[Az-Geocaching] Letter to the Editor
William Noll
listserv@azgeocaching.com
Tue, 19 Aug 2003 17:27:29 -0700
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As a successful Letter-to-the-Editor writer, I can tell you that unless =
you're doing a 'My Turn' segment, it's a bit too long. Newspapers like =
them short and sweet, usually with a rhetorical bent. If it appears as =
though you know more than the editor (or the writers) about the subject, =
they won't print it unless you are someone very important. And worse, a =
really well written letter is often 'edited' for 'length or clarity', =
often missing the writers original point. Think like an 8th grader, =
that's the reading level the paper is written for. And don't be =
technical, Journalism majors and Liberal Arts college grads have a real =
problem with big words!
Bill
----- Original Message -----=20
From: Brian Casteel=20
To: AZ Geocaching=20
Sent: Tuesday, August 19, 2003 4:15 PM
Subject: [Az-Geocaching] Letter to the Editor
Every once in awhile, something strikes a nerve and I have a moment of =
enlightened thought, which I put in the form of an e-mail and fire off =
to The Tribune to give a voice to my words. Here's the latest =
incarnation of my thought process, so tell me what you think.
=
-------------------------------------------------------------------------=
------------
So a pipeline ruptures and is shutdown for 'safety' concerns. =
Meanwhile, this pipeline that supplies (latest random figure) 30% of the =
fuel to Phoenix creates a lack of fuel at a percentage of fuel pumps FAR =
exceeding the 30% deficit we are experiencing by this pipeline =
situation. Just as we saw when the war with Iraq began, price gouging =
was realized at a number of stations around the Valley. Channel 15 =
interviews a gas station owner live where he tries to push off the =
justification of his $4.00/gallon prices by criticizing the fact that =
the very station is interviewing him can charge what they feel for a =
commercial spot during any show on-air, and he should have the ability =
to charge whatever he wants for his fuel. Another also shown on TV shut =
his station down amid safety concerns (should we be surprised?) for =
robbing customers with an astronomical $4.97/gallon. Where is all this =
leading? Price gouging, and the lack of laws against it. Already this =
year, we've seen 2 situations which have spiked fuel prices to =
unnecessary highs, and unscrupulous business owners taking advantage of =
customers to line their pockets with a flood of ill-gotten gain.
My question to the legislators of this state is this: Which of you is =
going to step to the plate and propose legislation (and follow it to =
signing) that will outlaw such practices and instigate a more fair =
system of pricing for consumers on fuel? I'm thinking that Jeff =
Groscost should lend his time to someone to assist in this endeavour.
What has transpired this past week with all these fuel delivery =
problems is something that never should have been allowed to happen. =
There needs to be regulation at the pumps if only in the form of =
anti-gouging laws. At least then a ceiling would be set, but I would =
expect there to be a number of hoops and a system of checks and balances =
that would make it difficult for owners to raise their prices to that =
ceiling without concrete justification. Come on legislators, let's see =
what you can do about protecting the consumer, who are coincidentally, =
also your constituents.
Brian
Team A.I.
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<STYLE></STYLE>
</HEAD>
<BODY bgColor=3D#ffffff>
<DIV><FONT size=3D2>As a successful Letter-to-the-Editor writer, I can =
tell you=20
that unless you're doing a 'My Turn' segment, it's a bit too long. =
Newspapers=20
like them short and sweet, usually with a rhetorical bent. If it appears =
as=20
though you know more than the editor (or the writers) about the subject, =
they=20
won't print it unless you are someone very important. And worse, a =
really well=20
written letter is often 'edited' for 'length or clarity', often missing =
the=20
writers original point. Think like an 8th grader, =
that's the reading=20
level the paper is written for. And don't be technical, Journalism =
majors=20
and Liberal Arts college grads have a real problem with big =
words!</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=3D2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=3D2>Bill</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=3D2></FONT> </DIV>
<BLOCKQUOTE dir=3Dltr=20
style=3D"PADDING-RIGHT: 0px; PADDING-LEFT: 5px; MARGIN-LEFT: 5px; =
BORDER-LEFT: #000000 2px solid; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0px">
<DIV style=3D"FONT: 10pt arial">----- Original Message ----- </DIV>
<DIV=20
style=3D"BACKGROUND: #e4e4e4; FONT: 10pt arial; font-color: =
black"><B>From:</B>=20
<A title=3Dbcasteel@cox.net href=3D"mailto:bcasteel@cox.net">Brian =
Casteel</A>=20
</DIV>
<DIV style=3D"FONT: 10pt arial"><B>To:</B> <A=20
title=3Daz-geocaching@listserv.azgeocaching.com=20
href=3D"mailto:az-geocaching@listserv.azgeocaching.com">AZ =
Geocaching</A> </DIV>
<DIV style=3D"FONT: 10pt arial"><B>Sent:</B> Tuesday, August 19, 2003 =
4:15=20
PM</DIV>
<DIV style=3D"FONT: 10pt arial"><B>Subject:</B> [Az-Geocaching] Letter =
to the=20
Editor</DIV>
<DIV><BR></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>Every once in awhile, something =
strikes a nerve=20
and I have a moment of enlightened thought, which I put in the form of =
an=20
e-mail and fire off to The Tribune to give a voice to my words. =
Here's=20
the latest incarnation of my thought process, so tell me what you=20
think.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial=20
=
size=3D2>----------------------------------------------------------------=
---------------------</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>So a pipeline ruptures and is =
shutdown for=20
'safety' concerns. Meanwhile, this pipeline that supplies =
(latest=20
random figure) 30% of the fuel to Phoenix creates a lack of fuel at a=20
percentage of fuel pumps FAR exceeding the 30% deficit we are =
experiencing by=20
this pipeline situation. Just as we saw when the war with Iraq =
began,=20
price gouging was realized at a number of stations around the =
Valley. =20
Channel 15 interviews a gas station owner live where he tries to push =
off the=20
justification of his $4.00/gallon prices by criticizing the fact that =
the very=20
station is interviewing him can charge what they feel for a =
commercial=20
spot during any show on-air, and he should have the ability to charge =
whatever=20
he wants for his fuel. Another also shown on TV shut his station =
down=20
amid safety concerns (should we be surprised?) for robbing customers =
with an=20
astronomical $4.97/gallon. Where is all this leading? =
Price=20
gouging, and the lack of laws against it. Already this year, =
we've seen=20
2 situations which have spiked fuel prices to unnecessary highs, and=20
unscrupulous business owners taking advantage of customers to line =
their=20
pockets with a flood of ill-gotten gain.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>My question to the legislators of =
this state is=20
this: Which of you is going to step to the plate and propose =
legislation=20
(and follow it to signing) that will outlaw such practices and =
instigate a=20
more fair system of pricing for consumers on fuel? I'm thinking =
that=20
Jeff Groscost should lend his time to someone to assist in this=20
endeavour.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>What has transpired this past week =
with all these=20
fuel delivery problems is something that never should have been =
allowed to=20
happen. There needs to be regulation at the pumps if only in the =
form of=20
anti-gouging laws. At least then a ceiling would be set, but I =
would=20
expect there to be a number of hoops and a system of checks and =
balances that=20
would make it difficult for owners to raise their prices to that =
ceiling=20
without concrete justification. Come on legislators, let's see =
what you=20
can do about protecting the consumer, who are coincidentally, =
also your=20
constituents.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>Brian</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>Team=20
A.I.</FONT></DIV></DIV></BLOCKQUOTE></BODY></HTML>
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