Let’s find real reason bees are vanishing

Vast numbers of bees have been mysteriously dying for several years. The concern was so great that the U.S. House of Representatives’ Committee on Agriculture held a hearing on colony collapse disorder in March 2007.

The Gazette-Times is finally reporting on the problem (“Scientists, ag industry consider next step in bee crisis, April 8), but only according to what it’s been fed by the corporate establishment.

I don’t look forward to further chapters in this continuing saga of the ag industry and its corporate-funded scientists — coming together to produce more spin — instead of addressing the actual causes of this disaster.

Mites, parasites and bacteria have been mentioned. For obvious reasons, industry “experts” don’t talk much about pesticides or herbicides.

But many independent researchers claim that the leading contender for the cause of colony collapse disorder is a strictly taboo topic for the ag industry —genetically modified seeds and crops (organic farms remain relatively untouched by this crisis).

The question is this: Will OSU scientists be able to work together, independent from any special interest group, to help uncover the reasons behind colony collapse disorder?

Robert Simms, Corvallis

No hurry to develop industrial property

I saw in the April 10 Gazette-Times that the city is impatient with the slow pace of development of 602 acres of private industrial land in south Corvallis.

That will be in addition to the “shovel ready” land that the city of Corvallis owns at the airport.

I hope the G-T will give us a series of articles explaining what will happen.

What will be the expected size of Corvallis when all those acres are filled with “family wage jobs”?

How many dwelling units will be required for the families? How many more for the additional residents who will cater to the industrial workers?

How many homes will be added to Corvallis, Lebanon, Monroe, Philomath, Albany? Where will the Corvallis homes be built?

Will there be a new bypass from south Corvallis to Philomath? What will be the effect of the additional traffic through Third and Fourth streets?

Has the school district planned where the new schools will go? What plans have been made for the city water and sewage system?

I would like to see a map of what Corvallis is expected to look like when the industrial land is built out. I remember my horror decades ago when a map appeared in the G-T with that land zoned as industrial.

Are the city leaders sure that the residents of Corvallis really want to hurry along 602 acres of industrial development?

Louise Ferrell, Corvallis

Social Security has guaranteed benefit

I am truly sorry about Margaret Cummings’ medical suffering and your financial suffering (“Laughing and crying over Social Security,” Letters, April 9).

I was in social services for 30 years and I know Social Security benefits are insufficient.

I believe, however, that she missed the point that Coberly (Letters, April 3) was trying to make, and that is that Social Security is guaranteed insurance for the elderly, disabled and the children of deceased parents as opposed to the unguaranteed gamble of stock market investment.

The fact that it is insufficient only attests to how little of a premium in taxes that we pay during our working lifetime.

Without wishing to sound cruel or insensitive to her plight, I think the right question to ask is, “Where would she be without Social Security?”

In countries without Social Security safety nets, you will find the children of deceased parents, the disabled and the elderly on the streets without any money or medical coverage or hope of anything better.

We need to require that all citizens pay Social Security taxes on all of their income. Right now people only pay on the first $90,000 of their income. That is not enough.

The worth of our culture will be measured on how well we cared for the most needy of our citizens.

William Switzer, Corvallis

Iraq’s oil should pay cost of liberation

The war in Iraq is costing the United States around $255 million per day, according to an MSNBC article from last year.

Iraq’s sustainable oil production capacity is almost 3 million barrels per day. Iraqi ground holds more than 112 billion barrels of oil — “the world’s second- largest proven reserves” — and unexplored regions could yield an additional 100 billion barrels, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration.

One million barrels of oil a day, is either 1/20 of the United States’ daily gas consumption or $100 million (calculated at $100 a barrel).

America has liberated Iraqis from the torture chambers of Saddam, but in doing so we have gone billions of dollars further in debt.

The month that President Bush was sworn into office, gas averaged $1.70 a gallon. Now, after eight years of war in Iraq, gas is $3.60 a gallon. That is two dollars more to pay because of the war on terror.

Iraqi oil should be used to pay America back.

Unbeknownst to many, Kuwait (think Desert Storm) paid the United States some $36 billion for its liberation. Iraq should do the same.

Jared McKinney, Corvallis

Is new coach going to help Beavers win?

You would think that with all of this talk about someone being related to Barack Obama being hired at the university, the new guy would be instructing a political science class.

This person was hired to coach a Pac-10 basketball team? Someone with almost zero experience on the court and who has trouble recruiting players?

“Do you want play basketball for Oregon State? Have you heard that I’m related to Obama?”

Thanks, marketing department. Here’s to six years of going to a game to see Obama’s brother-in-law and not a winning team.

Robert Gutierrez, Corvallis

Proud to salute America’s flag

Regarding Joseph Postman’s April 1 letter about Blanche Wilson’s March 28 letter:

He accused her of casting stones at Mrs. Obama and to read the Scriptures.

Her letter was about how she always has honored the flag and her pride when hearing the patriotic songs.

Mrs. Obama herself has stated she hasn’t always had much respect for the United States. At least not until her husband started running for president.

If anyone thinks I am casting stones, so be it!

The flag has always represented our country, and I am proud to salute it.

Joyce Snyder, Philomath