Bowling alley could be teen center

I read with much interest the letter of March 8 from the 20-year-old lamenting the need for activities for teens — young adults to do in Sedro-Woolley. I wrote a letter to the editor last year addressing this very issue.

That was the first thing I noticed in Sedro-Woolley upon moving here almost two years ago. My idea was to turn the old bowling alley into a teen-young adult center.

Can't a group, a business, or civic-minded individuals step up to the plate and do something to foster this project? What a wonderful project to boost community spirit and pride not to mention the positive results for the teens.

Maybe people could donate time and talent along the way. Believe me if I was lucky enough to win the lottery, I'd be first in line to make this happen.

Carolyn Lauber
Sedro-Woolley

Letters to the Editor - Skagit Valley Herald

Evolution is still best explanation

Letter writer Lee Mann's characterization of our resident evolution-basher is quite to the point. The tiresome tirades over the years have shown nothing tangible to discredit the accepted Theory of Evolution, which still remains the best explanation for the progression of life on this planet. Moreover, his practice now is to dredge the Skagit Valley Herald archives for old opinions to maintain the flow of words ad nauseum. Apparently the idea is that if something is repeated enough times it will become fact; however, rational minds reject such a ploy. Creationism cannot stand the test of a scientific inspection.

It is pseudo-science employing the concept if miracles and the practice of circular reasoning, placing the answers in the premises. The closest such truck can get into the public schools appears to be via a local high school cafeteria which scheduled the preaching of nonproved young Earth material by people of questionable credentials.

Robert Miller
La Conner

Letters to the Editor - Skagit Valley Herald

Finding Blanchard logging balance

Blanchard Mountain is a sentinel in the northwest corner of our county. One can walk its trails through forests, by mountain lakes, to towering views unparalleled west of the Cascades. One can even drive up Blanchard Mountain to what is arguably the most awe-inspiring water view in the state.

In 2001, a group of Republican representatives studied the social, ecological and financial values of Blanchard Mountain. This study was paid for equally by the Legislature and by the Northwest Ecosystem Alliance and Sierra Club. Fifty-eight percent of Skagit County residents surveyed opposed logging on Blanchard Mountain even if it means less revenue, and 25 percent think things are fine as they are.

Through the state's trust lands transference program an opportunity exists to protect the most scenic parts of Blanchard Mountain, by substituting more productive, less scenic timberlands to produce revenue. Selective logging below the current roads on the mountain's south and west faces would deter erosion into salmon streams and protect our view of the mountain, while allowing the more timber abundant lower north and east slopes to remain in the timber rotation.

Any revenue loss under such a plan would be negligible for the Burlington-Edison School District. Revenue produced from Blanchard Mountain goes to Department of Natural Resources, the state, the Burlington-Edison School District and the county. It is divided like property tax, except the schools do not get as much and what they get toward maintenance and operation from logging is later subtracted dollar for dollar from what they get from the state.

Corwin Fergus, Bow

Letters to the Editor - Skagit Valley Herald

Indian netting endangers fish

Letter writer Mr. Robert Hayman claims Indians don't fish West Beach when Area 6 is open. A friend and I witnessed one loading his boat with kings in the Skagit north fork at 2:30 in the morning when the only place open was for pinks in Area 6 west of Whidbey.
Disoriented? Charting error? In Alaska they call it creek robbing.

The spring chinook run has improved in the last few cycles, incidental catch and release records prove it. The state wants 14,000 fish escapement on the previous run before considering a hook and line opening. A letter to the Skagit Argus by Russ Orell, a state fishery biologist, said in 1986 they opened the Coho net fishery from Gilligan Creek to Baker River and killed over 50 percent of the endangered chinook trying to spawn. This practice has been repeated many times since.

When sportsmen release an endangered steelhead while it's still in the water it helps to ensure it has the strength to get its head all the way into the Indian gill net. If Mr. Hayman had over six decades of fishing the Skagit as I have, he might have picked up a few pointers, the main one being if the 14,000 goal was reached and opened for sports, the Indian nets would guarantee the following cycle to be endangered all over again.

Dennis Sather, Mount Vernon

Letters to the Editor - Skagit Valley Herald

Brown & Cole closure its own fault

The March 8 letter from Richard Treston was a testimony to what is wrong in our county today. Self-accountability is being replaced by the need to blame someone, or something, for anything that changes, which we choose not to accept without whining about some phantom enemy like "the Big Box Store." What part of low prices does he not understand as a consumer.
Brown & Cole have had over 20 years to prepare for the advent of Wal-Mart as a competitor in their business area. Their response to competitive pressure has been to bury their heads in the sand and hope Wal-Mart would just go away. Had Brown & Cole elected to streamline their operations, expand their supply chain, trim overhead, particularly in excessive management, generous fringe benefits, etc., and become a lower cost supplier, they would not be quitting business where Wal-Mart opens stores.

It seems odd to me that people here seem to think the outside world, far bigger and more powerful than the local economy, will change to accommodate the way locals want things to remain. A more prudent approach is to recognize that "outside" is coming and we need to plan and prepare in effective and acceptable ways. Intelligent and careful preparation will at least ensure change is implemented with as much local input as practical. Head-in-the-sand planning produces "resistance-is-futile" results.

Dan Cone, Anacortes

Letters to the Editor - Skagit Valley Herald

Only 'crisis' is privatization proposal

President Bush keeps talking about the Social Security "crisis," but the only "crisis" I see is his attempt to privatize it. In this time of corporate scandals, lost pensions and

stagnant wages, working people need something that is guaranteed and risk-free - that was always the genius of Social Security.

The president makes it sound like his "ownership society" (his public relations term for privatization) will give everyone a new freedom to make more money. But creating private accounts would mean a 40 percent cut in benefits for everyone, whether you choose to set up an account or not. That doesn't seem like much of a choice to me.

Social Security does need improvement but that should mean ensuring benefits, not putting them on the Wall Street roller coaster. There are plenty of opportunities to invest in the stock market: Congress and the president should strengthen Social Security to make sure working people get the benefits we've paid for. We deserve it.

