City should be more aggressive protecting bluff
Civic responsibility is something that we should have as citizens, and especially as elected officials. The Morand property erosion issue is a good case in point.

At the Sept. 2, 2008, City Council meeting, I was disheartened to hear Mayor Dean Maxwell state, “We (The city of Anacortes) can’t spend funds to save private property.” After all, what do the fire department, the police department and the building department exist for — to protect private property and the safety of its citizens. 

In the case of the coastline at the Morand property, the city building department should have studied the erosion issues enough to have spotted the erosion risk, only issued permits that would not put the coastline at risk and adequately enforced those requirements to prevent risk to Marine Drive and the neighboring properties. Instead, things were allowed to run out of control and significant property damage has occurred.

Even after all this damage has occurred, the city is only looking for temporary stabilization of the bank, which may not survive a winter storm season, rather than require a more substantial “fix.”

Now is the time to act and show that Anacortes can take some civic responsibility rather than allow further public and private property damage to occur. As a tax-supported government the city does have a responsibility for the safety and welfare of its citizens.
Thomas N. Foster
Anacortes

Bill Turner would serve us well as commissioner
I ask for you, the citizens of Skagit County, to give your support and vote for Bill Turner this November.

I’ve known Bill for several years and believe we now have the opportunity to elect someone very special to this post. He is a level-headed problem solver who will represent all the citizens of this county as fairly and unbiased as possible. He will not be a special interests leader.

Bill Turner’s undying support of the environment, balanced with sound business practices and strong sense of duty for his family, friends and community, are just a few of the reasons why I’m bring him to your attention.

Vote for Bill Turner.  He is your best choice for Skagit County commissioner.
Alfred Currier
Anacortes

Small city crew does great job beautifying city
“Too often those who bring delight and happiness into our lives go unrecognized.”

That profound but overused expression came up at a recent board meeting of Anacortes Parks Foundation when one of the members expressed an awed appreciation for how beautiful and fitting Causland Memorial Park was at the the Fourth of July program. The discussion didn’t end there however, and it was suggested that those who maintain the neatness and beauty of our 18 parks, 2,800 acres of Forest Land trails, Grand View Cemetery and many city facilities are often overlooked by those of us who enjoy them so much.

The staff responsible for maintenance is small, (seven) but they obviously take pride in what they do and, we suspect, don’t have time for lengthy coffee breaks or leaning on shovel handles. We know they are a close group, helping each other to make our parks, forest lands, and city grounds facilities something local residents can be proud of.

We salute them for what they do and the pride they take in their work. We hope readers agree and wave to them the next time they are seen watering flowers on Commercial, pruning trees on city streets, mowing grass in parks and grooming trails in the Forest Lands. 
Doug Colglazier
President,
Anacortes ParksFoundation

Bush, U.S. much at fault in struggle over Georgia
There are no Snow Whites in this world, and for the U.S. media to characterize Georgia and the United States as somehow blameless in the recent Russian invasion of Georgia is pure rubbish. This is a power struggle pure and simple and there are no innocents!

Remember that Mikheil Saakashvilli, the Georgian president, implicated in monstrous corruption scandals, staged a U.S. backed surprise invasion of separatist South Ossetia which is 99 percent ethnically Russian. South Ossetia has voted to reunite with North Ossetia and Russia, hence the invasion by Georgia.

Georgia, under Saakashvilli, a U.S. client state, wants to become part of NATO, hosts U.S. and Israeli “advisers” and wants to participate in the U.S. missile “defense” shield, designed to protect us from nonexistent Iranian long range nuclear missiles. The attack by Saakashvilli was perceived by Russia, correctly, to be another U.S. sponsored encroachment on Russian homeland.

So Russia counterattacked and the talking heads railed against Russian “imperialism” and Vice President Cheney declared “Russian aggression must not go unanswered” and Bush denounced Russia for having “invaded a sovereign neighboring state,” neatly overlooking the atrocities committed by Georgian troops during the invasion of South Ossetia.

U.S. expansionist policies, not Russian aggression, are at the root of the U.S./Russian power struggle and Russia’s invasion of Georgia is just the start.

The neocons abrogated the Anti-Missile Defense Treaty, have disregarded the Nuclear Non-Proliferation framework, sponsored the expansion of NATO alliance countries in the former Soviet sphere of influence, are building a missile “defense” system in Czechoslovakia and Poland to defend the world from nonexistent Iranian long-range nuclear missiles and instigated the immoral and illegal invasion of Iraq.

To expect that Russia would continue to accept U.S. expansionist policies is to live in the same fantasy land as the corporate media and the neocons.
Howard Pellett
Guemes Island

Obama will lead us — but to the wrong place
Two weeks ago I was ready to sit this election out. John McCain’s personal journey to this point has stirred me and at one point I sat weeping in my chair as I thought of this man’s sacrifice for this country. We will be reminded every time we see him try to salute a fellow veteran or the flag of this great country.

I really wanted to vote for Obama. I wanted to be part of a movement that would make racism a part of our past. I loved the fact that he was able to deliver a speech flawlessly and inspire his audience. I would have no problem voting for any black American if I thought he (or she) could do the job.

I think Obama is capable of leading this country, I’m just not sure the destination he seeks is where I want to go. McCain’s choice of Palin gave me the opportunity again share in an historic election and his speech convinced me that his destination is where I want to be. If his patriotism is politics of the past, count me in.

Obama is going to have to satisfactorily answer the questions about Bill Ayers and why his 20-year pastor hates his country and thinks I as a white man am the problem before he gets my vote back.
Don Wenke
Anacortes