Dogs can change their minds
Isn’t it interesting the different facial expressions dogs have, like “I love you,” or “Let’s go play Frisbee.”
But the picture in the July 10 Columbian of a 5-month-old bulldog, Lola, being carried to the water at Frenchman’s Bar Park for Lola’s first swimming lesson looks like Lola is saying, “Help, please! Someone call 911 and report this animal cruelty!”
However, after that first swimming lesson, Lola probably was thinking, “Hey, swimming is fun! I can’t wait for my next lesson.”
Doug Moe
VANCOUVER
Decrease demand for dams’ energy
Many in the Pacific Northwest want to eliminate our hydroelectric dams on the Snake and Columbia rivers and all their tributaries. But we also demand more electricity each month for our own personal or business use.
At the same time we want to decrease our pollution footprint on our environment.
These seem to be three goals that cannot be obtained at the same time.
However, if we required all or even most new construction to include on-site wind/solar electricity equal to that reasonably expected to be used by that building, we could lower our need for dams. We could even take them down.
The wind generators could become standard on rooftops and the solar panels standard on walls. Then, when the building is in use and hooked up to the current network, the users would have lower electric bills and the electric company would have extra power when they needed it, such as on weekends for bank buildings or during the daytime for office workers, as the extra usage would come from their residences to their jobs.
Marci Bither
BATTLE GROUND
Design assimilation is assumed
The subdivision overlay design plan will very likely not accomplish its stated purpose of improving the west end of Fruit Valley in any way. (June 30 Columbian story “Wartime homes spark battle: Fruit Valley neighbors at odds over proposed construction restrictions aimed at preserving area’s character.”)
Homeowners in the area are not all on board with the plan; in fact, far from it.
Those who attended the June meeting of the neighborhood association seem to have come away from the Planning Commission presentation with the distinct impression that the proposal was for voluntary design guidelines, not a legally enforceable change to the building codes.
Any perceived support or even lack of resistance on the subject should be read as such. Having been told the guidelines are voluntary, there seems little point of protest.
The code changes are far less welcome, however.
Any mandatory guidelines should be clearly presented as such to homeowners in the affected areas, or run the risk of being perceived as a sneaky bait ’n’ switch tactic. I strongly urge the commission to table the matter pending further (candid) discussion at the neighborhood level.
Eric LaBrant
Vancouver
Sound model to govern by
The July 9 Columbian story “Cantwell seeks aid for small businesses” provides compelling reasons why Sen. Maria Cantwell must go when she next seeks re-election.
The future of business in America is being bound hand and foot to “a bill sponsored by Rep. Barney Frank, D-Mass, passed the House of Representatives 241-182 on June 17,” (Small Business Lending Fund Act). The news story infers that Cantwell intends to vote for this monstrosity. She cites credible facts about the current severe dearth of credit and capital available to small businesses; however, her solution is the same as the Obama-care disaster and all the many other fiscally irresponsible billion- and trillion-dollar Obama boondoggles: more government control to “solve” the problem the Fed has created. Frank’s bill is at least 2,000 pages. and I’d bet most have no clue what is in it.
If Cantwell were serious about setting things aright as she is about pandering for votes through an attempt to present her as a business-friendly centrist, she’d stop treating her constituents as idiots and obey constitutional law, forcing the removal of illegal, federally imposed business regulations and the taxes to pay for their enforcement.
Our Founding Fathers worked it all out over 200 years ago. All Cantwell need do is follow the model.
Timothy May
VANCOUVER
People deserve better than old Newt
A July 13 story reported, “Newt in 2012? Gingrich says he’s thinking about a presidential run.” Newt Gingrich as presidential timber? I do not think so; he didn’t finish one term as Speaker of the House, putting himself on the same platform as Bill Clinton. Clinton had two terms as president. The political group “American Solutions for Winning the Future” is playing the name game, blaming everybody else for his problems in office.
Gingrich thinks he can get elected president of the United States with his track record. The people of this country deserve better and will get better candidates than Gingrich.
His principles are fundamentally wrong.
If you can’t help this country, stay out of the race.
Gary G. Maynard
VANCOUVER
Send illegal immigrants home
New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg, Rupert Murdoch and the mayors of several big cities appear to be hell-bent on solving our economic problems with sweeping immigration reform.
President Obama, a champion for amnesty, will lead the charge from our nation’s capital, taking our immigration policy to the extreme.
While 25 million Americans can’t find a full-time jobs, top knot-heads from Fortune 500 corporations have joined the band of fat cats working to grant millions of illegal immigrants permanent work permits and import millions more foreign workers.
These power brokers, which call themselves the Coalition for a New American Economy, try to convince Americans that recovery is hinged on immigration when their motive is greed, paying lower wages and providing fewer benefits to garner greater profits.
Policymakers and corporate chiefs have sent millions of jobs outside our shores. Now they want to bring foreign workers into our country to scarf up what jobs are left.
Don’t expect international labor unions to stop the madness; these bullies are also grabbing “world turf” at an alarming rate. If Obama wants to make millions of jobs available to America’s unemployed, he should send illegal immigrants home.
Bruce Randall
VANCOUVER
