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6A Daily News – Wednesday, March 14, 2012 Opinion Minton Editor: 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 My name is Wayne Thompson. 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 I live in the Missouri Ozarks and I read the letter John Minton wrote about volunteering. I have been volunteering at Ozarks Medical Center for 24 years. Also, I work with kids that have had trouble with the law. I work two days at OMC and one hour with the kids. I am 84 years old but I keep going as long the good Lord lets me. Stay with John Minton. God bless you. Wayne Thompson, West Plains, Mo. War on drugs Editor: Maybe it's just my strange sense of humor, but when I read, Sgt. Kain, "has demonstrated both the skills, experience and drive necessary to continue the success of this unit," I nearly fell off my chair laughing. What success? There is no success. Every day the Police Report is full of arrests for possession, possession for sale; marijuana, methamphetamine, H, coke, crank, skag, you name the drug. The only success you can have in a war on an illness is to cure it. You can't cure addiction by arrest- ing its victims any more than you could cure cancer by throwing its victims in jail. Take the salaries and benefits of these five or six officers and start a drug treatment program and you might see some progress in the "war" on drugs. The feds have been fighting this war for decades now and the only sign of success is bigger failures. More addicts, more people in prison, more killings, more and bigger gangs, and bigger police departments. We're not winning anything. We're losing! And we're spending our treasure to do that. Don't pee down my back and tell me it's raining. I know this is an unpopular position to take, but wake up peo- ple. We lost the war against drugs the day we declared it. Fred Boest, Red Bluff Oil and media Editor: Have you ever wondered, as I often do, just exactly what the con- nection is between the major oil producers and our national news media in all their different techni- cal guises? What inside informa- tion does the media have, and from what sources, that tells them what the price of gasoline is going to do over the next few weeks, months and years? Could it possibly be that the Oil Companies are using the media as some type of shills to help them prepare "We The Peo- ple" for the impending planned change in prices? it seems like every time there is an impending price increase the news media starts ballyhooing this well ahead of time. Could it be the oil compa- nies are using the media to help prepare us so we do not get a big shock all at once and without any warning, thus somewhat lessening our complaints? It seems every time the media starts predicting an increase in fuel prices it soon becomes a "self-fulfilling prophe- cy". What would happen if the news media, instead of predicting the increase, would do some real time and in-depth research to show the supply of oil, in North Ameri- ca, is still very adequate to meet all our needs without our having to bow down to OPEC and be wor- ried about the price they are putting on their oil. A few facts. The available in- ground oil supplies in the United States still represent a very significant portion of the known world reserves. Here in Cali- fornia, and our immedi- ately adjacent coastal waters, our oil fields, when taken in total from Hunting- ton Beach in the south to the Coalinga area in the Coast Range in the north, stiff make up one of the world's major oil fields. Many of these are old fields where the still producing wells have long since paid for themselves. The owners/operators of these wells could sell this oil at $50. per barrel, or even less, to our domestic refineries, and still make a very significant profit. The same holds true for many oil fields in Texas, Oklahoma and Louisiana. There are still major oil reserves in Alas- ka and relatively new finds of major import in Wyoming, East- ern Montana and the Dakotas. I certainly do not claim to be an expert in this subject, but there are some such out there who have stat- ed the USA can be self-sufficient on our own petroleum reserves for many decades to come. I would certainty not deny any company or individual business person the right to make a reasonable profit on their product or service. But I believe the American Public is being "gouged" very badly for our petroleum products. Could it be our National News Media is a partner to this crime? Walt Mansell, Corning Green vehicles Editor: Green vehicles are seldom Your Turn cost effective. It has become popular for 3 percent of the pop- ulation to buy hybrids or electric cars to demonstrate being green. As an engineer, in 2007 