Issue link: https://www.epageflip.net/i/98711
6A Daily News ��� Thursday, December 13, 2012 Opinion DAILY NEWS RED BLUFF TEHAMA COUNTY T H E V O I C E O F T E H A M A C O U NTY 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 letters from its readers on timely topics of public interest. All letters must be signed and provide the writer���s home street address and home phone number. 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 submitted will be considered for publication. Letters will be edited. Letters are published at the discretion of the editor. Mission Statement We believe that a strong community 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 vehicles. The Daily News will reflect and support the unique identities of Tehama County and its cities; record the history of its communities and their people and make a positive difference in the quality of life for the residents 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 Get it right? Editor: The question is: will Don Polson ever get anything right? In his column of Dec. 11 he specifically excluded Medicare from what he described as "the existing entitlement/benefit mentality." I guess he thinks all of Medicare is wholly self-supporting. Well, he doesn't understand Medicare funding. He doesn't realize that, by law, the Medicare Part B premium is set every year to cover only 25 percent of anticipated costs. And where does the other 75 percent come from? You guessed it, general revenue. In 2010, $153 billion was transferred from general revenue to Medicare Part B. Similarly, Part D of Medicare is subsidized by income tax revenue. In 2010, $51 billion of general revenue went to pay for Part D prescription drug benefits. Part C, otherwise known as Medicare Advantage, also receives funding from income taxes. Mr. Polson really ought to do his homework before wasting the Daily News' ink. Tehama county has more than 15,000 Medicare beneficiaries, the vast majority over 65 years old. Mr. Polson believes that, because these folks receive benefits derived from others' income taxes, they are somehow dependent on the rest of us and unde- serving. He's wrong about that, too. These folks are our neighbors and our family members. It isn't help, it's payback for everything they've done. Of course we do it. David Janott, Red Bluff Gov. Brown is above the law Editor: Gov. Jerry Brown has instituted an illegal tax levied only on a select few rural owners of habitable buildings and called it a Fire Prevention Fee. This Fire Fee Bill is supposedly to support finances for CalFire, but CalFire is already supported by taxes paid by every property owner. CalFire is a fire service, contracted county by county statewide. Everyone benefits from CalFire services. They are backup to our city fire and medical, as well as fire on our federal, state, and county highways. The wildland fires, if not contained by CalFire, would consume our cities. So why do only some rural people have to pay this fee which will benefit others more than it benefits themselves? This is not a fee; it is a tax. By definition a tax is an assessment by government on persons, property, or corporations. This legislation did not have the approval of 2/3 of both state legislative branches, which is required for a tax by our State million Hindus; 2 to 6 million Buddhist and of course the more than 6.5 million Jews in this country. There are also many fundamental Christians that don���t go for the ChristEditor mas traditions. They A word or two can���t see what Santa Your concerning Mr. Claus, Christmas Swanson���s Dec. 7 lettrees, or Dec. 25 ter titled Atheists vs. have to do with Christmas. Christ���s birth. He says, ���They There are several Supreme believe all Christmas themes Court Decisions in regards to must be removed from our the 1st Amendment. government buildings, city In 1879 the court ruled that parks, schools and basically an anti-bigamy statute didn���t from our daily lives.��� violate it. In 1948 they said He is right about Atheists religious instruction in public believing religious items don���t schools was a violation of the belong on government build- establishment clause and ings, parks, or schools. You therefore unconstitutional, in see the 1st Amendment to our 1963 the court said, forcing a Constitution says ���Congress child to participate in Bible shall make no law respecting reading and prayer was an establishment of religion, unconstitutional, and in 1989 or prohibiting the free exer- the court decided that a nativcise thereof.