Letters to the Editor for Nov. 11, 2009

Power line problem sent to next county

The saga of the power lines continues.

Grant County residents have contributed to the economy of Union, Baker, and Malheur counties for many years. Idaho Power has stated that the proposed line routes in our area were drawn in by you on the citizens committee and is difficult to understand.

Your idea of sending your problems into your neighbor’s yard is shameful. Allowing this power company to set neighbors up to baiting county against county is unacceptable. 

Shame on you, project advisory teams.

Mark Cerny

Bear Valley, Grant County

Outsourcing jobs might bring death

After quite a few years of being politically active, I read the handwriting on the wall and decided it was time to move out of the city. I have a couple of cows, two pigs, a herd of chickens and three goats. Given a little time I might be able to help the kids out when my illustrious leaders finally finish selling America to the Chinese, Mexicans and Arabs.

I can now see a night sky, not hear train horns or wait on traffic to clear so I can get on to Campbell Street. It is more than quiet. I shot at a coyote that was checking out the chickens. It seems like the normal of my childhood.

I’m 62, have asthma and am dependent on wood heat. I have animals to take care of and daily chores. I don’t need to get sick. Last spring I bought the N95 masks and tried to get ready for this pandemic.

I now hear that they are in short supply for health workers. I watched as the borders remained open and the pandemic headed north.

I admired China’s response to H1N1 when they quarantined Mexican and American students who showed signs of infection. My country waited until it was everywhere and then told us that there was no use to control the border because the bug was already here.

I call the VA H1N1 hotline and the recorder says they have no vaccine and don’t know when they will get any. I have a 7-year-old granddaughter with diabetes and a grandson who was 2 pounds at birth. He is healthy now, but I wonder what the virus might do to him because he is small.

I wonder what will happen when the H5N1 virus finally mutates and it is 1918 all over again. I often say that the microbe is global, too. Multinationalists only see the potential for profits with open borders. While they outsource jobs it means little to them that they might insource mass death.

My problem now is the press. How do you motivate apathetic Americans to rise up and clean house of incompetent politicians in 350 words?

Steve Culley

Richland

Help Red Cross meet blood quota

The state of the economy is also affecting the supply of blood throughout the country. With so many corporations and big businesses closing down, the company blood drives are closing with them.

These blood drives are the strong backbone of the country’s blood supply. Corporate blood drives make up about 20 percent of the collections for the American Red Cross.

The best way local blood drives can help is to make sure we make our quota of 60 units each day the drive is here. We did exceed our quota when the drive was here last time, so let’s do it again. Remember, there is no substitute for blood!

The blood drive will be here Monday, Nov. 16., from 1 p.m. to 6 p.m. and from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Tuesday, Nov. 17, at the Calvary Baptist Church.

Please, call Colleen Brooks at 523-4650 for an appointment.

Colleen Brooks

Baker City

Walden needs to change his tune

To the editor:

It is time for Greg Walden to go!

Greg Walden will be given many more chances to vote, but none are as important as voting for Health Care for all Oregonians.

Many letters, phone calls, and e-mails have been sent to him, asking —begging — him to vote for Health Care Reform.

His vote last weekend put him on the side of insurance companies that have filled his campaign coffers with thousands of dollars.

It’s time for Greg Walden to vote for something instead of always being against what most Oregonians want!

Has your insurance gone up? Some have gone up 400 percent in 10 years.

Did your insurance only pay pennies on the dollar on your last claim? Are you spending many hours trying to get an insurance company to pay those few pennies to your doctor?    

We really do need this Health Care Reform and Greg Walden stands between us and our much-needed improvement in the Health Care System!

Write, e-mail, or phone him. Tell him he has a chance to earn your vote in the next election by voting for the Health Care Reform.

Bobbie Tullock

Hereford