dur- ing our normal 15 year vehicle trade cycle, we bought an actual 46 miles per gallon Prius hybrid to replace a 26 mpg car. Similarly in 2009, to replace a 23 year old 26 mpg car, we bought a similar size plain old new non-hybrid. At the 24,000 annual vehicle miles driven by my wife and I, it will take 8 years of gas savings to pay off the $7.500 premium cost of the hybrid versus the non hybrid car. Since the warranty life of the $4,000 hybrid battery pack is only 8 years, and we keep vehicles from 15 to 23 years, we chose to not buy another hybrid because of the lack of economic value. Electric cars will never be paid off from gas savings, even if kept for 40 years. The $44,000 with sales tax, extended range GM Volt hybrid, is bought by the very rich with average $170,000 family income. Clearly hybrids and electrics are poor rivals for the newest 40 mpg plain old gasoline fueled non hybrid com- pact cars. Many enter the green energy rat hole, only because they want to look green with heavy subsidies.from taxpayers. Joseph Neff, Corning 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 3070 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), 2595 Cean- othus Ave., Ste. 182, Chico, CA 95973; 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; (510) 286-8537. Fax (202) 224- 0454. Irish humor to prime the pump Commentary Ah, the St. Patrick's season is upon us. Good thing, for we're in dire need of some Irish levity about now. It's been more than three years since the crash of 2008, yet the economy still stumbles and Americans are eager for any sign of life. It reminds me of the three Irishmen discussing their funer- als: "I hope the mourners at my wake say, 'He was a wonderful family man,'" said the first. "I hope they say, 'He was a great man in the community,'" said the second. "That's all well and good," said the third, "but I hope mine say, 'Look, he's moving!'" People are growing more suspicious of ObamaCare. Every day, government regula- tors reveal new mandates and taxes needed to pay for the "free" goodies our politicians have promised. This grand bait and switch reminds me of the time O'Mal- ley proposed to his girlfriend. One St. Patrick's Day, he gave her a ring with a synthetic dia- mond. The lass was so excited, she showed her family. Her father, a jeweler, quickly determined it was a fake. The lass confronted her future husband and demanded to know why he'd attempt such a fraud. "I did it in honor of St. Patrick's Day," he said, smiling. "I gave you a sham rock." The Republican presidential primaries have been awfully uninspiring. Poor Mitt Romney has been running for president for five years, yet primary vot- ers remain underwhelmed. It reminds me of the Irish- man who threw a stick for his dog to chase but accidentally tossed it into the lake. Amazingly, his dog walked across the water and retrieved the stick. The Irishman threw the stick into the water twice more and both times his dog walked across the water, then retrieved it. Eager to show off his dog's abilities, he found a Republican. The Republican watched as the Irishman's dog walked across the lake and retrieved the stick. "That's not bad," said the Republican, "but when are you going to teach your dog how to swim?" Despite massive deficits and spending, increasing regulations and poor economic perfor- mance, there are many in the media who are looking for every opportunity to praise President Obama and the Democ- rats for the massive government expansion they've inflicted on us - - as though such poli- cies could be good for any economy. Their capacity for denial reminds me of the one about Paddy the agnostic, who mar- ries an Irish lass. Eager to please his new bride, he converts to her Catholic faith. steaks in the kitchen. "What are you doing, Paddy?" says his wife. "You know we must forsake meat on Fridays during Lent." Paddy looks to the skillet and says, "You are a trout now, not a steak. You are a trout now, not a steak." Alas, there are Tom Purcell He has trouble embracing his new religion, however, so he confides in the parish priest. The priest tells him practice and repetition are the keys. "For one hour every day," says the priest, "repeat this to yourself: I am a man of faith now, not an agnostic. I am a man of faith now, not an agnos- tic." That appeared to do the trick until one Friday during Lent. Paddy's wife arrived home to find him grilling delicious many woes to keep Americans uptight these days. The St. Patrick's season offers a needed respite. So, kick off your shoes, enjoy a fresh pint and share some Irish jokes, such as this one: Q: Why are Irish jokes so simplistic? 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. A: So Congress can under- stand them. ———