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If
it quacks like a duck...
The Editor:
Skallman Park not official? Skallman Park is an official
park. It is as official as the airport is official. It was
dedicated by mayor Amos Pine or Doc Bonilla as “Saving
a jewel for future generations when the east side builds
up.” The sign was put up by the city of Blaine and
is to this day maintained by our taxes.
I hand
cycle past the park at least three times a week. Despite
being desecrated by the building on even more neighboring
airport property, it is still a jewel. Take a ride there
and see for yourself. Get out of the car and walk around
the pond. It is still as peaceful as ever. I think it is
the neatest city park we have.
If
Skallman's park goes then I suggest the airport goes too.
It just makes sense. The city council is using some type
of Latin phrase to intimidate a fellow Borderite into cutting
trees that have been around his home for generations; all
for the sake of the airport. The citizens of Blaine are
losing the last real secluded spot in east Blaine because
of the airport.
The
airport keeps getting smaller and smaller because more and
more land is used for industrial building, but is costing
more and more to run. So much so that we must sell or lease
our little jewel all for the sake of 13 or 14 planes ...
What are the people of Blaine getting back? A piece of ground
across from the police department and possibly a huge new
levy to build the new park. I’m all for getting the
ground, but not at the expense of Skallman Park. Put it
up to the voters to see what stays. I suggest that the park
would come out the clear winner. Of course, I would rather
they both stay.
We
keep talking about tourism, yet we really don’t do
anything to show we really do want tourism. One way would
be to put in the bike lanes that we locals voted for. Odell
Road is an excellent example. Correct me if I’m wrong,
but I don’t remember any third lane in the plans. I
knew there were to be bike lanes. Where are they and those
that were to be put in as part of our other Blaine road
improvements? Every time I hear the city is going to “improve
another road, do the whole ball of wax” I cringe. It
means that there is going to be one less road that I will
be able to safely ride anymore.
I sat
in front of the old Blaine post office as we gathered signatures
to save the airport and was a fervent supporter of Blaine’s
vision of the future. But you mess with Skallman Park and
you will have changed this voter and others into fervent
opponents of the airport and a skeptic on the word of the
council. We all know of the many “squeakers” that
made it by only a few votes. It’s those votes that
you are now alienating.
Finally,
I am appalled that anyone would treat one of our more respected
elders by asking him if they could tear down his park. I
am surprised that you didn’t ask Mr. Skallman for a
chainsaw to run right down there and cut the sign down.
Knowing Mr. Skallman’s honor and character I’m
sure he would have lent you one. Well, if you do, please
cut down the airport sign as well because I for one will
not support it anymore. Maybe this is what the council wants.
Make us vengeful by taking Skallman Park and then when the
next airport levy comes up, we vote no. Hmmm, works for
me except I may have the tendency to vote no for any other
levy presented in the future.
After
writing this letter, I saw Mr. Skallman at the senior center.
I asked him about the park and his exact words were, “I
told them they could cut the trees. It will still be a great
park.” I then sheepishly told him that they didn’t
consider it a park and were planning on putting metal buildings
on it. His words verbatim were, “Well, city council
did approve the park, so it’s a park.” Yes, Mr.
Skallman they did approve the park and they also dedicated
it to the people of Blaine. I trust that the people of Blaine
will stand up and be counted when it comes to our city treasures,
as we did when saving the airport years ago.
Patrick Madsen
Blaine
A
dog’s life
The Editor:
My name is Snowflake. I have a problem. Perhaps the
city council can help. While I am always good and listen
to mom and dad, my brother Happy and my sister Mitzy sometimes
do foolish things, like running across the street without
looking and going up to people they don’t know and
scaring them. Like it is for me, the concept of public restrooms
is foreign to them so they soil private property and public
walkways. I am lucky, mom and dad almost always pick up
after me. I wish other moms and dads would do that.
Another
thing. Happy and Mitzy would feel much safer if others were
also kept on a leash. We have been scared many times when
strangers, many very aggressive, have rushed up to us. As
I say, I am very nice and sweet but my brother and sister,
like many others, should be restrained.
George Tranberg
Blaine
Get
on the bus!
The Editor:
The ultimate solution to Puget Sound transportation
problems involves the use of motor coaches, rather than
a $12 billion subsidized train.
For
far too long, the motor coach industry has tacitly accepted
the status handed to us by our federal regulators. While
other nations view motor coaches as prominent players in
their transportation systems, our existing government structures
and institutions perpetuate the old view of motor coaches,
effectively treating them like the tail of the commercial
vehicle dog.
