Issue link: https://www.epageflip.net/i/129008
6A Daily News – Wednesday, May 8, 2013 Opinion Gas prices 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. 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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 Editor: I am writing this letter to you about my concern as a Red Bluff citizen that I think the gas prices are outrageous. I think that if the gas prices were lowered the station would get more customers. So if the station got more customers that means more profits. Also it would mean people would like you and if people like you they might just tell their friends about you. So that is what I think about the gas prices. Zachary England, Red Bluff Ash breeze Editor: Mr. Purcell, in a column of late, has stated that he is an expert in financial responsibility. I agree with him absolutely. He has the perfect and iron clad proof that his economic mud pie understanding of economics is the best tasting pie in the neighborhood. And he even has some people eating that mud pie and saying how good it tastes. It's a mud pie created by a childish comprehension of economics and, if you have a child's understanding of economics, I guess you can convince yourself that mud tastes good. If printing money is so bad and inflation is so bad then do you really want to pay the full value of that nickel you borrowed so long ago? When it was worth something? Or would you rather pay your debt with that nickel that is now worth so little that the person who lent it to you is going to use it to buy a rope and go hang themself? That is the reality and beauty of a growing economy. You borrow money and then pay it back when it is worth less. It disappears. It's magic and the concept is not easy to absorb. But it is the reality. The best thing that has happened lately, in my opinion, is to find out that the top economists, the ones in a position to do anything about anything, have had one main topic on their minds lately. And that it has to be fixed. And that one topic is "too big to fail." A speech at http://www.federalreserve.gov/newsevents/spe e c h / p ow e l l 2 0 1 3 0 3 0 4 a . h t m reveals that Dodd-Frank legislation has contributed to the first work done in applying to the issue. Progress has been made and future challenges are there but there is confidence in the approach being used. To summarize, it's not being gotten rid of but it is being made toothless as far as reaching into the taxpayers pocket to pay for corporate mistakes. And, secondarily, they're not going to be able to operate so carelessly in the future. Our ship of state, having taking one over the bow, is making appropriate improvements to the hatches. Bailouts begone. Now, we're using the "ash breeze," oars used to be made of ash wood, and the metaphor of a deficit as us towing our ship of state lends to arguments of more co2 gasses which aggra"rowing too hard" etc. Looking vates our global warming situfor a real breeze. ation. I'll end with a credibility Besides causing faucets to check. Am I, a progressive, try- spew out fire in nearby resiing to snow you? Well, it does dences and polluting nearby appear that Obama sold out to water sources, fracking uses Wall Street. And Polquite a lot of water. son got it absolutely Estimates of its use Your right when he said range from around there was no difference 900,000 to 5 million between sequester and gallons per well. Obama's budget. I'm The Pennsylvania not to trying to create department of Envidistortions of reality to convey a ronmental Protection issued political position wherein I 1,435 violations to natural gas know it all. I'm simply trying to (fracking) companies in just 2 present an adult approach 1⁄2 years. Thanks mainly to among what appears to be a Dick Cheney, fracking has bunch of kids or jokers. been exempted since 2005 James Bryant, Red Bluff from the Safe Drinking Water Act. The Huffington Post did a survey that showed 60.72 percent of those surveyed agreeEditor: ing that fracking isn't worth Our second President once the negative environmental said, "Facts are stubborn impact it produces. Gas and oil things; and whatever may be may make life more conveour wishes, our inclinations, or nient, but water makes it possithe dictates of our passions, ble. they cannot alter the state of Orval Strong, Gerber facts and evidence." Not all scientists believe global warming is a man induced phenomenon, only Editor: around 99 percent of them do. For some unknown reason Exxon Mobil has donated $27 the president has decided to million to climate change throw seniors, now and in the deniers since 1998. I wonder future, under the bus. how much they got from Shell The Republican party has and all the other oil conglom- been trying this for as long as erates. Social Security insurance has Instead of more studies and existed, they now have