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6A – Daily News – Wednesday, February 2, 2011 Opinion SmartMeters 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 part two Editor: 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 How is President Obama doing as he enters the second half of his first term? Late-night comics know better than pundits. Let’s start with some of their earlier jokes: • Jay Leno -- "President Obama plans on training 10,000 new math and science teachers. How about teaching math to that economic team of his?" • Jimmy Fallon -- "In an inter- view with Rolling Stone, President Obama said he has Stevie Wonder, Bob Dylan and the Rolling Stones on his iPod. Unfortunately, the question was, 'Do you have a plan to fix the economy?'" • Fallon -- "A year into Obama's first term in office, unem- ployment is higher, the national debt is higher and there are more soldiers serving in Afghanistan. When asked about it, Obama was like, 'Well, technically that is change.'" The 2010 elections worsened the comics' tone: • David Letterman -- "Voters didn't like how President Obama was handling the economy. Wait a minute -- he was handling the economy?" • Leno -- "President Obama will be laying out a new economic The SmartMeter is made by G.E. and is being installed across the nation as part of the "Smart Grid", it’s not just through PG&E. The Smart Grid will allow elec- tricity to be shifted back and forth from the East coast to the West coast and all parts in between, as the demand requires. Trying to stop the implementa- tion of the SmartMeter has been futile due to its intricate part the meter has for the Smart Grid to work. The Federal Government has already invested and/or desig- nated $3.4 billion of our tax dol- lars to upgrade the nation’s power grid, meaning the Smart Grid. However, we do need to recon- struct our grids as they are no longer able to keep up with the demands of new technology and the population. Even the Tea Party members in Cleveland have decried the meters as a breach of privacy. California’s PG&E has already installed over 7 million SmartMeters. Cities and counties have ordered PG&E to stop their installation at no avail. The C.PUC is the governing board who has jurisdiction over PG&E. and they are the ones who give PG&E their direction. Each SmartMeter transmits and receives Data and instruc- tions. If a SmartMeter does not have line of sight or communica- tion with a pole transmitter/receiv- er, then the Smart Meter looks for a neighboring Smart Meter so it can download and received data through it by piggy backing the signals to and from through the neighboring SmartMeter. All the time this meter is communicating and transmitting it’s using elec- tricity recorded for the meters use and putting it onto both customers bill. PG&E claims: 1. The SmartMeters are designed to cut costs two ways. They will eliminate the need of meter readers and they provide real-time consumption data, which enables utilities to charge lower rates during off-peak hours. So the only ones who will be sav- ing time and money will be PG&E. The off peak hours are from 10 p.m. through 6:30 a.m. 2. The higher bills were the result of rate hikes, and increased usage during extreme weather. 3. SmartMeters are replacing malfunctioning units that had been undercharging customers. (That’s where the tolerance comes in. Up to the 2 percent to the minus is in favor of the customer which is the analog meter. Up to the 2 percent to the plus is in favor of PG&E which is the Smart- Meter). 4. PG&E also said an indepen- dent research firm who tested the meters said the meters worked well and they comply with federal safety standards and that the amount of radiation they give off is comparable to what other com- mon household devices emit. Look on the bright side as installation continues PG&E spokesperson says the utility is "evaluating options" for cus- tomers who say they don’t want SmartMeters, reports the Times Magazine. As of July 31, 2010 state regulators had received 4,169 complaints. Makes me wonder what they said to the last 7 million who said they didn’t want them? Kathy Nelson, Red Bluff State Theatre credit due Editor: We're enjoying Julie Zeeb's articles on the history of The State Theatre. Just wanted to clari- fy one point regarding the initial grant that led to the feasibility study under the State Theatre For The Arts in 1999. and committees to actually open- ing the doors and inviting people in for a show. We're used to being ignored Your Turn During most of that year we (Aaron Standish and Liz Merry) led a group of volunteers — working for the STFTA, but organized by us — putting in lit- erally hundreds of hours of work to do the initial cleaning and repairs that made the building safe and comfortable for new audiences. In October 1999 we staged three comedy shows that raised $10,000 for the STFTA — the picture of us holding the silly oversized check was on the front page of The Daily News. The city matched that $10,000, which enabled STFTA to get the grant that led to the feasibility study. We still don't understand the value of these studies or the use of professional consultants, but we agreed to play by STFTA rules and were happy to help raise the money. We realize our contributions may not be as large or long last- ing as those who write the official history of the State Theatre, but we were there and we know what we accomplished. Our phone call to Ron Clark volunteering our time and fundraising skills was the real world catalyst that moved the early STFTA organization from talking about studies, grants for our efforts on behalf of world peace and universal harmony, but we want to be counted for our part in helping to restore that historic downtown jewel. We love the State Theatre and look forward to working with the new board of directors and volunteers who are continuing the fight to keep that building open for all of us. Aaron Standish, Red Bluff Stop wars Editor: As usual, Orval is right on. I also am embarrassed by the people who are more concerned with the preservation of their miniscule pile of money than of our citizens forced to sleep in the street. Just a portion of the money we've wasted on this trumped up war on terror would solve that problem. Add to it the trillion dollars we've spent in Iraq and Afghanistan creating more ter- rorists and America haters while we support the countries that the 911 Arabs came from and we could solve a lot of our domes- tic problems. Maybe we could even let the wealthy keep more of their money. Bring our soldiers home now. And don't give me crap about not supporting our troops. I do support our troops. It's their civilian bosses that I don't sup- port. Fred Boest, Red Bluff 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 3063 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: 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. Laughing not to cry Commentary plan. Apparently, we had an old economic plan." • Leno -- "(President Obama and President Bush) had a cordial conversation. President Bush said for the last 19 months, he's been relaxing and playing golf. Presi- dent Obama said, 'You too?'" Obama's government expan- sion and increased spending -- tril- lion-dollar deficits making us more dependent on the Chinese -- have the comics worried: • Conan O'Brien -- "At the state dinner for Chinese President Hu Jintao, Hu opened a fortune cook- ie that said, 'You will lend us another trillion dollars.'" • Leno -- "Obama and Hu had a private dinner the night before. When Obama tried to pick up the check, Hu said, 'Your money is no good here.' Obama laughed, and Hu said, 'No, really, your money is no good.'" • Letterman -- "China's Presi- dent Hu is visiting the United States. If he likes what he sees, he may put down a deposit." With unemployment stalled at nearly 10 percent, comics are unimpressed with Obama's eco- nomic promises: • O'Brien -- "President Obama met with the CEOs of top compa- nies about creating more jobs for Americans. After the meeting, the CEOs went home to China." • Fallon -- "China is expected to overtake the United States as the world's biggest econo- my in the next two years. Americans could- n't believe it. They were like, 'That hasn't hap- pened already?'" • Leno -- "Barack Obama's daughters are very smart. They told him they will take the same responsibility for their dog that he is tak- ing for the economy. That way, if the dog leaves a mess in the White House, it'll be cleaned up by future generations." There's a comics' consensus that Obama's chances for a second term aren't good: • Craig Ferguson -- "President Obama is getting ready to leave Washington. Not leaving for good -- he'll do that in a couple years." • Seth Meyers -- "President Obama's recent speech to a women's conference was inter- rupted when his presidential seal on the podium fell off -- two years early." • Fallon -- "President Obama is going on a 10-day vaca- tion to Martha's Vine- yard in August. Obama was like, 'This is my longest vacation ever,' and voters were like, 'Wait'll you see the one we're planning for you!'" If there is truth in Tom Purcell humor, little about Obama's first two years as president is funny. One senses Obama sees little to laugh about, too: • Leno -- "According to a new poll, 51 percent Tom Purcell, a humor columnist for the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review, is nationally syndicated exclusively by Cagle Cartoons newspaper syndicate. Visit Tom on the Web at www.TomPurcell.com or e-mail him at Purcell@caglecartoons.com. of Americans feel that their lives were better two years ago before President Obama took office. To which President Obama said, 'Join the club.'" ———