Newspaper shows bias against Banks

Here you go again.

Every chance you get you pour it on to Greg Banks. Just because you supported the wrong jerk in the election, you can’t let it go. You convict him when there was no court decision. It is quite common for insurance pools and companies to settle without going to court because of the estimated cost of fighting it and time involved.

When an individual takes a stand against their boss in an election and when the individual they supported is defeated and they then don’t go to work because they are too stressed, they get fired and rightfully so.

I’ve met Greg Banks and his son. They are good people. Why don’t you let it go?

Also why don’t you let your customers know you are a Capital R republican so we will know why your articles are so slanted. I noticed every time you get a chance you try to stick it to Senator Haugen also.

I doubt you will print this but it’s time you know that people are wise to your motives.

Bill Gallagher

Coupeville

Climate change proof mounting

I would like to thank Mr. Beeksma for his letter titled, “Let’s figure out global warming,” which appeared in the 3/26 issue of this paper. He was absolutely right in saying that global warming should not be a political issue but a scientific one. However, in an election year, just about everything is a “political issue.” I’d like to thank him for pointing out that the other planets with which we share our Milky Way galaxy are not hospitable for human life as we know it. Therefore I’d like to focus on this planet, Earth (not Venus as he did in his letter) to draw my conclusions.

The science around global warming can be confusing. Even the term “global warming” is misleading. A more accurate phrase would be “climate change” and the evidence is mounting each year. The severity and frequency of hurricanes, tornadoes, heat waves, drought and flooding are increasing. The results are on a global scale and include economic disruption, population dislocation and loss of life.

The Earth’s climate fluctuates. We have El Nino years and periodic ice ages. But the scientific community, which loves a good debate, has measured the rising temperature of ocean currents, retreating glaciers, thawing permafrost, melting ice sheets and found overwhelming evidence that points to human activity being a major contributing factor. As Mr. Beeksma pointed out, the Earth’s temperature has been increasing since the Industrial Revolution.

It would be nice to think that we have no reason for concern, that we can go on consuming natural resources and polluting the planet as we have for the last couple of hundred years or so and our children and grandchildren will still have a great place to live and pass on to their children and grandchildren. But have you noticed that worldwide, the leading scientists of the age have come to consensus on this issue? I think we might want to listen to them.

Many people, political leaders, scientists, and regular folks like you and me, have already started making changes in the way we live. The primary cause of climate change is carbon dioxide emitted into the atmosphere through burning fossil fuels — gasoline, coal, oil and natural gas. American households generate on average 55,000 pounds of carbon dioxide annually. In contrast the typical German home contributes 27,000 pounds and the average Swedish household contributes 15,000 pounds. Clearly, we could do better. Using our cars less, making our homes and work places more energy efficient saves money, natural resources, reduces waste and lowers our carbon emissions. It could even make us less dependent on foreign oil. It sounds like a win-win situation to me.

Climate change is a bit scary and can be overwhelming. The good news is that there are many small steps anyone of us could take to reduce our carbon footprint. Check out a book called Low Carbon Diet by David Gershon or visit http://seattlecan.org or www.zerofootprint.net/calculator/se

attle for more information. And if you really want the scientific side of the global warming picture, the faculty at the University of Washington can keep you up-to-date at www.uwpcc.washington.edu. The generations to come, whether they are democratic or republican, will thank you for it.

Maribeth Crandell

Oak Harbor

Takes planes

to different base

Which came first, the donkey or the cart? The native inhabitants of Whidbey Island owned the land — many for generations — not the Dept. of the Navy! It seems like common horse sense would lead the commission to uphold the property rights of the residents (they were there first) and to tell the Navy that if their shiny new planes were not compatible with EXISTING zoning, they could NOT fly out of Whidbey Island, period! Take them to another base out in the middle of nowhere where there would be not conflict with the current land use!

All the wonderful jobs the base is responsible for creating notwithstanding, the Navy has no right to bully the county into knuckling under to their exhortations of “safety” thus reducing by possibly millions the values of land owned for generations by Whidbey natives. After all, the Navy has “endangered” the local population since 1942 with no concerns about possible crashes — that’s 66 years! Why the sudden urgent need to do anything about it now?

To further make my point, I have seen dense subdivisions SURROUNDING Oceana NAS in Virginia Beach, Va. — no concerns for residents’ “safety” either by theNavy or local government there! A similar juxtaposition exists on the south Tampa peninsula where MacDill AFB sits — beautiful old bayfront mansions sit in this toniest section of Tampa, densely situated directly around MacDill for many decades, with no concern on anyone’s part for protecting anyone’s “safety” with restrictive zoning!

I say the county commission’s little scheme to possibly create more “hunting areas” for Navy personnel at the expense of Islanders is a CROCK, and those who would be adversely affected need to raise a hue and cry and “Hell, no!”

And then get a good Philadelphia lawyer!

Jan Lentz

Ocala, Fla.

I recently inquired about the finances of the Oak Harbor Youth Football League. I was ignored when asking for documents that are by law public knowledge. If indeed there is something going on, businesses that have donated are at risk if they filed their donations as tax-exempt. Businesses should know to always ask for a letter of exemption before making tax-exempt donations to any organization. With all the scams going around lately, better safe than sorry. Go to www.irs.gov. Look for Publication 78 and there will be listed all organizations able to accept tax-exempt donation legally.

Odette Akers

Oak Harbor