Issue link: https://www.epageflip.net/i/727440
As time goes by, unfortunately our government seems to think of more laws it can pass to protect us, even if only from ourselves. I believe some recent examples are the proposals to tax sodas, especially if those drinks are considered too large and contain too much sugar for our good health. However,Ihaveneverbe- lieved that obesity in America is our government's fault. My take is that weight control has al- ways has been ev- ery individual's responsibility. Earlier this year, Philadel- phia became the first major Amer- ican city to pass a soda tax. They added 1 and cents per ounce. That translates into an extra 30 cents for a 20 ounce bottle. And, it applies to energy and sports drinks. The new tax is estimated to raise about $400 million over the next five years. Support- ers say it will be earmarked for schools, parks and health ser- vices. Some officials in Philly say that poor communities are hurt more than others by these sugary drinks. The latest pro- posed soda tax is from the of- ficials in Oakland. That one is said to raise around $12 million each year to fight obesity. I personally think soda taxes should not be passed into law. We are already fortu- nate enough to live in a country where our Declaration of Inde- pendence and Constitution pro- tect our right to do whatever we desire to ourselves, including getting fat. Every time govern- ment steps in to change or stop unhealthy behaviors, any suc- cess is almost nil anyway. I have also learned that this new tax is being attempted in many other countries. An Eng- lish economist named Arthur Pigou developed the concept of a Pigovian tax, which addressed the impact of consequences like those faced here by many in our increasingly obese society. The beverage industry is of course hating this new soda tax, even though they have been advertising to the eco- nomically and demographi- cally poor for years. Many of you are like me and constantly talk to this or that person who tells us they can't seem to stop themselves. And, while they can't stop eat- ing, they still tell us how much weight they have lost, or are about to begin losing. Thirty other cities and states had already rejected taxing sug- ary drinks. However, it looks to me that this is something that will be proposed for awhile. The first thought I had when I heard some months ago that former mayor Mi- chael Bloomberg had tried this kind of soda tax in New York was the phrase "caveat emp- tor." That Latin phrase means "let the buyer beware." Who does not know already that too much sugar is not good for them? Somehow the obese citizens of America are missing this fact. If I were still in elec- tive office I would not vote for a soda tax. I simply don't believe it is government's responsibil- ity to try to help us with our weight challenges. Whether you agree or not with these proposed taxes, please let me know. Should government get in- volved again or is government too fat already? Mytakeonthemovies For some time, I have known that any film starring Meryl Streep is worth seeing. That ap- plies to her latest movie co-star- ring Hugh Grant. It is a biopic called "Florence Foster Grant." Streep herself sings notes you would probably not be able to reach. Grant was a music lover and supporter who lived from 1848 until 1944. 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 My take on soda and other sugary drinks An English economist named Arthur Pigou developed the concept of a Pigovian tax, which addressed the impact of consequences like those faced here by many in our increasingly obese society. A grab bag of local concerns Editor: Recently my doctor, Stephen Datu, informed me that he and other hometown doctors will no longer be, on call, at St. Eliza- beth Community Hospital. I am very disappointed that my doctor, who knows my medical history, is no lon- ger available at critical times. Red Bluff needs its good doc- tors to stay in our community. So many of them have left our town recently. I don't want to travel to Redding or Chico for my care. I respect Dr. Datu's diagnoses for my medical care. Admonished? Juveniles break- ing the law by throwing rocks over a freeway endangering lives and they are admonished? Who admonished them? This is the second incident in a month on that bridge. Why aren't the parents and Juvenile Hall involved? I, and many other people, re-read this article and no one could believe it. Will there be a horrific ac- cident at Walnut Street and Paskenta Road before a traf- fic planner realizes what a ter- rible situation there is at this weird T section of road? What will happen when the court- house opens? Daily, drivers exiting from the Tehama County Mental Health Department's driveway, drive at a 45 degree angle — bypassing the south bound turning lane — over to Paskenta Road causing a major hazard concerning all traffic involved. I, many of my friends and family have witnessed poten- tial collisions at this site. Help. I enjoy reading your garden- ing articles. If anyone is lucky enough to see the yards of these contributing authors, they will know how their yards and homes belong in national home and gardening magazines. I've been so lucky to see Judy Paul and her husband's fabulous yard. It is filled with birds, fountains and a great array of flowers and ideas I've never seen before. It's so lovely and peaceful. — Cee Dempsey, Red Bluff Walnut Street paving an incomplete job Editor: Now that the new court- house is in place, I am curi- ous. Is the new pavement from David Avenue to Paskenta Road on Walnut Street, in front of the courthouse, the finished product? If so, wow. What's up with that? Where did the money go? That stretch of Walnut Street is what would be called an incomplete job in any- body's book. What part of the local bu- reaucracy allowed this? I think it is a pretty sad show for those responsible, don't you? — Joseph Ostrowski, Red Bluff Council needs to learn to adapt