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MAIL TRIBUNE > LOCAL > LETTERS
Not proud of President Bush In response to "Proud of President Bush" Jan. l7: Please put my name at the top of the list of those who are not proud of President Bush. After taking office, the Compassionate Conservative reverted to his real right-wing agenda. Provisions that protect women, people in the workplace and the environment were cut or weakened. He gave notice to allies that we would go it alone, at least until the Sept. 11 tragedy. Now Enron! - Ruth Carson, Medford How decent is our society?Those who oppose "living wage" laws must also oppose laws that set a minimum wage, that control overtime pay, that limit hours worked per day and week, that prohibit child and illegal immigrant labor, and that concern worker health and safety. These are "regulations," too, that interfere with "supply and demand." In a decent modern society, wages are set by social policy, union "density" and an effectively high minimum wage. - Gerald Cavanaugh, Ashland Why is choice all or nothing?Why does the solution to the south interchange have to be all or nothing? Why not leave the existing interchange as an exit? Just limit access once you exit. Don't allow access to Fred Meyer, etc. Let the new exit handle that traffic, but leave the old exit for access to Barnett going west, for DQ and WinCo, and to access Riverside. Seems pretty simple. - Christine Wilensky, Jacksonville Who is Jack trying to kid?Statement by Jack Williams, supervisor, Rogue River National Forest, on page 12A of the Jan. 22 Mail Tribune: "The (Mill Creek timber sale) decision also allows the private sector to help improve forest health." I wonder: Who is Jack trying to kid with that politically correct "junk?" The timber industry is really not interested in improving forest health. All it sees out there in the woods is "money trees" and "dollar signs." - Fred Fleetwood, Trail Thanks for kindnessOn Friday, Jan. 9, a distracted and hurried mother left her wallet in a shopping cart in the parking lot at Food 4 Less. Hours later she returned and, with great relief, learned that someone had turned the wallet in at the store's office. To this person: thank you for your honesty, kindness, and helpfulness. Isn't it amazing how one person's act of kindness can save the day of someone they don't even know? Thanks again! - Julie Scull, Medford 'Analysis paralysis' claim falseThe Associated Press on Jan. 13 reported the promise of Mark Rey, undersecretary in charge of the Forest Service, to increase the flow of federal timber to Oregon mills. Rey cited the Northwest Forest Plan's "survey and manage" program as an example of "analysis paralysis" that hampers logging on public lands. Rey's core claim that land managers haven't developed survey guidelines for sensitive plants and wildlife in danger of extinction is false. Land agencies in 2001 amended the forest plan to streamline surveys and increase the program's efficiency. Of course, they stopped looking for species that managers complain are too hard to find in their two-year planning schedules. New timber sales have since been auctioned. Rey only wants to lock the public out of the process. He wrote the 1995 "salvage rider," which eliminated court review and canceled environmental laws that govern logging on public lands. The ensuing two-year frenzy included clearcutting in stream zones, poor soils, and endangered species habitat across the Northwest. Before that, Rey was a paid Washington, D.C., lobbyist for the timber industry. His appointment as head of the Forest Service is payback for the Oregon timber industry's $1 million donation to the Bush presidential campaign. Beware of federal timber sales disguised as "fire hazard reduction" and "ecosystem restoration" - they are code words for getting the cut out. The path to restoration and work in the woods is to stop commercially logging the public lands. - Jay Lininger, Ashland Cattle degrade environmentLet me see if I get this right. We should let our public lands be grazed to bare ground because that is a natural process and is good for the land. The resulting erosion and runoff into the watershed is also natural and in the best interest of the environment. The destruction of streamside vegetation and the collapsing of embankments into the streams is a good thing. One question for Mr. Daggett: would he mind if I grazed a few head in his front yard and let them defecate in his pool (as they do in the upper reaches of the Rogue and numerous other local watersheds)? I'm sure it would enhance his environment substantially. - D. Watson, Medford |
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