A lesson and a rant

I will start with a disclaimer to this post. I harbor no ill will to "people" that live in the bay area or Los Angeles, just what transpires in Central Cali due to the pollution from those areas..

A lesson.
The Central Valley is like a big bowl. The wind comes from the Northwest goes over the Sierra's and heads East. Except when the wind is not blowing. The smog and air pollution from the bay area and to some degree Los Angeles (when it is on fire) stacks up against the Sierra's and causes bad air quality. Some of the bad air in the summer is caused by the ag industry locally but I am addressing fall and winter air quality.
My Rant.
The air quality board had decided that they can tell me when I can and when I can not use my fireplace. They have mandatory no burn days at least 30 days during the winter months. You risk a fine (50 bucks first offense, 300 bucks second) The last 3 days have been the coldest this year and guess what?? No burning! I am a taxpayer, who the heck are you to tell me I can not use a fire to warm my house and lower my energy bill? Why do some counties with air quality indexes 2 numbers off from us get to burn and we can not? Why do we have to suffer because of the smog of other areas or the way the wind blows? Why must you triple the number of no burn days regardless of the actual air quality? Just to flex your power and authority? Ok, my whiny rant is over.

Now to be fair, I do not have any breathing problems or heath issues, neither does my husband. But I know plenty of people with asthma and breathing problems and this gets worse with bad air quality. I know emissions and air quality are important locally and globally. I just get tired of the government (local, state and federal) and their ever increasing control over my life and everyday decisions.It just feels like another way of interfering with my life.
I am going to try and be a good citizen and not break the rules...unless I have to. Oh and a really hate anyone telling what to do.ever.

That's all