Issue link: https://www.epageflip.net/i/90684
4A Daily News – Tuesday, October 30, 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 Your 2012 ballot - trick or treat? On this hallows eve it is timely to decide if your Nov. 6 ballot choices are a trick or a treat. How you classify the selections will depend upon your predispositions, prejudices, political persuasion, moral compass and sources of information. As a well travelled scientist and engineer with a mili- tary background, progressive political outlook, new thought Jesus based spirituality, and pas- sion to read and research I suspect that my perspectives will differ greatly from those of you that have lived only in the agricultural north state with a well cultivated home grown work ethic and conserva- tive neighbors. Nonetheless I entreat you to suspend your disbe- lief in what I have to say long enough to appreciate a perspective different from your own. If you are persuaded by voodoo economics, anecdotal evidence, and phantom physics the choice of Willard (Mitt) Romney for presi- dent makes perfect sense. Magi- cally this man can erase the nation- al debt by cutting taxes for every- one, increasing peacetime military spending, and maintaining Medicare and Social Security for everyone over 55 without any changes. You have no need for a calculator, because blind faith in doing precisely what got us into this fiscal mess President Obama inherited in the first place is sure to work better this time. The belief that Proposition 37 to label genetically modified foods can be implemented without cost to protect people from phantom illnesses without scientific scruti- ny is justified although all living things are the product of genetic modifications otherwise known as evolution. Now that mankind has learned how to accelerate the process of natural selection with genetic science it takes on a ghoul- ish reputation because of per- ceived corporate conspiracy theo- ries. Never mind that these compa- nies have championed feedstock with dramatically improved yields and crop resistance to reduce costs and environmental damage when unsubstantiated health damages lie in the balance. Those that subscribe to phan- tom physics, like north state Con- gressional representative Wally Herger and Doug LaMalfa, his hand-picked replacement wannabe, can smugly assert that climate change is only something that happens every three months while benefitting from grandfa- thered water rights and millions in farm subsidies despite record breaking temperatures, droughts and wild fires covering most of the farm belt and forests, and out of control federal spending while cut- ting taxes. One need only blame liberals and their fiendish defense of the environment for our ills and throw them out along with med- dlesome lawyers and government regulations so the invisible hand of free markets can magically make us rich without having to spend a dime to preserve the planet. Such a belief system also absolves you of any concerns about our past California Assemblyman and now State Senate candidate Jim Nielsen's fraudulent claim that he lives in Gerber to qualify to rep- resent us while actually living in Woodland with his wife so both of them can collect hundreds of thousands of taxpayer travel and per-diem dol- lars. Perhaps this "Con- servative Rancher" real- ly is like one of us to those that subscribe to such tactics without reproach. I fervently hope most ing them to international competi- tors. Richard voters will reject these absurd notions and make choices this election to actu- ally treat our problems instead of trick us into believing that they don't exist. Consider the logical approach espoused by President Obama that by increasing taxes on wealthy Americans and investing the peace dividend of reduced mil- itary spending to rebuild our infra- structure and convert to renewable fuels we will increase revenues, economic activity, job creation, and sustainability while whittling away our national debt. There is no voodoo in this approach, just sound economics and simple math. He admits that sacrifices and fiscal discipline will be necessary instead of proffering pie-in-the- sky "I know how to create jobs" statements by a king of outsourc- Mazzucchi Positive Point of the citizenry to further aggran- dize the wealthy, and adoption of their highest priority to be the removal of those presently in high- er office. Such mantras have more to do with stymieing recovery and growth for partisan gain, rather than serving the principled needs of the constituents on so many lev- els including supporting afford- able health care, protecting civil rights, fixing the tax system, and protecting the planet. The pragmatic eco- nomic and moderate social positions of Jim Reed, the Fall River Mills tax-attorney and country farmer running for US Congress, and Jan Reed (no relation), the independent Chico educator running for the California Senate, will help dissolve rather than calcify the gridlock now rendering the state and federal legislatures useless with partisan politics, pledges to shrink government at all costs irrespective of the needs and abilities The choice is yours on your 2012 ballot – trick or treat? Richard Mazzucchi is a retired research engineer specializing in energy efficiency and renewable energy. He can be reached at living-green@att.net. 