Opinion

In Our View: Cheers & Jeers

Think now to prevent oil spills later; don't shortchange Hanford cleanup

Cheers: To early consideration of the consequences of a possible environmental accident on the Columbia River. Recently two firms -- Tesoro Corp. and Savage Companies -- proposed to build and operate an oil shipping terminal on the river at the Port of Vancouver. Crude oil would be shipped by train from North Dakota to Vancouver, then loaded onto barges or ships to be sent to refineries. The proposal will have to be carefully vetted. But already the first meeting has been held on how to handle an oil spill emergency. The emergency response equipment could include an on-site trailer stocked with equipment to help distressed wildlife. As the proposal works its way through the planning process, including important details like this will help build confidence in the terminal and its operators.Jeers: To shortchanging treatment of polluted groundwater on the Hanford Nuclear Reservation. The environmental group Columbia Riverkeeper is warning that the ongoing federal budget reductions have caused the Department of Energy to cut half of the money necessary to reach cleanup milestones. The dimension of the pollution is immense: more than 1 million gallons of nuclear waste have leaked from underground storage tanks, contaminating more than 80 square miles of groundwater that flows toward the Columbia River.

Milbank: Recusal no excuse for undermining of Constitution

As the nation's top law enforcement official, Eric Holder is privy to all kinds of sensitive information. But he seems to be proud of how little he knows. Why didn't his Justice Department inform The Associated Press, as the law requires, before pawing through reporters' phone records? "I do not know," the attorney general told the House Judiciary Committee on Wednesday, "why that was or was not done. I simply don't have a factual basis to answer that question."

Letter: Shed our misrepresentative label

Shed our misrepresentative label

Letter: Attack on character unacceptable

Attack on character unacceptable

Letter: Reap the benefits of federal grant

Reap the benefits of federal grant

Letter: Bill improves collection process

Bill improves collection process

Letter: Need to speed becoming epidemic

Need to speed becoming epidemic

In Our View: 'Bright Future' Visualized

There are many reasons to support Clark College's fundraising campaign

Clark College Foundation officials announced this week that they have raised $17 million toward their $20 million "Ensuring a Bright Future" campaign. We commend the Foundation for its well-researched, aggressive fundraising drive and offer the following reasons why you should consider contributing:

Editorial Cartoon: Off with his Head

May 17

Parker: IRS, AP scandals unite conservatives and the media

Conservative organizations suddenly have found common cause with one of their favorite objects of contempt -- the Mainstream Media. In a twist of irony, the two groups have coalesced around a common enemy: the U.S. government.

Letter: Support stricter background checks

Our U.S. Rep. Jaime Herrera Beutler, R-Camas, should listen to the 90 percent of Americans who demand stricter background checks for gun purchases. She should co-sponsor H.R. 1565 to expand Brady Bill background checks on gun sales. Completing the necessary paperwork for a background check takes only minutes, and more than 91 percent of those checks are completed immediately. Along with our Second Amendment rights comes the right of our society to act responsibly and keep guns out of the hands of dangerous people like criminals, terrorists and domestic abusers.

Letter: Fast track trial and punishment

We have two mass shootings in a short period of time that were leveraged by the Obama administration through the use of emotions, including the use and manipulation of grieving parents to take away firearms from law-abiding citizens. Virtually all of the proposals in the name of reducing gun violence would have had no impact on any criminal or have prevented any of the mass shootings, just us law-abiding citizens.

Letter: Council should let the people vote

I read in the May 7 Columbian story "Council denies a vote on light rail," that the Vancouver city oligarchy is not going to allow us to vote for or against the proposed light rail. It would seem that they are tired of voters voting light rail down so they have decided in their infinite wisdom, wisdom that they decided the voters do not have, that light rail is to be crammed down our collective throats, like it or not. As planned now, it will run only three miles from the river to Clark College, serving only those in a narrow corridor near the college. This expensive boondoggle has been voted on and defeated in one form or another three times. And now the city oligarchy is apparently going to use this underhanded method to get their way without input from the voters.

Letter: Be attentive to reaction to vaccine

I read a May 6 Columbian story, "Younger girls may not need 3 HPV shots; Study: Girls 9-13 protected after 2 doses of vaccine." Three years ago, my daughter received two shots and got very ill. We spent many days at Legacy Emanuel and OHSU, where it was agreed that her illness, which had all the symptoms of lupus, was triggered by the HPV virus. After a lot of tests and stress, I have done research on my own and come to the conclusion that everyone should first be tested for autoimmune disease. There are certain foreign vaccines that can trigger autoimmune disease. No one should be given any shots of any kind without first being tested for autoimmune disease, which I believe is hereditary.

Letter: Dust off your two-wheeler

I started riding a bike again after 40 years, and it has changed my life. I have lost weight, gained stamina and feel better about myself. Cycling also allows me to see the city from a different perspective. I encourage everyone who can to consider riding a bike.