Robert N. Woodson, Rockport

Letters to the Editor - Skagit Valley Herald

Library access good for society

I'd like to take issue with Rod Newbound's letter about the proposed library district. He doesn't want to pay taxes for something we already have. My question is, is he aware of what we don't have. We don't have the ability to go to any library in the county and check out books (unless we pay $357 a year to buy their cards). We don't have the ability to drop off books in La Conner that we checked out in Mount Vernon (because they don't have such agreements). We don't have "free" access to libraries for nearly half our school-aged children. (Yes we have school libraries but their hours and number of books that can be checked out are limited.)

Of course it's going to cost some of the taxpayers of this county some money. I pay plenty of taxes to support public schools, yet I don't have a child enrolled in one. There are just certain things that are good for society, and as Americans, we value education. "Free" access for everyone to public libraries is an extension of that.

I think it's ironic that I have a library card from Norway and when I go there, I can check out any book in the country for free, but I can't check out a book from Anacortes unless I pay $76. You see, in Norway, they actually have a law that says every town must have a free public library available to all - even foreigners. I wonder why?

Mickey Bambrick
La Conner

Letters to the Editor - Skagit Valley Herald

Taxes should go to academia first

Recently, Sedro-Woolley High School sent a team to the Tacoma Dome to compete with other AAA schools in an effort to establish an overall state winner. Obviously, the winner wasn't Sedro-Woolley, but at least they had the chance.

Was that possibility included in the general budget for the school district? It is rumored that during the events at the Tacoma Dome, some academic classes may have been canceled in order for the team, cheerleaders, pep squad, spectators and the like (including some school staff) to attend.
At what cost to the district? At what cost to the taxpayer? Who did pick up the tab? Will the answers to these questions ever be made available to the public?

We all know the answer to that one. Even if one were to attend the right meeting, the real numbers would not be available for perusal or public scrutiny.

We don't pay taxes so students can play. We pay taxes for the best academic and artistic exposure our kids can get.

Dick Morris
Sedro-Woolley

Letters to the Editor - Skagit Valley Herald

Drivers should follow speed limit

The word "limit" in the dictionary states, "The final or furthest boundary or point as to extent, amount, continuance, etc." It doesn't say anything about a suggestion..

I'm talking about the speed limit signs. I don't think they meant them as just suggestions. If it says Speed Limit 50, that means 50 is as fast as you are supposed to go. Not 65 or 70. But 50. And they've done this for a reason. It's called safety.

I'm getting very tired of going the speed limit and having people behind me riding my bumper, flipping me off and cussing at me and trying to intimidate me to go faster. The place I'm talking about is the 30-mile-an-hour zone on Highway 20 east of Burlington going into town. It's almost a daily occurrence that someone gets behind me and thinks they have to go faster. Why? I'm following the rules of the road. If they think the speed should be faster, let them go to whoever makes those rules and try to get it changed. But leave me alone. If they're late then they need to leave a bit earlier. Or if they think it's fun to harass someone they better think twice. If I were to have to put my brakes on they would be sitting on the back of my car.
I wish the local law enforcement would do an emphasis on that part of the highway. Make people aware of the speed limit in that area. Someday someone might get hurt because of their actions.

Shirley Ann Johnson
Sedro-Woolley

Letters to the Editor - Skagit Valley Herald

Farmers market prices too high

The location of the Burlington farmers market had nothing to do with losing customers. The problem was the vendors themselves being too greedy for the almighty dollar. I stopped in to buy vegetables to can. I looked and left to never stop again. They wanted three times the price of the supermarket in town. I bought everything from a farmer west of Sedro-Woolley for half of the price in the store. How many others stopped and were turned away by the prices to never return?

Marlin R. Becraft
Concrete

Letters to the Editor - Skagit Valley Herald

Rural library district is needed

To respond to Rod Newbound's letter regarding libraries (March 4), the Skagit Valley College Library serves primarily students and faculty, not the general "public." For a $20 fee, I access college-level, adult materials at SVC, but there are no resources for children and limited general adult resources.

Services from the Washington State Library in Olympia are not really available directly to individuals in any meaningful way, but mostly indirectly, e.g., interlibrary loans.

Thrift stores are great for mass-market paperbacks, but not for specific subjects or titles. Some better books at Goodwill are $9.99 - many good quality books are $3 to $5 each - not pennies on the dollar. Missing are nonfiction, audio and video materials, references, current newspapers, periodicals, online databases, or children's programs.

By the time Mr. Newbound pays a $20 fee to SVC, drives to the state library, buys books in a thrift store, and pays for a nonresident card from an existing library, he will have burned up more than the $80 a year or so proposed tax and will have benefited only himself. Better to pay a modest tax, pooling resources to produce richer benefits for all.

Living in the city, I have paid a tax for public libraries pretty much forever - an excellent investment. It's because we "city dwellers" pay a tax that we have existing libraries from which Mr. Newbound can purchase a nonresident card. I hope Mr. Newbound will step up to the plate, strengthen his professed support of libraries, and vote yes for the rural library district.

Maryanne Ward, Mount Vernon

Letters to the Editor - Skagit Valley Herald

Bush keeps crying ‘the sky is falling'

"The sky is falling, the sky is falling," chirps Chicken Little G.W. Bush as he speaks of a Social Security Crisis.

George, as a child of privilege, you aren't expected to be a whizbang on balancing your checkbook or anyone else's for that matter as attested to by the soaring national debt.

How many more times will our citizens and lawmakers be fooled into making rash decisions based on your Chicken Little crisis warnings

and rushes to a "solution" for non-existent problems?

First it was Denial of Constitutional Rights, also known as the Patriot Act, passed unread by a majority of those who voted for it. Then it was the preemptive Illegal War on Iraq, unquestioningly voted for by a majority of our lawmakers. Now, not satisfied with having deprived U.S. citizens of their Constitutional rights and squandering untold thousands of lives and billions in treasure on an unnecessary war, you want to rush us into a plan for gambling our Social Security benefits in the stock market.

