Letters: Dec. 1, 2019
Crops help fight changing climate
The Republican Party supports farmers to grow such crops as apple trees, hay, potatoes, etc. Crops reduce CO2 in the atmosphere by consuming the gas through the absorption of water and nutrients in the soil as well as sunlight.
Therefore, farmers profit by reducing CO2 in the atmosphere. Farmers achieving larger profits grow the tax base for schools, government programs, etc.
The Republican Party supports the expansion of renewable irrigation projects such as the Columbia Basin Irrigation Project in the Columbia Valley (that is only 60 percent completed), increasing water reservoirs such as the Black Rock Dam proposal for the Yakima Valley as well as hundreds of other renewable irrigation projects.
The call by Democrats to remove hydroelectric dams as well as implementing all the other restrictions and impediments to farming has therefore reduced the potential uptake of CO2; thereby, reducing the tax base.
We don’t need taxes on carbon. We need to change the Columbia River system to irrigate the desert green for climate change.
Support the Republican Party’s agenda for pro-business, and you will see results not just hot air (CO2) coming out of the mouths of Socialist Democrats.
Mike Massey, Kennewick
Answers urgent in Franklin shooting
The Franklin County sheriff deputy’s killing of a young black motorist on Nov. 18 remains troubling. Conflicting news releases and newspaper coverages greatly confuse issues and generate obvious questions that remain unanswered. Basically, was the shooting/killing justified?
How does one connect the following dots: 80 mph pursuit on a dark and foggy two-lane highway; a patrol car collision with the victim’s car; three deputies treated at the hospital for associated injuries, and the killing was 10 miles away from the reported unidentifiable suspicious vehicle activity…
Only the three deputies know the truth of this tragedy and the shooter knows the whole truth. All are law enforcement officers who have taken the sworn oath of office. Thus, interviews, and official investigations could be completed relatively soon.
Yet, four days after the killing, Sheriff Raymond reported that the Special Investigation Unit is only making arrangements to interview the deputy shooter and two accomplices; taking months to complete.
Also, a separate internal investigation will be done, …eventually. The purpose of both investigations is to determine if proper procedures were followed to justify the shooting/killing of this motorist.
Was this shooting/killing in self-defense, an accident or racist? If racist, Black Lives do Matter…
Dallas Barnes, Pasco
Time for Trump to be dumped
Vile and disgusting ... Dump Trump!
Bruce Bjornstad, Richland
This story was originally published December 1, 2019 at 12:01 AM with the headline "Letters: Dec. 1, 2019."