West shines in Rose Parade

On Saturday we decided to head for Portland to watch the Rose Festival Starlight Parade for the first time in many years. We were pleasantly surprised when we saw the West Albany marching band banner marching toward us. We were even more pleased when the band stopped right in front of us long enough to play several songs. This band looked very professional and performed extremely well, and the drum section, which did not pause for even a moment, was incredible. It gave us great pride to see Albany so well represented and we hope the band, the school and the community are as proud of them as we are.

Gary and Joanne Miller, Albany

Ways to stretch fossil fuel

Say, has anybody noticed the rise in gas prices lately? I just did. I quit driving last year when I turned 84 so I sort of missed out on the hike.

Of all the media attention it’s been getting lately, how could I miss it, but in none of that have I seen any mention of the two most important factors.

First, fossil fuel is a finite resource. They aren’t making any more dinosaurs and it takes a few million years to convert them to fossil fuel, anyway. We will probably be the next source of fossil fuel.

Second, there doesn’t seem to be any coordinated effort to find the most economically feasible substitute; therefore, it behooves us to look for rather drastic methods to conserve what fuel remains and a concerted effort to investigate alternatives.

I can think of several options for conserving fuel, but they probably wouldn’t be acceptable for Americans that have such a love affair with private autos.

Back in the days before widespread use of cars and especially large semis, most of the transportation was met by rail and water. This is still the most economical form of transportation and could be again if used properly and upgraded as needed.

Some European countries even transport private autos to destination resorts and cities, carrying both passengers and autos.

Air travel, a big user of fossil fuels, would also be relieved of some passengers if high-speed rail was introduced as it is in almost all European and Asian countries.

Importation of perishable and out-of-season produce needs to be studied and modified. Our highways need to be redesigned to carry only autos and short-haul vehicles. If transportation companies want to continue long hauls, then they should finance and build such highways, as railways do.

This would not only save fuel but would reduce the risk of traffic accidents and congestion.

These are just a few of the draconian measures that could be implemented and would undoubtedly be strenuously objected to by some segments of our economy, namely the trucking and airlines industries, but they would be effective and save rare fossil fuels.

And of course the quickest and immediately most effective method would be to end the war in Iraq and Afghanistan and bring our troops home, not only from there, but from other sites as well, e.g. Korea and Germany. We should no longer be the world’s policemen. Our first president warned us about becoming entangled in foreign wars and affairs, which succeeding presidents have blithely ignored.

Ken Houston, Albany

About voters and friends

I want to thank the voters in House District 17 for their vote of confidence in the May primary election. I was appointed state representative in February, then began to campaign for that seat right away. It has been a busy time but each of you, the people throughout this district, has made it a very rewarding experience.

I also want to take this opportunity to express my gratitude to all who worked with me. Some of you helped put out signs while others of you knocked on doors on my behalf. You wrote letters to the editor, joined me in a parade, endorsed me, made phone calls and simply offered words of encouragement. It was wonderful to link arms with people throughout the district, some old acquaintances and now some new ones.

The general election is in the fall, and I will again be working hard to meet as many people as possible and to earn each vote. Please visit www.sherriesprenger.com to call or e-mail me if you would like to volunteer. I would love to work with you.

There are 60 House districts in this state and I am fortunate enough to have, in my humble opinion, the best one! It has been one of my greatest pleasures to serve you, my friends and neighbors, as your state representative.

I thought I knew who my friends were when I started this campaign, but what I found was a whole new batch of great people that I have added to my “friends” list. It’s an honor to serve you and it’s even a greater honor to call you “friend.”

I look forward to many years of representing you in Salem and making our local voices heard as we build Oregon’s future.

Rep. Sherrie Sprenger, Scio

Profit? Just take it all!

R. Joseph Earle-Thomas (“Seize the oil companies,” Mailbag, 5-28-08) called for federal government seizure of the major oil companies, then asked “Who’s with me?”

I’m with you! The oil industry made $42.6 billion in profits on the oil and gas products it sold in 2004. Federal and state governments, which did nothing to find, collect, refine and distribute oil and gas products, only made $58.4 billion in profits (taxes) on those same oil and gas products.

Why not take it all?

And why stop with the oil companies? While the oil industry made 8.3 cents profit per dollar of sales in 2007 (a record year), beverage companies and cigarette makers earned 19.1 cents, and drug makers earned 18.4 cents. Let’s nationalize them all and take their profits as well.

Rep. Waters’ (D-Calif.) recent Freudian slip revealed what she and her fellow American socialists are actually after, more power and control: “And guess what this liberal would be all about. This liberal will be about socializing … uh, um …” — she paused when she realized she had accidentally revealed her true ambition — “would be about, basically, taking over, and the government running all of your (oil) companies.”

We will, of course, have to ignore our government’s track record of gross inefficiency in running programs. Consider our government’s two biggest programs, Social Security and Medicare, so bankrupt they will require ALL of the federal revenue — an estimated $36 trillion (with a T) — by 2074.

Upton Sinclair observed, “The American people will take socialism, but they won’t take the label. Running on the socialist ticket I got 60,000 votes, and running on the slogan to ‘End Poverty in California,’ I got 879,000.”

If you haven’t already, you ought to read “Animal Farm,” written by dedicated socialist George Orwell, to see where the pigs would take us.

Dan Conway, Albany