Meanwhile this fails to solve a non-looming shortfall in Social Security funding almost four decades hence. Of course such a gamble would make precious little difference to your retirement, George. Why you are taking on this crusade and not the more imminent issues of Medicaid and Medicare funding is known only to you and God.

Richard T. Nicolls, M.D., Guemes Island

Letters to the Editor - Skagit Valley Herald

Second Street Bridge expansion

Construction work on the new Second Street Bridge in Mount Vernon is above ground now. People can visually see the bridge going up and they are starting to speculate whether or not the new bridge was designed to accommodate a wider Interstate-5.
WSDOT specifically designed the new bridge over I-5 to accommodate up to eight lanes. Currently, there is no funding available to widen I-5 in Skagit County.

When funding is available in the future, we will widen I-5 (near the Second Street Bridge) to the east of the existing northbound lanes. We are unable to widen I-5 to the west because BNSF railroad runs parallel to I-5 at the Second Street Bridge.

When the widening happens (sometime in the future) the existing northbound and southbound lanes would be joined together to become the southbound lanes and the new northbound lanes would be built east of the pier that is adjacent to the northbound shoulder.

For more project information, visit www. wsdot.wa.gov/projects/i5_2ndst_bridgerepl/.

Dustin Terpening, WSDOT Communication

Letters to the Editor - Skagit Valley Herald

Second transfer station a bad idea

Skagit County Commissioner Ken Dahlstedt is right in his position not to allow another transfer facility in Skagit County. Commissioners Anderson and Munks support a private transfer facility that will compete with the county transfer facility.

A special use permit was approved by the county hearing examiner for Ray Sizemore of Cimarron Trucking and Norm Wietting to open a composting facility. They propose to compost "mixed" municipal solid waste. There is no record of success for this type of facility because of contamination. The only way a composting facility will work is for the waste to be

separated at the point of origin. Clearly, the "composting" facility will fail and become a "transfer" facility.

The County's Solid Waste Division is the only division in the county that makes a profit. This money is used to pay for other county services. Eventually, with the opening of this "composting" facility, the county will be forced out of the solid waste business. Inevitable higher rates along with shorter hours maintained by the private facility will result in additional illegal dumping in the county with costs passed on to taxpayers. Taxpayers will pay higher rates for sanitation services and foot the bill for services that are currently paid for by the profits from the solid waste division. Does this make sense?

Jean Terry, Anacortes

Letters to the Editor - Skagit Valley Herald

SVH committed to best cancer care

The focus of Skagit Valley Hospital's plans to build a comprehensive
cancer care is on providing excellent care to the cancer patients of
our community.

Our hospital has a 30-year tradition of providing the best in
compassionate cancer care and have a commitment to our community to
provide quality care close to home.

The new center will be a state-of-the-art facility right across the
street from Skagit Valley Hospital. The location is ideal for cancer
patients because of the proximity to additional services at our
regional health care facility and to area physician offices.

Patients will receive all the care and support they need - from
diagnostic testing and surgery, to chemotherapy and radiation - on the
Skagit Valley Hospital campus.

Our current cancer facility is small and out-of-date. Meanwhile, the
volume of cancer patients in our community continues to increase and
will grow by at least 23 percent in the next 10 years. A new cancer
care center is part of Skagit Valley Hospital's master facility plan,
first presented in 2003.

We are open to collaboration with other organizations to build a new
cancer care center within our model on the Skagit Valley Hospital
campus. We have a great respect for and want to work with our existing
medical staff.
Skagit Valley Hospital is committed to providing the highest quality
cancer care to our patients.

Tim Raschko, president
Public Hospital District 1
board of commissioners

Letters
to the Editor - Skagit Valley Herald

Conscientious objector's plight is sad

On Feb. 26, I was deeply saddened to read an update in the column, "Nation Briefly," in this newspaper, referring to an earlier story about Sgt. Kevin Benderman. After a tour of duty in Iraq he was seeking a conscientious objector discharge from the Army. He was convinced of the wrongness of war as the way to solve international problems. The Army has decided to court martial Sgt. Benderman.

On March 1, a PBS Frontline entitled "A Soldier's Heart" described the plight of thousands of soldiers who are suffering deep psychological wounds from Iraq experiences. The military has little tolerance for what is called post-traumatic stress disorder.

"The Soldier's Heart" made clear that "nobody comes back from combat unchanged." Basic training to "let go of their lives and consider themselves dead" is an impossibility. To "embrace that dirty four-letter word, kill" is a formula for the destruction of a soldier's heart. Psychological costs express in deep despair, excessive drinking, domestic violence, panic attacks, tormented minds and dreams, sleeplessness, inability to function, the wish to die, suicide and more. Those soldiers with post-traumatic stress syndrome are not cowards. They are human beings with hearts deeply damaged by the scourge of this tragic war.

What soul-searching courage it must have taken for Sgt. Benderman to seek a conscientious objector discharge! He has said that he will take the consequences of his convictions. That is real courage! I pray for an honorable and just outcome, and for healing of his exemplary human heart.

Barbara J. Jackson
Mount Vernon

Letters to the Editor - Skagit Valley Herald

Does big business dictate policy?

I have been following our world politics now for quite some time. I have come to a few conclusions. Why do we, as Americans, have the right to go into foreign nations and dictate policy?

The only reason I can think of, that makes sense, is big business. The oil companies have to be protected, so we can drive our precious cars. This is a joke, we don't need it. When I was in school, it was reported that we in this country alone had enough oil to last us 300 years. What happened to all that oil? Makes me wonder who's telling the truth. Also the second thing is nuclear weapons. We seem to be telling them, the foreign powers, who can have nuclear power. If every nation in the world had nuclear power, all would be equal wouldn't it? Then all nations would be afraid to use this power against their neighbors. Because retaliation would be devastating to all. I guess what I am trying to say is that as Americans we need to quit being sheep, and waiting for someone else to do something and do something ourselves. We too can stir the stew pot and see what floats to the top.
This is just one man's opinion, comments are welcome.

