Be proud of mixed heritage
Concerning the “White and Proud” flier distributed at Clark College by student Nathan Goncalves, I chuckled at the irony. The family name and spelling of “Goncalves” is Portuguese, more specifically from the Island of Terceira in the Azores, with close proximity to Africa, and, regrettably, Portuguese sea captains were sent to steal and ship slaves to the “new world.” So there is a tremendous amount of African blood in the Portuguese of today. Depending on saturation of bloodlines, a lot of us have dark olive skin, dark hair and eyes and full lips.
Yes, Mr. Goncalves, we are a proud people, but we are just not pure white.
Karen Gonsalves Salado
Vancouver
Carry on with state making money
As a former tavern owner, I am very familiar with the problems that alcohol causes in society. Families are ruined and lives can be tragically ended. People, whether they are alcoholics or just young people out to have a “good time,” will go to no ends in an attempt to get the hard stuff. During my tavern days, hardly a day would go by when a young person would not attempt to secure a drink with a false ID.
The current state store system is not perfect, and although it is not the most efficient in the world, I find it very assuring that the employees are doing their best to protect our interest by not allowing alcohol sales to minors. These employees have a vested interest in making sure that the people they sell to will not jeopardize their employment.
There is plenty of alcohol already available at convenience stores, etc. We don’t need to make the hard stuff available, too. Finally, what is wrong with the state making money on alcohol? Everyone wants the state to be run like a business anyway.
Scott Dalesandro
Vancouver
Support passage of I-1082
The Columbian was wrong not to support Initiative 1082. Traditionally released in September, Labor and Industries has delayed releasing its rate increases for 2011, projected to be massive, until after the upcoming election. They can, and do, raise rates at will, and business owners never know from one year to the next what their premiums will be. As with most state agencies, there is no incentive to productively manage their funds because shortfalls can simply be recovered by raising “premiums.”
The cost of unionized state employee wages and benefits inflate the cost of coverage, without benefit to the premium payer or the injured worker.
No other insurance coverage (auto, home, health, life, etc.) is monopolized by this state and administered by state employees. Can you imagine if you were forced to purchase your car insurance from the state and they could charge you anything they wanted? That’s exactly the position all businesses face, unless you’re Boeing or Microsoft and are allowed to self-insure.
Please vote “yes” for I-1082 and allow all businesses in this state to get out from under the state monopoly and allow workers more take-home pay.
Carleen Stephens
Battle Ground
Threat backfires in support for I-1098
Is this what our country has come to? When Mr. 252nd Wealthiest American can threaten the people of Clark County? The Oct. 16 Columbian story dominating the front page was titled “Fisher complex hangs on vote,” and it reeked of the smell of extortion and/or bribery. Mr. 252nd Wealthiest American was quoted as saying, “If 1098 gets within 5 percent of passing, there is no way under God’s little green apples Washington will ever be our corporate headquarters and likely (Camas) will never see another building.”
I’ve never wanted an Initiative to pass as much as I-1098.
Donald R. Hess
Vancouver
Scare tactics won’t sway vote
Have we had enough yet of paid campaign liars and fallacious scare tactics bent on misleading “we the people” one way or another? I, for one, have had it. Today I was inundated with mailed attack ads and scary innuendos. Two, however, stood out — the two attack ads against initiatives 1100 and 1105.
The first tried to scare me by lying that one of those five kids shown would be able to walk out of a store with a bottle of booze. Wow, what news. The stores don’t card minors? Come on, what fools do these hacks take us for? There’s no more chance of that than there is for a kid to talk some adult into getting it for them from the state monopoly. The second mailing spewed preposterous statistics supporting the same claim. Really folks; think about it … if 100 percent is all of something, how do you get more than “all” of something? Simple, invent statistics like 400 percent. Sounds scary, don’t it?
Why is it when cuts are to be made, it is always the police and firemen or schools who are the prime victims? Why not wasteful government spending?
Mike Pikey
Vancouver
Fish less; spend less in local economy
We wait all year for coho fishing around the Lady Island area in October, but with the commercial nets in day and night, it’s useless to go fishing. So I and a lot of my friends are saving lots of dollars by not buying gas for boats, gas for trucks, oil, lunch supplies, launch ramp fees, and tackle, bait, clothing, etc. If this is what Washington state wants, this is what they got.
Dwane Eells
Vancouver
Values affected by proposed BPA lines
Many of us in North Clark County are living under the shadow of the proposed Bonneville Power Administration 500-kilovolt transmission power lines. We all know that our home values have plummeted, because two years from now BPA may force us to sell our homes for what they call “fair market value.” I would like to encourage all the homeowners under the threat of the BPA power lines to write to the Clark County assessor to request a new assessment taking into consideration the drop in value that the BPA proposal has made to our homes.
Having a real estate agent write up comparable home values for you will give you a good basis for your request to the assessor. How much are we paying in taxes for property that may be worth a fraction of the price that we paid? Why should we continue to be robbed by the county as well as by BPA?
Barbara Sizemore
Amboy
Repairing economy isn’t a quick fix
George W. Bush used his eight years in office to create the biggest economic mess since 1929.
President Obama has had only 21 months to repair the damage. It is hardly realistic or fair to expect the resolution of the multitude of huge problems Obama inherited in such a brief period of time.
Phil Harr
Vancouver
