Customer pays in the end with eco lawsuits
To the Editor:
I was reading in The Dalles Chronicle about the lease agreement between Maryhill Museum and Windy Point Partners to build wind turbines on museum property on both sides of Highway 97, five to six miles outside the so-called scenic area. This will give the museum a good extra income.
A small section of the article said Windy Point Partners will pay more than one million dollars to restore land in the Columbia River Gorge.
Why would a company pay that much unless there were pending lawsuits that would hold off construction? In other words, blackmail.
The group Friends of the Gorge, as well as a splinter group of the Audubon Society in west Klickitat County, have a history of filing lawsuits.
A recent letter in The Sentinel explained how one group forced the Roosevelt landfill to pay a fee on every ton of garbage put in the landfill. It would appear to have been a lawsuit threat.
In the same letter, it said a small group of Goldendale residents forced a wind farm in eastern Klickitat County to pay them a fee when the wind farm operates. Was this more threats of lawsuit to delay construction?
Sounds like blackmail.
One of the group's leaders was complaining that he couldn't get all the information on a new plant at Cliffs that would produce electricity at times of high power usage. Another possible blackmail.
If White Salmon businessman John Gotts starts an automobile rebuilding plant at Cliffs - watch out.
We can hope that SDS Lumber will not pay to have the lawsuits against their wind farms stopped.
It makes a person wonder if more industries would be built in the county if there was no threat of lawsuits.
In the end, the customer always pays.
Vincen Jussila
Wishram
Doc Hastings memory seems short-lived
To the Editor:
Doc Hastings' guest column in the Feb. 12 edition of The Sentinel states Congress must enact fast-acting tax cuts to boost the economy. Apparently Doc Hastings' memory is short lived. Over the past eight years, the Bush Administration and the Republican controlled congress which Doc Hastings has supported gave us tax cuts and lead to the economic mess we are now faced with. Now he wants to give us more of the same failed economic policies. (The stimulus package does have 36 percent in tax cuts which he so passionately advocates).
Doc Hastings' vote against the stimulus package must mean he believes this package is bad for the country and bad for the Fourth Congressional District. I challenge Doc Hastings to put his mouth where his vote is and publicly demand no stimulus monies flow to his constituents in the Fourth Congressional District. After all, Klickitat County is at full employment and needs no stimulus to create jobs and needs no tax cuts, extended unemployment benefits, food stamps, or infrastructure improvements.
This country is at the cliff of economic disaster and Doc Hastings' vote is to push us all over. The stimulus package is not perfect and will not solve all of the economic problems we face, but it is an important step. The banking system mess still needs to be fixed because we can't have an economic recovery without a healthy banking system.
Robert Havig
White Salmon
Don't support drug cartel via Colombian FTA
To the Editor:
This is in response to Congressman Doc Hasting's support of the Colombian free trade agreement: You have got to be kidding.
A fair trade agreement with Colombia? What are we going to trade for?
Colombia has one of the largest drug cartels in the world. The government statistics that were given show a 24 percent increase last year on the production of cocaine. A former president wanted the same thing, he told us that Colombia will buy our grain. You should already know that if a trade agreement is signed, within six months, Colombia will come back and state that our "grain costs too much" and wqant the price lowered; which will cause the American taxpayers to subsidize the difference in cost.
SO please wake up. Do not support the drug cartel. Do the job you were elected to do and please explain your reasons for even considering this agreement.
Do you remember during the early 90s that the CA National Guard was sent to Colombia for drug interdiction?
Bill Allen
Goldendale
Let's disagree without being disagreeable
To the Editor:
It's often discouraging to see what's going on in the world at large and feel powerless to do anything about it. The behavior of some elected officials and some in the national media have been so disingenuous and downright vindictive in their attacks on President Obama's attempts to govern. I'm heartened by our President's mature attitude through all of this. I really think we can all take a cue from this and make an effort to change how we behave in our communities. We can learn how to disagree without being vindictive or disagreeable. We can inject humor into our lives. We can own up to our mistakes, and understand that mistakes by others can be a part of their personal growth, and not a reason to attack them. Let's make an effort to rise above the behavior that has destroyed families, communities and civilizations, and instead, strive to become the best that we can be.
Gretchen Olsen
Goldendale
ABATE worry is hogwash
To the Editor:
This is in response to Kim Jones' letter about the ABATE Spring Opener: Hogwash!
My husband introduced me to the Harley world about four years ago. Like most people, I had preconceived ideas about bikers. Today, I can honestly tell you I was wrong. Over the past few years I have met some of the most honest, hard-working, loving, family-oriented people in my life. They range from young to old, professional to blue collar, and past to present military people.
I have been to the Toppenish Spring Opener the past four years and look forward to my fifth in Goldendale. In addition to other events, there is a parade which, in Toppenish, is police-escorted through town, ending up at the flag. Has this woman been out to see people coming out of their homes to wave, or the tears and faraway looks from veteran's saluting the flag? How about children's smiles when a bike is revved up? These sights are priceless.
In the four years I've attended, I have never seen a professional stripper, prostitute, or out-in-the-open drugs. As far as convicted felons, warrants for arrest, want-to-be gang members, illegal drugs, andweapons, has this woman watched the news? That kind of behavior is everywhere, not just with bikers. Yes there is alcohol. Yes, late in the evening there is a "giggles" contest, but it is a choice to participate and the rule is always the same - no touching. Some of the winners have even donated their winnings to a worthy cause.
Motorcycle riders, ABATE and non-ABATE, do lots of good things for our communities. The majority of the bikers in this area are everyday blue-blood Americans who enjoy riding with friends and look forward to making new ones. I am proud to say I am from a biker family and cherish my biker brothers and sisters.
Maybe Kim Jones shouldn't attend the Spring Openers.
Arlene Johnson
Selah
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