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6A Daily News – Tuesday, July 17, 2012 Opinion 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 Remembering The passing recently of Herb Nelson made Page 1 of the news- paper, as it should have. I, and a lot of other old- Herb Nelson Editor: timers, would have liked it better had he rated top of the page, instead of below the fold. Herb rates iconic status in this fair city and the county. He was one of a few men and women who contributed greatly to how this area grew during the second half of the last century and I believe the steady course this Marine officer held the ship of government on is why Red Bluff became and mostly still is one of California's best places. I owe the man a lot. When I arrived in Red Bluff in 1963, Herb had already been city manager of Red Bluff for several years. I was a young reporter, on my second newspa- per job and feeling my way. Herb and some others help show it to me and guide me from time to time when I wandered. My first week I went into his office and would end up being in it nearly every working day for the next three years. His door was never closed. He introduced me to that gra- cious lady, Enville Spaulding, who was city clerk; to Harlan Warwick, the young city planner who was another great find for this town; to Marion Clay, the chief of police and the best top cop I was ever to work with dur- ing my 50-plus years as a news- paperman. The help of those three was immeasurable. They were honest, fair and always open. cis Bayless, were used in the brochure sent to the National Civic League. Red Bluff was among the national finalists that year. I'm certain his obituary will list some of his accomplish- ments. It should be a long list. I do remember he and War- wick working through the build- ing of the Interstate through town, the work coming up with a sensible long-range zoning plan, the cooperation with the county, the great working relationship they had with their own City Council. It was a time of solid growth and community pride. In 1965 I was asked to work with them and the Chamber of Com- merce in their efforts to gain All- America City status. My photos, along with some by Dick Rich- mond and others taken by Fran- I recall that Herb hailed from the Seattle area but had no great desire to go back nor to work for a larger city. I do remember he was from time to time courted by other communities. He was com- fortable in his job; Red Bluff res- idents and city staff were com- fortable with him. Testimony to that is he went to work as Red Bluff's first city manager in 1956 and would retire in 1981. That's a span of a quarter century in a position that on average nation- wide sees the city manager leave after five years, more often than not forced out. Herb was the first of many I encountered in my journalist travels. I would never work with a better one. I was fortunate to find him so early in my career. He, Harlan and Marion made my time in Red Bluff relatively easy. Add to the mix Clara Parker, Jack Train- or, Gene Penne, Curtis Wetter, Noel Watkins, Bill Metteer, Bill Your Turn Witt, Elmer Zuckweiler, several others ... and they add up to why when I leave this town for a few years or a decade I always come back. Red Bluff has been lucky to have them all, especially Herb. Cliff Larimer, Red Bluff Michael This letter is in regard to Michael Langevin. I wanted to let him know how much I appreciate his quick response in answering all my questions in a timely manner and for easing my anxiety relat- ing to the family situation. Langevin has been so infor- Langevin Editor: mative and I find it refreshing to work with him as a Social Worker who truly desires to reunite families. Langevin offered the services that have helped us tremendously. I want to thank him for all that he has done. It is greatly appreciated. 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. Coasts, forest fires: Good, bad choices Commentary wanting to keep track of the Tea Party Patriots schedule: Tonight, you can hear from Assemblyman Jim Nielsen who will probably have the latest developments, direct-from-the-Sacramento- beast, on California's budget mess, maybe even the High Speed Rail (HSR) boondoggle. I can tell you, from my own bud- get research that deficits exist due to the obsession by Governor Brown and the Democrats to maintain a bloated state govern- ment, in spite of having the fifth highest tax burden. Do you know that for most of the last half dozen years, California's budget and revenues were around or lower than the $92 billion they are crying is $8 to $15 billion short of what they now can't live without? First, a heads up for readers The HSR project is perhaps the greatest folly ever cooked up by any state in history. The