Utility should reduce costs
In reference to David Bates’ Aug. 19 letter, “Switch focus to reducing utility rates,” I concur with his comments on reducing utility rates. On Aug. 4, I sent electronic mails to utility commissioners Nancy Barnes, Carol Curtis and Byron Hanke with the following recommendations: temporarily reduce wage and salary across the board and institute additional contributions by all employees of premium costs, too. One other area that could have reduced costs should include furloughs for all employees: reduce hours of work — days, weekly, biweekly or monthly — to make budget requirements. This is no different than what the private sector is experiencing and doing to reduce costs for their customers.
Needless to say, I believe they had already made up their minds as evidenced by the 5.7 percent increase passed on to the customers.
I don’t feel they have the best interest of the customer or they would focus on reducing the costs to us. They only way to let them know is by voting accordingly this November.
Randy Johnson
Battle Ground
Stop the politicians’ wasteful trips
As taxpayers, we pay our employees in D.C., so would it be wrong to provide guidelines on how federal funds are spent? Our military, firefighters, police and EMTs need to continue their life- and property-saving work.
Things that do need review are limiting the use of Air Force One to government trips and restricting campaigning and partisan flights.
The use of these planes should be reserved for official business and not to transport members of Congress to and from their home districts. These wasted dollars should be used to support the U.S.A. and save lives
Dick and Mignon Lutjens
Vancouver
Refuse to allow hate to take over
I’m appalled with the never-ending ruthlessness of terrorists in Afghanistan. It is beyond belief how their suicide bombers can indiscriminately kill innocent civilians — women and children among them — at the behest of ultra-fundamentalist clergy espousing heretical interpretations of the Koran.
An evil force is at play, driving many of us to hate such people for their unscrupulous actions. This is exactly why they do such things. Either we allow the terrorists to lead us down paths of reactive hate and reciprocal violence, or we step back and assess the moral ambush into which we have fallen. This is the trap Martin Luther King avoided. No matter how hateful the Klan-inspired segregationists became, he refused to hate, even to demean, those who would oppress and kill. He understood that to demean one’s opponent is to demean oneself, that sooner or later even the most implacable enemy will crumble under the weight of our refusal to hate. Yes, hate what they do, but not who they are — persons valued by God as are we.
Sadly, we seem not to have learned that our enemy has much to teach us about ourselves and about God’s will for us. Had we learned, I doubt we would find ourselves today behind the 8-ball in Afghanistan.
David C. Duncombe
WHITE SALMON
Dog day care facility applauded
It would behoove the neighbors that are against having a dog day care in their neighborhood to visit the DDC in Fisher’s Landing. This DDC has been at their location for more than 20 years and is well maintained. The owner is extremely considerate of the adjacent neighbors. The facility is spotless, and the dogs are well cared for, with training, obedience, and exercise. Their motto is “A tired happy puppy makes tired people happy.”
We have lived within 200 yards of this facility now for five years and rarely have we ever heard dogs barking.
If letter writers Marv and Cyndi Tanner (“Dog day care creates problems,” Aug. 16) had spoken with the owner, they would have seen how accommodating she would be to solving any problem. Why would anyone move into a home knowing there was a DDC on the other side of their fence, and then expect the DDC to simply go away? Whatever happened to common sense?
Frank and Val Herman
Vancouver
Business startup help available
I read Courtney Sherwood’s Aug. 22 “Marketplace” column, “Startups struggle in our area,” regarding start-up business operations. In addition to her excellent comments citing further resources for entrepreneurs, I would observe that four primary considerations are at the heart of potential success of any startup operation: money, motivation, knowledge, and planning.
SCORE, a volunteer agency of the federal government, has a Vancouver chapter. It is an organization designed to assist people who want to start a business or who are in business and would like advice. The service is without cost and an individual can take advantage of a wide range of our individual and collective business backgrounds indefinitely. Visit http://www.scorevancouver.org/ or call us at 360-699-1079.
Neil E. Leitner
VANCOUVER
U.S. is saddled with debt
This is addressing a disturbing phenomenon going on in our country. People seem to have blinders on. It is not about which political party you favor. We are headed down a dangerous slope. Our country is so deep in debt to foreign countries that even if it were corrected today, we have saddled our future generations with insurmountable debt. It took 43 presidents over a century to accumulate $5 trillion in debt. Our current administration will double that. Staggering, isn’t it?
Our new health care bill was not about helping people afford health insurance. It was an ideology that, when in place, will have the government take over 16 percent of our economy. Do you see a familiar theme here? Government controlling every aspect of our lives. Can you say socialism?
We need to take back our country. We need common sense in Congress and the Senate. Vote with your mind, not who you dislike or like as a political party. Remember, elected officials at every level are supposed to work for us. Look at your children and grandchildren and ask yourselves, do I want to take responsibility for leaving them a country saddled with debt no honest man can pay back? I would like to think not.
Curt Ross
Washougal
Perfect solution for West Coast
Last night I had a wonderful dream. I dreamt that we combined the four large West Coast cities of Seattle, Portland, San Francisco and Los Angeles into one new state. We could call this new state Looneyville or some other appropriate name. The citizens of this new state would be free to spend more than they take in, raise taxes every month, harbor illegal aliens, smoke dope and the rest of us in these three wonderful West Coast states could live happily ever after.
Eddie Connor
BATTLE GROUND
