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July 23, 2009 Opinions |
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—Editorial—
We Like The Trolley!
Kudos to Mary Jo Carpenter, Baker County Manager for Community Connections and those involved in getting the new trolley up and running. What a delight to see it cruising the streets of Baker City.
The quaint little “ding, ding” it makes is becoming a familiar sound much like the clip clop of Ron Colton’s horses as he maneuvers his horse-drawn carriages through town. These types of local services are what makes Baker City stand out among other small towns and a joy to live and work in.
The trolley is so much more appealing than a standard bus and is in line with the downtown historic theme.
Carpenter said she had been wanting to get a trolley for the community for at least 10 years. We admire her dedication and for following through on her great idea!
We hope the community will take advantage of this valuable resource, which is also a great way to save on gas and help the environment - kind of a community car pool.
We also think that tourists will find the lively blue, yellow and green trolley a convenient and fun way to get around town and see the sights while visiting.
The trolley reminds us of the trolley on the Rice-A-Roni television commercials. Only instead of San Francisco, this is the Baker City Treat! (DS)
—Letters To The Editor—
Replacement Therapy
To The Record-Courier:
Seems like this writing letters to the editor doesn't want to stop and I intend to keep it going no matter what. After writing my previous letter then the title “Replacement Therapy” came to mind. So let me see how I can expound on this one in more ways than one.
You know we can stretch that one as far as the eye can see at that. It seems like now a days everyone has their own idea of the issue itself on how things can be replaced to make it better for one's character and all.
It is a wonderful thing when various surgeries etc. take place to replace whatever needs to be replaced to keep mankind going non-stop. I know when I had my knee surgery in the year of 1969 it was an issue that had to be done or I would have been in a wheelchair by now. The good Lord apparently didn't want me to face that kind of life. I never did get the therapy afterward needed in this case, but came out okay as is. These issues weren't discovered until my knees started going out on me at various times, this hindered a lot on my part for not doing a lot of things that I would have liked to have done. Wonder how I would have done for being bionic at that—ha. Just imagine how much faster I could write letters to the editor non-stop. Awk. And yes the time of surgery came up during spring break when that wonderful play Brigadoon was going to be presented and my brother was the leading actor along with a fun bunch of kids at that time and was outstanding at that. I am sure we all remember Mr. Kent Smith and the other teacher as well who put on these outstanding plays knew what they were doing in getting with the programs and doing a wonderful job of producing them. Nothing like a little history for nostalgic reasons.
Yes with replacement therapy even in our minds at times can be and does get the better of us now and then. We are in such a busy, busy lifestyle and all that we have to take inventory of where we are at and where we are going no matter what the issues are at hand. In some cases it can even mean down-sizing. As long as I don't have to give up my coffee biz every morning that will suit me just fine!
Coffee Anyone?
Brenda Dickison
Baker City, Ore.
Open Letter to Congressman Greg Walden
To The Record-Courier:
Thank you Greg for tirelessly demonstrating your concern for the people of the 2nd Congressional District and the entire State of Oregon. Thank you for meeting us about issues in our area.
I will get directly to my point. You were elected as a legislator to create laws by which we as a society can live and prosper as it was designed by our forefathers in the Constitution and Bill of Rights. However we find ourselves in unprecedented times, which most thought we would never see in this land of freedom and opportunity. In these strange times it is imperative that we have leadership that not only legislates but leads men and women back to the moral and philosophical track that made this country the greatest nation to ever exist. For far too long we have gone without leadership and this dearth of true leadership has sown the seeds of dependency which are strangling the spirit and independence which was the key to the success of this nation.
It is my opinion that the best thing you can do for us, as the sole conservative statewide leader in Oregon, is to lead the subordinate government administrators toward a philosophical paradigm change. This change must bring us back to looking to ourselves for the solutions needed as a first and preferred practice. For so long now individuals, city, county and state leaders have spent the majority of their time looking for handouts from higher levels of government rather than getting things done themselves. Just as our government cannot and was not designed to solve our individual problems, neither can it solve all the problems of local jurisdictions. The best it can do is clear the way for local and individual creativity and solutions to the problems that are best known and most efficiently solved by those closest to those problems. The quest for grants, special project funding, entitlements and the like have blinded our leaders to the potential which lies within the creativity of themselves and their constituents. Rather than fighting en-mass the environmental and socializing groups which function through false science, guilt creation and persistence rather than by science, numbers and logic, our system has subordinated itself to the illogical minority. We collectively spend our time asking for and accepting the easy way out offered by the seductive promises of big government. This is the passive creation of socialism.
This paradigm change I ask you to lead us toward is a long and difficult road back to independence. We would not need most of the things that we ask of our legislators if we again had the spirit and reality of true freedom as a framework and motivator from which to work. Our forefathers did it once and we can do it again. We need leaders much more than legislators who are willing to do what it takes to recreate this magnificent Nation and State.
