Your opinions

The time for flood insurance is now

The time for flood insurance is now

If you live in one of the many flood plains in Butte County, you have probably received your annual National Flood Insurance bill. Living in the Durham area, my annual flood insurance is now almost $3500 and going up every year. The National Flood Insurance Program's Community Rating System (CRS) provides discounts on your flood insurance premiums ranging from 5% to 45%. In order for property owners to receive these discounts, the county needs to apply and document the numerous flood protection activities the county is now already doing. It's not often a public agency can do something that saves its residents money but the CRS is one of them. Contact your county supervisor and ask them to apply to the CRS program that will start saving many of us money.

- Mike Crump, Chico

A list of words for writer's collection

In response to word lover Jorge Smirnoff's recent revelation I have some words he may wish to add to his collection. For the sake of brevity and space what follows is a short list of words his habitual writ brings to mind: prepossessed, polemic, pleonastic, vituperate, sophomoric, tendentious, philippic, self-aggrandizing, oblivious, risible.

I suppose Smirnoff is an established entertainment of sorts. Exactly what sort I leave readers to decide. No doubt there are many who anticipate the next installment in what has become a perpetual procession of unintentionally comic and eye-roll evoking diatribes. Vastus animus.

- David Walton, Chico

Reader appreciates a mix of comics

I appreciate the E-R's funnies. Argyle Sweater recently has been side-splitting. How witches grow their own food. Magic. I miss Non Sequitur. Not sure why it was dropped. Quite epic. Calvin & Hobbes re-runs are run in other papers both here, and abroad. That would be fun to have each day. The big stories in color on Sundays. I know the author sometimes does the Pigs before Swine strip, but it pales compared with Calvin.

- Chris Durniak, Chico

Supervisor candidate on ‘gerrymander' attempts

Every ten years, counties throughout the state modify district boundaries to accommodate population changes that were discovered during the Census. Without fail, this process amplifies the true colors of politicians attempting to rig the system and protect their own paychecks. We shouldn't be surprised that Supervisor Debra Lucero couldn't resist the urge to openly advocate for gerrymandering in a way that serves her personal interests ahead of people from Chico and Butte County.

In a Facebook post dated October 23, Supervisor Lucero was so concerned about staying in office that she resorted to accusing her colleagues of illegal and unethical behavior when the reality is that she is the only sitting supervisor trying to save herself. She attacks proposals that preserve the voice of Paradise residents while giving Chico representation on 80% of the seats.

Attempting to gerrymander districts for your personal benefit is unbecoming, but not surprising, of our incumbent supervisor. When I announced my candidacy to run against Supervisor Lucero, I didn't care what our district looked like and correctly guessed that she would likely try to rig the system for her own gain. I am running to bring Chico values back to the Board of Supervisors and will be a fierce advocate for the entire city and county. I am looking forward to serving all city residents on the Board of Supervisors just as I have for over a decade as a police officer.

- Peter Durfee, Chico