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4A – Daily News – Monday, April 26, 2010 Opinion Earth Day in the North State D NEWSAILY 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 I am writing this column on Earth Day with great hope and faith in our abilities to restore bal- ance to the planet and secure a bet- ter future for our children. The evolution of sustainability con- sciousness, renewable energy sys- tems, and legislation to protect and responsibly develop natural resources over the past four decades has been remarkable and we have much to be proud of as evidenced by present and planned activities in the north state. After years of diminishing salmon runs in the Sacramento due to water impoundments, diver- sions, and over fishing we are now constructing one of the largest pumping facilities in the nation to satisfy our irrigation needs without impeding the migration of fish. The combination of environmental awareness, engineering ingenuity, and effective government action needed to achieve this feat deserves our respect and gives me reason to be proud of our local and federal officials. As I was driving to attend the third meeting of the newly formed Tehama Coffee Party last Wednes- day, I saw some huge and curious objects on the railway siding in Gerber. Upon further inspection I surmised that these were wind generator blades in excess of 150 lineal feet. I asked one of the hard hats supervising their offloading where they were going and he informed me that they are the last parts of 44 wind-powered genera- tors being installed at Hatchet Ridge outside of Burney. After the meeting, where we discussed options to increased use of nuclear energy, coal, and off shore drilling, I went on-line to discover that Siemens Corporation is now hiring technicians to construct and oper- ate these generators, and that a sec- ond wind farm outside of Burney is now in the works. For those of you that missed my column last week I should explain that I was visiting my birthplace in El Paso Texas and driving home with a trailer in tow with some of my mother’s favorite things. I was impressed with the quality of our highway systems, the efficiency of my mom’s 2001Cadillac, and inspired as I drove through the towering wind farms of Tehachapi pass. These generators are a testament to the cost-effectiveness, durability, and non-polluting nature of the tech- nology that we are now embracing in the north state. When I read about the unani- mous approval of what may become the largest array of solar panels in the state by the Tehama County Planning Commission during my absence my heart near- ly skipped a beat. At long last this idealistic solar engineer from the 1980’s is seeing the fruition of his dreams, literally in his back yard! This project that promises hundreds of local jobs and enough power for thousands of homes may be just the beginning of a new type of farming in the valley – energy farming that can provide clean high paying jobs, renewable energy, and a resurgence of the local economy. Considering this in combination with the recent contract signed by the school district to install enough photo- voltaic panels on the Red Bluff High School campus to satisfy its energy needs, it appears we are on the cusp of a new era of clean, sus- tainable power and becoming leaders in the deployment of green technologies. I hope that everyone shares my optimism for the north state as we harness renewable energy sources and learn to efficiently apply them to meet our needs. Americans from both sides of the political spectrum have contributed to this evolution, starting with the pro- grams and policies enacted by Richard Mazzucchi Positive Point President Nixon, who established the Environmental Protection Agency, and required that the envi- ronmental impacts of human activities be assessed prior to devel- opment. Faced with the realities of the Arab Oil Embargo, President Carter recognized the strategic need to develop alternatives to oil and fossil fuels to satisfy our growing domestic ener- gy needs and estab- lished the Solar Energy Research Institute and other federally funded energy research and development programs. Unfortunately President Regan essentially termi- nated these initiatives and helped create the crisis we must now address. I am confident however that the Obama administration will correct these matters and continue to support clean energy technologies that pro- tect our environment, provide local jobs, and improve our national security. 