an ally in investments into safe renew- the White House. able energy, corporations like Seniors, raise your voices, do Halliburton are investing heav- not let this happen. You have ily into fracking. Fracking your future earnings at stake. among other things, produces Robert Hogan, Red Bluff Turn Stubborn facts Seniors Your officials STATE ASSEMBLYMAN — Dan Logue, 1550 Humboldt Road, Ste. 4, Chico, CA 95928, 530-895-4217 STATE SENATOR — Jim Nielsen, 2635 Forest Ave., Ste. 110, Chico, CA 95928, (530) 879-7424, senator.nielsen@senate.ca.gov GOVERNOR — Jerry Brown, State Capitol Bldg., Sacramento, CA 95814; (916) 445-2841; Fax (916) 5583160; E-mail: governor@governor.ca.gov. U.S. REPRESENTATIVE — Doug LaMalfa 506 Cannon House Office Building, Washington, DC 20515, 202-2253076. U.S. SENATORS — Dianne Feinstein (D), One Post Street, Suite 2450, San Francisco, CA 94104; (415) 393-0707. Fax (415) 3930710. Barbara Boxer (D), 1700 Montgomery St., Suite 240, San Francisco, CA 94111; (510) 286-8537. Fax (202) 224-0454. Commentary No-fault Internet addiction Online chat host: Good morning, cyber pals. As you know, the fifth edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5), the psychiatric "bible," is to be released this month. It will include "Internet-Use Disorder" — also referred to as Internet addiction — as a condition recommended for further psychiatric study. Our guest today is Dr. Adam Von Cybercruncher, America's leading authority on Internet addiction. Dr. Adam: Hello, all. More people are spending hours online to the detriment of their families, friends, jobs and other responsibilities. But as is the case with many psychiatric disorders, it is not their fault. Host: OK, let's open up for questions from our cyber pals. MotherMary: My young children think I'm an Internet addict, but I think they're the ones with the problem. They've been banging on my door for hours, muttering something about food. Dr. Adam: They are young and don't understand your challenges, Mary. Group counseling will help. IowaSusan: My husband spends every waking moment typing notes to his friends in online chat rooms. He avoids me and the kids, and he doesn't do any chores around here. Dr. Adam: Please be more sympathetic, Susan. Have you considered group counseling? BuffaloBill: First, my wife replaced our portrait of our children with one of Bill Gates. And I think she is seeing another man on the Internet! Dr. Adam: What makes you think that? BuffaloBill: She received a dozen roses from somebody named Bob7135. Dr. Adam: It's not a big deal, Bill. Marriage is hard and people get bored. It is to be expected that your wife might fantasize about a better life with a stranger. Try to understand. EliteEllen: My husband used to be an adventurer. We traveled to exotic places. Now, we go nowhere, because he refuses to leave his computer. Dr. Adam: Get thy family to a therapist. SuperDad: Dr. Adam, I bought smartphones for all three of our children and they spend hours locked in their rooms, texting people. My wife thinks this is not good, but I like it, because now I can communicate with them by text and don't actually Dr. Adam: What are you gethave to be with them. Dr. Adam: Your wife is living ting at, Vince? Vince: When I was a kid, we in the past, SuperDad. Perhaps used to call most she can join you in "addictive" behavior family therapy. slothful behavior. Vince: Dr. Adam, Most people who with all due respect, overindulged at the aren't you overdoing it expense of their famiwith all this talk of lies and responsibiliaddiction? ties were being inconDr. Adam: Internet siderate at best and addiction is a serious rude at worst. Nowaproblem, Vince. Those days, nothing is anyafflicted by it are helpbody's fault. less, just the way some Dr. Adam: Ah, you people are made helpare a Republican. Like less by alcohol and othTom so many closed-minders are sent out of coned people, you are a trol by gambling. square who is addicted There are many addicto living in the past. tions in life, and this is You need to get to a therapist. but another. Host: Well, that's all the time Vince: Don't get me wrong, Dr. Adam. I agree that some we have, cyber pals. In our next people can't handle alcohol or chat, we'll discuss the pros and gambling. But for the vast cons of conducting an online majority of us, might we not be affair. making some excuses? Tom Purcell, a humor Dr. Adam: Excuses? Vince: Look, I don't doubt columnist for the Pittsburgh some people are addicted to the Tribune-Review, is nationally Internet and electronic devices. syndicated exclusively by But it seems to me that many of Cagle Cartoons newspaper the people who overdo it on the syndicate. Visit Tom on the Web Internet — or overdo other at www.TomPurcell.com or ehim at vices, for that matter — are mail often just being selfish and lazy. Purcell@caglecartoons.com. Purcell