Editor: What's wrong with our City Council members? When will they start thinking about the safety of our community in- stead of their conveniences? As I've said before I be- lieve law enforcement depart- ment heads and the city Plan- ning Department should be the ones to design the plans and decide if closing Madison Street would be in the best in- terest to protect and serve the public, inmates, officers and the ability to do their jobs the best possible way. Closing part of Madison wouldn't cause that big of an inconvenience; it would be a change of habit. As we all know things are chang- ing constantly and we've man- aged to adapt. Like Mayor Clay Parker stated, the jail has been here forever. Councilman Rob Schmid's statement that he doesn't want a prison complex in the down- town at all should consider a proposal to build a prison south of Red Bluff or south of Corning. But wait, there isn't any money to do that. I guess you'll have to adapt. I was told many years ago by Sheriff Blanusa that jail was actually built as a prison, not a jail. And we've adapted to its location and we will adapt to the changes that will come. For those who want to move the jail out by the new court- house it can't be done. It would be too close to a gram- mar school and our high school. Also it can't be built close to Baker because you can't have an in-house in a flight plan. If Councilwoman Dan- iele Jackson was really con- cerned over the best options for the residents of Red Bluff, why didn't the City Council or City Manager Richard Crab- tree challenge the state when it claimed it was exempt from having to put in sidewalks, roadways and stoplights when building the new courthouse? Why didn't the council mem- bers read the contract made with the state in its entirety and respond within the 35-day time frame for any conflicts? It clearly states under CEOA laws they were not exempt. I wonder how long it will take us to adapt to that nightmare? The up side, if you allow the Planning Department and law enforcement do their jobs in the designing of this project I couldn't blame you guys for any screw ups. — Kathy Nelson, Red Bluff Your opinions Cartoonist's take Getting older really involves a paradigm shift. The first clue of aging, other than gray hair and a sore body, is the invitation to join AARP, which comes at 50. Next is noticing your eligibility for se- nior menus at res- taurants at 50 or 55. There are spe- cial rates for seniors at hotels too, but usually they are the same as for AARP or AAA mem- bers. You need to check to see which is cheapest. Then 62 is a big year. It is the full retirement age for non-law enforcement federal employ- ees. At 62 you can get the Se- nior Pass for the National Parks. That's really great here in the North State with Lassen Whis- keytown being so accessible. Of course the really big deal about turning 62 is that you be- come eligible for Social Secu- rity, and for the very first time in your life you have the option of retiring and collecting money without having a job — and maybe a pension check as well if you're lucky enough to have one. But a lot of us aren't ready to retire at 62, so we keep work- ing. But at least by now we're pretty much entitled to all the discounts. At 65 we become eligible for Medicare Part A, which covers hospitalizations. It doesn't re- quire any money, so you defi- nitely sign up. This is probably your very first interaction with the Social Security Adminis- tration, unless you've ordered payment estimates. The full retirement age for Social Security for many is 65, depending upon one's birth date. You can collect it then, even if you're still working, with no reduction. One shocker is when you re- alize you're discussing the nu- ances of Medicare Part B with your mother. We're still children to them, and also feel like we're their kids, so how can we be as old as they are? Perplexing isn't it? We can even discuss prescrip- tions for the same maladies. And what about our wives? Maybe they can retire too. How is that going to work out with the both of you home together all of the time? I always think of the story about the sea captain who has been happily married for 40 years — 30 of which he has been at sea. So if you're both home to- gether, don't be a pest. You can even become a volunteer. And if your wife is still working, that can pay for a lot of fun things you can do together. At 65, if you're a realist, or pessimist, like me, you start asking yourself questions about buying things. Once you stop working you're usually not wearing as many clothes as you did before. You start thinking of hav- ing a terminal wardrobe. When you buy a new belt, you think you might never have to buy another. When you buy things at the big box stores you think they might even last you a life- time. One 55-gallon drum of mayonnaise should do it. And every time I open a box of 1,000 Q-tips I ask myself, "Will this be the last?" Strange. It can work the other way with larger purchases. My wife and I looked everywhere try- ing to find a used truck. My wife said I should buy a new one. I soon realized that if I didn't buy a new truck now — when would I? When I was too old to enjoy driving it? So I bought a new one. Of course, this definitely qualified as a probable terminal purchase — unless I live long enough to get one that drives it- self. I can see myself buying one of those — I'll probably need it. Corky Pickering and his wife relocated from the Bay Area to Cottonwood in 2014. He recently retired from the federal government as an attorney advising law enforcement. He has been a rock and roll bass player and a Marine JAG. He can be reached at thecork6@gmail.com. Corky Pickering Getting old(er) Part II: Paradigm shi s and recognizing clues 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 Corky Pickering Stan Statham OPINION » redbluffdailynews.com Thursday, September 15, 2016 » MORE AT FACEBOOK.COM/RBDAILYNEWS AND TWITTER.COM/REDBLUFFNEWS A4