The Columbian | Serving Clark County, Washington

2009 was a great year for local Scouts

Congratulations to all members of the Boy Scouts in East Vancouver, Camas and Washougal for an outstanding year of service. During 2009, Scouts of the Columbia Gorge District provided 16,000 hours of service to their communities.

Every unit provided service and will once again lead the Cascade Pacific Council for the National Goodturn for America Program. The service projects included Walk & Knock, Goodwill Goodturn, Xmas Tree Recycling, Memorial Day events, Veterans Day parades and services, Christmas caroling for seniors, assisting members of their church congregations, as well as 44 Eagle Scout projects.

We have great Scouting programs in Clark County and have received outstanding support from the community. These youth are learning to become “Servant Leaders” by working on service projects and having fun while doing them. I am so proud to be associated with all of the wonderful leaders and families that support these youth. Clark County is so fortunate to have so many opportunities for them to participate in these types of activities.

The Scouts of the Columbia Gorge District are among the elite in the nation for service.

Mike Anderson

VANCOUVER

Gun-control bill has multiple flaws

State Senators Adam Kline, Darlene Fairley, Jeanne Kohl-Wells and Joe McDermott recently introduced Senate Bill 6396, “An act relating to banning the sale of assault weapons,” in Olympia. This is not only an attack on the Second Amendment to the Constitution, but they’ve even gone after the Fourth. Section 1 of the bill is just the standard attempt to re-establish Clinton-era restrictions on “assault rifles” by changing their appearance and reducing the magazine capacity to 10 rounds.

The scary part is in Section 2, subsection 5A, which allows a county sheriff to enter your home annually, without warrant or notification, apparently at any time, to “inspect” your assault weapon to ensure it is “safely and securely” stored. How the sheriff knows if you have one of these weapons is not addressed. Could it be through registration or just going door to door to “inspect”?

When these senators took office, didn’t they take an oath to support and defend the Constitution? I know I did when I enlisted and was later commissioned. Maybe at the time they took their oath, they whispered under their breaths, “Only the parts that we like.”

Clifton Beagle

VANCOUVER

Cuts to state services are drastic

Once in a while within a crisis, an opportunity presents itself. Our state legislators need to recognize the current fiscal crisis for what it is—a chance to find a balanced solution to ongoing budget woes. Washington is not going to thrive with years of constant cuts to vital social and health care programs. We don’t deny the need of an efficient government, nor can we deny the need for economical health care. People need a sturdy health care; kids need decent schools; we need to care for our elderly. We need resourceful and realistic solutions that will not ignore our shared values and our hope of leaving behind a decent society for our grandchildren. Some of the things at stake: 100,000 Washington citizens losing their health insurance, including 16,000 children; 50,000 pregnant mothers without prenatal support; 12,500 Washingtonians without access to family planning.

Think of your family, your friends and your neighbors; this will affect the people we care about the most.

I have faith that this is something we can accomplish together. Please ask your legislator to look at all budget options including a full discussion of potential revenue.

Sarah N. Ripley

VANCOUVER

Threats to environment intensify

Born in the 1980s, I was fairly oblivious to what had been done to our environment before passage of the Clean Air Act of 1970. Now I know all too well, and the consequences as a result of it.

Most memorable of these consequences is the Cuyahoga River catching fire in 1969 due to the pollution in it. For polluters to again have free rein over waste disposal is a frightening thought. An indicator of a nation’s wealth and prosperity is how well it treats its environment; our nation should be a shining example.

Critics say that over-regulation leads to lost jobs; however, these regulations help create safe jobs where people don’t have to risk their health cleaning up others’ messes.

For Alaska, long praised for its wild areas and unspoiled environment, to be the first state to attempt to remove such regulations would be a grave mistake.

I’m appalled at lobbyists who seek to line their pockets with money at their hoped-for victory for their employers—the largest polluters in our country. I pray that they won’t win; I fear that they will, and in the process, open a deluge of legislation from other states that wish to do the same.

Andrew Dean

VANCOUVER

Train noise is necessary

In response to recent letters to the editor concerning train traffic at crossings, including the most recent and overly sensitive “truck haters” response to Nancy Mertens’ letter, Mertens was dead-on accurate in her synopsis and in no way insinuated that the trucking industry does not play a key role in the transportation business. Both types of running freight aren’t going away anytime soon.

Freight trains haul nonperishables along with extremely hazardous chemicals and gases in large quantities.

The FRA (Federal Railroad Administration) mandates that both freight and passenger trains use locomotive warning whistles and bells in approaching and traversing all crossings along railroad main lines, for public safety.

Sadly, some choose not to stop, look, and listen for oncoming train traffic and become casualties of possibly catastrophic collisions that affect both victims and public.

My response to the original letter complaining of the warning whistles and bells noise at his crossing: Take it up with your congressman in Washington, D.C., or try to relax and get used to it. (Maybe sound-proof your home? It isn’t going to stop anytime soon.) Or move far and away from railroad main lines.

Bob Wharton

VANCOUVER

Circus entertainment is cruel

It is time to stop circuses’ cruelty once and for all. We will never support this animal abuse form of entertainment. How can those people sleep at night, knowing that circus animals are doomed to a unnatural, miserable life of isolation and sadness? Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey, go away and don’t come back.

Kami Hunziker

LA CENTER

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