Illinois Valley News

Illinois Valley News welcomes Letters to the Editor. Please e-mail them to dan@illinois-valley-news.com.

POLICY ON LETTERS: ‘Illinois Valley News’ encourages letters to the editor provided they are legible and not libelous or scurrilous. All letters must be signed, including name, address and telephone number. The latter need not be published, but will be used to verify authenticity. The “News’ reserves the right to edit letters. Letters are used at the discretion of the publisher.

(Editor’s Note: Views and commentary, including statements made as fact, are strictly those of the letter-writers.)

Not a bad thing
Barbara Padgett
(not related to Ann or Ron Padgett)
Cave Junction

I would like to respond to the letter to the editor dated Oct. 6, sent in by Ken LeGaux from Selma. Everyone has their own perception and mine is different from Mr. LeGaux’s. I feel this letter was written in response to Ann Padgett’s a couple of weeks ago regarding the appearance of downtown Cave Junction. After reading Ann’s letter, I did not feel she was being negative, bad mouthing or complaining about the people or appearance of Cave Junction. I read her frustration, but mostly sincere concern for the citizens and the economic welfare of this community.

I don’t remember reading that Ann was unhappy here nor that she wanted to change the uniqueness of Cave Junction or the folks that live here.

Change is difficult at times but it doesn’t have to be negative. Change can be good and benefit many. In these difficult economic times we all can use some help along the way. What if giving Cave Junction a bit of a clean-up with the community involved would help bring in revenue. Would that be a bad thing“ I am sure there are folks in this friendly, caring community that would be willing to give a hand with whatever it takes to keep the shops open and bring in new business. I would be one of them. I am ready and able. It could even be fun.

As far as Marijuana bringing in revenue to Cave Junction; why are there business closing and people unable to meet their obligations. This is all I am going to say on this controversial matter.

Please, citizens of Cave Junction, don’t be afraid of change or someone that wants to help her community in a positive way. Remember, “It Takes a Village”.

Weed-covered city lots
Annabelle (Brewer) Heape
Cave Junction

My family moved to Selma in 1936. I was raised there with four brothers and a sister. We all graduated from high school here in the valley. My mother taught us to keep our bodies clean, keep our house clean, and keep our yard clean. That is what I try to do.

So, I for one appreciate the interview of Gary McAllister over the weed-covered city lots. He keeps his place of business clean and weed free. I live on Wells Drive in the city. There is a weed-covered lot next to my fence, one across the street and a few more on Wells Drive.

Every year I write a letter to the city of Cave Junction (as required by the city) to have the weeds cut on these lots. These particular lots are owned by the a family trust, so I have been told by the city. My letter starts the process of getting the weeds cut, so far, the weeds are cut only once a year. That is really not enough. By the time summer arrives the weeds are very tall and dry out. This leaves me with the fear of fire.

When I put in my yard, I went to great expense to keep it weed free and to conserve water. Most of the front yard is covered in weed cloth and rocks from the Rogue River. Most of the back yard is covered in weed cloth and bark. My flower beds have the drip irrigation system to conserve water. Neighbors walk by and compliment me on my pretty, clean yard. Some even thank me for having such a pretty yard for them to enjoy.

Well, let me tell you, it isn“t easy to keep it that way. I am surrounded by weeds.

I would hope that anyone reading this letter would not suggest that if I didn“t like it here I should move. Just because I voice a legitimate concern does not mean that I don“t like living in Cave Junction.

Crisis by Design
James Walmsley
Cave Junction

How did we ever get into this economic depression“ It started in 1993 when president Clinton signed NAFTA (North American Free Trade Agreement). We are currently experiencing the fallout from this (anything-but-free-trade) agreement.

Businesses are allowed to ship manufacturing offshore to utilize cheap foreign labor, then ship the goods back into the U.S. without paying any tariff. U.S. business pays a tariff if they ship offshore. Who thinks this stuff up“

Manufacturing and services are essential to our economy and they compliment each other. One cannot survive without the other.

Some union contracts, government taxation, insurance requirements and business-choking regulations all play a part in pushing business to critical mass where they cannot survive beyond that point.

This agreement has to be repealed. Those jobs will come home.

I listen to the candidates for office in this election tell us how they will create jobs. Here“s the solution. Help put government back in that genie lamp called the U.S. Constitution. People are hopeful that this election will bring about a different change, one that is good for America. They wonder how a president can rule by the stroke of an executive order, without the checks and balances built into the Constitution. Here“s how:

The president is Commander in Chief during war time and has executive powers. You say, but we are not at war, congress has not declared war. You are partly right. Congress declared war in 1941 and the War Powers Act gives the president broad powers. Congress needs to declare the war over and end this tyranny of Rule by Decree.

Back to the election. We cannot be confident that our election count is accurate by using the electronic vote scanning machines. The evidence is overwhelming on how easy it is to tamper with the results. BlackBoxVoting.org is a good source.

Please join with others in calling on the county commissioners to require ES&S (the company that provides vote counting services for the county) to give the source code used to program machines to the sheriff so that an independent audit could be conducted.

Logjam
Gordon Lyford
O“Brien

This letter is in response to Jennifer Phillippi“s disingenuous letter to the editor dated Oct. 12. According to her letter, Rough & Ready Mill“s business plan is apparently based on corporate welfare and large logs. People should wonder why if Rough & Ready Mill is really a sustainable operation, they don“t just log their own tens-of-thousands of acres of private forests (owned under several names) instead of our public lands. Perhaps it is because Rough & Ready Mill has already ravaged their own lands with clear cuts and chemicals, and they need to “issue the same beat down” on our public lands to stay in business. Perhaps Rough & Ready Mill feels entitled to ten human generations of our old growth forests“ BLM and the USFS have an obligation to properly manage our lands according to the laws, not to provide large logs to mills. As correctly pointed out before, lumber mills are currently faced with the problem of low lumber demand and not the lack of subsidized federal timber.

The recent report “Logjam” points out that Rough & Ready Mill is one of nine mills in Oregon that is “stuck in the past” and represents a “severe threat to old growth forests.” Many Oregon mills have re-tooled to process smaller logs. See: http://www.oregonwild.org for more information.

My advice is to abandon 19th century robber barones“ forest practices and adopt 21st century practices of milling smaller logs.

And one more thing, litigation is only an issue because the BLM and USFS have often been caught by the federal courts for violating the environmental laws of the U.S.

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