Without the whole community's support, this event would not occur. I can only hope that these la- dies will be back next year so we can again enjoy the show. — Barry LaVette, Red Bluff Thanks to firefighters Editor: July 1 we got our annual fire up from the highway. This one seemed a little more dicey than past ones with the winds we were having. It rarely jumps the canal separating our pas- tures here on Cody Drive from the freeway. I am going to take the lib- erty to thank all the firefight- ers, from all of us on Cody and adjacent roads, for sav- ing our pastures; such as they are this time of year; especially the ones with critters in them, which is a lot of them. Once into the pastures it can get to homes. All representing hard worked for investments. In my opinion they are never given enough thanks. Anyone who has lost anything to fire knows this. So a big thank them all. I never pass up a boot on a corner. God bless them all and keep them safe this fire season. — Kelly Dixon Walen, Red Bluff Thanks to law enforcement Editor: Early morning arrived July 4th with a big bang to our life as my husband and I shot out of bed, rudely awakened to our truck being stolen from our driveway. Dazed, I threw the phone at Dave, told him to call 911, grabbed my purse and jumped in my car. Driv- ing towards Antelope, thinking no intelligent criminal would drive to Gilmore Ranch Road and easily get trapped. Approaching Antelope, I saw one deputy driving west and wondered if he was respond- ing. Turning left on Sale Lane, I saw another officer parked by McDonald's. I stopped to tell him our truck had been stolen. He said he knew and three cars were looking for it. Impressed by such quick response, I drove home down Sale, turning left on Gilmore Ranch Road and saw another deputy, turning up Wil- liams. Knowing the Sheriff's De- partment had this well covered, I went home to a Highway Pa- trol car in my driveway. They had already located our truck at the Cabernet Apartments and arrested a subject. About a year ago, we were discussing vandalism in our area with a deputy suggested we install a surveillance sys- tem, as the cost is relatively inexpensive. We did, and by having this system the deputy was able to positively iden- tify the subject and the car. We recommend others to get cameras installed as this has proven a great asset to us and law enforcement a couple of times already. The tape showed around 5:30 a.m. two moronic mal- contents driving down Hoy Road looking into the neigh- bor's and our mailboxes, even though, mail being in the box is unlikely, because it was a holiday weekend. A couple of minutes later, the white se- dan returns, stops in front of our house, the subject gets out, looks in our pickup, sees the keys we stupidly left in it and drives away as we watched. Law enforcement's quick re- sponse found the little pip squeak, by our truck, where he had ransacked it, finding com- pletely worthless stuff. Spotting the cops, he fled and jumped a fence to Pinion. He's trapped, cornered, caught within min- utes of stealing our truck. We were impressed. As we reflected on our morning, it was obvious our underpaid deputies are doing a great job, with little hope of putting a real dent in crime. Getting criminals prosecuted is nearly impossible on some- thing viewed as a minor crime. If there is a conviction, they likely won't serve or be re- leased early, because of over- crowding and really stupid laws like AB 109 and Prop. 47. Why are these laws still on the books? Where is our leader- ship when we need them? Supervisors and law enforce- ment leaders should organize a protest, petition drive or put le- gal pressure on legislature and Governor Brown to get these laws over turned. We should not be satisfied, allowing the Cali- fornia legislature to dump their criminals in our neighborhoods, throw some money at us and tell us to deal with it. If we need more prisons and rehabs, build more. Elected offi- cials need to fight back, quit ty- ing the hands of and demoraliz- ing law enforcement, allowing the same derelicts to continue terrorizing our neighborhoods with little or no consequences. In the meantime, take some of that AB 109 money and hire more cops, pay them a better wage for a job that is so danger- ous and now, completely frus- trating. No wonder, we are hav- ing a hard time recruiting. We would like to thank Of- ficer Smith, other deputies in- volved and CHP for