Robert Deutsch
Mount Vernon

Letters to the Editor - Skagit Valley Herald

SVH committed to best cancer care

The focus of Skagit Valley Hospital's plans to build a comprehensive cancer care is on providing excellent care to the cancer patients of our community.

Our hospital has a 30-year tradition of providing the best in compassionate cancer care and have a commitment to our community to provide quality care close to home.

The new center will be a state-of-the-art facility right across the street from Skagit Valley Hospital. The location is ideal for cancer patients because of the proximity to additional services at our regional health care facility and to area physician offices.

Patients will receive all the care and support they need — from diagnostic testing and surgery, to chemotherapy and radiation — on the Skagit Valley Hospital campus.

Our current cancer facility is small and out-of-date. Meanwhile, the volume of cancer patients in our community continues to increase and will grow by at least 23 percent in the next 10 years. A new cancer care center is part of Skagit Valley Hospital's master facility plan, first presented in 2003.

We are open to collaboration with other organizations to build a new cancer care center within our model on the Skagit Valley Hospital campus. We have a great respect for and want to work with our existing medical staff.
Skagit Valley Hospital is committed to providing the highest quality cancer care to our patients.

Tim Raschko, president
Public Hospital District 1
board of commissioners

Letters to the Editor - Skagit Valley Herald

Country needs attitude adjustment

As I watched the news this evening, I saw where our Supreme Court ruled that a person under the age of 18 cannot receive the death penalty. On the same newscast it was reported that a 16-year-old boarded a school bus in Tennessee, pulled out a gun and killed the bus driver with a shot to the head. This killer will now have no chance of receiving the death penalty. This ruling has extensive ramifications.

It seems that ever since Clinton appointed former head ACLU attorney Ruth Ginsberg to the court that decisions have been ever so ridiculous. Ginsberg and her band of five have taken over the Supreme Court resulting in some very unsettling decisions. They have given us sodomy and abortion, put gays in the Boy Scouts while taking the "Christmas Vacations" out of our schools. Now they are concerned about the public display of the Ten Commandments. Perhaps they should take a minute and read them instead of attempting to remove them.

We have a war on terror, illegal immigrants pouring into our country, a Marine soldier who is being tried for murder because he killed a couple of Iraqi militants, and the court is concerned with the display of the Ten Commandments in public. We need a change in attitude in our country and if it doesn't come soon, I am serious when I tell you we are going to lose it for good.

Lawrence Pirkle, Mount Vernon

Letters to the Editor - Skagit Valley Herald

Numerous ellipses discredit point

(Letter writer) Ward Ellsworth has a wonderful hobby! In his year-after-year quest for the "Holy Grail of Evolutionary Denial," he has spent many lonely hours snipping little pieces and even single words from the books and speeches of eminent scientists. These tattered little remnants of his passion, he then strings together with armies of dots (...)(...) (...) to create whole new fabrics of meaning! His skill in misrepresenting what others have said rises to the level of a new art form. The artist Cristo, wrapping whole islands in cloth or creating his latest "Gates" piece in Central Park is a piker!

In writing this, I must admit I feel humbled: Twice recently Ward has singled out letters I long ago wrote to the Skagit Valley Herald to use for his art. I don't deserve the tribute. To see my name added to those of Darwin, Dawkins, Sagan, et al is an unearned honor and I must decline. Yes, it was artfully done. He sliced and diced and shredded until my meaning was ... meaningless! But the fact remains, it was Ward's art, rather than my words!

Lee Mann, Sedro-Woolley

Letters to the Editor - Skagit Valley Herald

County lacks nightlife options

I am a 20-year-old from Sedro-Woolley. I am writing this letter for all the people around my age (including teenagers), and maybe even any age in a sense. Lately I have noticed there is nothing to do for fun in Skagit County. I think we need to have more things to do, or attend, and there would be less problems with people getting in trouble (doing drugs, drinking, or even robberies).

Maybe some kind of club or recreational facility for younger adults would be cool. I'm not saying we should spend a bunch of money — use the resources we already have. In Sedro-Woolley, where I live, we literally have nothing to do around 8 o'clock and later. If we had something to do around here, it would save us the time of having to figure out a fun place to go or a place far away to drive to and waste gas.

No wonder people think there is an overweight epidemic going around. We just sit on our couches every night watching movies and probably eating. I don't mean to complain, but we need something to do and fast!

Norah Robbins, Sedro-Woolley

Letters to the Editor - Skagit Valley Herald

Swinomish would hurt environment

For years the Swinomish Tribe has claimed and assumed in its briefs before the Growth Management Hearings Board and courts how Skagit County farmers' farming activities have polluted and caused the decline in the fish numbers. After years of complaining the Swinomish Tribe has yet to prove any of their claims in the real scientific world. Now, the Swinomish Tribe is going to commercially develop an environmentally sensitive area into strictly recreational activities for their monetary gain disregarding all of the restrictions and regulations they have forced upon Skagit County. These unscientific regulations and restrictions are economically ruining agriculture in Skagit County.

The Skagit County Cattlemens data, the Skagit County Public Works data and others have conducted real field tested reports to find practices that will mitigate pollution and protect the fisheries. The Swinomish need to get off their assuming and assumptions claiming best available science and pay attention to real true field tested science in the real world. Then, the Swinomish Tribe will soon realize that their proposed huge development with concrete, asphalt parking spots and increased tourism will be causing the harm and decline in fish populations not Skagit County farmers. If the Swinomish truly believe fish are in danger they would have first got the nets out of the waters and let the fish repopulate.

Aileen Good, Sedro-Woolley

Letters to the Editor - Skagit Valley Herald

Support Skagit Libraries for All

Approximately 40 percent of Skagit County residents have no guaranteed access to library service. Soon those of us living in the unserved areas of Skagit County will have the opportunity to vote for a proposal to establish Skagit Libraries for All when we return our ballots for the April 26 special election.

