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

Go ahead and take your best shot at Mr. Casey ("Impeachment'' letter, May 23) and all liberals who attack and maim our president and his cabinet.

The House and Senate complain and have hearings on his Cabinet to no avail, yet he remains sincere and willing, looking to accept better solutions from Congress.

The news media slants his words and policies night after night. The entertainment establishment belittles our president, all the while sanctioning outrageous perversions.

Our president stands tall, walks proud and talks straight. I support him and pray for him and we, the majority, voted him into office twice.

John Petersen

La Grande

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Mr.Ward (Community Comment, June 11) seems a little confused about the taxpayers' money coming from those who don't even own an ATV and being spent on USFS projects. That assumption is far from the truth. The money comes from the required OHV sticker and OHV fuel tax that goes into a designated fund for OHV grants available for those motorized projects the USFS or BLM determines are appropriate to serve the public. Mr. Ward may check the facts out with the Oregon Parks and Recreation Department.

The USFS and BLM also use volunteer help in many cases, which reduces the cost of many of those projects at no cost to the non-ATV taxpayer. At times, those projects serve others users (maintaining USFS roads and restroom facilities) at no cost to the non-ATV taxpayer, since it was done with grant money.

It would benefit Mr. Ward, Mr. Cox and the community if they lowered their defenses and came together to work on responsible comments to the USFS Travel Management Planning.

We all have a responsibility to get involved and submit useful comments for the Travel Management Plan.

There are certainly many legitimate uses of public land and we should have a useful comment in how it is managed.

Randall Parmelee

Joseph

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Mr. Cheney has directly violated both U.S. and international law and is a war criminal for his illegal invasion and occupation of Iraq. He has acted like a dictator in undermining our Constitutional protections and civil liberties.

He should be impeached, indicted, convicted by a jury of his peers and sentenced to life in prison for his crimes. All of his ill-gotten financial gains should be confiscated by the government and distributed back to the poor people of Iraq to help them reconstruct their society.

Jim Waldron

Enterprise

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The recent denial by our county commissioners to fund the $17,417 requested by BMCC was a serious mistake and shows irresponsibility and failure to recognize the impact.

To have BMCC in La Grande provides education programs to develop a trained work force in our community, which is seriously lacking. In addition it provides a stepping stone for students to move onto four-year programs.

An educated workforce is what will attract new business and economic growth to our area, which is exactly what BMCC has been providing. With a 400 percent growth since 2006 it is obvious it is successful.

Rural communities have an opportunity to attract new business, but if we do not have the vision to support community college programs then we are the loser. Our young people are the future of our community and it is our responsibility to provide the facilities for an education in order for them to stay in the area.

For the commissioners to deny the funding is hard to understand when we find that Commissioner MacLeod and Commissioner Hibbert recently returned from a convention where the travel costs were in excess of $3,000. Commissioner Hibbert remodeled her office for a cost of $795, which included $596 for new window coverings. Commissioner MacLeod has already scheduled another trip to a convention in the East. In reviewing the budget we find there has been staff added at the golf course and two department heads shared a $4,000 pay increase.

The commissioners need to reconsider the BMCC request promptly. To find $17,000 in a budget the size of Union County's would not be difficult. For example, take away the department head pay increases, close the golf course in the winter and cut nonessential travel and you will have far more than the $17,000 needed.

Dennis Wilkinson

Education Workforce Development Committee

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Having worked 22 years with pet issues, it is no surprise to me that someone would drag a dog behind a car for fun. To be born a "pet" is to enter the lottery of death. Will it be for someone's sick pleasure or for human convenience when the pet's family moves away or the landlord suddenly disallows pets?

Most humans are terrified of dying but they somehow feel good about euthanizing animals. The very word means "easy death," but what terror those little ones feel when the needle pierces furred flesh. What living creature wants to give up its life?

Animal cruelty correlates with abuse of humans. I believe not valuing animal life leads to not valuing human life. When killing animals for convenience is the norm, what message is given to the sadist who takes pleasure in killing and will move up to human beings?

Fortunately, there are complete opposites to the sadists and we get more and more of them in our community. Steve Irwin the Crocodile Hunter called his followers Wildlife Warriors. I think the true humans who rescue animals are Life Warriors — they fight to preserve and rescue life because they know life is a gift coming only from God.

One by one, on their own, these Life Warriors rescue an extra pet, spay or neuter them, socialize, train, vaccinate and find a good permanent home for these animals then start over again. This idea has been so successful in large cities that a huge burden has been lifted off shelters.

