Issue link: https://www.epageflip.net/i/7717
6A – Daily News – Wednesday, March 10, 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 "What in the h-e-double- hockey-sticks did California lawmakers think they were doing?" "Ah, yes, you speak of a res- olution the California State Assembly passed recently to make the first week of March 'Cuss-Free Week.' It embraced the idea from a teenager who had formed a No Cussing Club in 2007 at his school." "But considering what Cali- fornia's spendthrift politicians have done to their state — high costs, high taxes, high unem- ployment — cursing is one of the few occupations Californi- ans have left." "You make a fair point. With a $20 billion deficit in the state's budget — and many of the state's lawmakers still living in denial about cuts that need to be made — some argue there are more important matters to deal with. The California Senate decided to shelve the resolution until the budget is dealt with." "They should kill the gosh- darn thing. Why should any state government try to control the words people use?" "Good intentions. Some politicians feel that the resolu- tion — unlike a law, a resolution has no penalties associated with it — might encourage more civility among citizens, some- thing that has waned consider- ably in recent years." "Ah, put a sock in it. Cussing isn't the cause of incivility — it is a symptom. People cuss because they are stressed, broke and worried about the future. When government bodies over- step their bounds, they encour- age manners to get even worse." "Funny you mention that. Judith Martin, Miss Manners, says that good manners and eti- quette are the philosophical basis of civilization. When man- ners are strong, people restrain their impulse to cuss or be rude and abrasive — without the need for government laws or resolu- tions." "Miss Manners said that. Kiss my grits." "She says the chief role of our government bodies should be to focus on the big issues — to punish serious conflict involving the loss of life, limb or property — but now our government has gotten into the business of con- trolling what people say." "And controlling what people cannot say, those dirty, lousy basset hounds!" "The California resolution is mild compared to what some states have done. According to the First Amendment Center, South Carolina tried, last year, to impose criminal penalties of up to five years for cursing in public places. Many other states have laws that 'prohibit profane, vul- gar or blasphemous language.'" "You're shishk- abobbing me." "What is interest- ing is that all such laws are unconstitu- tional. The First Amendment 'protects profanity in the public sphere unless it cross- es the line into true threats, fighting words or incitement to imminent law- less action,' says the center." "Well, 'stuff' on a shingle." "The US Supreme Court clar- ified the matter in 1971. It reversed the conviction of a man who had worn a jacket into a California courthouse that dis- played the words 'Blank the Draft.' The court ruled that the state had no right to 'cleanse public debate to the point where it is grammatically palatable to the most squeamish among us.'" "California stepped into the dog doo on that one." "The point is this: the upside of difficult economic times is that we are all forced to get back to the basics, including government bodies. Rather than meddle with personal behavior and other extraneous matters, local govern- ments should clear roads when the snow falls; states should have the National Guard ready when disaster occurs; the feds must get the deficit under control before they even think about initi- ating new programs." "Son of a hockey puck, I know how we can slash the deficit. Let's make our politicians cut spending by $1 every time they do something that causes us to cuss." "Now there's an idea." Tom Purcell, a humor columnist for the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review, is nationally syndicated exclusively by Cagle Cartoons newspaper syndicate. Visit Tom on the Web at www.TomPurcell.com or e-mail him at Purcell@caglecartoons.com. The right to cuss 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 Tom Purcell 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 Hard times need hard work Editor: Why is it that the deficit and poor economy in this country is hitting the working class the hardest? It is not enough that we pay our taxes and support all the programs available for people that can't support themselves. We are on the verge or have lost our homes, probably can't retire until we are 100 and can't afford medical insurance for ourselves and family without paying out- rageous premiums. Not that I think government healthcare is any better. It does not mean that being poor is bad. No one should feel ashamed if they need a hand to get back on their feet. We all struggle. We should all help each other, but the welfare sys- tem has become a career goal instead of the temporary fix that it was intended to be. It can't ride on the shoulders of the mid- dle class any more without breaking backs. Generations of people are relying on the government and tax payers because we have enabled them to do so. People that have children should sup- port them. If they need help fine, no children should go hun- gry in this country. The same can be said for a 20-year-old man stubbing his toe and receiving disability, when the truly disabled are holding down jobs. Why are our elderly strug- gling so much? These are peo- ple that worked hard their whole lives and if they had kids they took care of them. They were from a generation that knew how to take care of themselves in hard times. So what do you do with a country that's not working? Start by encouraging a strong work ethic. Create more jobs — not make believe ones — that don't benefit the backbone of the country. Give stimulus money to places that need it. Humans need to save their homes not marsh rats. Don't put a hold on unem- ployment. People who lost their jobs need the most help right now. The bottom line is there are just too many handouts. The people that need help are not getting a fair break. We have substituted principles and ambi- tion for entitlement. A lot of blood and sweat went into this country from hard working Americans with cal- loused hands and bent backs. The United States of America is becoming lazy. If this is the new American dream then we better wake up real fast. It is a haven of free money, free food and free healthcare. This is not what was meant by the land of the free. Poppy Bennett, Red Bluff Teachers and dead horses Editor: You may wonder what laid off teachers and dead horses have to do with each other. Taxes, or the lack of funds. My husband was laid off two years ago. He found a job six months later. We don't know year to year where he will work and if we should join him or if we will be forced to move again or depend on the kindness of relatives. I was in high school when Prop. 13 went through. I imme- diately saw a change. Teachers were laid off and school coun- selors fired. I couldn't even get in an art class in high school because of class choice reduc- tion. Before that, high school used to prepare you for either college or careers. It used to teach children how to take care of themselves and how to live in the world. Grade school used to be rich in field trips, music and multiformated learning. Since Prop. 13, there are properties owned by foreigners that are leased and rented at tremendous profit, yet the taxes are frozen to long gone values and miniscule tax amounts. Those foreigners profit and only pay the low base tax rate that all people pay instead of the 70 percent tax rates the rich used to pay. They are the ones who benefit most by the tax supported infrastructure. The rich benefit most by our being educated, our roads, our police and prison systems. We have been so indoctrinated that taxes are bad. Our society is very entwined and to maintain that takes money. Yes, there is the Sarah Palin fanta- sy of grab your gun, drive your 4x4 and head out into the woods, but your vehi- cle would soon run out of gas if the roads aren't maintained so the gas can be delivered. The rural fantasy is only for the very rich, or families that still have their land — until they find themselves stalked by those people driven mad by despair, hunger and abuse who the laid off police would have rounded up and the prisons would have held to protect us all. So unless we want to see more bodies, both human and animal, and more potholes, and more hostility and fear, we have to get rid of the govenator and start taxing people and start making the money bubble up from the bottom instead of trickle down from the rich and getting richer. Tired of the effects of our tax drought on our communi- ties. Vivian Keller, Red Bluff Your Turn