Fair and Balanced???

Your editorial about LaMafa, who takes thousands of dollars from the government every year in rice subsidies, took the typical "fair and balanced approach", to the "I won't compromise no matter what conservative wackos" of today's politics.

You divulged that both Republican primary candidates for Wally (do nothing) Herger have predictably taken the Norquist (I really am President), "no tax increase pledge".

Then you pivot and equate that with some Democrats who have taken pledges, actually individual promises, to not cut labor interests. Somehow both sides are wrong...even though the cons are the ones who refuse to compromise EVER!

Where is the liberal's no cut labor pledge? I did a google search...no such thing? I searched "no tax increase pledge" and there Norquist is...in all his fanatical glory.

California, unfortunately, gave us Ronald Reagan. And Reagan gave us Norquist. In the 1980s, he aimed the fanatic at America, trying to drum up support for his tax cut mania. Reagan is long gone, Norquist lives on like a bad dream.

In California, this has led to the phenomenon of politicians cutting taxes due to windfalls, economic booms and the like. Then, when times get bad, or there are different circumstances, as you article says, pledges to not raise taxes handcuffs the government when we most need it.

And the result? Our public education system is in shambles. Our prison system is a disaster. Our roads are really serial pot-holes. Government at all levels is broke. And whose fault is it...why public pensions obviously!??? That's right, blame labor for depressions. Your side tried that during the Great Depression, and did not get a majority in Congress for 25 years!

And, in Shasta County, the radical right controls all levels of government, from city councils to Congress. And, our county is starving to death. And a Democrat has no chance. This is in a sea of Democrats, that stops at Sacramento.

We are a backwater stop on the way to nowhere, and the rest of the state doesn't give a damn. By being red in a sea of blue, we are committing political suicide!

Oh, I know, let's secede and join Oregon...oops, they are Democratic also. How about joining Modoc County, they are like minded (mindless)....and also poor!

Fanaticism hurts people. But be fair, it does not cut both ways. Liberals are not taking pledges. Liberals are not running the country into the ditch to make a point.

Conservative fanaticism has reached such a point today, that with a little help, democracy is in real trouble. Republicans, and conservative newspapers like yours, need to stand up as Barbara Bush did this week and say, "Since when was compromise a bad word?" How refreshing to see leadership from the former First Lady!

We used to call Redding "Poverty Flats". Then the New Deal came, and we saw fifty years of government project based prosperity. Then we got Reagan, and went hard right, and now we should be called Potterville!

It is not fair, and it sure as hell is not balanced!