Letters To The Editor

IDAHO VIEWPOINTS

Branches add to driving hazards

In Spirit Lake, on Third and Jefferson, there are cars parked out in the street on the east side. Branches from overgrown trees on the west side make it so people have to drive up the middle of the road. Should there be an emergency vehicle on its way, then you must wait at the other end so it can have the right of way on a one-way street designated a two-lane street.

I live on Third by Madison, and at the east side corner, there’s a stop sign. Even if you stop, you can’t see it because of the large blue spruce growing on the corner. The trees were planted as a border years ago, but have grown into the right of way. On Fifth and Madison, you must stop and look both ways. As you creep out, you can’t be sure all is clear because the view is blocked by branches.

I complained to our mayor many times, along with others, that these are traffic violations by the city street department. They lack proper maintenance. This gives traffic safety a bad name as these hazards remain. I’ve asked the mayor about these condition with no results. Jeff Anderson Spirit Lake

Come on, give center a chance

Re: “Youth hangout brings complaints,” (Nov. 19). My gosh, people need to make up their minds. They are always saying get a place for kids to go - build a youth center. Now that Post Falls finally has one, they’re saying it’s too loud, they’re making a mess, close it down.

Make up your minds! These kids need a stable environment where they can go to get off the streets. They finally have one, and unfortunately there are a few unruly ones, but come on, there is bound to be more good than bad to come out of this! Give it a chance. Sarah M. Paulson Post Falls

THE ENVIRONMENT

Barging: The numbers add way up

At the Nov. 23 Army Corps of Engineers meeting in Spokane on juvenile salmon migration in the lower Snake River, Corps economist Dennis Wagner gave a superficial and misleading answer to a question on subsidies to the barging industry and irrigators on the lower Snake River.

Research indicates the public is paying most of the costs of barging and irrigation on the lower Snake. Residents of Nez Perce County in Idaho and Asotin and Whitman counties in Washington are paying $1.3 million in property taxes for the ports. Ratepayers are assuming the costs of the locks’ allocated share of EPA’s salmon restoration budget. Diverted through the locks is 539,000 acre feet of water that would have gone through the turbines, generating nearly $1 million in energy. So the total public tab is $44.3 million.

The barging industry generates $4.3 million annually, charging $1.23 a ton to haul products from the lower Snake ports to Kennewick. Adding public costs brings shipping expenses to $48.6 million, or $13.89 a ton, to barge.

Thirteen farms totaling 35,000 acres are irrigated from the Ice Harbor reservoir, producing $1.9 million in revenue. It’s costing the public $11.2 million to get the water to these farms.

Call it what we may - job creation, a helping hand, subsidies, corporate welfare - it’s another classic example of the American free enterprise system at work. Buell A. Hollister Post Falls

Going backward will get us nowhere

Re: “Maestro of dam breaching,” Nov. 22.

Reed Burkholder’s opinion seems a bit out of touch with the reality of paying monthly utility bills and keeping good-paying jobs in our region. His studies are flawed if he honestly believes breaching the dams would do anything but ruin local economies, unless the fisheries plan on charging a couple thousand dollars per fish to compensate rate payers.

Other power sources would be needed, so here we go again, back to the need for either more nuclear reactors or fossil fuel power plants - all that pollution just waiting to spew forth.

We have already paid the environmental price to build these dams. Now we should be collecting the rewards of clean, renewable hydroelectric power. Glen A. Harroun Airway Heights

I’ve had it with ‘experts’

The “experts” who try to scare everyone to death about mining waste, nuclear waste - whatever - make a nice, fat living in the process. The nuttier their ideas, the more they are considered “intellectual.” People who have doctor’s degree in psychiatry, psychology, sociology or any other field can spout off on mining and we dare not question them.

I’m always amazed at people who move to our area for jobs, retirement, or because they like our lifestyle - and then try to change us into whatever it was they moved away from. They don’t like our lumbering or mining, but live in houses made of wood. Everything that is not grown, such as trees and food, is mined. We could not have our standard of living if we didn’t have mining. Ruthie Johnson Hayden Lake

Wildlife biologists - phooey

Who do you suppose was confused?

The picture and caption inside the front page of the Nov. 19 Spokesman-Review say it all about the attitude and agenda of wildlife biologists, who are going to decide for the spotted owl where it wants to live. Why? Because if we discover that the spotted owl can adapt to habitats other than the one identified by the biologists and their environmentalist counterparts, the argument for their jobs and their agenda may begin to crumble. And for God’s sake, we can’t possibly admit any evidence that might jeopardize the job security of our wildlife biologists. After all, unlike loggers and other forest workers, we do owe them a job. Don’t we? Stephen D. Bruno Hayden

IN THE PUBLIC EYE

Committee Democrats impede process

Because of the historic nature of the impeachment proceedings by the House, I watched the entirety, all 12 hours of it. There’s no doubt I’m politically naive, but I was very disillusioned and even disgusted by the actions of the Democratic members of the House Judiciary Committee.

They were extremely rude, their questions very accusatory, obviously narrow-minded and at times, even ill-informed.

These people are supposed to be reviewing all the facts pertinent to the impeachment charges, yet not one of the questions by any Democrat pertained to the charges.

It also became very apparent that this man who was supposed to have horns and be “out of control” was just the opposite. He was very professional, meticulous with facts, straightforward, conscientious and honest, as well as extremely patient while being questioned for 12 solid hours.

I am now convinced the House should unanimously vote for impeachment and allow the Senate to hold hearings, taking testimony from both sides, allowing the president and all the president’s men to challenge the evidence, which so far all points to our president being a felon more than once and with full intent. Deanna M. James Sagle, Idaho