This proposal is not for new library facilities. The newly formed partial county library district will provide library service through agreements with existing Skagit County libraries. In the proposed budget, 84 percent of the funds raised through taxes will be used for operating expenses such as contracts with existing libraries, office space for library district support staff, a courier vehicle to deliver materials, and the costs of a shared computer system and reference databases. The balance of the funds will cover the cost of library staff and technical support to coordinate services between libraries. In cooperation with the existing county libraries, the new partial county library district will provide a vast amount of library resources to all the residents of Skagit County, at an average of $10 per month per household.

The city councils and library boards of Burlington, Mount Vernon and Sedro-Woolley all support the proposed plan, as well as the Upper Skagit Library Board. Please join them in support of Skagit Libraries for All and vote yes when you return your ballot. For more information go to www.skagitlibraries.org.

Janice Burwash, Burlington

Letters to the Editor - Skagit Valley Herald

Wal-Mart monolith strikes again

I was saddened to read in the March 1 Skagit Valley Herald of the latest enterprise to fall victim to the Wal-Mart monolith. Brown & Cole is shutting down eight stores in the state, a move directly attributable, by the chairman, to the impact of Wal-Mart saturation.

Once again, a long-time business, with local roots, with a policy of fairness and equity in customer and employee relations, bites the dust as our nation becomes even further Wal-Martized.

The future is bleak. Low wages, menial work and little potential for a middle class future.

The transformation of the Unite States to a banana republic continues.

Richard Treston, Alger

Letters to the Editor - Skagit Valley Herald

It's important to write living wills

The Terri Schiavo case in Florida has identified a real horror story. Terri's husband wants to remove her feeding tube so that she will die. Her parents want rehabilitative treatment to teach her to swallow. She is 41 and breathing on her own.

Medical treatment has advanced greatly. One of the most important actions we can take to protect ourselves: designate in writing the name of a trusted person who will make medical decisions for us in case we are unable to communicate our wishes.

In our mobile society we may need treatment away from our regular doctor. We must carry a notice that we have signed a document naming a spokesperson of our choice.

We cannot say, "I don't want to be hooked up to tubes." Tubes are standard treatment!

Let's not cut off critical help. Immediate treatment may save a stroke or heart attack victim.

Jan Tobin, Mount Vernon

Letters to the Editor - Skagit Valley Herald

Larsen's forum certainly not open

The "open forum" on Social Security, featuring Rep. Rick Larsen on Saturday afternoon (Feb. 26), was anything but "open." I was the youngest person in that room by 20 years and truly wanted to know more about the pluses and minuses involving George Bush's Social Security plan. But instead of receiving information on the proposed plan, it seemed more like a Democratic rally to undermine proposed Social Security plan and mislead our local senior citizens.

In high school debate you are taught that statistics are nothing without information and factual evidence to back them up. Something Larsen failed to recognize. He read numbers and spewed off "estimated guesses" about the financial shortfalls of the Social Security plan, yet when a question was posed to contest his facts and figures, he would quickly move on, not giving the citizen time to ask his or her question.

My mom asked a clarifying question and was booed and told to be quiet by members of the audience, and my dad was cut off by Rick Larsen himself! Having done my own research on the proposal, I found a lot of what Larsen was saying to be blatantly misleading. This surprises me that an elected official would go out of his way to mislead the public, the same group of people that elected him to office. Next time there is an "open forum" on a government policy I hope the Skagit Valley Herald and the writer do a better job informing the community of what really went on.

Amanda Robertson, Mount Vernon

Letters to the Editor - Skagit Valley Herald

Clarifying Makah's salmon catch

Re: Jason Griffith's Feb. 20 letter "Makah catch was not greedy," in response to Terry Williams over the allotment comment. Mr. Griffith's explanation was there is no such thing as an "allotment" during the winter troll fisheries, but a "high or low abundance" which in fact was 500 to 1,000 Chinook salmon (20,000 Chinook salmon were caught).

The abundance numbers were set by the tribe and state fishery biologists, our self stamped guardians of too many things already, and they once again screwed it up. So in saying this, Terry Williams appears to be wrong by indicating the Makahs were "greedy" when 20 to 40 times the "allotment" was caught.

In reality the Makahs caught 20 to 40 times the "abundance." Now with this said, should we remove the word "greedy" from Terry Williams letter, and allow us to get the warm fuzzies listening to another biologist doing a song and dance for those willing to listen?
Mr. Griffith mentioned how impoverished the Makahs are, and that they were just making good money (well duh!). If all impoverished people harvested 20 to 40 times the abundance of anything to make good money — well you do the math. One last thing Mr. Griffith, I use the word "harvest" when taking any animal that I put on my table. The game department decides which areas can withstand or need to be harvested. If 20 to 40 times the abundance were taken, well kiss that goodbye.

Rick O'Neil
Sedro-Woolley

Letters to the Editor - Skagit Valley Herald

Thanks Dems for Canadian drug bill

Here they go again. The same old lies and inflated questions from the Republican House members. As they pad their pockets with millions from the pharmaceutical and insurance lobbies, they continue to pontificate the evils of the Canadian health care system.

The bare facts are these: The medicines used in Canada are manufactured at exactly the same places those used in America are — the United States, Ireland and Europe. The difference is that the Canadian government shares the savings with the people rather than allowing the industry to run rampant.

The other facts are that the average medicine is approximately one-third the cost of what they are here. The No. 1 fact to consider is that the average Canadian lives four years longer than the average American, and the infant mortality rate is way superior to ours due to all expectant mothers having access to regular checkups and affordable prescription drugs. So really how dangerous are their drugs?

As usual though, with Republican Rep. Barbara Bailey comparing Canada with Iran, their fear factor of governing carries on. Rather than come up with any true answer to this problem, they resort to their old tactics.

