Trump’s “spying”, lack of local control over wind turbines among Herald letters | Opinion
GOP ‘spokesfolk:’ Give us answers
Well here’s Senator Lyndsey Graham on the Sunday chat circuit shouting (literally) that “Trump is not a spy!” True, but irrelevant: Trump is not accused of spying. He is accused of mishandling and wrongful holding. Even a dull lawyer should be able to see that distinction.
Graham’s other big complaint, and a favorite with all the Trump folks, is “What about Hillary’s emails?” Perhaps someone out there in “T world” can explain to all of us why Trump’s Department of Justice spent four years ignoring that matter. Can it be because Jeff Sessions was too fond of Hillary? Was Bill Barr just too busy? And, oh yeah, the other guy. Anybody even recall the name of Trump’s third AG?
Speaking of which: how is it that the business genius managed in only a couple of years to hire a busload of people only to fire them all a few months, or even days later as incompetent or traitorous?
If any GOP spokesfolk actually address the evidence, please put it on the front page. That would be news indeed.
Mark Raddatz, Walla Walla
Local control is the primary issue
Whether you are for or against the Horse Heaven Wind Farm and pending solar farms across Benton County, the real issue is the relinquishing of local control to the state. Gov. Jay Inslee and his self-appointed council (the Energy Facility Site Evaluation Council or EFSEC) have silenced local decisions in the Tri-Cities and Eastern Washington through regulatory force.
Decisions normally made locally through our Benton County commissioners have now been regulated away... like wind and solar farms.
Inslee spoke at the United Nations Climate Conference in Egypt in November 2022 in front of a world audience. He said: “Governments will have to overcome NIMBYism, including in Washington, to achieve clean energy goals. Regulatory reforms are needed to prevent local opponents from delaying projects.”
The Tri-Cities has a grassroots group of citizens called Tri-Cities CARES. They have been endorsed by the Kennewick City Council, Tri-Cities Regional Chamber of Commerce, Visit Tri-Cities and the Lower Columbia Basin Audubon.
As with all legal action, the cost is high. Donations (tax deductible) are needed to continue to regain local control.
Donations can be made by either sending a check to Tri-Cities CARES, 1360 Louisiana St. #175 Kennewick 99336 or on the website www.tricitiescares.org.
Mike Minelli, Kennewick
Farmland sales complex question
This is in response to Congressman Dan Newhouse’s guest opinion in the June 4 print edition of the Tri-City Herald.
My understanding from this article is that the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) is threatening us with acts of aggression, including buying American farmland. He is sponsoring legislation preventing the sale of land to the CCP. He wants to ask our allies and friends to join us in confronting CCP aggression.
This is more complicated than what he says. For instance, there are 17 other countries that own more American farmland than the CCP. Shouldn’t his bill address these as well?
Many countries have significant trade and investment relations with the CCP, so joining with us in a confrontation with CCP would impact their economies as well. President Trump not only imposed tariffs and sanctions on the CCP but our friends and allies as well. Why would they want to pursue our agenda?
I’ll bet that there are strong voices in the CCP that say that we are a threat to them and that they must confront and challenge us at every turn. Do you suppose that the aggressive rhetoric from Dan Newhouse and the Republicans will turn into a self-fulfilling prophecy?
Don Sebelien, Pasco