Wind power responses ignored the issue at hand
To the Editor:
Important facts were left out of my Dec. 25 letter: the public notice date for the earthen dams proposal (Nov. 11, 2008), the deadline for public comment (60 days from the notice), and the FERC information number (202-502-0819).
The letter in last week’s paper written by John Gotts (“Stop payouts...”) incorrectly identified the founders of Columbia Gorge Audubon Society and incorrectly stated the group tried to stop the landfill. Our chapter has never taken a position on the landfill. While I am restricted by legal agreement from discussing the landfill settlement, I can say I have a very small plywood cabin and drive a 1964 beater with a door about ready to fall off.
I happen to believe the public appeals process and access to the courts are the civilized methods of resolving issues. Contrary to Gotts’ insinuation that the corporate lawyers defending industrial giants are at the mercy of the whims of pip-squeak appellants, the judges do have the authority and will dismiss frivolous lawsuits. That this has never happened to us speaks volumes.
Gotts says he is planning on calling the Feds in to investigate things in this county. Well, maybe they will uncover something he hasn’t anticipated.
Mike Canon’s guest column on wind power and dams may or may not have been in response to my letter. In any event, it ignored the question of where all the water and mud would rush to if the dams he is supporting failed. I’m having a devilish time getting that information. Maybe Mr. Canon or someone else can ferret it out and make the information public?
Dave Thies
White Salmon
Let’s hope for change with a New Year
To the Editor:
Happy New Year everyone. 2009 rolls in with a bang.
First of all let me congratulate Sarah Palin who just became a grandmother. Her high school daughter had the baby and the dropout boyfriend has promised marriage, possibly to give some legitimacy to the situation. A bit of advice to young parents (if they are still around when the little ones come of age): teach him about vows of chastity and absolute abstinence. It works wonders.
Another image that brings in the New Year is the screaming Palestinian kid whose body has been ripped apart by bombs paid for by the U.S. taxpayers and gifted to Israel. I hope everyone understands that Hamas leaders living in the Gaza Strip - one of the most densely populated areas of the planet - are hiding behind the civilian population. So not to worry - the bombs are intended for them and not for civilians.
And speaking about the planet. We have a very cold and snowy winter here in Goldendale, which should put to rest all that nonsense about global warming. Just because the polar ice caps are melting should be of no concern to any of us.
Our advice to the rest of the nation about to face double digit employment: we have been living with that for years and it never fazed us. Our kids had a chance at high-paying jobs when we had an aluminum industry but that’s history thanks to the World Trade Organization. Now they can fund employment and adventure by joining the military to help man our 700 plus base throughout the world and fight those evildoers in other people’s lands. If they come back home mangled and torn apart physically and mentally, they can still be proud of their service to the nation.
However, on a more positive note, since everybody who voted in the last election voted for change, let’s hope that we do change course and that change is for the better.
Robert Seborer
Goldendale
Keep Brooks Memorial Park
To the Editor:
We have a crisis on our hands. Our recently re-elected governor has created a list. It is a list of state parks that she wants to close - 13 in all.
Brooks Memorial is on that list. It seems that it doesn’t meet her criteria for intrinsic value or uniqueness. If something doesn’t change or no one adopts the park then it is going to be scuttled.
One of my boys spent the better part of a week there staying in the cabins on a school function. My youngest has gone there on day field trips. We use the park. Weary travelers stop there for a rest and bathroom break. The school bus stops there to pick up a student. What would happen to the owner of the Pine Springs Resort? He has spent so much time and money on his resort.
When our pipes have frozen, we’ve gone there to take showers. What about the park rangers?
We have already lost so much state land in our county in the recent land swap. It will only be a matter of time before the state sells this land too.
We already know the mayor isn’t going to do any thing because it isn’t within the town’s borders. Who do we ask for help? What can we do?
Ken Hageman
Satus Pass
Alternative to wind energy is not any better
To the Editor:
I see from a recent letter there are some objections to a proposed water storage-generation system in Klickitat County. It would complement wind power development.
One of the concerns is economic: “Wind power is already by far the most expensive energy on the market.”
If money is the problem, perhaps people would prefer the cheapest source of power: coal.
Don McManman
Goldendale
Good spirit shines at store in Goldendale
To the Editor:
Recently due to all the snow we decided to have our son do his Christmas shopping here in Goldendale. He went into the General Store with fifty dollars to do his shopping. He is eleven. After selecting several gifts and gift bags he went to the cash register and discovered his items totaled fifty something dollars - a little more than he had. The nice people at the store let him have his items for fifty dollars.
What great Christmas spirit. (He would not let me come in with him because he insisted he is old enough to do things on his own.)
A few days later he was wanting a sled and told me he’d seen some when he was Christmas shopping, so back to that store we went. He was standing in front of the display where he’d seen the sleds and it was empty. The nice man working asked what he was looking for and he said a sled. The guy asked my son to follow him and took him to the back of the store and gave him a sledding mat. My son asked the gentleman how much and he told him it would cost him nothing.
I just wanted to tell the people of Goldendale how lucky we are to have people like this in our community.
Ada Whitman
Goldendale
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