Thanks to the House Democrats for taking this step. Now at least, untold numbers of Washington citizens will no longer have to decide between eating or buying their monthly prescriptions if this bill passes the Senate, and then Governor, (yes Governor,) Gregoire signs it into law.

Tom Montgomery
Anacortes

Letters to the Editor - Skagit Valley Herald

Bush's budget is destructive to U.S.

Last night I saw a documentary, "Riding the Rails," which depicted the desperate poverty of the Great Depression. That was a time before the social safety nets we have in place such as Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid. The film reminded me of the great value and importance of these social programs that give a hand up to people when they're down so that they can fend for themselves again.

Neo-conservatives talk about "starving the beast" (government) by lowering taxes for the corporate wealthy, increasing military spending and cutting social programs. To them government is regarded as an ill rather than as a good, and unnecessary for functions other than military. They, and most politicians of either party for that matter, rarely object to how much money is spent on defense despite the fact that we outspend our nearest rival, Russia, by a factor of seven. It's cast as unpatriotic or weak to broach cutting any military spending, even programs that are obvious failures such as the missile defense system.

A strong nation has a healthy population, solid infrastructure and viable economy in addition to an adequate defense. The president's budget is a formula for bankrupting the nation by excessive military spending, underfunding education, health care, environmental safeguards, and increasing the tax burden on the poor and middle class while decreasing the tax burden on the wealthy (remember the Robber Barons of yore). He's leading us down the same road the Soviet Union traveled with predictable, dire results unless we stop him.

Gena DiLabio, Coupeville

Letters to the Editor - Skagit Valley Herald

Larsen didn't level with constituents

Rick Larsen's forums on Social Security reform (Feb. 27) are a good idea, but without honest information they won't accomplish much.

Larsen says there is no Social Security crisis because the trust fund has reserves for many years. Those reserves are nothing but IOUs, however. Suppose that someone decided to save $200 a month for retirement. Rather than invest the cash, he wrote himself an IOU for $200 every month while spending the money as usual. Forty years later, he'd have a drawer full of IOUs totaling $96,000, but you and I would both understand that he really hadn't saved anything.

Projections show the government will be in the exact same position, perhaps as early as 2013 and certainly by 2018. In order to repay the money it has borrowed from Social Security, the government will have to hike taxes, dramatically increase borrowing or implement severe budget cuts. This constitutes a real crisis.

Larsen says we have time, that it may take two or three congresses to develop a consensus on reform. Three congresses means six years, putting us perhaps only two years away from the point when Social Security's payouts will exceed revenues. That kind of delay is irresponsible and will make it much harder to fix the problem.

We do need a dialog on the details of reform, but it must start with facts. Larsen knows that the trust fund is a fiction, so why won't he level with us?

Mark Lijek, Anacortes

Letters to the Editor - Skagit Valley Herald

Skagit hospital 'doesn't play well'

"Skagit Valley Hospital — doesn't play well with others" is what came to mind as I read the recent front page story about local cancer care.

My husband has multiple brain tumors and has received excellent care at both United General Hospital and Skagit Valley Hospital under the direction of Dr. Raish. I have first-hand experience dealing with the egos at SVH. I coordinated a brain tumor awareness event at the mall last September. I wanted to include both hospitals in the display as a way to show that we have great cancer care available locally. United filled a display table with helpful pamphlets, cancer information and they loaned us an x-ray viewing box. SVH refused to participate in any way.
As I tried to find out why I was met with hostility. Now I understand — they don't want to share. I believe the deep pockets of public money gained through the recent levy fueled their egos and crowded out what would best serve this community. "Mediocre cancer care" is what Dr. Shetabi predicts in five to six years. If the money that SVH is planning to spend on duplicating radiation equipment was freed up, it could provide many things to improve cancer care. It seems as though getting the high-profit cancer care dollars is what is most important to SVH.

Brenda Green, Mount Vernon

Letters to the Editor - Skagit Valley Herald

Is Bush taking Stengel approach?

As I watch and read the national and international news as spring training opens, I'm reminded of the story of Casey Stengel admonishing his center fielder. In frustration, Casey took to the field to demonstrate how the position should be played. After several embarrassing, futile attempts to catch a fly ball, Casey announced "this guy has center field so screwed up nobody can play it."

Can it be that something similar has happened to our great country under the leadership of George W. Bush?

Robert Easton, Guemes Island

Letters to the Editor - Skagit Valley Herald

Commissioners spend irresponsibly

Re: "County vows to fight proposed water allocations," March 1: The Skagit County commissioner's comment doesn't surprise me at all: "I want my day in court." After all, it's taxpayers' money they're spending. They would rather spend money on lawyers than benefit members of the county. They're going to court over the endangered chinook salmon with the Swinomish Tribe, saying they're wanting to protect salmon. If they wanted to protect salmon, why are they willing to draw down water in the river? Salmon can't survive without water.

The commissioners hired a lawyer to tromp through the muddy forest to see if land that the Swinomish Tribe is trying to get put into trust was near the proposed marina site. Looking at a map wasn't good enough for them. Taxpayers paid probably $300 per hour for that and bought the lawyers' clothes as well.

Someone take a look at the records and see how much is spent on litigation annually. I play softball in the Parks and Recreation League. Our team fees keep going up maybe 10 percent each year. Yet, the service stays the same.

Where are our commissioners' priorities?

Leon John, La Conner

Letters to the Editor - Skagit Valley Herald

Library access is available to all

I recently saw a poster in Conway about a countywide library plan being proposed. Since I have always been a supporter of public libraries, I was intrigued enough to write down the Web site address and take a look.

What I found is rather disappointing.

SkagitLibraries.Org is claiming "Over 36 percent (37,000 people) do not have guaranteed access to public libraries."

According to Skagit Valley College's Library Web site, "We also provide library service to all residents of Skagit, San Juan and Island counties. You may obtain a community borrower library bar code at the library circulation desk."

This makes the statement by SkagitLibraries.Org incorrect. Furthermore, other libraries in the county offer nonresident services for a fee. And any resident of the state has access to the state library system.

