Letters to the editor, August 20, 2008Where’s all the money coming from?Let me see, the city council is considering passing a height limitation wavier for a monster 70-foot-tall band music box/barn which will be the tallest building in the city, if not all of Clallam County, at a cost of $5 million designed by a city council member/architect ? this when they’re also adding a .02 sales tax to the November ballot against the overwhelming advice of city business leaders. But let’s not stop there, how about a $50,000 tab for a salmon recovery site bridge over West Sequim Bay Road and trying to convince someone to donate land for a new city hall and police facility while searching for a city manager. Am I the only one wondering what’s going on? Bob Lampert Sequim Ed. note: Please see interim city manager Bob Spinks’ guest editorial on the following page, which responds to Mr. Lampert’s questions. To gouge or not to gouge On July 11, a barrel of crude oil was selling at $147. A barrel of the stuff contains 42 U.S. gallons. That’s $3.50 per gallon. Diesel was selling on that same day at $4.89 a gallon. It is fairly easy to figure out that the oil companies, on that day, were using a pricing formula that provided retail diesel fuel at $4.89 per gallon, and that they are refining a mixture of products out of each barrel that looks something like this: Gasoline 46 percent, distillate fuel oil (includes home heating and diesel fuel) 23 percent, kerosene type jet fuel 10 percent, residual fuel oil 5 percent, and the rest, petroleum coke, liquefied refinery gases, still gas, asphalt and road oil, petrochemical feed supplies, lubricants, kerosene, waxes, aviation fuel, other products, processing gain, round out the mix. So far so good. Now, fast forward to Aug. 12, where crude oil was trading at $112 U.S. a barrel. That’s a 32-percent reduction in the price of crude oil. Shouldn’t we be seeing diesel fuel at $3.33 a gallon, at the pump, assuming the pricing formula that got us to $4.89 a gallon for diesel back on July 11 was valid? I may suffer from selective memory, but I seem to recall that every time a camel trips over a pipeline in Saudi or any other Arabia, or a petroworker calls in sick in South Opecistan, the oil companies are “Abdul on the spot” to bump the pump by a penny or two, sometimes several times a day. Maybe I’m just too sensitive, what with that nice fifth wheel in my backyard, gradually turning into a planter box. Ah well, I guess Exxon didn’t generate an all-time U.S. three-month net profit of $11.68 billion (that’s about $5.3 million net profit per hour) by fretting over some ol’ tax payin’, retired dude out on the left coast who just wants to take a vacation without taking a second mortgage. Or, it could be that they just haven’t got round to adjusting all those gas pumps yet, what with the recession and all, and having to lay off all those poor, uninsured employees, or rather associates .... Yeah, that’s probably it. Pat Clark Sequim The Home Depot clarifies donation The Sequim Home Depot is extremely appreciative for the story and coverage by the Sequim Gazette. It is pleasing to see that our participation and/or donations in the community are recognized for what they are — simply our way of giving back to the community. Our employees work here, many live here in Sequim, and they willfully volunteer their time and support to community activities. As a member of the community, The Sequim Home Depot and its employees strive to “give back” as opportunities provide, while also bonding and having fun with other community volunteers and supporters. The project of painting all outbuildings on the Sequim High School athletic fields was precisely that, yet would not have gone as smoothly as it did had it not been for the overwhelming support and participation from the Sequim High School student body, members of the baseball and football teams, coaches, school administrators, parents, neighbors and friends; as well as other Home Depot employees from neighboring stores and communities. The project did consume approximated 95 gallons of purple paint; 10 gallons of gold for the trim and doors, and 45 gallons of primer, in addition to numerous wire brushes, brooms, masking paper and tape, tarps, paint brushes, rollers, roller trays, buckets and miscellaneous project items. The Sequim Home Depot again wants to thank all the volunteers; Behr Paint for the donation of 15 gallons of solid color stain (the article of Aug. 13 stating that Behr donated all the all paint/stain/primer was in error) and especially Mr. Dave Ditlefsen, athletic director, for his outstanding participation and leadership throughout the project. Robert Eichhorn Department supervisor The Home Depot, Sequim Vote for your favorite lighthouse When most people think of lighthouses, they think of beautiful monuments lining our coastlines, guiding ships to safety and attracting visitors to our community. However, as people in Sequim are learning, lighthouses throughout the country are in a state of desperate need. Sequim’s New Dungeness Lighthouse is no exception. Built in 1857, New Dungeness Lighthouse currently is operated and maintained by the New Dungeness Light Station Association. It has weathered many storms and these tough conditions have taken its toll on this great landmark. It is in need of some extensive renovation. Local residents now have an opportunity to voice their support for New Dungeness Lighthouse, a beacon of our region for more than 150 years, and it’s as easy as casting a vote online. New Dungeness Lighthouse is one of 12 