Issue link: https://www.epageflip.net/i/7413
6A – Daily News – Tuesday, March 2, 2010 A MediaNews Group newspaper 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 Opinion You've seen "ER" and I've seen "ER" and I think we can both agree that if bipartisan health care reform were a patient, Doctor Obama would be dejectedly dropping the paddles, ripping off his mask and asking Nurse Pelosi to call it. Oh, yeah. It's finished. Done with. Kaput. Defunct. Deceased. Extinct. Artifacto. Fugged- aboutit. Game over, man. Part of the vast past tense. Washed up. Down the drain. Sleeping with the fishies. Sheer finito. Totally obliterated. See ya. Wouldn't want to be ya. Pushing up daisies. Eaten by the undertoad. Down goes Frazier! Rests in peace. Bereft of life. Shuffled off its mortal coil. Crossed the distant shore. Run down the cur- tain and joined the bleedin' choir invisible. Stick a fork in it. It's history. A memory. In the archives. Way gone. Say bye. Then again, you never know. Reconciliation. Such an inno- cent word. With the deftness of Houdini, the president conjured up a seance where Democrats and Republicans sat down together and aired out differences like actual humans, and while the festivities conspicuously lacked any hand-holding choruses of "Kumbaya," the two sides did refrain from physically throt- tling each other and nobody staggered out in full view of the cameras cradling a bloody stump. Which, for these guys, is a leap. They did, however, continue to lock out ordinary Americans by talking in a special Congres- sional code known as Politico- Speak. And I'm here to deci- pher. What they say: We may have differences but they can be bridged. What they mean: Of course, theoretically, so can the Pacific Ocean. What they say: We need to start over from scratch. What they mean: Let's start fixing it tomorrow. Or never. Whichever comes last. What they say: It's obvious the other side is simply engaging in political posturing. What they mean: Was my chin sufficiently lit well and thrust forward on that? What they say: I just hope this isn't more political theater. What they mean: Because satire closes on Saturday night. What they say: Of course we're willing to compromise. What they mean: Of course we're willing for them to agree with us. What they say: At the end of the day a solution will be found. What they mean: And that day is Tues- day, Nov. 2nd, 2010. What they say: We're determined to go the extra mile. What they mean: Admittedly, we've haven't moved 15 inch- es, but we're pooped. Maybe we'll hold com- mittee hearings on switching to the metric system. What they say: If Dick Cheney had the same health care as the rest of us, those five heart attacks would have killed him by now. What they mean: I wonder if doctors have totally ruled out phantom limb syn- drome? What they say: All we ask is that the other side negotiate in good faith. What they mean: The city of Good Faith in Queensland, Aus- tralia. What they say: We're the ones reaching across the aisle. What they mean: Pay no attention to the chainsaw. What he says: This is not par- tisan. I'm looking for answers from either party. What he means: Although, as the smartest guy in the room, I already have most of them. What they say: The United States has the best health care system in the world What they mean: The insurance oli- garchy has the best funded lobbyists in the world. What they say: This is a wonderful opportunity to watch government in action. What they mean: Argh. My eyes. Will Durst is a San Francisco-based political comic who writes sometimes. This is an example. Ask for his new one-man show, "The Lieutenant Governor from the State of Confusion" to appear at a performing arts center near you. His new CD, "Raging Moderate," will be available from Stand-Up Records March 23. Hopefully, another book will be coming out soon. We'll see. E- mail Will at durst@caglecartoons.com. What they say vs. what they mean: Health reform Commentary N EWS D AILY RED BLUFF TEHAMA COUNTY 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 Will Durst Raging Moderate STATE ASSEMBLYMAN — Jim Nielsen (R), State Capitol Bldg., Room 4164 P.O. Box 942849, Sacramento 94249; (916) 319-2002; Fax (916) 319- 2102 STATE SENATOR — Sam Aanestad (R), State Capitol Bldg., Room 2054, Sacramen- to, CA 95814. (916) 651-4004; Fax (916) 445-7750 GOVERNOR — Arnold Schwarzenegger (R), 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), 2635 Forest Ave. Ste. 100, Chico, CA 95928; 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; (415) 403-0100. Fax (202) 224- 0454. Your officials At the risk of inspiring many of you to violate a reso- lution passed Thursday by the State Assembly, we need to speak out about the Assem- bly's declaration of this week as Cuss Free Week in Cali- fornia. You read right. In the face of a $20 billion budget gap — one that is very real in light of announced cuts at our schools in the last week — our elected lawmakers saw fit to pass ACR 112, co-authored by our man in Gerber and 35 other members of the Assembly, and initiate a week-long cele- bration of clean language in order to promote civility and show that words matter. Except those that come out of the mouths of politicians. As irksome as this apparent waste of time and energy is, our bigger problem with the resolution is that it represents yet another way those in Sacramento believe they need to parent the residents of Cal- ifornia. We are as offended as any- one by gratuitous profanity, especially in the presence of children or family members, but is it really up to the Legis- lature to enforce this basic rule of etiquette? In recent memory, we've been denied transfats by those who know what's best for us, and we'll get cited if we smoke inside cars carrying children. Now we can't even grumble about it? If anything, continued meddling in the manners, choices and common sense we pass on to our children will result in further abdica- tion of responsibility for rais- ing a young person who won't scream the f-word at the play- ground. Yes, many parents appar- ently have failed to teach their children right from wrong. In fact, it's not hard to figure out where some of these foul- mouthed youth learned their oratory skills. But that's when we, as civ- ilized individuals, need to speak up and let these folks know when a curse word is inappropriate. You will likely be treated to a host of further expletives but, if they hear it enough times, these folks may start to get the picture. Or not. Either way, it shouldn't be up to the state to be teaching that lesson — even if ACR 112 has no teeth. Finally, the way the resolu- tion came about gets under our skin. In 2007, student McKay Hatch instituted a No Cussing Club at his junior high school in Southern California. The problem was already being solved, and by a teenag- er at that. More importantly, by an individual — without the help of a single lawmaker. If the Assembly simply wanted to honor Hatch, it should have done just that by presenting him with a citation for a great idea and what must have been a good deal of per- sistence. Instead, government saw a chance to get into the parent- ing game and hijacked Hatch's success to create Cuss Free Week. We think that's a load of... We'll let you know next week. A curse on the Capitol Editorial What do you think? Let us know Red Bluff 2010 is a let down Editor: I was eager to read the col- ored insert in the Friday paper. When I had finished, my reaction was, does the editor and his staff live in Red Bluff area? Where is the mention of the outstanding hospital and it's contribution to the latest and finest care. Where do you dis- play the addition of Shasta College in Tehama County? There is no mention of the several outstanding visual arts galleries that have been offer- ing outstanding works through their many shows. No mention was made of the ongoing upgrade of our his- toric theater. Our county seat is more than a cow town. Your colored publication was impressive but these things I have mentioned are not so recent that they could not have been included. I am thoroughly disap- pointed and feel you owe Red Bluff and the greater area you wish to attract a more inclu- sive review. Sylvia Meents, Corning Your Turn