Additionally, every thrift store and most libraries in the area offer books for sale at pennies on the dollar. And I'm fairly certain each school in the county has a library for the students.

Personally, I don't relish the idea of paying more taxes to pay for something which already exists.

Rod Newbound
Mount Vernon

Letters to the Editor - Skagit Valley Herald

Wildlife refuge should be just that

The U.S. Senate is debating right now on whether or not to open the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge to drilling. What don't we understand about the words "Wildlife Refuge?"

How are the interests of the wildlife concurrent with drilling, extracting, and transporting oil? ANWR is considered to be the last of "America's Serengeti." It was considered so important that in 1960 President Dwight D. Eisenhower (a real Republican) set it aside as ANWR. Biologists predict that the Porcupine River caribou herd's birthrate could fall by 40 percent if drilling occurs. Will it still be a refuge then?

Our current attitude is to extract everything today! This arrogance is even transformed into denying our children an opportunity to visit the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge and viewing the natural world virtually unchanged since prehistoric times. This is certainly a value to be cherished!

This drilling operation will not increase our national security or decrease our dependence on foreign oil. Only once did our oil dependence decrease between 1977 and 1984 when oil imports declined from 47 percent to 28 percent.

Conservation, energy efficiency, and higher mileage cars were the main reasons behind the decline.

Barry McMonagle
Sedro-Woolley

Letters to the Editor - Skagit Valley Herald

Election director not accountable

On Feb. 24, Secretary of State Sam Reed and his troupe graced us with their presence at the Skagit Valley College. They put on a little slide show and brayed about their concerns for voter reform and then opened the floor to voter participation. We heard everything from instant runoff voting to a new version of Jim Crow.

In all the allowed ranting (which I believe was the only purpose for this meeting), there was one major fact that was overlooked by the gathering. Since I was skipped and wasn't allowed to add my voice to the record, I cornered Mr. Reed and told him what I felt was the most overlooked

factor in this mess and should be addressed in law.

Dean Logan, the King County Elections Director, is unaccountable to the electorate. He was hired by the King County Council and was not elected to his office. If he is obligated to County Executive Ron Sims and the council and not to the voters, he has no motivation to do the people's will.

I feel that any person responsible for assuring the people's right to vote should be accountable to those people. If Dean Logan could be removed from office in the next election, or even be recalled, does anyone actually believe he would still be defending this as the most "accurate election in history"? Please join me in asking the Legislature to make this office holder accountable to the people.

Jim Lyon
Mount Vernon

Letters to the Editor - Skagit Valley Herald

Indian fishing letter lacked accuracy

Wherever would we be without Dennis Sather to amuse us, with his repeated (and ignorant) attacks on Indians, blaming them for every problem from the lack of rain to the price of peas? His latest diatribe (Feb. 6 Letters) claimed that: Indians fished "24/7 at West Beach" for chum salmon last year; Indians are netting "endangered wild steelhead, a federal felony to anyone else;" Indian fishing caused the endangered species listings; and tribes don't provide their catch data.

Mr. Sather is living in Fantasyland. The actual facts in each case are:

West Beach (Area 6A) has been closed to all tribal salmon fishing since 1984. Not only has this supposedly "24/7" place been completely closed for more than 20 years, but the Skagit tribes are not open "24/7" for salmon fishing anywhere.

Skagit steelhead are not listed under the Endangered Species Act (ESA); thus, netting them is not a federal felony.

If Indian fishing caused the ESA listings, then how does Mr. Sather explain the listings of 16 salmon and steelhead units that are not fished on at all by Indians?

And, catch totals are public records — has he tried asking for them?

For the most recent years, only 1 percent of the adult run of Skagit summer chinook was caught in all Puget Sound fisheries combined. Scrapping over the Indian part of that 1 percent may be satisfying to those interested in nurturing their preconceived bigotry, but it won't improve the runs.

Robert Hayman
La Conner

Letters to the Editor - Skagit Valley Herald

Why silence on prostitute ‘reporter'?

Would a prostitute in the White House have been news six years ago? You betcha. The Right spent eight years trying to pillory Clinton. Now we have something even worse than Clinton's despicable indiscretion and the mainstream media barely covers it.

For the past two years there was a "reporter" by the name of Jeff Gannon in the White House daily briefings. Actually his name is James

Guckert and the White House issued a daily pass. Supposedly he worked for an online conservative publication called Talon News (now offline). But White House Press Secretary Scott McClellan always called on him as "Jeff" to ask softball questions. Mr. McClellan admitted that he knew Gannon's real name yet continued to call him Gannon in press conferences.

It's been proven that Gannon/Guckert is associated with male prostitution Web sites, even having his own nude pictures on those sites. Doubters can get on the Internet and Google Jeff Gannon. It's all there.

I can't get on a plane at SeaTac with a fake name, yet this Gannon/Guckert gets within spitting distance of Bush? So much for White House security.

Where is the outrage from the Christian right concerning this male prostitute? Why are the media and conservative organizations such as Focus on the Family so silent? If this were the Clinton administration we would get 24/7 coverage of this on every "mainstream" corporate owned media outlet.

The silence is deafening. Where is the free press?

Keith Fisher
Mount Vernon

Letters to the Editor - Skagit Valley Herald

Privatization would abandon public

Recent chants by Republicans that "Social Security has got to go" make me nauseous.

The future health and retirement of the vast majority of Americans is in jeopardy as

Republicans move toward abolishing Social Security entirely. Republicans seem intent on backing away from all programs that offer any real benefits to their constituents. Their only goal appears to be to free up as many tax dollars as they can to spend on government funded programs that line the pockets of the rich. Privatization or abolishing Social Security entirely is just that, an attempt to abandon the American public and bankrupt this country to the benefit of a very wealthy minority.

