Posted: Friday, October 10, 2008 12:00 am
States can redraw districts at will
In your Oct. 9 "These measures deserve a 'Yes' vote" editorial, you state, "Every 10 years after the U.S. census, Oregon adjusts legislative district boundaries to take account of population shifts." Traditionally this has been the case. However folks might be interested in knowing that thanks to a 2006 Supreme Court ruling, "states are free to redistrict however often they like."
Called the "League of United Latin American Citizens v. Perry," this case involved a state of Texas redistricting in which House of Representatives Congressman Tom DeLay was involved. Given the partisan bickering that has brought us to our current condition, both nationally and internationally, folks might be interested in knowing just how far things can go.
This kind of thing can add new meaning to the phrase, "will of the majority."
Robert G. Gourley
Corvallis
Will Benton now reduce tax levy?
In November 2007, voters in Benton County passed Measure 02-64, the Health and Safety Local Option. Two of our current county commissioners who are up for re-election indicated that if the Federal Timber payments were to be reinstated to counties by congress, then, " if passed, the levy would be reduced if federal timber payments were to continue" (GT article, "Support sought for levy," by Matt Neznanski, Oct 22, 2007). Congress has reinstated the timber payments. So, how much, how soon, and, given that tax statements come out next month - will these commissioners be true to their word or will excuses be found to keep the levy going?
The timber payments were extended for four years, the levy was for five. Integrity would demand a 75-80 percent reduction in order to keep services going in the 5th year, and revisiting solutions with the voters at that time. In a time when home foreclosures are at an all-time high, and we read of layoffs daily due to the downturn in the economy, I can only hope the elected officials will NOW direct the assessor to reduce the tax burden accordingly.
Brian Leavitt
Alsea
Smith has been influenced by Big Oil
All of our historically reliable scientific institutions that have considered the issue basically agree: We humans are contributing to global warming which is degrading the Earth's habitability. It's time we make significant changes to move to more sustainable uses of energy.
The oil and coal companies have invested millions lobbying many of our policy makers in efforts to slow or block the switch to clean energy. Like the Bush administration, our own Republican Sen. Gordon Smith has not been immune to this influence.
This November, I hope that we Oregonians send Jeff Merkley to the Senate. He will give Barack Obama the congressional support needed to reverse the many regressive policies that Bush & Cheney have enacted.
For the sake of our future generations it's time for new leadership. Please join me in the effort.
Phillip Noe
Albany
Presidential election is now getting ugly
When the outcome of the Presidential election in 2000 depended on Florida, the Democrats and Republicans met for separate strategy sessions. Al Gore and his negotiator, Warren Christopher, decided to contest the count but not put the country in a constitutional crisis. George Bush and his negotiation, James Baker, decided this was a street fight and they would use every tactic available. They flew Republican staffers from Washington, D.C., to protest and, in many cases, block any recount of the vote. They distributed millions of signs and bumper stickers with Sore/Loserman to discredit any efforts for a true count.
Ignoring their recent history, the current Republican strategists are touting "Country First." How patriotic! So voting for Sen. Barack Obama is not patriotic? Yet the polls show them losing to Obama.
Instead of addressing economic and other issues, Giget and the Geezer have decided the only way to win is by default. Make Barack Obama such an untrustworthy, unpatriotic, inexperienced, ultraliberal person that we cannot trust to lead.
McCain was the victim of dirty politics in 2000 when Bush spread rumors that the Indian child McCain's wife had adopted was a "black love child of McCain's." Now McCain is using those same tactics. Many Republican talking points/attacks have been shown by independent fact checkers to be lies or distortions. When questioned about lying and smearing, McCain's response was "this is a tough business."
Country first? Give me a break! Tearing this country apart with divisive politics is not patriotic. We deserve better.
Will Reid
Corvallis
Denying women birth control wrong
I knew that this administration cut off funding for the U.N. Family Planning Agency.
Now I read that the U.S. Agency for International Development ordered six African countries to ensure that no U.S.-financed condoms, birth control pills, I.U.D.'s or other contraceptives are furnished to Marie Stopes International, a British-based aid group that operates clinics in poor countries.
I think it is immoral to obstruct access to contraception for poor women.
Louise Ferrell
Corvallis
Humans are causing rising CO2 levels
In L. Michael Foster's Oct. 8, the headline asked, "Could warming be linked to volcano?" The real question asked was whether carbon dioxide from volcanoes contaminates the data showing that this greenhouse gas has been increasing in the atmosphere. Since volcanoes emit carbon dioxide this is a logical question, but we know the answer, and it is no.
Globally, volcanic emissions of carbon dioxide are a tiny fraction of emissions from fossil fuel burning and are irrelevant for the modern global warming problem. Locally, monitoring stations for greenhouse gases are carefully placed to avoid contamination. Mauna Loa, the station discussed in Foster's letter, is one of many monitoring stations around the world, located from the Arctic to the South Pole, and they all show the same trend of increasing carbon dioxide with time. The data and maps of station locations are available. See http://www.esrl.noaa.gov/gmd/
index.html).
Edward Brook
Professor of Geosciences
Oregon State University
Wall St. was much more than 'dumb'
In his Oct. 8 column, "Greed is OK; dumb hurts," business reporter Steve Pearlstein tries to rescue greed from the classic list of deadly sins and restore it to its "hallowed" place alongside fear as the essential Wall Street values.
He ends his piece arguing that the bigwigs who got drunk on finance also lost along with the little folks on Main Street and Martin Luther King Avenue. Hogwash! They have lived high on the hog and have their stash of "Social Security" and health care. Even when they give back the bonuses, they have more than anyone needs or can use well.
Wealth, by definition, is a social and communal matter. Great disparities in wealth and poverty create serious instabilities. This is why the profit motive, properly pursued within a frame of social and communal responsibility, is a fine thing indeed. Being able to profit from initiative and effort is good for us all, but this does not extend to licensing and condoning theft and fraud among us.
The cocktail of hubris which has led to the collapse of Wall Street is a greed Manhattan. It includes killing the golden goose and naked emperors, but these guys justified stealing and taking the money and running. It is a hell of lot more than incompetence.
Don Caughey
Corvallis
Voting for Obama? Think twice
It seems judging from the polls, the emphasis of the mainline press, and the overwhelming funding of the Barack Obama campaign, that this is a "Democratic" year.
Still, before we commit our votes, it is wise examine the Democratic presidential candidate. The best thing about Obama is that he is part black. However, he lacks experience, has the oddest of friends, advisers and mentors, and jaundiced view of the friends of the United States and very naive view of the enemies of the United States.
Please think twice before voting for Barack Obama.
Larry Daley
Corvallis