��� That was and ity scene displayed inside a still is the ��� wall of separa- government building violated tion��� Jefferson wrote about in the Establishment Clause. his letter to the Danbury BapAlthough there are strict tist Association in 1802. guidelines as to governmental That wall was not only to displays or functions there is protect churches from the nor can there be any laws government but all citizens restricting you from celebratfrom a State religion. Just 123 ing Christmas or any other years prior to winning our holiday on private property independence the good Puri- anyway you want as long as it tans of Boston Massachusetts does not entail harming anyexecuted Mary Dyer for one else or damaging their speaking out about her property. beliefs. So have a Merry Christmas Atheists aren���t the only and stop worrying about the ones who don���t celebrate ACLU. Christmas, what about the 1.5 Orval Strong, Gerber Constitution. Danny Murray, Rancho Tehama Atheists Turn 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 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) 2240454. Commentary What price democracy? They say democracy doesn���t have a price. Yet lately some around the state���s 4th Senate District have been uttering out the side of their mouths that perhaps it does. That price seems to be the millions of dollars it is expected to cost 4th District counties to hold a special run-off election between Jim Nielsen and Mickey Harrington. The pair were the Top 2 vote getters in a special primary election to fill the seat of Doug LaMalfa. Under state law the Top 2 would have a runoff, unless one candidate managed to break over the 50 percent barrier. Nielsen became the overwhelming favorite to win the election when fellow Republican Dan Logue ceased his candidacy. And Nielsen almost succeeded in avoiding the runoff by capturing 49.8 percent of the vote. Harrington finished a distant second with 27.7 percent. That���s led many to question the system, which will force Butte, Colusa, Del Norte, Glenn, Nevada, Placer, Shasta, Siskiyou, Sutter, Tehama, Trinity and Yuba counties to all open their polls again Jan. 8 for a bal- lot that consists of just two names. If just 832 voters had picked Nielsen instead of another candidate, we wouldn���t be in this mess. Perhaps some of those voters could have been from the pool of 43,303 that voted for Logue, who had already dropped out of the race. Or they could have come from the 7,146 that voted for Ben Emery, who had also dropped out of the race. Then there���s the 153,960 registered voters who didn���t even bother to vote. Any one of those situations could have happened, but didn���t. It is not inconceivable that a career politician has upset more than 50 percent of the people to the point he will never receive their vote again. Some liberals will refuse to vote for Nielsen, some are angered by his handling of water issues and others have an unyielding interest in where he sleeps at night. In 2010 Californians passed Prop 14, the Top Two Primaries Act. It was believed it would help moderate candidates, but it also meant no legislator would ever be elected without winning a true majority of the vote. In the wake of Nielsen falling ing when you vote at your kitchen table. 832 votes short, some You may not get a have suggested the law fancy sticker to brag should be amended. At about doing your least in the case of a patriotic duty, but special election if one there���s no reason we candidate wins by say can���t start mailing 20 percent over second those out as well. place, he would autoClose to 66 percent matically win the elecof the ballots cast in tion. November came from That���s sure a money vote-by-mail voters. saving idea, but elecThat���s a clear tions are not like majority. The change horseshoes or hand Rich is coming one day. grenades, close should But in the spirit of never count. fairness I offer this In Corning a City compromise. How Council race was about special election runoffs decided by eight votes. There is one idea that would involving just two candidates retain the sanctity of elections being done solely by vote-byyet save some money in the mail? That will keep it more cost process. But be warned tradieffective, keep our principles of tionalists don���t want to see it. Vote-by-mail-only elections democracy in order and increase cost half the price of opening what will likely be dismal polling locations and paying turnout. I���ll offer that idea to the winpolling workers. Yet only the states of Oregon and Washing- ning candidate to submit as a ton have switched to the system. bill at a deeply discounted price The most frequent argument to the voters ��� free of charge. against 100 percent vote-byRich Greene can be mail comes from a dying breed, ���I like the feeling I get when I reached at 527-2151, Ext. 109 or by email at go into the booth.��� I can tell you from experi- rgreene@redbluffdailynews.c ence you still get that same feel- om. Greene