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 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. Candidates; NRA; brownshirts on left Commentary Tomorrow, Tuesday April 27, will be another candidates night at the Tehama County Tea Party Patriots meeting, 6 p.m. at Trinity Missionary Church, Hampton Rhodes Drive on the west side of Paskenta Road between Luther and Walnut. They have been among the most popular events hosted by the Tea Party locally with sometimes standing-room- only attendance. Even some not supportive of the Tea Party overall have expressed positive views of the type of forum provided for those seeking support and votes for local, even state-wide, offices. This week will see appear- ances by attorneys Ken Miller, running for District Attorney, Jonathan Skillman, candidate for Superior Court, and Lisa Muto, also running for Superior Court. While the Superior Court candi- dates are running against each other, their appearances don’t constitute a debate, but rather individual addresses toward the Tea Party issues. As at other such events, ques- tions will be allowed. Kudos to Tea Party Patriot Bill Kingsford for all the time and organization it has taken to contact and line up the many candidates for these addresses. It’s been a tremendous service to the many hundreds of citizens who’ve attended. Honorable mention is also owed to many dozens of Tea Party Patriots who 1) set up a popular booth at the chili cook-off, 2) turned out with signs and flags for the local April 15, tax day rally downtown, to the near-constant honks of support from passers-by, and 3) decorated and rode the Tea Party Patriots float in the Round Up parade, also to enthusiastic applause from folks watching on the sidewalks. In Redding, on April 15, more than a thousand Tea Party adher- ents turned out at the Sundial Bridge and the Hilltop/Dana Drive rallies to oppose tax increases that we now know the Democrats plan to shove down our throats, just like the unpopular health care bill. The nationwide motto for the movement is now "Remember in November" which will, I believe, deliver a resound- ing political shock when the elec- toral massacre happens this fall. Stay tuned. On May 4, County Adminis- trator Bill Goodwin will present the latest iteration of the Sacra- mento River National Recreation Area Act to the Board Of Super- visors — check agenda for time. Among numerous edits and tweaks, the bill now includes lan- guage authorizing the acquisition, from willing sellers, of access to the area that would presumably relieve the Bend surface streets of the expected traffic attendant to the elevated NRA status. There is also additional emphasis on law enforcement needs. To look it over for yourself, send an email to me and I will for- ward the bill to you. You can access the bill online by going to www.co.tehama.ca.us and, on the home page, using the "Current Issues" link to go to the page with the NRA documents listed. Look for "Sacramento River NRA – May 4, 2010 Board Considera- tion." If you are opposed to the NRA no matter the language, make your opinion known to the Supervisors; if you are like me, and need to see what changes have been made to the bill, look it over before weighing in on the issue. Then plan to attend on May 4. A writer offered a reprehensible rational- ization for someone using the "nazi" epithet against a Tea Party "sea- soned citizen," as Rush calls them, collecting signatures and voter reg- istrations. He attempted to prove that "Tea Party adherents appear to act as the Nazi’s (sic) did" by refer- ring to a town hall that Congress- man Barney Frank held wherein someone, who had no identifica- tion as a Tea Party member, attempted to question Frank on the health care legislation. I’ve watched the event on You illustrates that liberals in general will twist anything to present the opposite of the truth. We have numerous Don Polson The way I see it examples of actual intimidation tactics by those on the left: 1) Code Pink fanatics shut down an address by former Pres. Bush adviser Carl Rove, 2) Campus lefties and Israel haters shut down two addresses by Israeli representatives, 3) Liberal activist/pro- testers in Canada shut down an address by conservative writer Ann Coulter, 4) Illegal immigrant advocates shut down a meeting by the Minutemen, a pro-border-security Tube, which shows the opposite of what the writer stated. Frank cut off, and insulted, and talked back to the questioner rudely. The crowd, contrary to the writer’s description, was on Frank’s side and jeered the questioner, except for those objecting to Frank’s rudeness and evasiveness. Barney Frank clearly used his position and microphone to attempt to intimidate the citizen, which is typical of liberals in power. This group, at Columbia University, 4) Anti-Republican left wing pro- testers chased, shouted at, and insulted one staffer for Gov. Bobby Jindal, after a Republican fundraising event in New Orleans — they severely beat another staffer and his girl friend, 5) Union thugs packed town hall meetings to prevent health care opponents from attending, and then pushed them out if they got in. I could go on but you surely get the point that the brownshirts are on the left. Don Polson has called Red Bluff home since 1988.He can be reached by e-mail at donplsn@yahoo.com.