Moving power line not a solution

To the editor:

We are concerned about the growing perception that simply moving the Boardman-to-Hemingway high voltage line to public land is the answer.  Even on public land, the line is sure to run close to private property because that is where the access roads are. These are often dusty single-lane roads like the one serving our small farm near Durkee. The construction phase will be three years of misery, and after that we will have the permanent visual and environmental intrusion of the towers and lines.

Tax measures will affect everyone

To the editor:

I have lived in Oregon and Idaho my whole life. I, like most loving parents, want my kids to have the best education, experiences and opportunities. I also recognize that money is a major contributor to these experiences. It seems to me, though, that we are trying to a fix a long-term problem with a short-term solution.

The long-term problem, simply stated, is poor fiscal management in our state capital.

The short-term fix with damaging effects would be a tax increase. I work in a small business that will have gross sales over the $250,000 mark which will make us eligible for the new taxes. The trouble is we make nowhere near that much; by the time I have paid employees, utilities, insurance, and all the other costs it is plausible that if we had another year like last year our company might not be able to cover the new taxes.

Roads aren’t the real forest problem

To the editor:

The recent letter, “Forest has too many roads now,” is baloney and supported by false assumptions and personal opinions, not based on any facts. The letter states that the reason for the decline in elk numbers is too many roads. The true reason is too many predators. This is a proven fact support by a recent study revealed in the La Grande Observer and partially done by ODFW.

ODFW claims there are 5,700 or more cougars in Oregon. The study shows that as few as 25 percent of elk calves survive due to predators. It’s the do-gooder environmentalists that are killing the elk by supporting the predators.