Disturbed by column on Alaska

Reacting to Theresa Novak’s (Sept. 14) article on waste and plenty in Alaska, I was very disturbed by the accusations and nitpicking by someone locally who has a bully pulpit of a commentary in the Sunday paper.

She blames governor Sarah Palin for any and all perceived environmental problems in Alaska. Even inferring that the good people of Alaska “hired a fool” to run the state’s business.

FYI, Theresa, that sign above Governor Palin’s capitol office door shows foresight, not lack thereof concerning her vision for her state. Recently the news media reported she signed legislation increasing energy-saving rebates statewide. Please don’t be so quick to judge by checking your information.

Name calling has become fashionable in democratic circles as a means of personal destruction a la Obama and his “lipstick on a pig” comments. When Democrats sense they are losing there is nothing more despicable.

I would offer Ms. Novak some advice. Stick to talking about recycling and energy saving and keep your nose out of politics.

Robert Semmel, Albany

Let’s avoid climate fatalism

John Jones (“Facts count: Prepare for cooling”, Sept. 7) was “sorely disappointed by the lack of content” at the website, http://oregonstate.edu/groups/geco/pages/GECO_climate_change_myths_facts.html, that I mentioned in a previous letter.

If, as I recommended, he had followed the links at that site, he may well have been overwhelmed rather than disappointed by the volume of material to be found there. He would also have discovered that all climate scientists, not just those running http://icecap.us, appreciate that climate can vary naturally. We just disagree on what is more important during the next century.

It is pointless to argue facts with people whose motives are obscure, who don’t take the time to investigate the material they are directed to, who cherry-pick “good” news snippets out of context, and who repeat arguments that have already been discredited.

However, it is worth reminding other readers that this is an artificial “debate”. Those with the time and skills to rigorously assess the facts, even when they are philosophically opposed to many of the proposed solutions, overwhelmingly conclude that large changes in climate will develop through human activity over the next generation or two.

The constant stream of letters from climate skeptics will sway some readers towards climate fatalism. This has real consequences in terms of the pressure applied to politicians to react. It is not a harmless exercise.

I’ve asked this before but I’ll try again: Is Mr. Jones so sure of his grasp of the facts that he will proudly explain to future generations why he actively impeded any response?

Laurence Padman, Corvallis

President needs many qualities

Who is the best candidate for president?

My favorite is the guy that has the leadership of Patton, the clarity of speech of Gingrich, the charisma of Reagan or John Kennedy, the responsibility of Truman, the charge hell with a bucket of water of Wayne Morse. The love of America of Teddy Roosevelt.

That candidate is not running, probably does not exist, and if he did, I do not know that I would be able to recognize him if I saw him.

So who is applying for the job of “leader of the United States of America” where leadership is the prerequisite?

One guy has almost no real leadership experience He has so little experience in fact that his campaign compares his with the vice presidential candidate of the other party. (And I think comes away lacking.) He acts like you owe him the presidency.

The other guy, a senator of long standing, a guy who takes principled stances on issues, sometimes on the other side of what I want, loves his country more than his own life. He has a long-standing history of reaching across the isle in a leadership role. Service is a tradition in their family. He exudes leadership. He came through years of physical torture (He was tortured more years than his opponent has been in national politics.)

Picking Mc Cain/Palin is picking a leader with a attitude. Picking Obama/Biden is like choosing the new chancellor of higher education from a group of first-year teacher assistants.

So which one will I pick? Let’s see, a light-weight affirmative-action, no-qualifications guy, or an imperfect leader, lots-of-action guy — John McCain. It just depends on whether you want to talk about change with no specifics, or actually get the job done.

Rich Kellum, Albany

Labor gets it: Free Choice Act

You note the difficulty countering false information with the truth in this election cycle, starting with the example of a “bikini-clad Sarah Palin with a rifle and scope” shown by factcheck.org to be a fake circulated by her opponents. Just as phony are the posters showing a Rosie the riveter with Palin’s face. There’s no evidence Palin’s a friend of labor, more likely just the opposite.

