Issue link: https://www.epageflip.net/i/77198
4A Daily News – Friday, August 3, 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 A recent letter to the editor clearly tells us to be diligent and vote for Obama. It cites some of his few successes, mostly bad, but were passed anyway against the wishes of the American peo- ple. Obama failures Editor: Cash for clunkers for exam- ple. All that did was cost us $22,000 a car and took some good cars off the road that were still affordable for those who can't buy newer cars. The Solyndra fiasco. More money down the drain, the execs came out okay though, didn't they, got their bonuses, more of Obama's doing. Transparency? Where? This guy hasn't been transparent about anything, especially his personal life. Many on his team have huge fortunes, that's okay. They're Democrats. How people can criticize Romney is beyond me. And flip-flopping. Obama is the king of flip-flopping. Mud slinging? It's clear who started that. All Romney has done most of the campaign is defend him- self, now he's getting tough, and I hope he gives it all he's got. Obama can't run on his success- es, they're few and far between and flawed. This reader touts Romney has no plans for recovery. Everything is in such a mess, this won't be easy for anyone who is elected. We have prob- lems in every sector of this nation, here and overseas. This problem didn't just begin, our legislators over many years sold us out, Democrats and Republi- cans alike, for money. Perhaps they thought it was for the better, but it's a mess now. Who's going to buy all that crap made in China when we have no jobs here. Thrift stores going up in vacant buildings. Some morons think that's progress still. Buz's Crab after 44 years out. I see the signs of other big stores failing soon. But, this president says we're doing just fine. A man who lives like a king on our money, what gall. Your Turn have four grandkids, grown, they're all working. Mom does- n't support them, they don't expect it. We have serious problems here, Oba- macare scares me to death. Seniors who have worked all their How we can import goods from China is beyond me. Their people are not free, young peo- ple commit suicide all the time because they have no life. You can't tell me we can't make goods here for a reasonable price, our educational system could do a better job for sure. I lives may be told to take a pill and go someplace to die. With so many untruths floating around and with no transparen- cy as Obama calls it, many are scared to death. This is a sad day for our country, soon to be taken over by an evil class of people. The hand-writing is on the wall. Better read it. I heard two remarks on talk radio telling us we should vote for Obama because we won't know what we're getting with Romney. God help us all. Bernice Cressy, Cottonwood 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. Those were the days Commentary Whereas we all look to columnist Jean Barton to keep us apprised of the livestock industry in the west in general, and Tehama County in particular, a recently unearthed February 1967 edition of the California Cat- tleman magazine can be relied upon to fill in historical gaps if Jean ever decides to retire her column and run for Governor of our financially stressed state. The lengthy article in the magazine, titled "BEEF KING IN TEHAMA COUN- TY," is as complete an accounting as I have ever read ...and no wonder, because at the end of the 6,500-word treatise is an adden- dum listing as sources for the article being Darrell Conard, Lyman Willard, Farm Advisor Ken Ellis, Shirley Davis secretary of the Tehama County Cowbells and RBUHS history teacher Andy Osborne. If these people didn't know the facts, nobody did. Young trailed 700 head from Santa Cruz to the Oregon Territory. He camped one night on what was called the Hofft Place north- west of Red Bluff where wild oats towered as high as a man on horseback's head. It was quite possible that Young could have lost a few head, which became the nucleus of the first herd here in Tehama County. It is a fascinating article that should be The story begins in1837 when Ewing torn." And so on. *** Walnut and Rio. It has a restroom for the convenience of those riding the TRAX bus system and is a welcome addition to downtown Red Bluff. However, the shrubs have become overgrown and the trees appear to be, if not dying, sorely in need of water. There may be a dispute as to whom the caretaker might be...TRAX or the city, but in the mean time, the park needs help and we need to know who is minding the store. *** There is a parking lot on the corner of available to local history buffs and those writing term papers on the subject of cattle in Tehama County. I could copy the article for interested parties, but it is a story need- ing circulation. Maybe eventually it should be donated to the Tehama County Library. *** A critic remarked that more poetry is written than read. Not just published, just read. This must be true. I read the New Yorker and they publish poems, but I sel- dom read them through because they are usually in prose, and that is not poetry to me. Leigh Hunt (1784-1859) a somewhat obscure poet, wrote a short poem, in part: "Abou Ben Adhem (may his tribe increase!) awoke one night from a deep dream of peace." This enticed me to write my own rhyming couplet after noting a sign near the Oregon border indicating proximity to the towns of Henley and Holbrook, and I penned: "Henley Hornbrook awoke one morn, and soon discovered his pants were A distraught woman opened our office door and asked whether that was a church across the street. She was pointing to the Cone & Kimball Clock Tower at Main and Walnut. I replied, "We have had, over the years, diverse opin- ions as to what the site was to become, but a church was not a consideration. Perhaps you are looking for the Vineyard Christian Fellowship Church at 738 Walnut." I point- ed her in the right direction and was pleased that I could forward another possible soul for redemption and perhaps salvation. Maybe all the "drive-by blessings" our office has received from the Baptist Church are beginning to pay off. No... probably not. *** Watching the SF Giants being swept by the LA Dodgers last weekend reminded me of George Orwell's classic remark, "Games are war minus the shooting." Oh well, per- haps the Giant's General Manager Brian Sabean will acquire some bats and bolster the pitching by the time we play them again. *** Months ago, a fellow found a cell phone, turned it in to our local Radio Shack, but was disappointed to learn that the person retrieving the phone did not have the cour- tesy to thank him for his generosity. This resulted in a letter to the editor by the find- er, N. Weitzel, and I made sport of his letter in my column. We continued sparring over this for several weeks until we exhausted Robert Minch I Say the subject. I assumed we would be adver- saries from then on. However, he dropped by our office this week and we had a good chuckle over the incident. After a lengthy discussion about the real estate market we parted on friendly terms and exchanged vigorous handshakes. This denoue- ment was welcome and demonstrates that much can be resolved via polite conversation between two elderly gentlemen. Would that all disputed issues be resolved in this manner. *** Last week's quiz was answered first by N. Rick who replied that corn on the cob is what you eat if you first discard some, cook some, eat some and discard some. Also that Charles E. Weller originated the typing exercise "Now is the time for all good men to come to the aid of the party." In which "party" was later changed to "country." This week's quiz: Becky Sharp and *** Becky Thatcher appear in which novels, and what was the name of the ship on which Napoleon made his formal surrender after Waterloo? *** The Pope was in the middle of an audi- ence when an aide summoned him to the phone saying the call was from the Messi- ah. The Pope quickly went to the phone. He returned a few minutes later and told the group, "I have some good news and some bad news. The good news is that the second coming is at hand. The bad news is that the Messiah was calling from Salt Lake City!" Robert Minch is a lifelong resident of Red Bluff, former columnist for the Corning Daily Observer and Meat Industry magazine and author of the "The Knocking Pen." He can be reached at rminchandmurray@hotmail.com. A sign posted on Face- book: "If you can't afford a doctor, go to an airport. You'll get a free X-ray and a breast exam. If you men- tion Al-Qaeda, you'll also get a free colonoscopy."