Issue link: https://www.epageflip.net/i/7509
4A – Daily News – Thursday, March 4, 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 The trick to great rhetoric is to pick a word or phrase every- one likes and no one can possi- bly be against. Then take that expression and be completely for it daring anyone to challenge you. President Barack Obama campaigned for "change." Change was such a good plat- form after eight years of George W. Bush that Senator John McCain decided it was his slo- gan too. Abandoning McCain's initial "Country First" creed he went with "Change is Coming" as he was marching toward the end of his campaign back to his senate seat. And who would have guessed, both placards were right: change did happen. The vague word currently co- opted by Republicans as oratory ammo is "freedom." Republi- cans love freedom and its gener- ous overuse. "It's clear Democ- rats have irreconcilable differ- ences with Americans on health care. Dems want more govern- ment, Americans want more freedom," tweeted Junior Sen. Jim DeMint about the Health Care Summit he was not invited to. Dems hate freedom, dude. Minority leader, Rep. John Boehner last November declared, "I came here to fight big-government monstrosities like this bill that dim the light of freedom." Insert Orange Glo joke here. The GOP has gone so far as to try and push their Health Care "Freedom" Plan, calling the 1993 Republican idea of mandatory coverage, now being discussed by the Democrats, unconstitutional. Because if the Democrats agree with it, then it's not "free- dom." More proof "freedom" and its concept is becoming just an empty buzzword. Sarah Palin is for it. She told Sean Hannity on Fox News, "I'm such a believer in freedom and that's what the tea parties are all about." What are they about? Every- thing American: freedom. You disagree with them, you dis- agree with freedom. They're against things and those things naturally are against freedom, the thing they're for. You know who's against free- dom? Anyone they put on a First Amendment protected picket sign. What does "freedom" mean when Republicans say it? Dur- ing the marathon C-SPAN filmed Health Care Summit at the Blair House last week, Rep. Paul Ryan — endorsed by Dick Armey's business boon "Free- dom" Works — summed up the bait and switch behind the watchword best, "We don't think the government should be in control of all of this. We want people to be in control." Of course, the Grand Old Party's founding father, Abra- ham Lincoln, in his Gettysburg address described our Union as, "a government of the people, by the peo- ple, for the people." But now according to Ryan it shouldn't be in control, but the people should? The equivalent would be, "I don't want to live in Iowa, I only want to live in Des Moines, that's why we don't agree." Really when freedom is invoked by the GOP it means liberty for corporations. It's big government getting out of the way so big business can step up. The GOP wants Chevron, Hal- iburton and United Health Care to have more independence — not the Joe Everyman, Six-Pack or Plumber they try to appeal to. The opposite of freedom is not government. The opposite of freedom is not regulations for business. The opposite of freedom is not health care reform. Just like the opposite of freedom is not hav- ing laws and a police force. The real opposite of freedom, freedom for voters, consumers and the actual "we the people," is being fleeced. The opposite of freedom is being gouged by your credit card, denied by your health insurance and pick pocketed by your bank. The opposite of freedom is being a Walmart sharecropper and a Payday Loan serf. The opposite of freedom is being blackmailed by compa- nies that are "too big to fail." Yes, America is the land of the free, and since the GOP had its way for eight years, it now comes with interest. Tina Dupuy is an award- winning writer and the editor of FishbowlLA.com. Tina can be reached at tina@tinadupuy.com. Freedom and faux populism 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 Tina Dupuy 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 End of life concerns Editor: We are fortunate enough to have the fine St. Elizabeth Hos- pital serving the people of our county and others as well. There is not only an abundance of medical skill but a special tone of caring. No doubt this tone derives, at least in part, from the Sisters of Mercy who founded it and still have a role. Especially notewor- thy is its hospice component, which has aided us and to which we pledge. They have been diligent in promoting the use of advanced medical directives. These legal documents are designed to assure personal health care choices should the person be unable to speak for himself. But St. Elizabeth is a part of Catholic Healthcare West and American Catholic bishops have made their own directive concerning the withdrawal of some kinds of life support. This matter is explained in an excellent wire-service article in this newspaper's Feb. 16 edition. Apparently it applies to Catholics and non-Catholics alike in Catholic-operated hos- pitals like St. Elizabeth, while this kind of situation is relative- ly uncommon it does occur. Sometimes a brain-dead body can be kept alive for many years to no purpose and at great expense. Despite the relative rarity of this kind of medical situation it is troubling that my end-of-life wishes could be overridden by a group of Catholic bishops and then what next? R. H. Chamberlain, Flournoy Youth Football helps schools Editor: Talk about misunderstanding the financial situation of the state of California. How about misunderstanding finance. Mr. Meagher, please. Red Bluff Youth Football contributes $5,000 a year to the school budget for facilities use. Now the school wants more money; maybe twice as much money? What has changed, other than the school wants more money? Nothing. He uses the argument that the school must take into account certain costs, such as personnel costs, equipment usage, materi- als costs, personnel benefits packages, health care, pensions, etc. Poppycock. The current maintenance staff mows the field once a week and waters it as necessary and that cost is already being paid. I don't see where any increase in expenses is not already being paid for. I suggest that some good cit- izen of the county with a flat piece of ground large enough to accommodate a football field lend it to RBYF and they can plant some grass and with the help of the parents do the main- tenance. Then, with the $5,000 they have in hand buy a line striper and some other necessary materi- als. Then the high school can try to figure out how to maintain the football field with $5,000 less. Why do people think that all you have to do is throw the word school into the ring and every- body has to kowtow? That is both ridiculous and stupid. Finally. That foot- ball field doesn't belong to the school. It belongs to the commu- nity. Our community. Fred Boest, Red Bluff Ken Miller for District Attorney Editor: I'm pleased to have this oppor- tunity of providing a recommen- dation for Ken Miller for Tehama County District Attorney. I am a neighbor and friend of Ken Miller and I am aware of positive repre- sentations he has made as a defense attorney in Criminal Court. He has a complete knowl- edge and broad experience with the District Attorney's office and criminal Court cases. Ken Miller holds positions of responsibility; knows the law, law enforcement, and the Criminal Justice System; demonstrates successful and most of all, is punctual and meets deadlines. I intend to engage in further research and gather additional information about the present District Attorney's Office; pro- vide the readers of the Red Bluff/Tehama County Daily News with my findings; and per- haps aid citizens in their decision making come ballot marking day in June. Norman H. Weitzel,Gerber America needs Toyota USA Editor: We are fortunate that Toyota USA started building durable, reliable, fuel- efficient cars in the US starting in 1980, as the Detroit Big 3 refused to build vehicles that Americans wanted to buy. Without the competition of Toyota USA and other Japanese brands built in the US, Ford, GM and Chrysler would continue to build unreli- able fuel-guzzlers. With GM and Chrysler now owned by the union that caused GM and Chrysler's bankruptcy, and the government, there is now only one of the Detroit Big 3 remaining. For the majority of Americans, the Korean, German and Japanese vehicle builders are necessary to insure contin- ued US-built vehicle supply. There are 173,000 United States employees dependent on Toyota USA for their jobs. It would be beneficial for the US to provide stimulus funds to ensure Toyota USA is not long- term financially harmed by the two recent quality defects on a few hundred vehicles. The Detroit Big 3 have had hundreds of equal safety defects over a 50 year period, including gas pedals sticking. Joseph Neff, Corning Your Turn