Scheming environmentalists

At best environmentalism is a license to steal and at worst a terminal malignancy resulting in massive unemployment, bankruptcies, etc. Unconscionable people given unreasonable power does not work. The professors at Western and Evergreen who preach this gibberish cannot stand the free enterprise system even though it feeds, clothes, houses the world and, regrettably, funds their salaries. The endless schemes for land grabbing, plant closings, salmon saving and the ultimate swampifying of this valley are all disasters for the productivity needed by us all.

Classifying the Skagit as wild and scenic, and that Hamilton is to become a floodway and sanctuary for eagles and salmon, is par. A few cows sipping water from a stream (wow) is an offense while thousands of geese and swans poop in the Judy reservoir (a primary water source). And as far as oysters go: A Hood Canal oyster operator extended to Blaine a few years ago and reported that they got four years of growth in 11⁄2 years and this was due to farm runoff. We ate the tasty critters regularly, and though I am sure they must have been toxic, we never noticed anything but positive effects.

The outrage of the century was the environmentalists’ crowning achievement. They managed to drive 800 jobs and a $500 million pulp-and-paper plant out of Bellingham. Their nasty little game of laying a $100 million-plus mercury clean-up on Georgia Pacific was canceled when the property was turned over to the Port of Bellingham. The Huxley staff and students are still gloating over that one. Unfortunately, that plant and a lot of others paid a lot of taxes and wages that whoever is left will now have to pay.

Homer Hughes

Sedro-Woolley

Congress ignoring the people

The health-care reform “debate” in Congress is anything but democratic. No wonder! Democracy is absent from that sham discussion.

It is absolutely astounding (not to mention angering) that politicians have the gall to publicly oppose the enactment of a national single-payer, health-care program, while 72 percent of we the people support it!

A recent national telephone survey found that 72 percent of those questioned support a government-administered insurance plan — like Medicare for all.

As Congress plays its health “reform” shell game, support for single payer is on the rise. It seems that the more lawmaking apologists for the medical profits industry talk, the less they are trusted and, consequently, support for single payer just keeps going up.

Ignoring 72 percent of the people is not democracy. Coifed and manicured politicians sporting spray-on tans would be all over any foreign government daring to ignore nearly three-fourths of its population. When, however, it comes to domestic issues, they wrap themselves in the flag and thereafter disregard those they are elected to serve.

Congress is on the brink of selling you down the river. Rise up! Don’t let them get away with it! Demand true health-care reform! Demand single payer! Demand House Resolution 676 (HR 676) and Senate Bill 703 (SB 703). It’s a matter of life and death!

Members of Congress choosing to ignore 72 percent of the people should be voted out of office! That would be a good first step in the struggle to restore real democracy.

Rich Austin

Mount Vernon