Letters to the editor, July 1, 2009

Revenue cops must go
The Department of Transportation has provided the Olympic Peninsula with improvements to increase traffic flow and improve public safety at a considerable expense to taxpayers.
The highway patrol has seized upon improvement areas to establish speed traps negating the benefits of these investments, which is inconsistence with the intent. The contention is legal is not right when motivated by revenue. Washington state is top ranked as a ticketing state.
The Hood Canal bridge reopened with a speed trap positioned on the west end and the new passing lanes at Blyn and Diamond point are designated speed traps.
Excessive and mismanaged highway patrol with counterproductive intentions are a public nuisance and need to be eliminated by staff and budget reductions. 
D. Albright
Sequim

Good enough for all
If Congress really wants to solve the health care - Medicare problems, the answer is right in front of their noses. Just give everyone the same benefits they have and continue to enjoy. Why have two sets of standards? If it is good enough for them then it should be good enough for everyone else.
William L. Brayer
Edmonds

Irrigation Festival irony?
I found this year's Irrigation Festival somewhat ironic since we have very little irrigation left in the valley. In fact, there is huge legislation being put through to change this valley beyond what has ever been seen.
As I began my journey into fact-finding over why our wells are drying up and where did the irrigation ditches go, it became more disturbing the deeper I got. In an effort to save the fish in the river, our ditches, which have brought us water for our wells for 100 years, have been piped. As a real estate appraiser I have seen many, many wells go dry and my grandmother's 100-year-old orchard now needs to be watered as the aquifer dries up.
The (Jamestown S'Klallam) tribe, Department of Ecology and our commissioners are all forming a plan to limit new wells in the area as they feel our valley is overbuilt. That case may be argued, however what about the thousands that are currently on wells. They shut off the water supply and then say we have a problem. Wouldn't better science have been to leave the ditches that recharge the aquifer then test the area. Of course the aquifer is drying up, they cut off the supply, that doesn't necessarily mean we are overbuilt. This leads me to think it's not about science after all but agenda.
This will affect all of us. We don't have any representation of us homeowners. I have talked to our local officials and they deny the extent of the wells drying up, contrary to what well drillers say. They also do not have a plan for additional public water to the outlying areas of Sequim.
I have done my homework, please don't let this go. Call our commissioners and ask the questions. What do I do when my well dries up? Why have the ditches been piped? Is this affecting the river at all? How much does this all cost us taxpayers? I know these answers but I would like you to ask and hear the answers.
Get involved now.
Nathan Funston
Sequim

Time and tide
A group of residents living on Dungeness and Jamestown beaches recently met to discuss getting government help to remove smelly seaweed from their beaches.
This group is to be congratulated.
A few days later, the seaweed was gone.
Doug McInnes
Sequim