Letters to the editor, Oct. 22, 2008

Feeding ourselves

Earlier this month, I had the privilege of helping Friends of the Fields with their signature event, the 100-Mile Harvest Dinner. It is amazing that almost every ingredient of the gourmet meal for 189 people came from within 100 miles, but even more amazing that 75 percent of the dinner came from within 35 miles! All the main ingredients came from eastern Clallam or Jefferson counties.
The North Olympic Peninsula can still feed itself if it has to. Not many areas in the U.S. can boast that. As we face a long road of uncertain economic times ahead, is it prudent to lose all our farmland to residential development?
The communities that retain the ability to feed themselves will weather uncertain economic times the best. If we can ensure that we will not go hungry, we avoid the worst of times. Desperate people lead to failed communities, but Clallam County does not have to fail if it can feed itself and keep much of its food dollars right here at home where they will do the most good.
To grow enough food, we need land dedicated to agriculture. We have some of the best soils in the state, good water, a great climate for farming, and many experienced and dedicated farmers. We need to support our agricultural sector now more than ever.
Show your support by shopping at local farmers markets. Let your county commissioners know you support a conservation futures fund to help with the purchase of development rights on farmland. Help Friends of the Fields protect Finn Hall Farm, 50 prime acres in Agnew, with your contribution (www.friendsofthefields.org).
It looks like we're in for a serious economic downturn. The best care is the care we give ourselves, and that starts with the most basic - food.
Patty McManus
Chairwoman, fundraising committee
Friends of the Fields


Clarifying SARC funding

The SARC board of commissioners is troubled about the problems that our neighboring communities are experiencing and appreciate all of the efforts that are being put forth by involved residents to keep the local pools open. We are concerned about some erroneous information that continues to reappear regarding our current revenue sources and would like to take this opportunity to clarify the facts.
The current SARC facility was built for $2.4
million by a bond paid by taxpayers from 1984-2004. The Park and Recreation District area encompasses the area similar to the Sequim School District. A district has the ability to collect a maintenance and operation (M&O) levy, but only if passed with a 60-percent supermajority vote and for a period not to exceed six years. 
In 2003, SARC failed a 10 cents per $1,000 levy ($20/year on a $200,000 assessed valuation home). As a result, SARC has operated independent of tax subsidy since December 2002. SARC receives no money from the city of Sequim, Clallam County or the state of Washington. The only money that SARC receives is from facility user fees. The board of commissioners would like to take this opportunity to thank our many users for their patronage.
Susan Sorensen
SARC chairwoman


I-1029 not a great idea

One of the initiatives on the November ballot is I-1029, the "Training Initiative" for all long-term care workers. It mandates new requirements for the hiring (FBI background checks), training (75 hours) and certification of a broad range of caregivers. A great idea, right? Wrong! Here's why.
All things being equal, more training is better than less. But all things are not equal. Training costs money and for seniors who don't qualify for public assistance, those costs are ultimately passed on to them. The whole idea of nonmedical home care is to provide seniors and their families an affordable alternative to home health care when all they need to stay in their homes is help with household tasks and perhaps some personal care.  We already provide targeted training for these nonmedical skills and we do it efficiently to keep our fees reasonable.
We also provide supervision that is available to our caregivers 24/7 when they encounter a situation they need help with. The added training required by I-1029 is not specific to the services we offer. It's a one-size-fits-all course that includes skills our caregivers could never use with our clients, such as caring for disabled children. Our clients' fees would increase by about 25 percent, in part to pay for training they will never benefit from.
I-1029 would make home care less available. Requiring 75 hours of training will create a barrier to thousands of entry-level caregivers who just want to help seniors but don't want to spend two weeks in a classroom to qualify. If thousands of workers are eliminated from our care delivery system at a time when the need is rapidly increasing, who will care for our seniors?
The provision for FBI background checks would actually degrade our current hiring practices. We already do a 50-state background check derived from court records, which are far more complete and accurate than the FBI database. And the FBI background check process takes weeks and is much more costly.
With the nation facing a financial crisis and with the state facing a projected $3.2 billion budget shortfall, I-1029 would create a new state bureaucracy at a cost of at least $30 million in the first two years.
I-1029 would, however, benefit one group: union bosses at the Service Employees International Union. Their Local 775 sponsored the initiative and they wrote themselves into the bill by requiring that they do much of the training.
We strongly urge a no vote on I-1029 this November.
Sandy and Tom Boughner
Franchise owners, Home Instead Senior Care


Poor strategy

In the past, Sen. (John) McCain has favored the occupancy of Iraq if necessary for 100 years. However, this is not who we are. We are for peace and cooperation with other nations so that no one lives like a slave. His strategy reminds us of the Hitler-like strategy in 1939. In our case, what would happen if another nation became stronger than America and decided to occupy the United States? They could do this based on our strategy. So his strategy is not sound for the future of the world. In fact, it is dumb and foolhardy. And he is running for the presidency?
Vote for a Democrat for president.
Fred Bedford
Sequim