Tim Smith
Harney County
Ferrioli’s Double Standard
To The Record-Courier:
I can't help but turn State Senator Ted Ferrioli's demand for no double standards upon the State Senator himself. Also, the phrase "environmental crimes" that he uses is pure Orwellian. When Ferrioli refers to "environmental crimes" does he mean crimes done against the environment? No, instead, he means civil disobedience done to protect the environment.
Ferrioli is guilty of a mighty hypocrisy. Does Ferrioli demand an iron fist when corporations violate regulations and ignore the laws? When corporations destroy and pollute the environment and break the law doing so, does Ferrioli call such crimes as environmental crimes? Does Ferrioli even call it a crime? Likewise, would Ferrioli demand years and years in prison for corporations which pollute and actually harm the life and health of people in the community? No, he would not.But he will seek blood for people who practice civil disobedience to protect our collective ecological future.
Ferrioli has no legitimacy to define any double standards for anyone.
Stewart N. Thorpe
Salt Lake City, UT
Freedom’s Flag
To The Record-Courier:
Re: Comments about the poor either being willing to live in poverty by choice or are just too stupid to find a way out of the Ghettos. (July 2, 2009 Inlander)
This brings me to your, “Thesis 2: Poverty is violence waged by the privileged upon the poor. I have to ask you, why anyone would be responsible to help those who chose to live their life in poverty; does not make sense. Welfare is one thing; socialism is another.
A country that spends and spends without producing wealth will eventually spend itself into poverty. Where are we as a nation, today? Broke, Credit shot, Industry in foreign countries?
The human body and an economy are basically the same when it comes to “Circulation” of blood or wealth. “Without circulation, the heart stops, the brain dies and body turns to dust!” © Michael D. Small.
Corporate greed coupled with Government graft and corruption (irresponsible representatives) has placed the United States in the “Poor House!”
Where opportunities exist, poverty is a matter of choice to the majority. Socialism is a matter of choice, and those who seek freedom will always do what others will not do so they can have what others will never have.
If you earn it, enjoy it. If you did not, think about why you live the life that is yours, but realize that people pull themselves out of ruts every day in the free world where opportunities exist. It has been the same since Babylon, some 6,000 years ago. Some die as slaves, some died hungry and others become wealthy because they took the initiative and paid their way out of slavery. Times have not changed and neither have people.
If you believe in your rights and freedom and yet you desire big government (socialism) to care for your needs, you do not respect freedom or those who paid the price.
Those born under Freedom’s Flag must always remember Freedom is the result of Capitalism. Though social programs are needed in all societies, they are paid for by creation of wealth and taxation of that wealth. Communism and Socialism is the expenditure of wealth created under Capitalism. Thus, if you draw any kind of government pay check, know where it comes from! It is not a right but a privilege to serve the people. Higher taxes do not create the wealth to pay income checks; they come from a healthy GNP. Raising taxes in a bad economy is the road to bankruptcy an economy and a nation.
Michael D. Small
Spokane, Wash.
Which TMP Alternative?
To The Record-Courier:
Again the Forest Service seeks comments, wanting us to pick one of six alternatives that have been presented for the Travel Management Plan. these alternatives reflect previous rounds of comments. This being said, I urge the over 6,000 signers of a petitions that stated, “No More Closures,” to respond in support of Alternative 1. Submitting a substantive comment gives us grounds for appeal. The Forest Service and Baker County have indicated, focus should be on alternatives 3 and 5, thus distracting comments from the alternative that reflects “no more closures,” which can only be alternative #1. To quote Cindy Christensen, TMP team leader, Wallowa Chieftain, “Very alternative will get equal analysis and consideration by (Wallowa Whitman National Forest Supervisor) Steve Ellis. Everything from doing nothing all the way to the full range of alternatives, we consider. We have no orders from above that make anything impossible. I definitely anticipate that we will be considering everything they hand into us very seriously.” Direct your comment to reflect your preference, not that of the Forest Service.
Using the ATV as scapegoat for all the woes that exist on public lands is an attempt to justify proposed closures. Culture and economic impacts will resonate many years if the closures become reality. Roadbeds are a resource and need to be considered vitally important to everyone who enjoys the forest. Take into account the #1 threat to our forests, WILDFIRE. Every roadbed had the potential of saving natural resources plus millions of tax dollars.
Endangered species and critical habitat are being pushed. It is amazing how prehistoric bull trout have survived through the mining, fire, logging, grazing, seasonal droughts and spring flushes, but are having difficulty with the only activity remaining in the forest, recreation.
The Travel Management Plan isn’t final, but already the Blue Mountain Revision Plan is back. BLM, also working at closures. Millions of acres are up for wilderness designation. Will Baker County fight this next round, or again, offer up 50 percent of our roads? It’s up to us as individuals to make the statement, “No More.”
Wanda Ballard
Baker City
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