Corvallis oncologists work for their patients

In response to “Tough lessons learned from a cancer journey” by John Donel:

My mother died from cancer too after a five-year illness. I offer my sympathy to Mr. Donel. As a physician, I approve of his four recommendations to “fight cancer.”

However, I cannot accept his opinions about oncologists. When I entered Harvard Medical School 60 years ago, there were no oncologists. By the time I finished my training, chemotherapy for cancer was established. I have watched the introduction of oncology to Corvallis by David Kliewer in the 1960s and steady progress by our excellent medical and radiation oncologists. Our hospital has a superb Continuing Medical Education program, and our staff maintains contact with research centers worldwide and monitors the literature carefully. The progress in preventing and treating cancer since I came to Corvallis in 1957 is encouraging.

In my experience, our oncologists are not clueless. They have admirable work ethics, open minds, healthful lifestyles, and hold the best interests of their patients in their healthy hearts.

I urge Mr. Donel to continue to promote his beliefs without trashing my esteemed colleagues.

Craig B. Leman, M.D., Corvallis

In Israeli-Palestinian battle, who fights dirty?

Recent letters to the editor which compare the situation of the Palestinians in Gaza with the Jews in the Warsaw ghetto during National Socialism add a bitter twist to the facts that when the state of Israel was proclaimed in 1948 an audacious handful of Holocaust survivors and recent immigrants to Palestine had to fight a war not only against five Arabic nations (Syria, Jordania, Iraq, Egypt, Lebanon to some extent), who attacked it form all sides, but England as well, and prevailed.

During this war the Jewish people, barely recovering from the most humongous genocide the world has ever seen, even gave money to Arabic refugees, so that they would be accepted into host countries.

Since, the hostilities from hatemongers (not all Arabs are anti-Israel) against this brave and fair nation have not stopped. Letters to the editor appearing in the Oregonian point out that Sderot and Ashkelon have been hit with rockets and missiles for the past eight years. Whereas Hamas seems to put its weapons into the middle of a population, Israel tries to keep warning civilian outposts before it strikes. Who is fighting a dirty war here?

Lioba Multer, Depoe Bay

Taxpayers will foot bill for big-money bailouts

I agree with Bob Hazleton’s Dec. 10 letter, “Let’s Get Something for Our Bailout Dollars.” It seems that the government wants to give money to the banks and auto companies. What’s next — newspapers, insurance companies, oil companies, stock companies, California? The government can always print more money to keep everyone afloat. How much more? We taxpayers are the ones who will have to pay it back and we work hard for our money — not to be spent on bailing out every large business in the United States.

I recently received an e-mail that stated if the government gave every taxpayer 18 or older $500,000 instead of the $700 billion tab for the first bailout, the cost would have been only $85 billion. The rest could be used to stimulate the economy by spending on items they could enjoy. When the auto companies asked to be bailed out, that’s when I realized that this idea was a good one. The airlines went bankrupt, eliminated lots of jobs and did not get a bailout. They handled their problems and continue to thrive. If the government still wants to bail out companies, then the government (taxpayers) should own all these companies. When the companies get back on their feet, then the government sells stocks and recuperates most of the money that was given.

Even if you don’t agree with the above, you should e-mail or write to your senators and congressmen and tell them what is happening in Washington is unsatisfactory.

K. Perkins, Philomath

Obama won’t ‘change’ the Middle East

If you voted for Obama because you thought he was going to “change” the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, then I believe you’ve been had.

When Obama went to the town of Sderot this past July, a city on the edge of Gaza that had been hit for years by rocket fire, he told reporters that, “If somebody was sending rockets into my house, where my two daughters sleep at night, I’m going to do everything in my power to stop that.” He also mentioned that he “would expect Israelis to do the same thing.”

The residents of the town of Sderot have had to develop specialized construction techniques to minimize the damage caused by incoming rocket fire into civilian areas. These include cinderblock walls, small steel-meshed windows, and steel-reinforced steeped roofs that deflect incoming rockets instead of allowing the rockets to penetrate the house and incinerate the occupants.

