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Opinion - Letters to the Editor

Tuesday, Jan. 06, 2009

'Ban saved 30': I'm not buying it

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Great news, 30 people didn't die, thanks to the San Joaquin Valley Air Quality Control Board, as reported in "Burning ban saves valley lives, study says," (Dec. 30, Page B-2). Really? How do they know? What 30 people were slated to die due to those nasty fireplaces that keep us warm? I want the names of those 30 people.

Then the article said that millions in health costs have been averted due to the strict rules of the valley air board. Really? The article failed to mention the increased cost to consumers because we now have to pay PG&E. The article did not question the numbers. Remember, a lot of people moved out of the state due to the financial crisis, so maybe there were fewer deaths due to a lower population?

Don't accept numbers thrown at you from government agencies that are accountable to no one. I work at a funeral home that handles 600 to 700 cases a year, and I file death certificates. I have yet to see one with a cause of death due to fireplace burning. There are many external influences that bring on death, not just fireplaces.

BRIAN SIX

Oakdale