Red Bluff Daily News

February 22, 2014

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By The Associated Press The price of oil fell slightly but remained above $102 on Friday, underpinned by U.S. demand for heating oil dur- ing a winter that does not seem to want to end. Benchmark U.S. crude for April delivery fell 55 cents to close at $102.20 a barrel on the New York Mercantile Exchange. On Thursday, the contract fell 9 cents to close at $102.75. Oil is up 2 percent for the week, however, on higher demand for heating oil in the U.S. as forecast- ers predicted a return of more cold weather in the coming weeks after a brief warm spell. ''Market players are now looking at weather conditions in the U.S., it's quite cold and heating oil demand is getting tighter so that is supporting the crude oil prices,'' said Tetsu Emori, commodity markets fund manager at ASTMAZ Futures Co. in Tokyo. Analysts said the recent rising trend in oil prices, which climbed for the sixth week in a row, could be about to reverse, however, because of tempering glob- al demand and ample sup- plies. A report on manufactur- ing activity in China released Wednesday sug- gested global economic growth could weaken, which would reduce demand for gasoline, diesel and jet fuel. Also, supplies appear to be relatively strong in the U.S., despite the higher demand, according to this week's oil report from the U.S. Energy Department. ''Crude stocks in the U.S. were up week-on- week, while the draw in distillate inventories was lower than expected,'' said a report from JBC Energy in Vienna. ''Together with the weak Chinese data from Wednesday, this took a part of the enthusiasm out of the recent rally.'' Brent crude, a bench- mark used to set prices for international varieties of crude used by many U.S. refineries, was down 45 cents to close at $109.85 a barrel in London. The average retail price of gasoline in the U.S. rose for the 14th straight day, to $3.39 per gallon. That's the highest level for the year, but it is 39 cents below where it was last year at this time. DETROIT (AP) — Detroit presented its first full road map for leaving bankruptcy Friday, outlin- ing an elaborate plan to restructure $18 billion in debt, demolish thousands of blighted homes and invest in the broken-down infra- structure that has made the city a symbol of urban decay. If approved by a judge, the wide-ranging proposal would sharply reduce pay- ments to some retirees and creditors. Pension holders could expect to get 70 per- cent to 90 percent of what they are owned, while many banks would receive as little as 20 percent. The plan, which is sure to be the subject of court challenges, envisions a lean- er, cleaner and safer Motor City after its crushing finan- cial burdens are lifted. ''There is still much work in front of all of us to continue the recovery from a decades-long downward spiral,'' Kevyn Orr, the city's state-appointed emer- gency manager, said in a statement. Orr's so-called plan of adjustment ''provides the best path forward for all parties to resolve their respective issues and for Detroit to become once again a city in which people want to invest, live and work.'' The state is focused ''on protecting and minimizing the impact on retirees, espe- cially those on fixed, limited incomes,'' Gov. Rick Sny- der said, as well as ''restor- ing and improving essential services'' and ''building a foundation for the city's long-term financial stability and economic growth.'' The governor called the plan ''a critical step for- ward.'' But it leaves unan- swered many questions, including whether creditors and labor unions will accept the deal or fight it, and how long that process might take. The package calls for awarding police and fire retirees at least 90 percent of their pensions after elimi- nating cost-of-living allowances. Other retirees would receive at least 70 percent. It still doesn't seem fair to Janice Pegg, 67, who receives the pension left by her husband, Victor, a Detroit police officer who died two years ago. ''He earned these bene- fits through his hard work, through his labor, through wage freezes back when he was employed,'' Pegg said. ''I thought that that would be money I would be able to take care of myself.'' Orr has said he would like the city to emerge from the nation's largest munici- pal bankruptcy by the fall, when his term is up. Bankruptcy attorney and St. John's University law professor Anthony Sabino said the plan could spark an argument between city workers and retirees and police and firefighters. Orr ''wants to have the firefighters and police have 90 percent and other city workers cut back to two- thirds,'' Sabino said Friday. ''The other unions will say, 'Even if we're uneven, we should be closer.' It does create an inequity that is going to have to be addressed in court.'' Detroit's woes have piled up for generations. In the 1950s, its population grew to 1.8 million people, many of whom were lured by plentiful, well-paying auto jobs. Later that decade, Detroit began to decline as developers starting building suburbs that lured away workers and businesses. Beginning in the late 1960s, auto companies began opening plants in other cities. Property values and tax revenue fell, and police couldn't control crime. In later years, the rise of autos imported from Japan started to cut the size of the U.S. auto industry. By the time the industry melted down in 2009, only a few factories from GM and Chrysler were left. Detroit lost a quarter- million residents between 2000 and 2010. Today, its population could fall as low as 680,000, according to Orr. Of the city's $18 billion in debt, about $12 billion is unsecured, Orr said, mean- ing there is no tax revenue or other money to pay it. The city wants to spend $500 million to knock down up to 450 decaying, aban- doned properties each week. Those buildings are Detroit's most visible eye- sores and magnets for crim- inal activity. As they demolish prob- lem properties, officials want to reinvest by giving police, firefighters and ambulance crews better equipment that will produce faster response times. The plan also calls for fixing the city's troubled electrical grid and street-lighting sys- tem, which has deteriorated to the point where many neighborhoods descend into blackness every night after sundown. ''It's critical that we leave the city in a fashion that it doesn't have to come this way again,'' Orr said. Wayne State University law professor John Mogk, an expert on land-use plan- ning and urban develop- ment, said a post-bankrupt- cy Detroit ''will be on much firmer ground.'' One of the touchiest issues is the fate of about 2,800 city-owned treasures in the Detroit Institute of Arts. Those masterpieces have been at risk of being auctioned to raise money to repay creditors. Foundations and others have pledged $365 million toward pensions to keep the art from being sold. The governor has said he will seek $350 million from the state to aid that cause, while the museum raises $100 million. But that money depends on both pension systems approving Orr's plan. The foundations ''are looking to get this thing done,'' Orr said. Orr had hoped creditors would sign off on the plan before he submitted it to U.S. Bankruptcy Judge Steven Rhodes. But the clock was ticking because Rhodes had set a March 1 deadline. The proposal still faces numerous obstacles, and most aspects are still being negotiated in mediation sessions with stakehold- ers. A vote in favor of the plan by one class of credi- tors would be enough to send it to the judge, who would then hold trial-like hearings to determine if the proposal should be approved over the objec- tions of other creditors. Appeals are almost sure to persist even after the final version is endorsed by a bankruptcy court. Daily News – Saturday, February 22, 2014 6A Your Opportunity To Meet Elected Officials & Candidates Red Bluff Community Center, 1500 S. Jackson Street Saturday, March 1, 2014 5:00 pm, Meet & Greet.....6:00 pm Dinner & Program $30.00 person Ticket Info: Sue Gallagher 530-384-2945 John Elshere 530-529-1238 tehamacountydemocrats@gmail.com Paid Political Advertisement California Insurance Commissioner Dave Jones, Keynote Speaker Tehama County Democrats "Support American Workers" Annual fundraiser Buffet dinner and Dessert Opportunity Drawings & Auction Breakfast: Mon-Fri 9am-11am Lunch & Dinner: Mon-Thurs 9am-9pm Fri-Sat-Sun 9am-9:30pm Everything! 50% OFF! (excludes Seafood) may not be combined w/any other offer 604 Main St. Red Bluff (corner of Antelope & Main) We're Celebrating 13 years of Business 529-5154 Now Available for -Corporate Events - Reunions - Private Events - Parties - Rehearsal Dinners Tuesday, February 25, 2014 Join Us In Celebrations! Jim Holtdorf I wouldn't be without my hearing aids. There is a big difference "with or without". The people at UpState Hearing are profes- sional in every way. They care about their business and they care about you. Detroit draws first map to get out of bankruptcy Crude oil remains above $102

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