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: governor@governor.ca.gov. U.S. REPRESENTATIVE — Wally Herger (R), 2595 Ceanothus Ave., Ste. 182, Chico, CA 95973; 893-8363. U.S. SENATORS — Dianne Fein- stein (D), One Post Street, Suite 2450, San Francisco, CA 94104; (415) 393- 0707. Fax (415) 393-0710. Barbara Boxer (D), 1700 Mont- gomery St., Suite 240, San Francisco, CA 94111; (510) 286-8537. Fax (202) 224-0454. Candidates, taxes and teachers unions Commentary Tonight, at the Tea Party Patri- ots' meeting, all of the candidates for State Senate – Jann Reed, Dan Levine, Ben Emery and Jim Nielsen – will appear, make state- ments and take questions. The for- mat for questions will be announced. This is a somewhat different type of candidates' night from others and will be worth your time. I apologize to anyone that went to last week's meeting expecting a discussion of the ballot propositions; information was available at the door. The meeting contained some passionate feedback by members who attended the Regional Water Board meeting, which they felt was inclined toward goals and agendas threatening to Northern Californians' water rights. Some had various ideas for how to respond; others aren't completely sold on the imminence of water meters, industrial-size wells suck- ing our aquifer dry to send south, or other top-down impositions against our water rights. We'll see how it goes; I'm not lighting my hair on fire over it, yet. I have to weigh in against Mea- sure A, which imposes a "Transit Occupancy Tax (TOT)" on, effec- tively, one Red Bluff business, the Durango RV Resort on Lake Avenue adjacent to the freeway and south of the Sacramento River. I don't have a vote, being a county resident; however, it is a ballot issue that affects the greater Red Bluff economy in ways that those who put it up for a vote may not have considered. There are RV parks within the city as well as others in unincorpo- rated areas; I'm informed that the TOT is paid by a couple of Red Bluff RV parks but not by any other parks outside of town limits. Those various parks range in qual- ity (generally very good but not always), prices (I haven't done a survey but Durango may trend higher due to facility improve- ments), location (proximity to the freeway, restaurants and shopping) and appeal (monthly residents can be a turnoff for higher end travelers and their hundred thousand-plus dollars worth of RVs). I also have no way to ascertain whether the lack of a TOT in the pricing for Durango spaces has had any affect on competitors' reserva- tions or nightly drop-ins. We are too cheap to pay for a space when we can sleep overnight in a Wal- Mart or other parking lot on our way to forest, lakeside or mountain campgrounds. However, as Good Sam members we receive their monthly magazine, "Highways," and can assure you that the RVing community is adamantly opposed to TOTs or any other taxes target- ing RV parks. Letters are published informing their readers about where they can go to avoid such fees and taxes; their reporters and researchers are keen to keep read- ers apprised of the worst offenders of travelers' wallets. Since all motels and hotels reside in the city, there is a leveling effect of TOTs in their case. How- ever, if you haven't noticed Duran- go's well-filled park, it's worth considering the arguments involved relating to the tax and it's implications. In the first place, Durango Resort is not in a head-to- head competition with O'nite or Rivers Edge, for instance, due to their size and clientele, nor, as nice as it is, with the Red Bluff RV Park off of Antelope Blvd, due to Durango's facilities. Durango is, however, in competition with RV parks like the one in Redding next to I-5 at Lake Blvd (campers pay a TOT). I think we should consider that hav- ing a high-end RV Park with a pricing advantage versus other parks, sought out by well- heeled travelers, to be a major economic feather in our "Branding" cap, if you will. The word gets out and Red Bluff benefits when those travelers buy groceries, supplies, restaurant meals, attend an event or movie, or explore parks and trails. Why not let them keep a few (around five, actually) dollars per night, encour- age them to discover some of the things that make us unique in all of Northern California, maybe chose among our modestly priced real estate listings to make into a "home base." They might return that money many times over to mer- chants due to the good will they perceive by not being gouged just for occupying a space in an RV park. Vote "No" on Measure A. I was chagrined to find agree- ment with the other Tuesday writer Don Polson The way I see it on the issue of Prop 37, the food labeling initiative (Vote No). That should settle it in voters' minds, anyway. I have another exam- ple of an invaluable ser- vice to readers: "Polecat News and Views" (go to the blog tab at the online Daily News, or donpol- son.blogspot.com) makes available materi- al, analysis and opinion that won't fit into this column. On the subject of teachers' unions, the disconnect between money and education results, and the way said money is corrupted by virtue of forced union dues spent to raise taxes on Californians; scroll down to the "Education" label on my home page. Must reads: "When Public Sector Unions Win in Califor- nia," "Small Class-Size Balloon Punctured Again," "The Imagi- nary Teacher Shortage," "The Largest Political Machine," and "Textbook case of inefficiency: Can't buy a quality education," showing how 8 percent more students in classes has seen funding more than double with no discernable improvement in quantified learning and test results. Vote "No" on Props 30 and 38. Don Polson has called Red Bluff home since 1988. He can be reached by e-mail at donplsn@yahoo.com.