price tag will surely end up topping $100 billion after the likely cost overruns are factored in. As in all green energy/infrastructure pro- jects: The cost per actual job cre- ated will be astronomical; its actual contribution to reducing greenhouse gases will be mini- mal, if at all, if ever; it will never come close to fanciful projec- tions of riders, especially when realistic ticket prices are factored in; it will never replace the use of jet travel between the cities tied into the project (it is now expect- ed to take longer than flying); it will destroy untold acres of farm- land, obliterating the genera- tions-long family farms in its path. I think you get the idea. Oh, and California is broke, busted, in the red, wanting, spent-it-all, etc. mer, invariably to Oregon or beyond, gives cause to reflect on state-to-state comparisons. For instance, all up and down the Oregon coast are little towns and houses of all sizes, close to and even next to, the beach, at least wherever the topography allows. There are parks and beach pre- serves to be sure but it just seems as if the people and their leaders have made good choices to allow such real estate to be used for people to enjoy owning and liv- ing on. Traveling as we do in the sum- state, which has gone in the direction of locking up as much of the coast as possible in nature preserves, or off limits to hous- ing, which translates to little or no development. That bad choice effectively makes some of the finest surroundings in our state, for people to enjoy living on and around, off limits. Thank you Coastal Commission, governing elites and the anti-development, environmental left for engaging in the one strategy that guaran- tees skyrocketing housing prices in the remaining developed areas. It never occurs to such people and institutions that one of the greatest things that can be done for the happiness of the people is to allow them to live where they want, build their homes, modest or not, grow their communities and businesses and contribute to the tax base and a thriving middle class. The Build- Absolutely-Nothing-Anywhere- Near-Anybody (BANANA) crowds have what they want: Contrast that with our fair vast outdoor museums. The rest of us can go look at them when we have the time and money, but don't even think about living there. Forest fires are fill- ing the news reports, and from camp I saw the online Daily News stories last week on the "Mill Fire" in the Men- docino National Forest, burning 17,000+ acres at the time. While the cause of that fire was under investigation, the larger question of what has contributed to con- flagrations filling our TV screens requires no deep investigation. People, governments, institutions and advocacy groups have all participated in many bad choices and policies over the last century or so. Don Polson The way I see it Space will not afford more than a cursory listing of the caus- es, so here are two articles easily found on the Internet: "Incinerat- ing America's West" by Robert Zubrin, posted at pjmedia.com, and "Humans Causing US Southwest Forest Burn Out" by Randall Parker of futurepundit.com. He quoted Craig Allen of the US Geologi- cal Service: "Beginning in 1900, when railroads enabled the spread of livestock, cattle devoured the grassy surface fuels and the fire cycle stopped. A decade later, a national policy of forest fire suppression formal- ized this new normal. Over the next century, forest density went from 80 trees per acre to more than 1,000." Such overly thick forests allow what would be a slow, ground-hugging fire to quickly leap to the crowns of trees, devastating vast areas before they can be con- trolled or contained. In Zubrin's piece, he states, "The massive western wildfires could have been avoided with intelligent forest man- agement and less hys- teria from the greens." He described how six million acres of forest have been lost each year to the Western Pine Beetle. I have per- sonally seen such deci- mated forests in Col- orado years ago on ways: 1) That much-maligned insecticide DDT, used in proper dilution, can kill any beetles that crawl on treated wood; any dele- terious effects on wildlife pale in comparison to the massive num- bers killed in the conflagrations spawned by dead, beetle-ravaged forests. 2) Clear-cuts around infected sections of forest could quarantine the spread of the bee- tles. 3) Infected trees could be harvested before they burn. By making such reasonable mea- sures impossible to implement, the enviro-left carelessly con- demns forests, wildlife, homes and people to fiery destruction. vacation in the Rockies. That could be arrested in two Don Polson has called Red Bluff home since 1988. He can be reached by e-mail at donplsn@yahoo.com. Linda Brooke, Red Bluff