President must acknowledge reality
To the Editor:
It seems obvious to us in Goldendale Citizens for Peace, and it must be equally obvious to President Obama and his administration, that U.S. military efforts in Afghanistan are having the exact opposite effect than as desired.
We encourage the president to acknowledge this reality and to muster all peaceful means possible to achieve peaceful coalition abroad and, in so doing, protect our country.
Robert Seborer
Goldendale
Cougar population larger than stated
To the Editor:
If only one breeding pair of cougars had only one cub each of the past 15 years, that would be two pairs plus 15 years, equaling 17. Then multiply that number (17) by 36 (the number of Oregon counties), then multiplied by 15 (the number of years since the ban on hunting with dogs); that equals 9,180 cougars in the state. But in reality, cougars are sexually mature at age two and almost always have twins and triplets, so you can see if there is even a 50 percent or 75 percent cub death rate, we certainly have a lot more cougars in Oregon than the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife estimate of 5,830. (This was reported in The Oregonian, Bill Monroe sports column, on Oct. 25, 2009.)
So be alert when in the outdoors, especially in areas where cougars get up high or with good cover-trees, rock ledges, in the woods, mature wheat fields, and so forth. They are so stealthy. Just be alert and be aware of your surroundings.
Carol MacKenzie
Wasco, Oregon
County machinery out of control
To the Editor:
Congratulations on your latest front page exposing county corruption. I was afraid you, the new guy, were going to adopt a head-in-the-sand attitude, after reading several glowing accounts written in past issues regarding Klickitat County's current political status and potential future.
We see the realities when our property tax bills (assessments) go up exponentially while real estate values in fact drop drastically. We also see the corruption first hand when friends and relatives are maliciously prosecuted and imprisoned by a criminal justice machine totally out of control.
I have lived in this county for over 30 years and have never seen our courthouse picketed-a sad commentary on the political status quo. I am anxiously looking forward to the 2010 August primaries and the inevitable introduction of a bunch of new faces in county politics. That part of our system is definitely not broken. Thanks for the real news.
Jerry Trout
Goldendale
(Editor's comment: For the record, the story referenced in the letter above was neither an exposé nor about county corruption. It was a report on a court case filed against the county alleging misconduct by the county assessor's office.)
Mountain manners still apply on the road
To the Editor:
Where I come from, it was called "mountain manners," and the "older" generation, still remembering the horse and buggy days, practiced it with faith and good reason.
In the age of vehicles, you would think these unwritten rules would no longer apply. Certainly you don't find them in the Washington State driver's manual, or any other state for that matter. Yet they are probably more important today than they ever were in the horse and buggy days. This includes basic common sense:
#1: When meeting another vehicle on a dusty, gravel road, slow down. The dust and rocks you throw in the air cracks windshields and blinds oncoming traffic to anything travelling behind you-a potentially deadly situation.
#2: Always yield to uphill traffic. People who handled teams pulling heavy wagons quickly learned this rule, and it should apply even with today's vehicles.
It is much easier for someone headed downhill to resume their travel on ice, snow, or dust than it is for someone going uphill to try to resume movement and gain momentum under the same conditions. Downhill traffic faces much less a chance of sliding into a ditch to get going again, while uphill traffic faces a monster problem to continue on up a hill. Think about it, please.
Rita Liska
Goldendale
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