State monopolizes liquor sales

The last time I visited my neighborhood state liquor store in Fisher’s Landing, my eye was caught by a decal sign at the entrance: “Thank you for choosing a Union workplace. Workers in this workplace are represented by UFCW21 … a voice for working America.” Now, I have nothing against the United Food and Commercial Workers Union, but “choosing a Union workplace”? Really? Since when do I have a choice?

Well, at the moment, you don’t. Not when you purchase overpriced spirits at any state-operated liquor store in Washington state. But perhaps, just maybe, you could soon have that choice.

Help make that change. Vote “yes” on Proposition 1100 on Nov. 2. Get Washington state out of the business of distributing and selling liquor.

Ralph W. Burke

Vancouver

Websites provide multiple resources

I am writing in response to the Greg Flakus’ July 13 letter, “Libraries are worth saving.” I do agree that as I was growing up libraries were very important to finishing school work or finding a quiet place to study. But with the all of the research and information you can find on the Internet, I am curious at what cost is it worth keeping the libraries.

I drive by the new one they are building downtown and wonder if that money couldn’t be spent elsewhere. For example, the Clark College library has everything you could ever possibly want right there from their website and I am sure you could find what you’re looking for on many other websites.

Eric Hebner

Vancouver

Internet doesn’t have all it all

We moved here four years ago and coming from a large city with a big library system, I feared we’d be disappointed in what Vancouver had to offer. Boy, was I wrong. The Vancouver Mall Library was a delightful surprise. It’s been convenient to search the catalog online, be notified by e-mail when the books are in and scoot over to the mall for pick-up. I’ve explored subjects and authors from triremes to Twain and found everything I’ve needed.

The Internet is handy; Google is dandy, but I often need to have material footnoted and with citations, and good old books are still the best medium for me. Recently, a reference in “Stones Into Schools” led me to British travel writer Eric Newby — not a household name, but our library had several of his books readily available and I found what I needed.

The Fort Vancouver Regional Library system is a vital community resource and the upcoming levy will keep this vibrant institution available for everyone in Clark County.

Bruce Bryant

Vancouver

New bridge needed at new location

It started with “We need light rail.” I do not know if we need light rail. We will only know when it is up and running. I myself ride light rail if I have to go into downtown Portland or even to parts of Beaverton. I write this to show I have no prejudice for or against light rail.

The current freeway back-up problems are a direct highlight of the need for a new crossing at a new location, a location that would circumvent Multnomah County, separate Washington and Tillamook counties and rejoin I-5 in Yamhill or Polk county.

Jerry A. Lund

Vancouver

Don’t let Bush tax cuts expire

President Obama says that Republicans opposed extending unemployment insurance. That’s not true. They are happy to extend this compensation if the $35 billion cost is taken from what is left unspent of the $862 billion stimulus bill, without borrowing more with interest to further increase our national debt.

Since 2006, our Democratic Congress has convinced the American public that the Bush tax cuts benefited the most wealthy, also not true.

I do not consider myself one of the rich and famous. At age 86, I have been retired 23 years. I grew up in the Dust Bowl days, the 1930s depression and served the Navy in World War II. I worked hard, saved as best I could. I bought stock with dividends, mutual funds since 1975 in order to stay ahead of Jimmy Carter’s double-digit inflation.

Letting the Bush tax cuts expire will badly hurt my income. I expect higher taxes and inflation coming because of what Obama’s spending habits have caused. Raising taxes in a deep recession is not the right thing, but curtailing spending is.

Is it 2012 yet?

Lee Powers

Vancouver

Learn to spend only what you earn

Those who believe we are climbing out of recession have been for too long drinking from the trough of government Kool-Aid. From the bottom of real GDP last year, real final sales have increased at a 1.2 percent annual rate, which is the worst “recovery” ever. U.S. retail sales in June fell 0.5 percent after a 1.1 percent decline in May — a 1 in 35 event in a supposedly expanding economy. Also in June, average hourly earnings fell 0.1 percent — a 1 in 50 event, and all this after a record amount of bailout, monetary and fiscal stimulus. (http://www.gluskinsheff.com)

Yet, after the largest credit-bubble bust since the 1930s, with 1 in 7 mortgages in arrears or foreclosure and 25 percent of households with sub-600 FICO scores, our government, via Fannie May, is now offering financing to first-time home buyers with only $1,000 down. Meanwhile, the Department of Labor reports that, of a population of 79 million men in the 25-to-65 age group, 18 million are out of work. That is 22 percent. The rate in the 1950s was less than 10 percent.

Nurture your jobs, save your money, tighten your belts, live within your means.

Richard Willerton

Vancouver

White House was quick to judge

Too bad that most of the liberal “lame stream” media don’t report the correct facts on such stories as the Shirley Sherrod one. The White House moved to fire Sherrod before anything was aired on any network or cable show — they even scooped Fox News.

The whole text of the speech that Sherrod gave had been published and even the White House didn’t bother to read it so that her remarks were put into context.

In addition to that, Bill O’Reilly apologized to Sherrod the next day on the fact that he too had not read her whole speech text.

When was the last time NBC or any of the other left-leaning media apologized for anything they said?

So why did the liberal press fail to let their viewers know about the time lines. It was so that readers like Elizabeth Campbell (July 26 letter, “Fault lies with right-wing media,”) would be fed what they wanted them to read and falsely denigrate those news outlets that don’t cater to the left.

Bill Craig

Ridgefield

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