Please be a Life Warrior. Save precious life. We cannot do much about mass murder in the world, but we can start mass kindness by valuing the weakest and most dependent. It could make a difference to all living things and it starts right here. One by one and one by you — they can all be saved.

Louise Goodenow

La Grande

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OK folks, it's not often that I write letters, but here we are again with another resignation. John Bozarth, a faithful servant to the city for over 13 years, has submitted his resignation due to a power struggle, apparently in the mayor's office. This obviously brings back more controversy about the mayor and her leadership in city affairs.

My question and hopefully the question of this newspaper's readers is: when are we going to see real leadership and accountability instead of innuendos like, "If the little boy doesn't like the way the game is played, he just takes his ball and goes home!"

John Bozarth has always been a team player and to suggest otherwise through innuendo is nothing more than a political ploy. Maybe it's time to think of someone else running for the position of mayor, someone without the demands of a full-time job and someone who has no higher political agenda.

K.S. Stoneberg

La Grande

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Your June 16 editorial from the Miami Herald contained much false information about the non-renewal of the broadcast license of RCTV in Venezuela.

The move was not undemocratic, as it was done lawfully. Democracy is thriving in Venezuela as is freedom of speech. Student protesters are still allowed to protest and the majority of Venezuela's media is controlled by the former ruling class and is vitriolic, vehement and consistent in its criticism of the Chavez Government. They are not interfered with unless they violate the law — just the way it is done in other countries including the United States.

RCTV lost its license because it continually violated broadcast pornography laws and incited violence and overthrow of a democratically elected government: treason and sedition by any definition. The OAS was right in not interfering because the non-renewal was legal and not a threat to democracy or free speech.

I encourage The Observer to check out the facts before publishing a blatantly false, biased and incendiary piece about the conditions in Venezuela. I have been there and checked it out myself and saw freedom and democracy thriving.

I find the Miami Herald very biased when it comes to Venezuela coverage and I encourage you to do your own research before publishing anything produced by them.

Charles Koch

Elgin

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Mary McCracken writes many interesting things in her appeal for the ecosystem and the use of DDT. I agree with Ms. McCracken — let's let the natural order of things occur as they were intended.

Ms. McCracken quoted the LA Times article, "Common Chemicals Pose Danger for Fetuses, Scientist Warn." Very scary stuff, but very interesting too that Ms McCracken would use this concern for unborn fetuses to support her argument against chemicals. I ask her if she has the same concern for the unborn fetuses that are about to be aborted? Is she for the natural order or not? If she is for the natural order then she would do more about the millions of fetuses that get wiped out every year. That is very unnatural and does not fit with one who espouses nature and the ecosystem.

Just as a side note, "Silent Spring" has been debunked by many scientists. Millions have fallen victim to the mosquito, mostly in Third World countries.

Thank God we live in a country with the resources to protect us from disease. DDT and other chemicals have saved many millions of lives. There are plenty of mosquitoes left over after vector control is done doing their job. Thank you, vector control.

Jack Lane

Moscow, Idaho

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James Dobson, Pat Robertson, the late Jerry Falwell, Rush Limbaugh, Michael Reagan, Lars Larson, The Fox News Channel and the National Review have all missed a tremendous opportunity to strike a blow at America's number one terrorist group — the gay and lesbian community.

The vile vendors for the well-lubricated Republican hate machine have for some reason ignored the seriousness of this national threat. It is hard to believe that a political party that has energized its base by getting gay rights issues on the ballot has not capitalized on this incident.

On May 23, 2007, Mary Cheney, the openly-lesbian daughter of Vice President Dick Cheney, gave birth to an 8 pound 6 ounce baby boy, Samuel David Cheney. Mary and her partner of 15 years, Heather Poe, cannot be legally married.

Child out of wedlock? Immoral life style? Can gays and lesbians raise a healthy child? Who's your daddy? Where is the family unit? These are a few of the questions that the vile vendors have never asked.

Imagine what the reaction would be if it had been the daughter of Bill and Hillary Clinton, Barack Obama or John Edwards that was in a same sex relationship and had a baby. We would not hear the end of condemnation from the conservatives. Isn't this an example of a double standard?

Michael B. Farmer

Wallowa

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What is it with Gordon Smith? He speaks up against the war, he knows Oregon isn't a majority war state, but votes to support the war. Does he think we aren't watching?

Linda Carter

La Grande