Letters
Aug. 11, 2010 

Food, then library

It has been interesting reading letters to the editor regarding the library issue not only in the Hood River News but also in the Oregonian (July 27, 2010).

Josephine County seems to have found the solution to reopening their library and it seems to be working. Maybe Hood River should follow their plan.

It sounds like some people think others think the library isn’t important enough to try and reopen while the people who object to this are saying no increase in taxes. I agree and the voters passed the measure saying no increase in taxes; not no to the library.

I am a property owner. I pay federal, state, school tax (although I have no children in school I believe in education), port, park, Windmaster Urban Renewal (I live in Odell) and other county taxes through my property tax. My property tax went up this year but the value of my property went down. You figure that one out and tell me why I shouldn’t object to an increase in taxes?

People who have higher incomes either don’t care or don’t realize those on fixed or low incomes have to pay the same price for a jug of milk or a loaf of bread as they do. When it comes to putting food on my table for my family, sorry, but we’re going to eat. The library comes second when I have to count my pennies.

Let Hood River try Josephine County’s way. You might be surprised who’ll let loose of their money and who won’t.

Irene Duniphin
Hood River

Take out trash

By now Obama’s been your president for 19 months. As I said before, he’s had an absolute stranglehold on American policy. And Democrats have had control of Congress for the last six years. Any policies instituted since 2004 have been policies that liberals have wanted and approved. They have controlled almost everything.

This week, according to the Obama-loving news media, we hear that the U.S. Postal Service will be bankrupt by 2011. We hear that Social Security is very close to out of money. And today we hear that Fannie Mae needs another $1.5 billion dollars or it will fail. I guess Barney Frank needs some more kickbacks.

With all of these problems and more, the only thing Democrats can do is spend more money we don’t have and blame George Bush. Still.

One of your readers suggested that Obama deserves respect. I would like to point out that respect, unlike Nobel Peace Prizes, is earned. It is not given simply because of a person’s skin color, political affiliation or whatever buffoonery comes out of their mouths.

The OFFICE of President of the United States deserves respect, but during George Bush’s presidency liberals showed me that you can disrespect the man without that disdain reflecting on the office, at least in the liberal mindset.

I have no respect for Obama because he is a liberal ideologist who does not respect the office of the President of the United States. He proves this every time he apologizes to some foreign country for America’s past actions and efforts to promote democracy and self-rule around the world.

And every time he trivializes the blood sacrifices of America’s military personnel in two world wars and a number of other actions like Vietnam, Iraq and Afghanistan. Those men and women I respect. Obama? Not at all.

November 2010 is the time to take out the trash. We need to kick all the lying liberals out of office. Too bad Obama’s office is immune this year. Judging by his plunging popularity numbers I doubt we would be plagued by him much longer if it was.

Cliff Mansfield
Odell

Library ideas

I have great respect for the people trying to save the Hood River library, plus I live in White Salmon so am not impacted as directly by its closure.

 But David Evans’ recent letter to the editor made me wonder if true “outside the box” thinking was being done. What if, instead of a bricks and mortar and hardcopy library, we moved toward county-wide Wi-Fi, nonprofit organizations working to get computers into the hands of those who don’t have them, multiple serial subscriptions to electronic books and magazines that could be managed via website?

The new community book swap is terrific and could be perpetuated. Maybe the library building could be leased to Powell’s or a similar large bookstore that would provide many of the same amenities and would already have a profit-structure in place, versus us trying to develop a fee-for-use structure.

What if each benefit of the bricks-and-mortar library is identified and we try to fill that need in a distributed, versus a centralized, fashion? Every coffee shop has Wi-Fi; many restaurants have meeting rooms that they gladly provide free to attract customers. The small local bookstores would also be happy to continue and expand their book- and information-related services.

We need to work WITH these distributed for-profit and charitable entities, and move AWAY from taxation to support government centralization of services. In addition, the way we think about the distribution of information and community interaction should move into the current millennium.

The reconfiguration of library services could give us a chance to do both.

Nancy Sliwa
White Salmon, Wash.

Be careful what you ask for

I just spent a most enjoyable weekend in Hood River. I always look forward to visiting the area. I read your weekend edition and am concerned about efforts to place an Indian casino in the area.

 To the people of the area: Be careful what you ask for — you might get it. I reside in the Santa Ynez Valley of California where we have had an Indian casino for a number of years. Yes, it provides jobs but there are other serious issues involved. Rather than go on at length, I will ask concerned citizens of the area to contact our local newspaper: The Santa Ynez Valley Journal. (SYVJournal.com)

Go to the archives; type in: casino.

Tom Ennis
Solvang, Calif.

Accept casino

Congratulations to the Tribes of Warm Springs, after 10 years of effort, the Department of Interior has released the Final Environmental Impact Statement. If all proceeds as planned, Secretary of Interior Ken Salazar will sign off on it shortly and it will be approved and signed by Gov Ted Kulongoski. 

 This will bring 700 high-paying construction jobs to the area, and 1,700 full- and part-time jobs at the casino.  Hopefully our high school and library will reopen.

It will have a positive economic impact from east Multnomah County through The Dalles on both sides of the river. It will mean more money and equipment for our fire department, who are first responders on I-84 from Multnomah Falls out to approximately Wyeth.

In addition, money, as much as $850 million, will go to the state for higher education, and police services will be enhanced in Cascade Locks. It will create a new interchange into Cascade Locks industrial park, opening up possibilities for further development.

All this and more with no federal stimulus dollars, tax abatements or other government giveaways.

It’s time for the last lone holdout on the city council to stop putting up road blocks and help find constructive creative ways to bring this long-awaited project to a successful positive conclusion.

Rob Brostoff
Cascade Locks