The Columbian | Serving Clark County, Washington

Early planning directs your loved ones

On the fifth anniversary of the death of Terri Schiavo, a long, drawn-out legal battle pitting families, and, ultimately, the nation against each other, one thing remains clear: the need for end-of-life planning. With advanced directives and a good conversation, a person may release their family members/loved ones from ever having to speculate an answer to the question, “What would they have wanted?”

Everyone over the age of 18 needs to plan for their future, and advanced directives are the first step.

Additional questions people ask are ‘How do I plan?’ ‘Where do I get more information?’ Community Home Health & Hospice, for which I am executive director, is a local nonprofit community resource for advanced planning. Those who are interested in planning end-of-life care may set up a no-cost appointment with one of our medical social workers by calling 360-253-4626. Advance directive forms for the state of Washington are available on our Web site at http://www.chhh.org under resources.

At Community Home Health & Hospice, our goal is to educate the community on the benefits of early planning, both to patients and families.

Greg Pang

Vancouver

Learn about impact of coal plants

Many Washingtonians are unaware that there is a coal plant in our state. It is owned by a Canadian corporation and sits just north of Centralia. Most people consider coal a dirty source of power; they would be right. The Centralia plant is the largest single contributor of greenhouse gases in the state. It also spews out nitrogen oxide and mercury and contributes to smog in places such as Mount Rainier National Park.

Local Sierra Club members invite you to a free community forum on coal and clean energy on April 21 at 7 p.m. at the Water Resources Education Center. The public is also invited to a free reception with refreshments at 6:30 p.m. prior to the forum.

Headlining the event will be Ted Nace, author of “Climate Hope: On the Front Lines of the Fight Against Coal.” Also speaking will be a representative of Physicians for Social Responsibility, a local labor leader, and a representative of the Sierra Club.

Roger Cole

Vancouver

Put a light-rail vote on the ballot

After reading the April 9 story “Mielke calls for bridge advisory vote” concerning the vote advocated by Clark County Commissioner Tom Mielke, I became concerned about a few things that do not add up. First, how is it possible that it has cost over $1 million a month for planning? The problem is that once again our elected and appointed officials think they know what is best for all of us.

Another aspect is that C-Tran will have “to pony up roughly $2 million a year to operate and maintain light rail on the Vancouver side of the river.” That seems like a lot of money for something that voters have rejected in the past. Rather than spend all this money that we don’t have, why not put light rail to a vote once again and then follow through with the will of the people? My guess is that if there were a light-rail proposal on a ballot, it would fail again. Stop with the insanity and listen to the people. We at least have common sense.

Quentin Smith

Vancouver

Bottled water tax is wrong

As president of Lodi Water Company, a small water bottler in Eastern Washington, I am concerned about the taxes in the state budget package.

Included is a temporary tax increase on products that contribute to diabetes, obesity and alcoholism but only for the large players; the small players are exempt. OK. But why permanently tax a product — bottled water — that does not contribute to disease, and then tax all companies, large and small? We should not punish those who choose to live healthy lifestyles and make it easy for those who choose not to.

Whether we agree or disagree that bottled water is or is not a discretionary purchase, consumers will continue to drive the demand for healthy alternatives to other soft drink choices. This sales tax on bottled water is in poor judgment and a bad policy that discourages Washington residents from making healthy lifestyle choices.

By exempting the small players in the beer and soda industries and not the bottled water industries is plain discrimination.

At the least, the same policy for the beer and soda industries should be extended to the bottled water industry to protect small Washington businesses.

Jim Connelly

Chewelah, wa

Don’t reward greedy behavior

Reckless behavior by big banks, mortgage lenders and credit card companies has cost millions of Americans their jobs, their retirement savings, and their financial well-being. I, at age 62, should be looking forward to a well-earned retirement, but I can’t. My 44 years as a responsible middle class citizen paying taxes is invisible to the elitist Capitol Hill lobbyists and a “bought & paid for” Congress.

Had I committed the same acts on Main Street as they have on Wall Street, my retirement plan would be life in prison without parole.

Please fight to level the playing field by applying laws/rules equally to all citizens of the United States. Make sure that any final bills passed by Congress protect states’ rights and require that investment advice be based on the needs of the client — not the financial institution. Americans deserve to know whose side their senators are on: working families who play by the rules or the big banks who got us into this mess.

Caroline Soll

Vancouver

Cantwell cares less about voter

I e-mailed Sen. Maria Cantwell, D-Wash., outlining my objections to the so-called “national health care reform act” weeks prior to the vote on the bill. April 9 was the first and only response I received. It was a callous form letter response. I was disappointed and angered by her lack of consideration of the views of a majority of the American public. Cantwell is an ideologue who does nothing but spout the party line. She was elected to represent the people. She has proved just the opposite. She has shown herself to be an elitist progressive who thinks she knows what’s best for the public without considering their opinion.

The bill she voted for is just another example of big government intrusion into our private lives and government largesse run amuck.

This bill will likely bankrupt our country, drive away business, and cost 10 times what they claim it will cost. It will surely lead to inferior care and rationing down the road. Politicians such as Cantwell are the problem with this country. Unrestrained government growth and spending has got to stop.

Tony Rocci

Vancouver

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