It's not a done deal
Friday, June 13, 2008 12:49 AM PDT
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E-mail this articleJune 13 Letters to the Editor
It’s not a done deal
The Bradwood Landing liquefied natural gas project is not a done deal. As we have expected from these five federal commissioners of FERC, they will issue a permit to “anyone” who has the money to build an LNG terminal and pipeline.
The FERC is another totally inept federal agency that will rubber stamp all permits for LNG billion dollar money-makers and have all of us hooked on this foreign fuel source for at least 40 to 50 years. Guess which countries have the most known natural gas fields in the world — Russia, Qatar, Iran and the United States.
It is also interesting to note that NorthernStar’s Bradwood Landing LNG has not been granted any permits from state or county agencies. Washington and Oregon have the authority to stop this fallacious project. We need to take back control of our country.
Sandra Davis
Longview
Weighty grass
Have you seen the grass prices lately? Yes, I mean grass. My husband and I hired a local company to mow a property we just bought. Long story shorter, using our 8x20 trailer he hauled two loads of grass to the Cowlitz County Landfill for us and they charged $140 because they charge by the ton. Most of it was water weight anyway, thanks to the weather lately; and I’m sorry but doesn’t grass biodegrade? Are you kidding me?
The county won’t allow burning in Lexington. The neighbors don’t want an eye-sore to look at. I can’t wait forever to bring the grass to the dump when it’s dry enough to be cheap because I have to keep up on the lawn mowing, which I can’t do if there are piles of grass everywhere. I dislike greatly to be penalized constantly for trying to be a decent citizen and just live life.
I can’t wait until the compost business is open across from the landfill.
Jennifer Bejcek
Kelso
Prohibition doesn’t work
In 1968 I became, I suspect, the first person in Cowlitz County to publicly say we should legalize marijuana; 150 locals said via petition that I should be fired as a teacher.
No merchant wants to sell kids beer or cigarettes because it is not worth the hassle; he can make more money legally. If we totally ban booze and cigarettes, a new Al Capone will come along to bribe, kill and terrorize; total sin sales will fall very little.
PUD rate payers now learn that they financed two major marijuana operations, metal is being stolen, Mexican cops are being murdered, neighborhoods are being shot up, politicians, judges and cops are being bribed — all because America still thinks it can violate the law of supply and demand.
Worse than meth and even cigarettes, the most dangerous drug is the vast, illegal, underground economy which encourages still more drug use. A government-owned or regulated monopoly should first set prices so low as to drive crooks out of business and then enforce intelligent, flexible regulations to mitigate the problem.
With 300 million fools in this country, expect no perfection. Mitigation is the best we can hope for.
L. S. Wagle
Longview
Principle vs. principal
On my most recent phone bill, I happened to notice that in much smaller print under Total New Charges was the notation: “Includes late payment charge of $.02”. I thought to myself, how could anyone be assessed only 2 cents as a late payment charge? Also, I had a credit on my previous month’s bill, so a late charge was highly improbable.
Intrigued, I called the phone company and climbed their phone tree branch over branch until finally reaching an actual person. When I explained the issue, he brought up my account and finally confessed that he had no idea how the charge got on the bill, or what it was for. He promised a 2-cent credit on next month’s bill. I thanked him and then asked how much I was to be paid for finding their error.
Surprisingly, I found that I was barking up the wrong phone tree. My only purpose in writing this letter is to ask others to check their most recent bills to see if there is an unsubstantiated charge.
Although mine was only 2 cents, this would be a rather large influx of cash to the company, if each of their millions of customers were similarly assessed.
Edward Therrien
Castle Rock
McDaniel has been a leader
I have appreciated the leadership that Todd McDaniel has shown in recent years as a member of the Kelso City Council. Todd has stepped up to the plate to deal with a variety of tough issues such as city management, budgetary decisions and zoning. This is the type of leadership that we need on the Cowlitz County Board of Commissioners.
Todd understands that balance between strong economic growth and quality of life is needed. Todd’s work in the Sheriff’s Department gives him intimate knowledge of crime problems and how these problems can be solved.
Todd McDaniel is the best candidate for Cowlitz County commissioner, Position 1.
Mike Karnofski
Kelso
Unexpected help appreciated
Have you ever watched and watched for something to come on sale and when it does, rushed to the store to purchase that item only to find out it won’t fit into your car? That’s what happened to my husband and me recently. We didn’t realize the outdoor furniture would come in one “big” box and, if for any reason we’d have to return it, we would need the box.
We were in front of the local Target store with three of their employees working on our dilemma when this man with a very kind face came over to us and asked us where we lived and could he help us? We told him where we lived and he said no problem, he had been in our spot before and would be happy to put this in the back of his pickup and follow us home. He said his wife was in the store and when she came out we would be on our way.
His wife came out as we were finishing tying down the box, and he told her what he was doing and she said great. We couldn’t believe it. We didn’t know his name until we arrived at our house, but he had a face and demeanor you could trust and a little dachshund in the back seat.
At our home I tried to give him money for the golden gas it took to do this and he refused; he just said it was nice to meet us and have a great weekend and they left. This man and his wife was Dave and Barbara Mask from Castle Rock.
Sandy Lindland
Kelso
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