Obama talked a great line, indicating that he was going to “change” the world, including the Middle East. We were told that foreign leaders loved him, and that all he need do was wave his magic wand, and problems would be solved.

Obama has created what I believe is an “expectation gap.” The voters are expecting a check in the mail, world peace, and the United States to be embraced and loved by everyone abroad. Obama has fanned the flames of the current Israeli-Palestinian situation with his comments.

Jeff Limon, Corvallis

College-football playoffs unnecessary and hokey

The demands of Christmas have passed, so there’s time for comment in opposition to the G-T’s Dec. 9 editorial in support of college football playoffs.

Before World War II, college teams played eight-game schedules, players nearly fit the title of “student-athletes,” there were five postseason bowl games and nine professional football teams. Television changed everything; now, there are 28 bowl games and 36 pro teams, and college is a stop along the way to the pros for the most-talented athletes.

This transformation proved very rewarding for pro ball, the entertainment media and universities. What about the less fortunate student-athlete who sacrificed equally with those teammates who went on to pro fame and fortune? What’s his reward for accepting a diminished education and for playing half again the number of games his grandfather played plus another, perhaps, if his team wins half its games? Now, there’s a movement to con eight teams into participating in a three-week playoff — a 15-game season for two lucky(?) teams. Have mercy!

The 12-game season is already too long. Witness the rise of injuries (e.g., the Rodgers brothers) late in the long season. And, let’s not completely forget the student part of student-athlete. Furthermore, it appears — on perusing the G-T sports page — that basketball supplanted football for fan interest even before the bowl season started.

Finally, a championship determined by this hokey playoff would only define, as in every game, the team with the fewer defects on that particular day.

Mike Wolf, Corvallis

Local businesses are economy’s backbone

In his recent letter, Mike Williams shows a lack of knowledge about the impact of buying local upon our Corvallis economy vs. that of chain stores with some wonderful sarcasm. It’s too bad that many do not understand that local businesses retain 45 percent of dollars spent within their communities vs. 14 percent retained locally by outside corporations. Profits that large corporations make end up at corporate headquarters (usually out of state) and go to pay their shareholders and CEOs; local profits stay in the community.

Some facts: There are 20 million small businesses in this country that produce half of our GNP. American small businesses create two of every three jobs and are the second-largest economy in the world after the U.S. as a whole. They employ more than half of the private sector employees and make up 99.7 percent of all employers.

Can you always get everything you want at local stores? No. Does it help the local economy to patronize local businesses when possible? Yes. We do not need to boycott outside companies and “force them out of Oregon” as suggested, but I do advocate that consumers start thinking about where they spend their dollars.

Competition is good as long as there is a level playing field where local businesses can compete and do well with the support of the community while enhancing our livability. So shop local for the service and fair prices that can be found at the local businesses around Corvallis.

James Dagata, Local business owner, Corvallis

Following land-use rules could prevent appeals

In 2007, Corvallis residents appealed the Brooklane Heights development to the Land Use Board of Appeals (LUBA), spending thousands of dollars in the process. The appellants felt the city had not followed its own code and comprehensive plan. LUBA agreed with the appellants on three points and remanded the case back to the city in May 2008.

The hearing is set for Jan. 5, the first meeting for the new city councilors, half of whom have little experience with land-use hearings.

The appellants find it odd that the hearing is scheduled the Monday after the Christmas holidays. Many people interested in participating will be gone.

The developer has five years to act after LUBA action. It’s unfair to require the neighborhood and unfair to the new City Council to confront a development juggernaut during the holidays. We have asked the council to reschedule the hearing, but it declined.

Many say “Business as usual” and “You can’t fight City Hall,” especially since staff reports initially strongly favor development proposals, and recommend exceptions to the code.

It makes me wonder who represents Corvallis residents in these land-use cases — only lawyers? The city should not allow exceptions to the Land Development Code. One case had 37 “waivers,” including downgrading of fire access. Staff should tell the developers, “This is our code, abide by it.” Doing so would save all parties time, grief and money. It would make the playing field a little less lopsided. It might have precluded the Brooklane appeal.

Marilyn Koenitzer, Corvallis