Environmentalists oppose jobs

An article and an advertisement in the Nov. 22 Spokesman-Review reveal one of the main reasons many people are going without good jobs in our region.

An ad by the Sierra Club opposes the development of coal ports in Washington. Well, who else will invest hundreds of millions in these ports and create hundreds of living-wage jobs? An article in the same paper describes a huge increase in spotted owl habitats. I cannot believe the intention of the Endangered Species Act was to throw thousands of loggers out of work and devastate dozens of small towns.

The Inland Northwest could have a lot more family-supporting resource jobs if it were not for the zealous environmentalists having their way. The government has moved away from the idea of supporting job growth and is submissive to concepts that destroy job opportunities.

Improvement in this area is a complex problem. I wish more people who feel that the economy and job creation are being pushed in the wrong direction would think of ways to keep resource jobs growing. Our way of life affects the natural world –it always will – and there should be a change in our leaders’ attitudes that allow resource job opportunities.

Robert Robinson

Kingston, Idaho