Letters: National debt, Pasco group home, salmon idea and more | Jan. 29

Waste to blame for our national debt

The article by guest writer Mark Mansperger entitled “National Debt is a Time Bomb” (1/5/20) requires a response.

Mansperger blames past and current presidents for lowering taxes. He whines, “If only presidents would raise taxes, we could pay the national debt.” But no amount of taxpayer money could resolve the level of national debt we now see.

Mansperger fails to comment on the billions of dollars paid to foreign nations. He neglects to consider the growth in manufacturing and production, the expansion and strength of our economy, and the brilliant negotiating with other nations to balance our trade deficits – all of which address the national debt. American taxpayers should be looked at as a production machine, not a piggy bank.

If Washington, D.C. were genuinely interested in addressing the national debt, they would immediately stop funding other nations, cease the pork barrel legislation that makes lawmakers millionaires, and stop wasting our time and resources on charades like impeachment and “collusion.”

Waste is at the heart of our deficit. It is childish to suggest that “the haves” should pay more because they have it. Fomenting class envy is a tired old liberal trick, offensive and idiotic.

Supporting Mirror Ministries

I am writing in response to the article about the proposed Mirror Ministries sex trafficking group home in Pasco.

As one of the most closely located neighbors, I feel that the article was misleading. Yes, a group of homeowners got together and decided to oppose the plans. However, that group most certainly does not represent our entire neighborhood. Not only were some of us blindsided by the article, we are also being completely vilified in the online comments because readers assume all neighbors are in agreement. There are more than 24 people in our neighborhood and it is inaccurate to insinuate that the group represents all of us.

For the record, it does not. My family is in complete support of the plans proposed by Mirror Ministries and I will be at the February 4th planning meeting to share our views. I would encourage other like-minded members of the community to do the same. Thank you!

Self-exaltation ‘shall be humbled’

Regarding the impeachment of President Donald Trump: “Whoever exalts himself shall be humbled.” (Matthew 23:12)

Try feeding orcas with sea lions

Regarding removal of the dams on the lower Snake River:

The lower Snake River dams allow for tons of barge traffic that manage to transport produce and goods to the Portland area.

I too have concerns about the salmon. However, it would be wise to consider how greatly increased truck traffic on our highways would be, thus adding to air pollution, not to mention the congestion on already congested highways.

The wind turbine farms can’t replace the output of the energy generated by these dams either. Curiously, study after study is ordered costing taxpayers who knows how much? Seems they are looking for a study to say something more convincing than the last. Anything new?

There’s no simple solution, but all of the cons must be weighed against all of the pros of dam removal. Looking forward to greatly increased truck traffic along major routes already jam packed with trucks is bleak.

Some months ago, a suggestion to help the salmon and killer whale population would be to lure the seals (sea lions) from the mouth of the Columbia to where the whale pods are residing to feed the whales and decrease the number of seals that eat the salmon.

Time to get out of Iran’s business

With all the controversy currently brewing around a possible war with Iran, it is necessary to say that these recent acts of terror are not deviations from American foreign policy in Iran. They are the norm.

The assassination of Qassem Suleimani and President Trump’s targeting of Iranian cultural sites (which constitutes a war crime, according to a United Nations resolution adopted in 2017) are just the beginning when it comes to American violence in the Middle East. In 1953, the United States deposed of Mohammad Mosaddegh, the Iranian Prime Minister because of his policies not favoring American oil magnates, replacing him with a military dictatorship.

Since the Iranian Revolution, the United States has committed numerous acts of terror against civilians in Iran, notably the 1988 attack on a commercial airliner by a Navy missile cruiser, resulting in the deaths of 290 innocent people. In regards to this incident, presidential candidate George H.W. Bush said, “I will never apologize for the United States of America. Ever. I don’t care what the facts are.”

We know what the facts are. We must end these never-ending wars for good, and get our soldiers out of Iran!

This story was originally published January 29, 2020 at 12:01 AM with the headline "Letters: National debt, Pasco group home, salmon idea and more | Jan. 29."