Thomas Conroy
Anacortes

Letters to the Editor - Skagit Valley Herald

Wal-Mart workers pay for lower prices

Re: The March 1 article on Brown & Cole Stores closures: The "ca-ching, ca-ching" ring from Wal-Mart cash registers doesn't translate into savings. When it comes time to file your tax return, the "ca-ching, ca-ching" sound you'll hear is your money going into social services to help fund assistance programs for Wal-Mart employees.

There is nothing wrong with helping those who have less than they need.

There is something horribly amiss, however, when your help is needed because huge conglomerates like Wal-Mart refuse to provide decent health care coverage or pay sufficient wages. Many Wal-Mart workers are on welfare as a result. In short, when you shop at Wal-Mart you're subsidizing a corporation that is worth more than many towns in the United States.

Wal-Mart claims it sells for less. How? By treating its workers shabbily. Decent businesses like Thrifty Foods have to charge a bit more because they pay higher wages and provide better benefits. In some cases they can't compete and are forced to close their doors.

Personalize the issue: If a company employing teachers, truck drivers, carpenters, city workers, beauticians, refinery personnel, etc., suddenly swept into town and offered up cheap labor, where would that put you? Out of a job? On assistance?

We must shop at businesses that treat their employees right. If we don't, those of us who work for a living will sooner or later become Wal-Mart's "road kill."

Richard Austin
Mount Vernon

Letters to the Editor - Skagit Valley Herald

Social Security is first line of defense

When I was young, I heard many stories about life during the Depression while at my grandmother's table. She was a single mom (by circumstance, not choice) and raised two boys during the toughest of times. Often her stories ended with a moral about the importance of saving for retirement, but just as often they ended with her own personal testimonial about Social Security. Life would be so much more difficult without the Social Security, she would tell us. It is hard for us to imagine how difficult those times were, but we can get some idea by looking at the lopsided vote that made the Social Security Act law. It passed in the House on April 19, 1935, by a vote of 372-33, and in the Senate on June 19, 1935, by a vote of 77-6. Overwhelming margins like that are usually only achieved in a vote on an issue like war.

In a few years I will be able to receive Social Security and my daughter will be entering the work force. I have always been grateful that Social Security would be there for me, and I am grateful that it will be there for my daughter. Social Security is about all of us, not just a lucky few.

The only crisis in Social Security is one of conscience; do we all have the responsibility to provide a social security net for each other?

Social Security should be the first line of defense in true homeland security.

Kevin A. Green
Anacortes

Letters to the Editor - Skagit Valley Herald

Blanchard is a recreational treat

Hang gliding at Blanchard Mountain is a fantastic experience. My routine at Blanchard includes my wife and other visitors. I get dropped off to fly while our friends breathe the fresh air and hike the trails, pick a mushroom or two while enjoying the beauty of the forest and the spectacular view of Skagit County, the Cascade Range and the San Juan Islands. It is a truly inspirational place that draws people from all over the Pacific Northwest.

While flying over Blanchard Mountain it is easy to see how lucky we are in Skagit County to have this special place right in our midst. Blanchard Mountain is unique as it is a naturally regenerated forest, not a tree farm, and it is the only place the Cascades touch the sea.

We hope the Department of Natural Resources and the Legislature, together with Skagit County, can find a way to manage Blanchard Mountain and Chuckanut Mountain for recreational uses rather than timber production. The Burlington-Edison School District may not have to suffer any financial loss if everybody is willing to be creative and give Blanchard Mountain over to the people of the area to enjoy now and in the future.

Konrad Kurp
Anacortes


Letters to the Editor - Skagit Valley Herald

Attend ‘Marriage Matters' rally

In 1998, our Legislature passed the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA). But, as it seems with every law that's passed in recent years, this is being challenged by Judges Downing (King County) and Hicks (Thurston County). Because of their challenge, our State Supreme Court, on March 8, will hear arguments for and against our state DOMA.

What does this mean to the average person? If the court strikes down our DOMA, same-sex marriage could become a reality here in a few short months.

In years past, everyone knew what the word "marriage" meant. We had the nuclear family, of two parents and their children. Now, a growing group of loud, powerful people, want the word marriage to be redefined, or expanded, to include same-sex, multiple partners, almost any arrangement that could be devised by the creative human mind! In countries where this has been legal for years, marriage and the family are almost totally gone from the culture.

On March 8, we invite you to travel to Olympia for a "Marriage Matters" rally on our Capitol grounds, from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. We need to gather from all around this state, to let the court and others know that we want marriage to be defined as one man, one woman. Call 1-866-700-9374, or check our www.maydayformarriage.com for more information.

Take a day off work to be in Olympia and show your support. We need a clear, powerful show of strength!

Susan Denham
Burlington

Letters to the Editor - Skagit Valley Herald

Abortions bring pain and suffering

In a recent letter to the editor, Mr. Howard Pellett argues the need to defend women's reproductive rights. This letter ignores the very real emotional suffering and pain experienced by women who have had an abortion.

According to Project Rachel, an organization dedicated to helping women heal following an abortion, there have been nearly 36 million abortions in the U.S. since 1973. Some women experience relatively little trauma following an abortion; however, for many women, the experience is devastating, resulting in long lasting psychological trauma. Women who have been harmed by an abortion report some of the following symptoms: low self-esteem, grief, depression (sometimes to the point of suicidal thoughts and attempts), guilt, anger, nightmares, and drug and alcohol problems. Many groups organized to protect the availability of abortion deny the existence of post abortion trauma.

This often results in women believing their grief reactions to be abnormal, and that there is nowhere to turn for help.

If you are a woman experiencing an unplanned pregnancy, please contact a Pregnancy Care Clinic in Mount Vernon (360-428-4777), Oak Harbor (360-675-2096) or Anacortes (360-299-0568). These clinics offer free pregnancy testing and peer counseling. If you are a woman experiencing difficulty following abortion, please contact a Pregnancy Care Clinic or Project Rachel at 1-888-456-4673, for confidential post-abortion counseling.

Margaret Barton
Anacortes

Letters to the Editor - Skagit Valley Herald