>La Grande Observer | Union and Wallowa Counties' News Leader

Our war in Iraq has cost billions of dollars, more than 3,500 American lives, and more than 350,000 Iraqi lives. While I do not doubt that many of us honestly believed in 2003 that invading Iraq was right, in retrospect it was obviously a mistake.

When we first invaded Iraq, we took out the Iraqis' government, their army, their police, their health care system. Iraq has since become a haven for violence. Iraqi civilians had no protection from petty criminals. Sunnis and Shi'ites no longer obey the laws that had once kept them from fighting. The famous terrorist group, al-Qaida, has moved into Iraq, where it previously had no presence.

At the very beginning, we lost sight of Osama bin Laden, who was responsible for the 9/11 attacks in our own country.

Some good things have happened in Iraq. Saddam Hussein was a terrible person who gassed to death more than 8,000 Kurdish men, women and children. I certainly do not regret his punishment. Deposing Hussein and a few of his cronies has been a great service for the Iraqi Kurds.

The harm we have caused is far greater than the good we have accomplished. It is time to change the way in which we handle this war. We have a responsibility to help put Iraq back together. We must repair our foreign relations, admit our mistakes and ask for help.

As we all know, the situation has become very complicated. I do not demand an immediate withdrawal because I understand that is quite impossible. We no longer have the resources to pull all of our military out of Iraq safely and simultaneously.

I demand a safe and diplomatic withdrawal. This may take years, but we need to start now.

Dora Cohen

Union

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Our government continues to use force as the only answer to everything and everyone not properly programmed.

Evidence of this is the pitifully unsuccessful but highly patriotic so-called "war on drugs."

Unfortunately, the pressure is only on the very user-friendly business entrepreneurs desperately trying to meet demand and not on the users and abusers of their products.

User-friendly laws have even been customized to allow "recreational" users a certain amount of illegal drugs without penalty.

Rather than accepting the blame and shame for our habitual use of drugs, there doesn't seem to be any limit as to our denial of responsibility.

We are even willing to invade a foreign country and destroy a hard working farmer's crop without caring about the safety of his family and livestock, as well as using toxic pesticides that could destroy his only means of livelihood.

This logic would be like blaming the unsightly and smelly manure pile on the farmer who raised the hay.

If this practice is not an example of international "War by Terrorism," then the only thing missing is kidnapping and torture.

Even though our leaders seem to enjoy having this done, it is still a social "no-no," and should be discouraged.

Bill Dougherty

Enterprise

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The proposal will close 4,000 to 5,000 miles of ML1 roads. About half of these are accessible by full-size vehicles. Losing these roads will concentrate more people into smaller areas. OK, I get it, this will reduce impact on forest resources and reduce conflict with recreational use. Balance will be maintained by the motorized recreationist getting about half of what they started with. Let's reverse the trend and throw the approximately 120,000 acres that were gobbled up this year back on the bargaining table.

Local commissions should step up to the plate. This is a chance to serve local constituents, more than 5,000 of whom have signed a petition stating "no more closures." This is what the people want commissioners to fight for.

Concerns from the west side — when they might make a yearly trek to the mountains — cannot be balanced with the concerns of those who live here. The mountains are considered in our daily plan. Check out what the Malheur Forest is doing with its Travel Management Plan. The public doesn't need to accept closures. How much are you willing to lose?

This is a bad plan. Professionals provided those road maps, which are inaccurate and incomplete. Forest Service officials say science will be driving many decisions. Can we trust that they will be based on more accurate information than the maps?

Tucked away on page seven is a proposed amendment to the Forest Plan. It is a change in the Transportation System Standard. If this amendment is enacted, the freedom of choice will be non-existent when you travel the Wallowa-Whitman. The transportation amendment will limit you strictly to the map routes.

Submit your comments on the proposed plan. If you choose not to, you will be left out further along in the process.

Martin Stroy

Union

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The first Huckleberry Festival in North Powder was great.

Even though it was hot, the music in the park was wonderful with Manny Gutierrez and the Snake River Outlaws, The Neals, Tami Waldron from Pine Valley Funeral Home and the RV Jones Band.

"Doc" playing his oldies was a kick, and Rich Daniels from Rich's Portable cabins played also. I sure hope I didn't miss anyone in my list.

There were some great vendors participating, and the parade was fun.

The dog agility fun match was a hoot. If anyone saw the dogs, I think they would agree that they were a lot of fun to watch. I definitely am going to enter our ranch dogs next year just for the fun of it. I will also throw out a challenge to anyone else who has some willing and able canines to join the fun.

