THE WAY I SEE IT   by Don Polson    Red Bluff Daily News   5/08/2012

The upcoming Red, White and Blue Banquet!

Many of you may have received an invitation in the mail to the annual Republican Red, White and Blue Banquet, scheduled for Saturday, May 19, at the Veterans Hall on Oak Street; 5 PM for no-host bar, 6 PM for dinner. In case you’ve moved, are recently arrived in Tehama County and wanting to enjoy camaraderie and bread-breaking with fellow conservatives, or find this to be a pivotal year to show support for your team at the local level, read on.

While many folks wait until closer to the date to firm up reservations, we are sincerely asking those thinking of attending to make those plans and reservations now, or by May 10 at the latest. It’s as easy as picking up the phone and calling 567-2323 or 529-1226 and telling us how many tickets you wish to reserve. Seating and tables have to be planned; the caterer also needs a confirmed count for obvious reasons.

Here’s what to look forward to: The color guard will be from the Air Force ROTC out of Sacramento State University. Rather than one speaker from out of town, this year’s dinner will focus on hearing from our elected Republicans – Senator Doug LaMalfa, Assemblyman Jim Nielsen and Supervisor Bob Williams. Among invited guests is retiring Congressman Wally Herger.

No, I’m not forgetting the food, by any means. You are not going to be disappointed by what Snack Box Catering plans to fill your plate, including bacon-wrapped filet and seasoned roasted chicken breast in addition to fresh rolls and vegetables. Rarely have we heard a discouraging word after past dinners – usually it’s just the opposite.

Also, active, uniformed military and children under 12 are free! Individual prices are $35, but if you want to have a table of your friends or family, a table of 4 will be $140, a table of 8 will be $280. Business attire is expected, however you wish to define that; there will be silent auction items.

Finally, a few words are in order for the raffle Grand Prize: a working black powder replica 1851 Navy Colt .36 caliber as used by James Butler “Wild Bill” Hickok (he actually used a pair of them). Tickets are $10 each or 3 for $25 and can be purchased in advance as well as at the dinner prior to the drawing. We are still happy to have silent auction items contributed; the contact numbers are the same: 567-2323 or 529-1226.

Tehama County Tea Party Patriots are meeting tonight at the Westside Grange; I’m not in receipt of meeting itinerary but you are promised to know more when you leave than when you arrived.

Moving on, I was chagrined to see that J. Harrop found my use of the term “enviro-liberalist” (which I shamelessly lifted from another, more famous conservative writer whose name escapes me) to be on a par with name-calling, meant to be insulting. Now, a short time back I retracted a term that I neither directed at President Obama nor the other writer on this page, but I felt that readers might think I was doing so, a possibility that was undignified.

I reject the characterization that calling R. Mazzucchi an “enviro-liberalist” was in poor taste. I doubt that the writer would object to either the term “environmentalist” or “liberal” since they are simply descriptors of often-stated positions and beliefs. Combining the two terms is simply short hand, not unlike how I might be tagged a “conservatationist” (conservative/conservationist); you get the idea, maybe not. Seriously, folks get their undies knotted over such obscure and fanciful things, I suppose. No other writers ever objected to my being called a “moron” on this page, proving their selective umbrage over name-calling and insults.

When the above writer provided readers with glowing, public relations statistics about PG&E’s marvelous advances in solar energy, he got the name of the source he was quoting wrong. As reported in the April 20 Daily News, page 5B, the PG&E press release, “Utility ranked as nation’s top for solar” (it had no news service source, only pge.com web links), cited the purveyor of wonderful “news” about PG&E to be “Solar Electric Power Association (SEPA). R.M. misidentified the source of PG&E’s praise-worthy accomplishments as “Solar Energy Power Association.” All electricity is energy but not all energy is electricity.

While I leave online comments and replies to those so motivated, I did find one a bit disturbing. In responding to other commenters who had the temerity to disagree with and criticize his praise of Obamacare, Mr. Mazzucchi wrote “Blah, blah, blah – I can’t help it if the truth hurts (names critic), and I’ve had it up to here with your predictable condemnations of my positions. I am being neither duplicitous nor disingenuous and your assertions to the contrary rise to the level of libel. Please cease and desist such behavior immediately.”

Readers should reject such attempts at intimidation and restraint of criticism, as you probably already know. We are all big boys, and as public figures should either “put up or shut up” over reader criticism, as the saying goes.