Letters and Comments for April 17, 2009

Insko, Clark

Doing things properly

To the Editor:

The angry diatribe submitted by Peter Barry concerning the cattle industry in Oregon requires a response. This is only necessary as some who have read Mr. Barry’s comments might believe he knows that about which he speaks.

Each statement made by Oregon Cattlemen’s Association President Moore is verifiable through a variety of governmental statistical agencies including the state of Oregon’s departments of Agriculture, Fish and Wildlife and the state economist, as well as the U.S. Department of Forestry and Bureau of Land Management. As for data verifying Mr. Barry’s statements, I could find none.

Our world continues to get more complex, with worldwide trade and continued government “quick fix” policies. It is essential that people who are honestly worried about food, energy and environmental policies need to research statements and policies advocated by special interest groups as well as our politicians. Often what seems to make sense doesn’t prove to be.

For example, ethanol for use as fuel caused many related problems in both the fuel and food-related industries. This doesn’t mean that ethanol or alternative fuels are bad ideas, just more complex than they appear.

Another example is the use of cattle in grazing. The city of San Francisco (not exactly a bastion of conservative thought) recently introduced proper grazing in the city’s watershed to improve water quality. It’s working, as it does in reducing potential wildfire loads on state and private lands.

Oregon should be proud of its cattle industry as well as its many other natural resource-based industries. Allowing these to be adversely affected by emotional, simplistic appeals with no credible research must be stopped.

Visit a Union or Wallowa county farm, ranch or mill. You will be pleased with the concern about doing things properly because, for most, this is our life’s love and work.

Lee Insko,

Region 2, Oregon Cattlemen’s vice president

Elgin

Unanswered questions 

To the Editor:

After reading the letter from Mr. Tennant on Saturday, I was wondering why it has taken so long for information to come out.

Was it not last April that Tom Blackman resigned? Why? It makes me wonder why someone with over 10 years of service — and the same for Gary Welberg — just up and resigned because of personal reasons. I am sure there is more to this story.

And was it not a month later that Chief John Courtney gave notice that he was leaving and Derick Reddington stepped into the position of being the chief interim? Was not Reddington the direct supervisor over Blackman and Welberg?

What was going on at the safety center? Was our police department so corrupted that the only way to clean it up was to have people resign before charges were brought?

I think these are some questions that need to be answered. The cloak of invisibility needs to be lifted with answers from the city and the district attorney offices.

What was it that the DPSST found out in their investigations? How many people have been hurt by what some officers have done? How good is the credibility of the La Grande Police Department? How much has been pushed under the rug? These are just questions I and others would like answers to.

I hope with the placement of the new chief of police, he will be more open to what his police officers are doing and have more appearances in our community.

Robert A. Clark

La Grande