Is the United States a dinosaur?
In the late 1980s there was a revolution in the corporate world. Competition went global and high-tech start-ups thought differently, worked differently and had the vision and tenacity to change the playing field.
I worked for a corporate giant ... Texas Instruments, and can vividly remember the day a magazine article compared my company to a dinosaur and forecasted our extinction. My thoughts - Was I going to lose my job? What was the president going to do to fix it? I felt no responsibility for the "company's" problems.
As I look back on those early bleak days and the decisions the leaders of TI made to save the company, I can't help but compare it to our economic and political arena of today.
Twenty years ago I was asked to do more with less, automate, outsource, downsize and change. It wasn't easy. People's lives were impacted. Sacrifices were made. Personal agendas had to be set aside for the greater goal ... a strong, focused company that had a strong bottom line, a competitive portfolio of products and intellectual capital better than their competitor.
Today ... well it's hard to look to the future when you're just trying to swim to shore. But folks, if we focus on today and the short term, it might be OK for our lifetime, but what about our children, what about our future.
I do believe we are facing extinction if we all don't take personal responsibility. It's so easy to point the finger. Pull the entitlement card. Bury your head in the sand.
I'm desperately looking for leaders that can step up to the plate at all levels of government and impact change from the status quo of "What's in it for me, my constituents, my state and my political party."
But, but, but ... you and me and over 280 million U.S. citizens must also step to that plate and vote, demand accountability, ask questions, get involved, educate ourselves ...
An "in my face" blast from an old boss that I will never forget: Don't complain if you're not part of the solution.
Kathy Charlton
Sequim


What's the real issue?
With all the talk going around about the new crematory that might be in the Sequim area, I decided to investigate a few facts for myself. I do not find myself taking sides on this issue, as it won't directly affect me. Before anyone starts to rant and rave about how bad a crematory is for the environment, I think a few facts should be put straight.
There are concerns about how cremation is bad for the environment. Cremation actually gives off less unburned particles than a wood stove, a restaurant that cooks 100 hamburgers per hour, or a diesel truck. A wood stove gives off 0.46 pounds of unburned particles per hour, a restaurant that cooks 100 hamburgers per hour gives off 0.18 pounds per hour, a diesel truck gives off 0.14 pounds per hour and cremation with the casket/container only gives off .08 pounds per hour. All this means that it creates less pollution to cremate people than to cook burgers.
Also there is the issue of carbon monoxide (CO). A wood stove puts out 3.5 parts per million, while cremation puts out .06 parts per million. This means you do less damage to the planet when you cremate than if you warmed yourself by a log fire. In addition, a restaurant will give off around 0.48 pounds of nitrogen oxide per hour versus the 0.3 cremation puts off. Nitrogen oxide eventually forms nitric acid, which contributes to acid rain.
The facts are stated above. If we are unwilling to allow a crematory in Sequim, then we must also address other sources of pollution, starting with fast food all the way to transportation.
Are we really concerned about the environment or are we squeamish at the thought of our own mortality?
Kyle Gruendell
Sequim High School student


Obama is a dangerous risk

Perish the though that Obama would become our president. That would usher in a one-party socialist/Marxist government consistent with his "economic justice" bent on redistribution of wealth.
Hijacking the electoral voting system is only the beginning of a totalitarian government, a stateless society and the elimination of private property. Forget the allegiance to mainstream America and the Constitution of the United States. The battle cry over change is so deceptive!
Liberalism would quickly stamp out religious freedom and entitlements would become the government-sponsored answer to all issues. With nationalized health care, and a host of other programs under control of a one party system ... taxation will exceed 50 percent.
Demilitarization will weaken our deterrent against aggressors.
Change America the greatest nation to what is obvious ... Obama ideology is not democratic but a far leaning radical socialist doctrine with intent to dramatically change our society ... vote to save America from this dangerous candidate.
D. Albright
Sequim
 

A trail shouldn't run through it
The Olympic Discovery Trail "outreach" continues. I am not a
Sequim city resident but since I live in the county and pay federal taxes, I feel I must point out that every federal dollar spent is on our credit card! Yes, our credit card account's obscene balance is in the trillions of dollars. To casually say that a totally unnecessary 10-foot-wide concrete sidewalk can be paid for with a federal grant of $350,000 has all the earmarks of an "earmark." Then, at some point in the future, the city of Sequim will undoubtedly have to break out the jackhammers to widen Spruce Street back to its previously safe width.
I think the ODT is a wonderful asset. However, a trail is a path between various points. So the east section ends at Carrie Blake Park; so what? Anyone can navigate from Hendrickson Road to Blake Avenue, on a bike or by foot, without a one-third million dollar concrete slab. Install a map at each end and even the few out-of-towners would not get lost. As I said, the ODT is great, but a city does not need a "trail" running through its streets.
The mayor stated some time back that she would like to see the ODT "off of her plate." I told her to simply declare it off her plate and be done with it.  
Al Hiebert
Sequim
 

Political campaign is challenging
My name is Bill Roberds. I own Excel Utility Construction, and founded Capacity Provisioning eight years ago with my talented friends and business associates Bob Jensen and Craig Johnson. Bob is currently running for the PUD commissioner position.
As political campaigns go, the last few days are a frenzy of activity. A recent general mailing to voters is disturbing as to the depth to which some people will reach to achieve their goals. The latest mailing borders on slander and is full of innuendo that has been perpetrated for several years now that is not only wrong, but is stale.
A great deal of misinformation is being spread that refers to myself and Bob, and now has spread to include my wife, who is a public employee,. My family and business associates live by a code of ethics that does not allow the practice of activities that have been referred to in the recent campaign mailings by the opponent's spokesmen.
Our dedication to this community is well documented. It is important that the misinformation, untruths, and innuendo are corrected and put to rest because some really do believe that if it's printed, it must be so.
Don't be led by people who operate under an agenda that has nothing to do with the issues at hand. Ask your questions. You be the judge.
I can be reached at 460-1014 by anyone who has genuine questions about Bob's decision to run for PUD commissioner, or, better yet! contact Bob personally! He welcomes the chance to speak to you. The PUD does not need to be saved: good people work there who are dedicated to the challenges at hand. Elected position terms allow for leadership to be recharged -- that time is at hand.
Bill Roberds
Port Angeles