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4A Daily News– Wednesday, October 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. 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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 Arbitrary enforcement and 'The War on Kids' Editor: few bad apples can find them- selves... sometimes in the same barrel. But it's not that the barrel is bad. It almost seems funny that a Youth organizations, virtually all of them, are long-term mentor- ing programs. But what does that mean - to be a mentor, especially to a child (or a group of children, tweens and teens) in our commu- nity? Mentoring is about being there; it's about giving them struc- ture according to the program's guidelines and not bringing in something that has no place, such as arbitrary enforcement unless you want to assassinate a child's spirit. a kind of responsibility involved on both sides, the new member (all its members) and the adult staff of the organizations, usually volun- teers from within the community. Volunteers come from all walks of life and everyone brings some- thing good to the table. The Scouts are known to make it a requirement that their adults be trained before being allowed to work with their scouts. I feel this is a good policy because those vol- unteers will be required to lead their youth and follow the very regulations they mean to lead by. Lead by example. Follow all the rules and regulations regardless if you like them all or not. It's also called, "Best Practices." Arbitrary enforcement was not in the oath or in the promises made by the organization. Arbitrary enforcement means that if the child is accused of some violation of the rules and is assumed guilty as charged then there is no due process involved (it isn't allowed). One of the very first things to know about our youth is that the system has very little or no empathy for them these days. That is supposedly why we have these programs, isn't it? Organizations either go out and actively recruit our youth or their doors are well known to be open for new members. Promises are made and oaths are taken. There's it's just the ugly secret to be used when their is a lack of training and the desire not to be trained. If an incident actually happens some of the main questions that might be asked are, "Where were the adults?" "Who made the accu- sations?" "Who else witnessed it?" "Where all witnesses and par- ties interviewed?" Sometimes done with the information gath- ered?' "What was that any actions being considered against anyone, be either moved forward or dismissed (with the child's dignity in tact). If it is to be moved forward and some form of internal action or consequences will occur against anyone the accused has certain due process I feel it is then, and only then, rights. Even in private non profit organizations, especially if they receive any form of funding from a governmental source. But let's just say that I am incorrect in all of this - how are we to treat our children today - in schools, in programs, in society? Drop out and youth suicide rates are not decreasing. Why? Do some research. The US Department of Justice has a lot of the answers to many of these questions and more. They put the information out but we seem reluctant in accepting it. USDOJ recognizes that it is the lack of empathy, the most powerful word in the English lan- guage, is not well known in our adult system that oversees the youth programs. Or maybe it's just ignored. appears that we are so desperate for volunteers to step up that we accept almost anybody. When something like this hap- pens it is the same as killing the spirits of the youth we are sup- pose to be mentoring. Spiritual assassination. Empty any spirit they may have had. Why is it allowed be be that our youth are being devalued? For more information visit www.thewaronkids.com. Sometimes it take some time to visit the JUVJUST@usdoj.gov, Chronicle of Evidence-Based Mentoring. John Minton, Red Bluff Also The Your Turn of 5% and the wealthier 1/3 of them saw theirs enhanced by 14%. We ought not lose sight of According to latest reports, the median household net worth during the recession years of 2007-2010, dropped 39%, while simul- taneously, members of Congress enjoyed an average increase Inconsistencies Editor: the fact, that these individuals are our employees, sent to Washington on our behalf and paid to represent our interests. How in the world can such an absurdity be explained? Dereliction of duty? Corrup- tion? Insider trading? A direct pipeline to the corporate trough, from whence bless- ings are guaranteed to flow by way of lobbyists? Maybe this little footnote might lead the way: It has been disclosed, that during the same period more than 70 members are known to have sponsored bills that benefitted just them or their families. My personal conclusion? Where greed, (the love of money) corruption, dishon- esty, elitism and crony capi- talism enters, democracy withers and dies. Look about yourself, the evidence is over- whelming. Joe Bahlke, Red Bluff 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. An interview with Big Bird Commentary the large Sesame Street brown- stone and guides me to the par- lor. Big Bird is sitting on a large couch, wearing a silk smoking jacket, holding a bourbon and enjoying a drag on what appears to be an unfiltered Camel cigarette. A butler opens the door of Purcell: Thank you for agree- ing to my interview request, Big Bird, but I am shocked to see you drinking and smoking. I thought you were only 6. Big Bird: I'm a character actor, man. Forty years ago, I took the only role a tall, yellow lark could find. When I'm off the set, it's party time. Purcell: You've been in the news lately. Mitt Romney said he'd cut your public funding. President Obama used you in a political ad to attack Romney. What are your thoughts on this turn of events? get by fine without government money, but "Sesame Street" is small potatoes. Of the $445 million in annual public televi- sion subsidies, about half goes to small stations in rural areas that otherwise might lack the resources to stay on the air. Purcell: Look, Big Bird, when President Johnson estab- lished public television in the '60s, there were only three broadcast networks. Today, there are hundreds of channels to choose from on broadcast, cable, satellite and the Internet. Does it make sense for the gov- ernment to be in the public tele- vision business? Big Bird: Perhaps we could man. We're about promoting lit- eracy to kids through entertain- ment, not politics. Big Bird: It's regrettable, Purcell: But you receive tax- payer funds to air your show. The Christian Science Monitor says Sesame Workshop, the production company that pro- duces your show, generates a whopping $130 million in annual revenue, yet still accepts $10 million in government sup- port. Big Bird: Perhaps not, but you can't deny that the Public Broadcasting System (PBS) has done some stellar work over the years that you haven't seen on other channels. Purcell: Fair enough. WQED's news shows and docu- mentaries do a tremendous job examining Pittsburgh's history, culture and events. Unlike local for-profit news shows, WQED doesn't do car wrecks and build- ing fires every 30 seconds. Big Bird: Nor does PBS do hit pieces on yellow-feathered public figures who have one too many at the pub. Purcell: The truth is, Big Bird, PBS has been so success- Big Bird: Look, man, if you were a business that got $445 million from the gov- ernment every year, would you give it back? Purcell: But you could get by without government funding. The Washington Examiner reports that Sesame Workshop has assets worth nearly $290 million. Your CEO earns nearly $1 million a year. Your compa- ny and PBS are now working with commercial entities to pro- duce programming for Sprout, a 24-hour commercial channel for children. How is it right to accept $10 million annually from the government when that money is being borrowed, or created out of thin air by the Federal Reserve? Big Bird: Hey, our $10 mil- lion is a drop in the bucket rela- tive to the country's $1 trillion deficit. Until everyone else on the government dole starts pony- ful that only 15 percent of its total funding comes from the government. Most comes from viewer donations, gifts and corporate sponsor- ships. It is surely doing something the public likes. So why can't it execute its business model without taxpayer funds? ing up — big companies, politi- cally connected bunglers and lots of government and quasi-gov- ernment organizations — I got no problem accepting free gov- ernment dough. Tom Purcell certain disaster? Purcell: But don't you care about the debt and deficit chal- lenges facing our country? Nobody likes cuts, Big Bird, but all government programs, large and small, have to put some feathers in the game. Can't you see that our country is broke and headed for The butler returns to the parlor with a fresh bourbon. He places an unlit cigarette in Big Bird's beak, lights it and tells Big Bird his bath has been drawn. The butler guides me to the front door. The interview is over. Big Bird doesn't answer. 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. ———