Issue link: https://www.epageflip.net/i/7952
6A – Daily News – Tuesday, March 16, 2010 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 This health care thing has dri- ven people crazier than Johnny Depp in a Max Fleischer cartoon on acid. Pro or con, your rhetoric bet- ter be cranked up to 11 and soar- ing past the outer orbit of Nep- tune, or you're going to be as invisible as a tax collector with a soggy paper plate full of Swedish meatballs sitting next to the deceased at a wake. Talk-show host Rush Lim- baugh jumped into this peculiar March Madness feet-first, threatening to leave the U.S. should health care reform pass. He must realize, for a lot of peo- ple, that's a big win-win. And if the prospect of his permanently playing ex-pat doesn't motivate progressives, nothing will. He even mentioned Costa Rica as a possible destination. Where they have universal heath care. Just like every industrial- ized country in the world. Although your access to Oxy- contin may vary. Eric Massa, the New York Democrat who admitted grab- bing a staffer's staff, embarked on a media-based whining tour charging he was hounded out of office by the White House and smeared because of his opposi- tion to health care reform. But even though he was willing to speak ill of the administration, Glenn Beck washed his hands of Tickle-Me Eric, after the former Congressman trotted out some intra-personal top-bunk Naval snorkeling documentation. When a pissed-off Democrat is too far gone for Glenn Beck, things truly have escalated into kooky Kabuki terrain. Meanwhile, in another part of town, Sen. Orrin Hatch railed that if Democrats try to jam a health care bill through Con- gress it will destroy bipartisan- ship. Oh, no. Not that, They're killing the dodo. Apparently this guy is more worried about a dead fantasy than sick Ameri- cans. Then Sen. Mitch McConnell ratcheted up the exponential wackiness by warning Democ- rats they face Electoral Armageddon in the fall, which isn't fair; like regaling 6-year- old girls with tales of the hairy spiders that live under their bed before saying "sleep tight." Obama, his own self, can be found careening around the country like an over-caffeinated Chihuahua engaged in a last- ditch effort to sell the bill to what you might call his hesitant posse. Yeah. Recalcitrant Democrats. What are the odds? Like calling a flash flood irksome. Hell, at this point Obama would be happy to pass any- thing. Health care. The jobs bill. A hook pat- tern. Kidney stone. Toyota Prius. The overwhelming d i s c o m b o b u l a t i n g apprehension is the president isn't just piloting his own kamikaze fighter into the carrier of health care, he's sending vul- nerable troops on the same suicide mission. One that will make Gallipoli look like a weekend pass at an Istanbul brothel. After all, it's not his butt on the re-election line this fall, and the GOP strategy to stall pro- ceedings has frothed Democrat- ic incumbents into such a lather, the sweat dripping off their faces is shorting out microphones all across this great land of ours. Now we're hearing the target passage date might be a bit more elastic than the waistband of a Rino's tutu. The good news is, sooner or later, this bill will either become law or not become law and everybody can settle back down to their normal routine of accusation, obfusca- tion and procrastina- tion until Election Day. But until then, keep taking your vita- mins; this health care debate seems to be making a lot of people sick. Will Durst is a San F r a n c i s c o - b a s e d political comic who writes sometimes. 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.E- mail Will at durst@caglecartoons.com. Health debate leads to kooky Kabuki terrain 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 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 Will Durst Raging Moderate Beautifying our cemetery Editor: The Tehama Cemetery man- ager and trustees would like to acknowledge the many hours of volunteer labor performed by Kevin Brunnemer of Foothill Cement in power washing all the old headstones that had become covered with lichen and moss. He came every Tuesday and Thursday afternoon for several months. It has made a beautiful improvement in the older sec- tion of the cemetery. We appreciate very much all the work he has done. Thank you Kevin. Rochelle Button, Tehama Muddy trail left by Jim Nielsen Editor: The column "Muddy waters flood education system" by Pat Gleason brings to mind the trail Assemblyman Jim Nielsen has ridden to get where he is today. He has falsified his residence in Gerber and on top of that he actually lives outside the district he represents. All of this with the approval of the local District Attorney, Sheriff and some judges. Why do these elected offi- cials choose to ignore the laws of the State of California. It has become apparent to me that these before mentioned officials can, in their mindset, only answer to the voters and I for one will not be voting for any incumbent. It's my understanding the state grand jury is processing a claim concerning Mr. Nielsen but with the "Moonbeam" in charge of the Attorney General's Office I see lots of cloud cover. I encourage all voters to be aware of the issues in the com- ing election. W.R. Hendrix, Red Bluff Who owes who an apology? Editor: I have been stewing about the article regarding the 8th grader who's mother demands an apol- ogy from the school for her daughter breaking the rules. What in the heck is wrong with this mother? She shows no respect for the school rules and is teaching her daughter the same disrespect. Is it any wonder where this child will be in the next few years? We are teaching our children that anything goes. If an adult can do it, so can a child? This young girl hasn't the maturity to make decisions such as this. Having her mother defend her instead of teaching her the ways of life will lead this girl down a frightening path. I feel so very sorry for her as she has no one to teach her respect of self and others. I am ashamed of the school for back- ing down on this issue. Her mother states that her daughter saw a teacher with one and wanted one too. She stated that she wanted to be just like the teacher but doesn't even know her that well. What an excuse. It seems this excuse was thought up after her daughter was reprimanded by the school. And then to say it's not fair 'cause the teacher is getting to do whatever she wants. What is this mother thinking? No child has the same rights as an adult. To even suggest this is unbe- lievable. Good luck to this child, she truly needs it. Karen Stinson, Red Bluff Letter merely talking points Editor: I had to chuckle when I read the letter to the editor from Jen- nifer Fearing of Sacramento in the Feb. 17 edition. It was in response to Jean Barton's col- umn in which she shed some light on the Humane Society of the United States (HSUS). Apparently, Fearing repre- sents HSUS as her letter was replete with "our" and "we." Her letter seemed to replicate the talking points from the brochures you get in the mail from HSUS soliciting dona- tions. I'm sure many of you have received these or seen the ads on TV portraying obviously abused dogs and cats. I love dogs and cats and abhor animal cruelty as much as anyone, but let's illuminate the real HSUS. Jean Barton did not get it wrong. Consumer Freedom looked at the IRS Form 990 submitted by HSUS for 2008. HSUS took in $86 million in contributions. It spent $24 million on fundrais- ing so 28 cents of every dollar donated went towards getting more donations. It paid $4.2 million to a "lockbox" company just to count and process those donations. They paid out more than $30.9 million in salaries and benefits. There were 41 employees making more than $100,000 a year. CEO Wayne Pacelle — you've seen him on the HSUS TV ads — earned more than $250,000 in salary and benefits. Almost $20 mil- lion was spent for "campaigns, legislation and litigation." Are you ready for this? Only a little more than $450,000 in grants was giving to organiza- tions providing hands-on care to dogs and cats. Half of one per- cent of the total budget went to these grants. Let's see, $30.9 million to their employees, $24 million for fundraising, $20 million for politicking and liti- gation, $4.2 million for some- one to count the money and just $450,000 for the hands-on care of the dogs and cats. My recommendation to any- one considering a donation to HSUS is to make that donation to a local animal shelter, where you can be sure more than one half of one percent of your donation will benefit the ani- mals. For more information go to, www.HumaneWatch.org. JR McCollister, Red Bluff Your Turn