March 10 Letters to the Editor

Why is LNG different?

Regarding the March 1 editorial, do you remember not that many months ago when a presidential candidate talked of the need for independence from “foreign oil” because the U.S was importing far too much from “countries that don’t like us very much”?

I do.

I didn’t agree with that candidate about much, but the basic premise of this particular statement rang true even if his proposed “solution” didn’t.

What makes LNG so different? Are there any exporters of the stuff that are true allies of the U.S.?

Other (and numerous) holes in the arguments for LNG aside, geopolitics is regularly and conveniently overlooked by proponents. Why is LNG supposed to get a pass on the energy-independence test?

Even if you’re not among the group being subtly (or not-so-subtly) painted as left-wing environmental extremists, think about LNG as an equivalent to that dreaded “foreign oil” and then consider how that fits in your global view.

Scott Saulsbury

Astoria

Show some compassion

I wonder if it ever occurred to Sharon Ashford (March 3 letter) that she didn’t have to watch the mother breast-feed her baby at the restaurant. If she was out “enjoying a nice candlelit dinner,” shouldn’t her focus have been on her gentleman friend? If that mother had brought out a bottle to feed the baby would she be offended? What if the baby was eating food and was getting it all over its face? Would that be offensive?

Some restaurants are cool enough to have more of a lounge area in addition to the ladies’ room, but not always. Seriously, would Ashford take her dinner into some of these bathrooms to eat? If she wouldn’t, why should a mother leave her dinner companion to go sit on a toilet and feed her baby? Perhaps this was as romantic of an evening this couple could have without getting a baby sitter.

Instead of just being instantly agitated about this, people should try showing a little compassion and be happy that this woman chose to breast-feed and therefore create that special bond with her child. I keep hearing all this “family values” stuff from the right, but when it comes to issues like this, that goes right out the door.

Crystal Shellenbarger

Longview

Law should be enforced

About a week ago, I was in the WinCo parking area waiting for pedestrians to pass so I could enter a disabled parking space. A red car with two men cut me off and entered the space. They did not have a disabled sticker or license plate.

When I came out of the store another car was in the same space also without a disabled permit.

On March 3, at 4 p.m., I took time to check six cars in the same location. Three of the six did not have permits.

A law that is not enforced is not a law. I realize the police have other duties, but it seems they could take a few minutes in their slow times to check for permits. It would no doubt bring in a substantial amount of revenue.

Phylis M. Bess

Longview

LNG pipe lowers property value

If you want it so bad (March 1 editorial), have it run through your property like it will mine. As if property values aren’t low enough already. A 36-inch steel pipe with 1,500 pounds per square inch of pressure in it. That’s enough gas and pressure to blow a hole big enough to wipe out half the county.

If it was planned to go through your 25-acre farm, I bet you would be singing a different tune.

Oregon has energy corridors that run east-west with right of ways and easements in place. Why don’t they put the pipeline there? That would eliminate the need to destroy hundreds of miles of Oregon forest and privately owned farmland.

We have all the natural gas we need here, we just need to get the drill out. How many U.S. jobs would that create? And the money would stay here. Why do we need to import foreign LNG when we could use our own? With close to 90 percent of the LNG going to California, how about relocating the LNG terminal to San Francisco Bay? That way they could see what they are getting.

Or better yet, why don’t they run the 36-inch 1,500 psi pipeline through Washington and through your back yard?

Terry Swan

Molalla, Ore.