No seat belts on school buses?

It simply doesn't make sense

Dear Editor,

In light of the four students killed, and the 14 injured in Minnesota while on a school bus, I am moved to bring up our concerns again.

We reiterate our position that as long as there are no seat belts on school buses, our daughter will not be allowed on any field trips where riding the school bus is required for participation. Can anyone explain the reason behind denying students access to school field trips because they aren't allowed to ride in our own car to the field trips? Whose decision was it to ban those children whose parents want to drive them in their own cars, and why?

Mia's mother (from Mrs. Jones' class) was told the same thing. We know our children are safer seat belted in our private vehicles, yet insisting on safety for our precious children has resulted in being banned from the field trips.

Isn't it time to reconsider this policy?

The Webers, Gilroy

Here we go again on the gas pump price spike - it's insanity!

Dear Editor,

Crude oil and gasoline prices in the United States are at all time highs! They will be, sadly and unnecessarily, rising to even greater heights! Crude oil for March delivery reached $100.01 a barrel on Feb. 19th.

Oil futures speculators are currently bidding higher prices for both crude oil and gasoline resulting in higher prices in the U.S. These are the reasons:

1. Explosion at Alon USA's Big Spring, Texas, refinery.

2. The falling dollar.

3. The possibility of OPEC cutting production next month.

4. Threat of new violence in oil rich Nigeria.

5. Venezuela president Hugo Chavez's hostile threats to cut off oil to the United States.

Demand for gasoline is increasing in the U.S. Yet, we have been told there is a shortage of cheaper crude oil and we are unable to produce enough gasoline.

This is the "unnecessarily" reasons why:

1. The refinery industry in the U.S. has intentionally refused to build sufficient capacity to produce enough gasoline. In 1976, there were 324 refineries. Production has improved, but the net decrease in gasoline produced is 9%. The increase in demand since then, however, is 38%. Producing at over 90% capacity, there is no room for interruptions.

Refining oil into gasoline is always subject to interruptions, such as storms, fires, explosions, mechanical breakdowns and maintenance shut-downs. Yet the refinery industry intentionally has refused to build more refineries with sufficient capacity to cover these interruptions. If they built enough capacity, more gasoline would be available, which would cause the price to drop, thus preventing the refining industry from getting shamelessly rich.

2. The second myth is that there is not enough crude oil. There is sufficient oil, but the OPEC nations manipulate the amount of crude oil sold to consuming nations in order to control and insure exorbitant prices. How much oil and gas do we sell to other countries?

The United States doesn't need to depend solely on foreign oil. All that is needed is to produce or obtain an additional 16-20% more oil. That is enough to create a surplus of oil which would result in the dramatic price fall. We have it in the ground on the mainland; on the coastal shelf and in Anwar (the Arctic).

Also, we can decrease our use of oil by building nuclear plants and power generating dams. Unfortunately, environmental lobbyists have succeeded in persuading our government to impose laws that prohibit us from getting power from these ample sources!

Solution for crude oil: tap our own oil; build nuclear plants and power generating dams.

Solutions for gasoline: build more refineries to cover demand, and ... interruptions.

It's an election year ... start insisting these changes be embraced by your representatives and candidates.

Jim Langdon, Gilroy

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