Strike a fair balance
Thursday, May 1, 2008 1:52 PM PDT
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E-mail this articleStrike a fair balance
I believe I have an answer to our salmon/sea lion problem. First, let's think about our problem sensibly.
In this hungry world, are the sea lions a food source? No. Are the salmon a food source? Yes. Are the sea lions going into extinction with the loss of a few trespassing river raiders? No. Are the salmon who already suffer from polluted water sources in the struggle to get to their breeding grounds damaged by the hungry sea lions? Yes.
So, let's strike a fair deal: Four days a week we'll protect the sea lions, who are way out of their territory causing heavy damages to salmon, and three days a week we'll protect the salmon. Sounds fair to me.
Patricia Hendrickson
Kelso
Time to act
It's time for us sport fishermen to act. We should all be outraged and aghast about how the California and other sea lions and seals are being allowed to decimate endangered salmon runs at Bonneville dam and elsewhere on the Columbia River.
The states of Washington and Oregon had permission to stop the rogue sea lions at the dam until the Humane Society of the United States stuck its uninformed, long nose into the situation and stopped the states in federal court. I called Sharron Young, head of the Humane Society of The United States, to find out why she was largely uninformed on the issue at large, but charged ahead anyway.
After calling Young, please consider joining the Coastal Conservation Association, which, with the help of area fishing pro Gary Loomis, is spear heading the fight for selective fishing only on the Columbia River and other Northwest waterways. Nets are nonselective. Please attend a meeting at Bob's Merchandise on any third Thursday of the month. In May the meeting will be on the 15th. We are making great progress in Washington and Oregon. You will be impressed. See for yourself.
Ken Spring
Longview
Take responsibility
I agree with Bill White concerning a local dog park — his being the fairgrounds. Roy Morse facility is another one.
People with pooches, "come on down," let the dogs out to run, plan and poop. I've never seen anyone pick up after the critters. The discouraging part is that the city supplies "mutt mitts" in at least two sites within the park.
V.R. Kirck
Longview
What's wrong here?
This is about the picture we saw in The Daily News of the dead bug trees we saw in Colorado. What is wrong with our government when they just sit on their butts and watch the world fall apart? Remember Battlestar Galactica? We are not going to take off on a journey into the depths of space for another planet to screw up. This is our home. The only one we're ever going to get.
How would you like to be a passenger in a car going head-on at a semi at top speed? Guess who's driving. Why, it's the government, of course. We pay the taxes, but what do we get? We get a very slow attempt to fix anything. Look at how long it took to do anything about the sea lions. Well, seems to me the people can holler about the greenhouse effect. But what is anyone doing about it? They are continuing to drive their cars.
I know someone who works in Portland can't walk to work every day. I also know someone who complains about the high cost of gasoline but continues to do all kinds of unnecessary driving. Doesn't he know the more gas you burn up the higher it goes? He is a business person, too, and yet he doesn't even know about the rule of supply and demand.
Seems to me we are all on a train going helter skelter toward a world where you can't breathe pollution, probably drinking someone else's poison (Roundup).
Gene Ekman
Longview
Simmons obvious choice
Let me start by saying I have never met any of the candidates for sheriff and I live in rural Columbia County. After researching the candidate's qualifications I am voting for Gerry Simmons.
Simmons served our country for 19 years in the military both here and abroad. He served in Vietnam, Desert Shield and Desert Storm, receiving numerous commendations, including the Navy Achievement Medal.
It is my opinion that the military has a more professional, stricter standard than domestic law enforcement and Simmons led our soldiers both in peace and war. His ability to lead is exemplified by the many commendations he has received from his military superiors.
He has also received many commendations during his 27 years of service in the Sheriff's Office from the State Police, the acting sheriff and numerous others.
Clearly he is a man of great character who has dedicated his life to serving others. With his vast knowledge of the sheriff's office, his proven leadership and dedication he is the obvious choice for me.
Travis Danielson
Clatskanie
Exactly as promised
In the April issue of Reader's Digest, Aury Wallington writes of her debut novel, the story of a 17-year-old girl's decision to lose her virginity in order to win the boy of her choice. The book got rave reviews. However, later, her agent advised her that the book's distributor saw the book as "controversial" and banned it from the bookshelves.
That article really caught my attention. In July 2007, I had a book published by the title of "The Legend of Susej." I took a copy of the book to a local bookstore and, after reading the book, the manager had high praise for it and became excited about advertising it as written by a local author and thus, he ordered several copies.
However, when the order failed to arrive, he checked his computer and found the order "canceled." He made two subsequent orders but both were cancelled by an unknown party and for unexplained reasons.
The book itself is the futuristic story of when the Evangelical Political Party of America takes over the government with resulting chaos.
One might suspect that right-wing activists have invaded the decision-making processes in the country. You can call me an exponent of "conspiracy theories" if you wish, but I remember that this is exactly what the conservatives promised that they would do when they organized after the defeat of Barry Goldwater in 1964.
Jeffrey Schmidt
Kelso
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