respond- ing so quickly, recovering our pickup and apprehending the criminal within literally min- utes of us calling 911. — Pat Johnston, Red Bluff Your opinions Cartoonist's take I started walking the day I turned eight months old, and now it seems I've started my second childhood. I've been sidelined from my physically demanding day job for the past six weeks because of a compression fracture. My days involved a lot of fast walking, running, jumping and climbing and still my boss al- ways managed to find me. I've been doing some rec- reational walking, to keep in shape and to offer moral sup- port to my wife as she walks for her physical fitness. I've sort of been inspired by the 1988 song that goes "But I would walk five hundred miles/ And I would walk five hundred more/Just to be the man who walked a thousand miles/To fall down at your door." Although, in retrospect, The Proclaimers could also have sung about get- ting an Amazon drone to de- liver a morale-boosting "World's Greatest Wife" coffee mug. That's not the only song in my mental soundtrack. I pump my- self up with "Man In Motion" and "Walkin' To New Orleans," but once the last drop of wa- ter is gone, it's more "Nearer My God To Thee." Walkers can obtain price- less cardiovascular health while slowly taking a gander at the neighbors' property day after day. The walks are also good for one's mental sharpness, as you may be called upon to ex- plain why your butt shouldn't be thrown in jail for stalking. Admittedly, the TV networks don't give us a lot of reasons for staying cooped up inside dur- ing the summer. You've seen the promos for the shows such as "Celebrity Paper Footballs," "All-Star Rock, Paper, Scissors" and "The Latest Remake Of That Show Your Grandparents Got Stuck Watching Because They Couldn't Find The Pliers To Change Channels On Their Black-And-White Philco." Walking has taught me hu- mility. It's disheartening to think you're making a good pace and then get overtaken by the shuffling little old man charac- ter Tim Conway used to play. Walking partners get to make indelible memories. Of course those memories may include, "Yeah, wasn't that the summer we said, 'Hello, bargain sun- screen, goodbye skin'?" Encourage others to go walk- ing, but try not to play holier- than-thou with the couch pota- toes. You know the ones. "I fi- nally figured out these 12 Steps programs. Sure, I can give up BOOZE. I thought you meant I had to take 12 actual steps!" Kudos to the communi- ties that enhance their qual- ity of life by constructing walk- ing tracks, rest-stop benches and warning signs. Walking is an inexpensive way for citizens to stay fit and meet their fel- low citizens. I just hope greedy towns don't start coming up with stupid walking taxes. "Whoa! Did you know your left shoestring is expired, Bubba?" I'm just an amateur at this walking game and don't know how much I'll get to partici- pate once I return to work. Avid walkers, who cherish life's little pleasures, revel in "never a dull moment" thinking and cling to an optimistic "the roadkill is half-alive" attitude, are some great people to have on hand in various social situations. I'm sure these appreciative souls take a lot of the stress out of company Christmas parties "Wow! Empty aluminum cans! What a holiday bonus!" and wedding nights "I was afraid you would buy a teddy from Vic- toria's Secret, but these arch supports are so much better. And who needs mistletoe when we have poison ivy?" Danny Tyree welcomes email responses at tyreetyrades@aol. com and visits to his Facebook fan page Tyree's Tyrades. Danny Tyree Recreational walking — the good, the bad and the ugly GregStevens,Publisher Chip Thompson, Editor EDITORIAL BOARD How to have your say: Letters must be signed and provide the writer's home street address and home phone number. Anonymous letters, open letters to others, pen names and petition-style letters will not be allowed. Letters should be typed and no more than two double-spaced pages or 500words. When several letters address the same issue, a cross section will be published. Email: editor@ redbluffdailynews.com Fax: 530-527-9251 Mail to: P.O. Box 220, 728Main St., Red Bluff, CA 96080 Facebook: Leave comments at FACEBOOK.COM/ RBDAILYNEWS Twitter: Follow and send tweets to @REDBLUFFNEWS By Danny Tyree Stan Statham OPINION » redbluffdailynews.com Thursday, July 7, 2016 » MORE AT FACEBOOK.COM/RBDAILYNEWS AND TWITTER.COM/REDBLUFFNEWS A4