It was just a great day of fun and food.

Monette Wendt

North Powder

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We object to the Wallowa-Whitman National Forest Travel Management Plan. It violates Congressional mandates to the Forest Service and identifies roles, responsibilities and obligations regarding publicly owned national

forest.

The Forest Service should be identifying, proving scientific and empirical data and then should request permission to close roads. Funds should not be considered a criteria for closing or limiting access to publicly-owned forests. The Forest Service should invite and encourage "coordinating status" from county commissions. Failure to do so is an abuse of authority and is disrespectful to local communities.

Data used regarding Off Highway Vehicles vs. wildlife and environmental impact is based solely on false claims, views and desires from minority radical groups that wish to eliminate all use except for their own. It's not supported by valid scientific or empirical studies or data. Coupled with the Forest Service's unwillingness to enforce laws in effect, it's creating a climate that could have dangerous consequences to the Forest Service personnel and the public at large.

The consequences will be serious economic impact on grocers, our service industry, license and tax revenue and the sale of sporting goods, RVs and ATVs. Local economical well-being is at risk.

Implementation is a violation of the Americans with Disabilities Act, and will certainly result in costly court litigation. Existing roads and trails should remain open. Handicapped people should be afforded equal access. Laws should be enforced, and the 0.1 percent that abuse should be punished.

If OHVs, hunters, woodcutters, mushroom and berry pickers and campers are shut out or limited access, it should be closed to all, including hikers, horse riders, mountain bikers, livestock and Forest Service personnel.

Where is the outcry from our city, county, state and federal elected representatives? Are we to fight this

ourselves?

Joe Hart

LaVerne Locken

Darrel Plank

La Grande

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I'm responding to the front page article on July 3, "Union will try again for a police levy." Yes, we need a police department, but do we need to vote in a police levy of about $110,000 or $1.76 per $1,000 on property taxes a year then turn around and give it away to the county to help their budget out?

There was a group of Union citizens, appointed by the last mayor and council. Some members of that council, still here, found that it would be better and cheaper and would provide better coverage if we had our own department, which even Union County Sheriff Boyd Rasmussen has agreed with.

The city administrator has stated in council meetings that there is $79,900 in the budget now for police protection and we have no protection. If the levy passes, there would be another $110,000 in the police budget. Don't you think that would be enough for a Union Police Department? We could have two officers and maybe some part-time secretary. That would double the coverage within the city. What I am getting is that the county would give us about 32 to 40 hours a week.

Certain members of the City Council have stated that they don't want a Union Police Department. But when asked why, I was told by one member of the council that there were a lot of reasons and he would tell me later. I'm still waiting for the reasons or answers in writing so I can share them. This type of information should be given out to the public before the ballots are released.

The citizens need to decide the type of police protection they want, if it be a Union Department of the county checking on us now and then and helping their budget.

Please read the measure very

carefully! Please.

R. L. Middleton

Union

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Is Oregon ready for HB-2007 and SB-2 when they become law in 2008?

About three weeks ago, according to KGW Channel 8 News, a Portland man who was a transvestite was arrested for using the women's bathroom in the presence of little girls. However, in 2008, when those bills become law, he will be well within his rights.

In 2006, Oregon Rep. Bruce Hanna posed this question: If a sixth grade teacher (male) perceived himself to be a female on a given day, would he, under SB-2, be allowed to use the girls' restroom? The bill's proponents had no answer because the answer is yes, he would.

Massachusetts passed a similar bill giving gays minority status and is now openly recruiting homosexual teachers to fill minority goals.

What about the prisons? When Rep. Hanna asked the bill's carriers how SB-2 would affect the prisons, he found that prison officials hadn't even been contacted. The bill was pushed through anyway.

HB-2007 gives same-sex couples all the same rights and privileges married couples have. According to Nike's chief council, "We need these laws to attract creative people to Oregon." There is no greater reason to defeat this bill than that. Portland legislators have canceled the vote of more than 1 million Oregonians and 34 counties when we voted in 2004 that marriage in Oregon shall be between one man and one woman. Nearly 70 percent of Union County thought so too.

But it's not over yet. We can stop Portland from taking away our vote and mandating their values on the whole state. We must gather 55,179 valid signatures of registered voters by Sept. 26, 2007.

Our kids are counting on us to do the right thing. Please, we need your help if we are to succeed. Please call 962-7367 or 805-5136.

Michael Cox

La Grande