finalists in the JELD-WEN Reliable Lighthouse Restoration Initiative, a program designed to provide new windows and doors to lighthouses in need. The support of this community is essential to New Dungeness Lighthouse receiving the restoration it deserves. In addition to sealing the lighthouse’s exterior, these new windows and doors will help protect the building and restore its original architectural style for years to come. In a time when private and public partnerships can make a powerful difference, I strongly encourage the Olympic Peninsula community to show we care about New Dungeness Lighthouse by casting a vote at www.jeld-wen.com/lighthouse. Barry Dove General manager New Dungeness Light Station Association Sequim Unanswered safety questions I am pleased to hear that the county commissioners have scheduled the appeal hearing for Sept. 16. I, for one, will be there to support what I believe is my right to protect my family from potential health hazards. I, like many others, have legitimate concerns regarding the potential emissions released into our air by the proposed cremation facility. For example, there is no proof that mercury emissions from crematories are safe. As a parent of two young children, even small amounts of mercury released into the air would be a cause for concern. Further, when they remove pacemakers and other medical devices from the bodies, how do they dispose of liquid and solid medical waste? Do they get washed down the drain? How will this affect the homes and businesses that surround the proposed crematory site? Aside from the fact that the zoning clearly prohibits this type of facility in the Carlsborg business park loop, there are simply too many unanswered questions regarding the potential safety and health hazards for this type of facility. I have faith that the county commissioners will have the wisdom and good judgment to overturn the granting of the conditional-use permit, thereby honoring the intent of the Carlsborg light industrial zoning code. Rob Thompson Carlsborg He begs to differ Marilyn Watkins’ Aug. 13 article (“Energy crisis might mean a brighter future,” Aug. 13, page A-17) on the energy “crisis” perpetuates myths. It is leftist propaganda. She smears corporations like Exxon and Chevron, incredibly associating Exxon’s profits with the Minneapolis bridge collapse. Corporations use profits to grow the business and return to shareholders. Marilyn wants to “divert” oil company profits. Divert is a synonym for tax or confiscate and is part of the cost of doing business. Corporations don’t pay taxes, their customers do. If a corporation’s taxes increase, they pass it on to their customers by raising the cost of their products. “Diverting” oil company profits will raise the price of gas. U.S. corporations are already the second most taxed in the world, right behind Japan. Is it any wonder they consider moving to other countries? Oil prices are high because of the laws of supply and demand plus government policy. When demand goes up and supply stays the same, prices rise. The only way to lower prices is to lower demand or increase supply. Building nuclear plants and liquefying coal will help lower demand. The market will lower its demand as prices rise, which is why prices have recently declined. One way to increase supply is to explore and drill, which is difficult and expensive to do in this country because of government policy over the last 40 years. Democrats have controlled the law-making body of government for all but 12 of the last 40 years and have obstructed oil companies’ ability to increase supply by making 85 percent of our coastline and ANWR off limits. If you want to lower prices by increasing supply, consider changing the Congress to a Republican majority this fall. Drill here, drill now, pay less. Lastly, blaming low fuel prices for global warming is preposterous. Manmade global warming theory is the biggest swindle to hit the planet, ever. The alarmists are coming for your wallet. Please research this issue by reading “Unstoppable Global Warming: Every 1500 Years,” by Fred S. Singer. Watch the YouTube documentary “The Great Global Warming Swindle,” by Martin Durkin. Alternatively, Google “global warming skeptics” and explore the results. Peter Heisel Sequim ‘Forum on Faith’ for presidential candidates Has no one ever read the Constitution? Article VI states: “... no religious Test shall ever be required as a Qualification to any Office or public Trust under the United States.” Further, the first clause of the First Amendment to our Constitution, commonly referred to as the “anti-establishment” clause states: “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; ...” A political candidate’s faith can have no bearing on their eligibility for office — it is their business and theirs alone. Further to allow any religious figure: minister or priest to somehow “vet” a presidential candidate is ludicrous. It is clear the authors and those who ratified our Constitution felt strongly about this. It is not only included in the body of the document, it is the first clause in the First Amendment to that document and the beginning of the Bill of Rights. The past several years have witnessed both purposeful ignoring of our Constitution and the gradual erosion of many of our First Amendment rights by a government obsessed with control. The Constitution is not only the law of the land, it is our only protection against those who would rule rather than govern. We ignore it at our peril. Tom Coonelly Sequim |
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