McCain is a known opponent of the “Employee Free Choice Act,” as is Oregon’s Sen. Gordon Smith. The Employee Free Choice Act is the best piece of labor legislation we’ve seen for a very long time, and it has employers like Wal-Mart so upset they’re threatening their employees to not vote for Democrats.

But America’s supermajority labor force gets it. They know productivity has been skyrocketing while their wages and jobs have been going in the opposite direction. The Employee Free Choice Act will make it easier for employees to organize for better wages, hours, and working conditions.

You bet there’s a lot of phony information floating around nowadays, and the phoniest of all is what’s been circulated about the Employee Free Choice Act. Not even lipstick will make the greedy pigs who have been spreading that stuff around look good.

Robert G. Gourley, Corvallis

Start by nationalizing the Fed

This is what I propose needs to be done in Washington D.C.:

The key to the Wall Street crisis is to look outside of the box. Learn what JFK did in 1963 to try to get the country out of debt, and why he was assassinated for it. He tried to take the power away from the Federal Reserve, and return it to the people.

Please Google “Executive Order 11110 JFK” for more information about this.

The Federal Reserve is not federal and there are no reserves. It was established in late December of 1913 when most of Congress was on Christmas break. Talk about the Grinch who stole Christmas!

Of course, it took a constitutional amendment for the nation to stop making the nation’s money, and for a private banking cartel (of mostly European bankers) to begin making the nation’s money. But that amendment was never ratified by the required number of states. So the Fed has been illegal since its inception.

The Treasury only makes coins and bills, , then sells them to the Federal Reserve for the printing cost.

At this point in the game, there is only one solution; and it will bring prosperity back to the nation: Nationalize the Federal Reserve and seize all its assets. Return the job of money creation back to the nation, back to “We, The People of the United States of America.”

Then, if we must bail out any corporation, nationalize it too. We paid for it. Why should the Wall Street fat cats get to keep it? They ran it into the ground. Then We, The People should probably sell it to the highest bidder.

David Moore, Albany

For the animals, slow down

I would like to remind anyone who wants to raise any domestic animal then release it, for whatever reason they may have, that it is cruel and unfair to the animal and to the public. I was told it is also illegal and although I don’t know this for a fact, if it isn’t it should be.

It is ridiculous to think an animal that is hand raised won’t come to some sort of harm if released to fend for itself. It is also unfair to the person that may accidentally injure or kill an animal wandering in the road. I know I would be devastated if I ever hit an animal. And frankly I don’t really see a point to this practice of raising and releasing.

And just another reminder, when you are driving along and you see someone waving their hands to slow down they probably know something you don’t. Like the fact there is a beautiful hand-raised pheasant up ahead in the middle of the road pining away looking for its hen. So slow down!

Also remember school is in session. Slow down!

Janine Burton, Albany

We need fewer ties to status quo

Lee Findley’s letter of Sept. 21, declaring that, because Obama has no “executive experience” he is not qualified to be president, was beyond the pale!

I would ask him to take a look at where this country has been led by someone (guess who!) who supposedly has this executive experience. I’m tired of people squabbling about this elusive proof of experience.

McCain has military experience — so what? My father was a colonel with 38 years in the Marine Corps, and I wouldn’t want him to be president.

Findley manages to put down senators and, at the same time, say that the Republican senator is uber-qualified. Confusing, no? The bottom line is that we need remedy for the mess the current administration has gotten us into, and that might mean taking a chance on someone with fewer ties to the status quo.

Rebecca Stillwell, Albany

Osama would be pleased

I would like to express agreement with Lee Findley’s Sept. 21 letter. He opined, “The United States cannot accept Obama, a totally inexperienced and unqualified man, as president.”

Having watched the National Geographic Channel’s documentary titled “Inside the 9/11 attacks,” one cannot help but notice and respect the brilliance of Osama bin Laden and al-Qaida in conceiving and carrying out of the attack, and we must realize that they will be closely watching the American presidential election. This thought prompts me to offer this other thought: A vote for Obama will please Osama.

Joseph G. West, Corvallis