Our Readers' Views Jan. 1

I want to share some goodness I experienced from two total strangers.

On Thanksgiving Day, with my arm in a sling from surgery, I was trying to mow my lawn. A young man came by on a skateboard and noticed my struggle. He flipped his board into the air, came over and, taking the handle of my mower, said, “Let me do that, sir.”

Another act of kindness happened Dec. 27. I and another man were attempting with shovels to clear a huge berm of snow at our church. A man unknown to either of us drove up on a tractor and started clearing the driveway. When it was clear, he drove off without saying a word.

Two men, one a teenager, out of the goodness of their hearts, made a difference. Perhaps we can take a cue from them. Look for opportunities where we can to help someone and make a difference in their lives this coming year.

Darryl Elledge

Washougal

Will all the people who have left their overflowing garbage cans in the street please put them away until your collection day arrives?

Presently, the weather is blowing the trash down the street, making a mess. I can’t be the only one tired of seeing my neighbor’s trash blowing by. By leaving your trash out, you only serve to set a example of being lazy and inept for the your children.

Wayne Alexander

Vancouver

One cannot help but stand in awe of our proposed new library sited on the location of an auto dealership. Are we trading a dealership for a more gas-guzzling beauty? It’s all about ego and making a statement about Vancouver.

Who cares about a green building? Who cares about energy efficiency? Let’s make a statement that we care about green — how many greenbacks we can spend on bragging rights for an edifice to ego and waste.

Oil, gas and electricity are cheap right now, so why can’t we have more windows? The efficiency of having all windows so you wouldn’t have to waste the space on books up the exterior walls is a great plan. Then you would not have to waste money on more books to fill those walled shelves.

Library board — come down to Earth, star date 2009. We seek knowledge in a library, not how big a statement it makes to vanity.

David S.A. Kemper

Battle Ground

Highway 503 north of Battle Ground and south of Fourth Plain was plowed and clear during the recent snow event, but in between there was no apparent plowing. Why? It was a stretch of six-inch ice ruts for two weeks.

When the weather warmed up, I saw two plows guarded by a Washington State Patrol car. Neither plow appeared to have its blades low enough to get under the ice as it was melting, and I believe that is the time to do so. And what’s with the WSP escort? We are guarding snow plows now? What for? It caused a traffic jam from Brush Prairie to Battle Ground.

As some opinions have pointed out, life has to continue even if it snows, and pronouncements by media and others to “just stay home” are useless.

Bill Kelley

Yacolt

I don’t typically write letters to the editor, but I felt a strong urge to respond to a Dec. 30 news brief, “New fight may be coming over official state candy,” about a bill that state Rep. Mike Armstrong, R-Wenatchee, introduced before the Washington state Legislature specifying Aplets & Cotlets as the state candy. Does he actually believe that the taxpayers want the Legislature spending time on this meaningless pap?

With all the significant issues facing us, Armstrong should be embarrassed to even bring this forward. I find it hard to fathom that an elected official, from any party, is clueless enough to consider spending time debating this trivia. Armstrong is not in my district, but it sure appears like local voters and taxpayers are being woefully underserved.

Brad Kitselman

La Center

There are 5,000 registered nursing vacancies statewide right now. Programs at the University of Washington, Washington State University, and our community colleges graduate these critical professionals.

Levels of nursing students and faculty are threatened now due to budget cuts. We must build for our future by supporting nursing education and not look for short-term savings.

I am executive director of the Washington Center for Nursing, a nonprofit work force group charged with ensuring there are enough nurses in Washington state. With the growing nursing shortage, the need will increase. Projections are that by the year 2020, there could be 30,000 openings for registered nurses. Nursing education is not an area for reductions.

State decision makers face tough decisions as they try to do more with less, but now is the time to invest in nursing programs at state-funded schools. There is opportunity to build for our future and improve the health of the entire state.

Linda Tieman

Seattle

I disagree with the Dec. 26 editorial, “Ill-timed greed.” I was a state employee for over 12 years and a volunteer union representative for 10 of those years for one of the most powerful locals in this state.

All pay and benefit issues were products of the Legislature and not subjects of negotiations. Any union activity that lent itself to such issues came by way of hard lobbying. Even then pay increases were a small percentage of the yearly cost of living increases endured by all. It was rare that an increase in pay exceeded the cost of living.

State employees by and large have to grovel for what they receive. Without question, respect for their needs are always far from even secondary considerations of government. Not to expect them to fight hard to keep the little they have is unreasonable.

Robert Harrison

Vancouver

I support Congressman Jerrold Nadler, D-N.Y., chair of the Judiciary Subcommittee on the Constitution, Civil Rights, and Civil Liberties, in introducing House Resolution 1531, demanding that President George W. Bush refrain from issuing preemptive pardons of senior officials in his administration, including Bush himself.

It’s past time for a broad coalition in the House to join this legislation as co-sponsors, in response to President Bush’s widespread abuses of power and potentially criminal lawbreaking against our Constitution.

Steve Nieman

Brush Prairie