Sept. 14 Letters to the Editor

A less costly approach

The Sept. 6 issue of The Daily News included an article informing us that local levees must be “certified,” that the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has most of the information needed to “certify” all of the county’s levees, but that, due to a December 2000 amendment to a spending bill, it is unlikely that the Corps of Engineers could “certify” the levees. Certification by a private consultant would cost nearly $6.8 million. Potential options to hiring a private consultant were mentioned in the article.

In the event these potential options do not materialize, could the following be considered?

A local agency, perhaps a diking district, would obtain “most of the information needed to ‘certify’ all of Cowlitz County’s levees …,” perhaps by requesting same from the Corps of Engineers under the appropriate freedom of information statues. Local agencies or officials then contract with a private consultant to procure whatever additional information is needed and then proceed to “certify” the levees.

Would this approach cost less than $6.8 million?

John R. Dick

Longview

Fine ‘hospice’ care

As most of your readers know, we have a fine Hospice in town. But do they know we also have a fine Animal Hospice located in Longview called the Humane Society?

I got to know more about the local Humane Society when I had to make that decision we all dread to make about a beloved pet. With me, it was my 17-year-old Japanese Akita named Saki.

The employees were so nice and caring for Saki. I feel they weren’t just doing a job, but actually cared. Which made a huge impact on me. He was allowed to stop and smell new scents to him and there was no hurry.

He was gently placed on a table and the two employees prepared him while all the time petting and softly talking to him.

As he slipped away, one of the ladies handed me a box of tissue and said, “We’ve been here before.” You see, big boys do cry.

Then, a few days later, I received a very nice sympathy card from the Humane Society.

All I can say is, “Thank you, employees of the Humane Society of Cowlitz County.”

Jim Anderson

Kelso

Another ‘revolution’?

Back around 1972, I sat in the student center of Lower Columbia College and listened to a group of left-wing radicals basically state they wanted to create the equivalent of Cambodia’s killing fields in the U.S “after the revolution.” I suppose most of my fellow ‘60s generation have forgotten how popular the phrase “after the revolution,” meaning after a radical communist overthrow of the U.S government, was in those days with college students.

According to the group, they could hardly wait to line all the “capitalist pigs” up against the wall and execute them. “Capitalist pigs” seemed to include businessmen, doctors, teachers, lawyers, law enforcement members, large farmers and many other categories. I have always kind of wondered what happened to these people in later years when their revolution never materialized.

After reading Trudy Wade’s letter on Aug. 31, I guess I now know. It seems she is again calling for the execution of all Republicans and “Blue Dog” Democrats.

So is that the change Democrats believe in?

Steven Dick

Castle Rock

What kind of government do we have?

I went to a town hall meeting that Brian Baird, our representative for the Third Congressional District, gave.

We were asked to stand and recite the pledge of allegiance. I wondered how many individuals in that mass meeting knew what they were pledging to, a republic form of government or prostitution form. My guess is that most didn’t know what republic meant. It is a representative form of government.

Today there are six lobbyists for each elected congressman in Washington, D.C., which translates into prostitution government. Those lobbyists are sent there to purchase political power and do not act in the interests of the governed.

It can be changed by writing to your Congress persons and with a wise judicial branch of our people in Washington. This can be done before violence develops.

Get active. Don’t pledge yourself to support the naughty government activists.

William G. Dragich

Longview

More bonuses

I have heard that the congressional aides have received bonuses up to $168,000 each.

What I would like to know is how much did Congressman Baird’s aide receive as a bonus?

Does he have more than one aide?

Carroll L. Simonson

Longview