The misleading April 23 guest opinion, “Light rail carries big cost, little benefit,” by Michael Ennis skipped the point. Relieving congestion and low cost alternatives are not the only goals of Columbia River Crossing. At the recent hearing about the funding of light rail, both Ennis’ polemic group from Seattle and the Cascade Policy group from Portland tried to trash light rail. These two conservative-libertarian propaganda groups think mechanisms of free markets can cure autism, AIDS, prevent abortions, curb industrial pollution, and give mobility to handicapped veterans. There is more to transportation needs than pure efficiency.

CRC emphasized the need for a multi-mode solution. But Ennis and cohorts did not address this expressed goal. They’d rather drive a stake into the heart of socialism. You want to ride the rails? Build or buy a railroad company!

The notorious bad land use and transportation planning in the West are Los Angeles and Seattle with Vancouver vying to compete. Comparing “too little, too late” to more thoughtful mass-transportation options in Portland-Vancouver has little value. We build new crossings every 50 years. We must not blow this rare opportunity. It must last.

The CRC considers impacts of the “carbon footprint” less than they should, but they’re still getting input. It’s not over. Light rail avails Portland for many. It is required.

Ross M. Hall
Vancouver

Pride in neighborhood

As chairwoman of First Place Neighborhood Association, I’d like to set the record straight about the neighborhood’s damaged trees. First Place prides itself with beautifully landscaped yards. Had we been made aware of any problems by the U.S. Postal Service we would have corrected it immediately.

The city’s crews had already gone through our neighborhood trimming back any tree branches they determined extended too far into the streets. None of the trees damaged by the postal carrier were near the postal boxes. Some of the trees, by the nature of their species, don’t branch out.

A previous letter suggested the carrier “had a bad day.” Well he must have had 10 bad days because the assault was during that time frame. I feel it was malicious, purposefully executed with damage beyond the aesthetic value of these trees. More damage will come later as bugs or disease burrow inside the trees and develops.

At what point do we as a society say enough is enough? If laws were broken, and clearly in this case they were, then they should be enforced. As homeowners the city holds us responsible for the parkway trees. It’s our job to maintain them. We don’t need further assistance from anyone who isn’t properly educated in this area.

Susan Page
Vancouver

Help to aid ‘parents again’

As regional director of Children’s Home Society of Washington, I found that the April story from the Bellingham Herald, “Raising grandkids presents financial challenge for many,” highlighted the wonderful work done by grandparents raising grandchildren. So many relatives take on the awesome challenge of “parenting a second time around.”

The Clark County Kinship Care Coalition group is a group of agencies and organizations who came together to publicize resources, support groups, and parenting information classes and workshops for these wonderful people. Staff from the partner agencies coordinate kinship foster care and help for non-needy relatives. The Kinship Care Support Program, mentioned in the story, is available to kinship caregivers in our community.

CHSW offers financial resources for emergent needs. This year’s funding has been used to help over 146 children being raised by grandparents and other relatives with needs as diverse as school supplies, clothing, car repairs and beds. Funding will be available again in July.

We encourage grandparents and other relatives to call 360-695-1325 (CHSW’s Parents Again program) for information and resources from these and other partners in the community.

Bridget McLeman
Vancouver

Paul is not so ‘weird’

I was astonished to read Gregg Herrington’s April 25 opinion column expressing surprise at the results of the Republican Clark County convention in sending more supporters of Ron Paul to the state convention than supporters of John McCain. This is not “weird,” as Herrington said.

At local caucuses more than 70 percent of the elected delegates were not McCain supporters. Paul continues his candidacy, so it is not surprising that those not supportive of McCain might support the only alternative.

I was saddened when Herrington essentially called Paul an ideological extremist. This fits in with the tone of the column using the term “weird,” but in this case it’s histrionic nonsense. Next year someone will take the oath of office and become the next president. That oath requires the president to “preserve, protect and defend the Constitution of the United States.” That is what Paul has spent a lifetime supporting.

It is folly to suggest that someone who consistently takes positions based on our Constitution should be ridiculed by an epithet which implies that these positions demonstrate “ideological extremes.” True extremists are those who no longer look to the Constitution for their boundaries and wing it on what is popular at the moment.

Ken Peterson Jr.
Camas

Immerse in language

Walter Crandall’s April 27 letter, “WASL discriminates,” inquiring over the injustice of administering the WASL to children who don’t have appropriate English language skills, got me to thinking about my own experiences teaching children of foreign extraction.

Some years ago I taught music at the French International School in Washington, D.C. Run by the French government, schools exist in any country in which there are located French government workers and their families. Students from all over the world, plus local kids, attend these demanding private academies. The students are given one year of intensive French instruction. They are then expected to “make the grade” in all classes, all in French.

What’s the difference? I suspect rigor in the French instruction and lack of coddling on the part of both teachers and parents. The children do what they are expected to do.

School for a young non-English speaker should consist of a full-day special class, taught in English and covering only English, reading, writing, and arithmetic. After one year, that child can then be mainstreamed into regular classes. I’ve seen it work.

Yes, it’s expensive. If we choose to be a nation of immigrants, we must choose to do what’s necessary to assimilate them.

Ellen Putman
Vancouver

County’s attack criticized

It never seems to fail … the little guy loses out. The April 24 story reported, “Commissioners want state biologist replaced.” In this case the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife assigned someone willing to stand up to the county, state biologist Tim Rymer, and do the right thing for the environment — and the county cried foul.

Clark County has a poor track record with protecting what is left of a beautiful area and now that there is someone willing to take a stand the county calls in the big guns to have its way by having him replaced. Though a May 1 story reported, “Despite ‘disrespectful’ tone with commissioners, state biologist will keep his job,” this was a bad move on the part of the county and Commissioner Betty Sue Morris.

Bob Reudink
Vancouver

Castro made his own bed

I am dumbstruck by Marilyn Tyrrell’s April 30 letter, “Opportunities in Cuba,” part of which I quote: “I don’t remember what he (Fidel Castro) did to offend the U.S.” I humbly suggest that Tyrrell Google “Cuban Missile Crisis.”

Duane Baird
Vancouver