Letters to the Editor
From our weekly issue dated November 19, 2008
(Editor’s Note: Views and commentary, including statements made as fact, are strictly those of the letter-writers.)
Typed, double-spaced letters are considered for publication. Hand-written letters that are double-spaced and legible also can be considered. “Thank you” submissions are not accepted as letters
Responses, choices
From Lloyd & Cathy Putney
Cave Junction
We are shocked that an elected official, our sheriff, would respond to a constituent in such an unprofessional, personal, and hateful manner and then use his power and authority to harass and intimidate an innocent, juvenile relative of hers. (Letter to the Editor from Kim Dinkel, Illinois Valley News, Nov. 12)
Carol Dickson (Paid ad, page 3, Illinois Valley News, Nov. 12) has the guts to speak out about things she feels strongly about, and we support that. Others in our community feel the same, but are fearful to speak up, and now we see why.
Sheriff Gilbertson’s most recent experience was in Kosovo. Maybe this type of behavior by officials is acceptable there, but not in the Unites States of America. It’s behavior like this that causes voters to vote “No” on anything they can. Contrary to the beliefs of some, “No” votes do not mean we are uneducated and uninformed about issues.
In a democracy we have three voting choices: “Yes,” “No” and “Abstain.” If the only acceptable vote is “Yes” – why bother? Once a person is elected, it’s nearly impossible to remove them, so we try to control their actions with our votes.
Until we get politicians in touch with and respectful to the common person, they will continue to struggle with passing money issues. (Editor’s Note: Sheriff Gil Gilbertson said that the accident at issue still is under investigation).
Presidential escapades
From John Bowler
Kerby
A friend just remarked to me in her unique way that when she hears yet more of the president’s escapades, she “sees the Devil’s horns.” Last Friday, Hank Paulson, secretary of the U.S. Treasury, disclosed his decision to not use money to purchase “troubled” mortgages. Congress approved the bail-out for precisely that purpose.
The secretary and president are laughing all the way to the bank. That’s their bank, not ours, however much money we invest in it – $290 billion and counting.
Meanwhile, the president sells scam after scheme to Congress to solve the problems caused by the last few years of Wall Street speculation in our homes. First there was HOPE. Mortgage lenders would renegotiate to help home owners overwhelmed by the consequences of the speculatively inflated home prices, complex loans, bad financial advice and rapid worsening of local economies.
Renegotiate with mere borrowers? No way: It’s much better to foreclose on what FDIC estimates is 4.4 million problem loans; have 10 million Americans on the streets; and resell those foreclosed properties to your buddies at prices much less than the original loan. At least it is if you control a big bank and have a nice beachfront apartment in the Caribbean to retire to when the gunfire starts.
OK; HOPE was hopeless. So the president sold Congress TARP. Rather than have lenders renegotiate those loans, the federal government would buy them and do the work instead. Sounds a bit like socialism, doesn’t it? – Ownership by the people of their own homes? It’s a great idea with just one problem: the Bush government.
So TARP turned out to have a lot of holes. Remember that this was the key part of the great bail-out plan backed by Bush. Remember that it had to be passed so quickly without a chance for Congress to get down to the details? It was an emergency; everyone had to run about like a flock of chickens with their heads cut off.
It’s still an emergency, right? Panic, everyone panic. Damn right it’s an emergency; it’s going to be an emergency until the real problem is fixed. That will not happen until Jan. 20, 2009.
Meanwhile, even the federal government is fed up with its own head. Last Friday, FDIC proposed its own fix for HOPE. Paulson already had rejected it. Normally that would be the end – the president is in charge, right? FDIC chose to publish it on its own Website.
FDIC estimates that 4.44 million of the large loans in the country are at risk. Its scheme aims to reduce payments to “as low as 31% of monthly income.” It’s based on the provisions already approved in HOPE. Maybe it won’t work, but at least FDIC is addressing the problem.
The government isn’t staffed by demons, but by real, honest, hard-working people. To find a demon, one has to look beyond those men and women to the people at the top.
The president’s solution is to give lots of money to big corporations. All he has left us with is the Corporate Refinance and Assistance Program, which provides an appropriate acronym.
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‘Not good breeding’
From Linda Barrow
Portland
I purchased a puppy from Cave Junction in September 2007. The puppy was advertised as Show Potential, Vet Exam, worming, AKC registered, Health Certificate.
But what I received was a puppy with no specific vet exams, two heart defects, tapeworms, fleas, not AKC-registered until I had an attorney write the breeders a letter one month after my purchase, no health certificate, extra-large ears for his breed, and had to have seven extra teeth removed.
The breeder also stated two different Sires to my puppy and said it didn’t matter who the father was. I paid $600 for my puppy. I’m suing for false advertising that falls under the Consumer Protection Act, Unfair Trade Practices Act, Animal Welfare Act and Oregon Revised Statute 646.608.
I don’t like to be lied to or deceived, so I’m in contact with every single law enforcement organization, legal organization, and animal organization that I can contact. It’s kind of hard to get any help within Josephine County, because the Animal Control officer who took my complaint for a report is this breeder’s neighbor.
Animal Control’s report and its emails to me contradict each other. Animal Control never contacted the planning department to make sure this kennel operation was abiding by county regulations.
Animal Control also destroyed the pictures it took of these breeders’ kennel because they “didn’t have enough computer space to save them.” It seems that many other county officials are closely linked too.
I’ve been told that Josephine County is the Good Ol’ Boys County. One citizen told me that he calls it just the “Old Boys” because they are not good. I don’t think justice can be served in a county where officials ignore, contradict themselves, or cover up for others, but we shall see how I am treated as a victim of consumer fraud in Josephine County.
I have a Small Claims Court case coming to Josephine County soon, as I’m suing for $7,500. I’m also testifying before the state to help District 8 Rep. Paul Holvey (D-Eugene) adopt a puppy mill bill before the state of Oregon in January.
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