We
need to look at the bigger picture. A July 2000 report by
R.L. Banks & Associates, stated that U.S. and Canadian
motor coach operators carry 860 million passengers yearly.
U.S. operators carry 774 passengers compared with 558 million
airline passengers and 377 million on intercity rail. Motor
coaches are not only the busiest mode of transportation,
they are historically, year after year, the safest.
A motor
coach can operate for a fraction of the cost of a train.
You could run a 47, or even a 55 passenger motor coach every
half hour, 24 hours a day, between Bellingham and Seattle/Tacoma
for the next 1,534 years for $12 billion. Why spend more
and still get less? If people want the romance of a train
and choose to spend more money than necessary for basic
intercity transportation, let them pay for it out of their
own pocket.
A motor
coach can operate on any highway. It is flexible enough
to use alternative routes if main highways are blocked.
Can a train do that? It is easy to add extra motor coaches
to any run. If people want safe, reliable, affordable transportation
that gives them an option to driving their personal car,
then use a motor coach. Will a train running two, four,
six or even eight times a day really take that many people
out of their cars? Can we afford it?
Not
that I am against rail. In some cases it is a great alternative,
but it should be considered and treated as just that, one
of several alternatives. If we are going to use public funds
we need to include all alternatives, not just the most expensive
ones.
For
those on a recent Airport Ground Transportation Association
airport tour in Baltimore, there was a sense that once more,
rail connections were at the heart of the planning and funding
process, and passengers utilizing rubber-tire conveyances
such as taxi, van, limo and motor coach were not being given
due consideration for the volumes of passengers they move
from airport curbs each day. Do you suppose that rail planning
enthusiasts believe that if they make the alternatives much
more difficult to use, people in significant numbers will
use the rail service they think we should use?
Larry Wickkiser
Ferndale
April:
the cruelest month
The Editor:
I hate this time of year. Of course, I’m talking
about tax time. This is the time of year that we can actually
see tangible proof of how Uncle Sam is, pardon the expression,
screwing us over.
I got
my W2 form last week and started working up my 1040, filling
out all the appropriate blocks and completing all the required
schedules. When I finished I figured I will get a refund
of $72 and change. In past years I would be jumping for
joy that I would be getting a “bonus” from the
IRS.
But
as the years have gone by and as government has been getting
bigger, I don’t get that warm fuzzy feeling anymore.
It’s more like a bad case of indigestion. I took a
good hard look at the withholding blocks on the W2. Taking
into account federal income tax, social security tax, and
the Medicare tax, the federal government was taking just
shy of 20 percent of my total income, 20 percent. That is
nearly one fifth of my total income for the year. Add to
that property taxes, sales tax, various excise taxes, and
licensing fees, I am paying at least 50 percent of my total
income in various federal, state, and local taxes. I am
working two and a half days a week just to pay taxes. This
is insane.
What
is being done with all this money? Feeding people? Some
maybe, but there are still hungry and homeless people. Fixing
the roads? Well some, but there are still plenty of potholes.
Educating our children? Some of them, but a lot of them
still graduate as functionally illiterate.
Then
I got to thinking, did I give the government permission
to take this money out of my check? Am I giving this money
to the government voluntarily? The answer to both of those
questions is no. The definition of “stealing”
is someone or something taking money from me and I have
no recourse. If someone entered your home armed with a gun
and took 50 percent of all the money you made, you would
be outraged. You’d want that person to spend a sizable
amount of his life in the gray bar motel.
Why
are we not as outraged when the government takes this amount
of money from us each year? Just think of what you would
do with that money if you didn’t have to give it up.
Would you send your kids to a private school? Would you
take that dream vacation that you’ve always wanted
to take? Would you give more money to your church or favorite
charity? Would you use it to take care of your elderly parents?
Don’t you think you know what’s best to do with
your money that you worked hard for? Think of all the extra
hours put in at work just to make ends meet. Don’t
you think you deserve to keep what you earn, or spend it,
save it, or give it away as you think is right?
Now
if governments’ only responsibility was to keep us
safe in our homes and a free market took care of the rest,
we would be able to keep most of what we worked hard for.
“It’s a pipe dream” you say to yourself.
But what if there was an organization who’s goal it
is to help ensure that the “pipe dream” comes
true someday. It does exist. It is the Libertarian Party.
Their goal is to limit government to its constitutional
function. If you would like to learn more about the Libertarian
Party, you can contact its website at www.lp.org or you
can call the Libertarian Party of Whatcom County at 360/733-6410.
Terry Pilant
Blaine
Letters
Policy
The Northern Light welcomes letters to the editor; however,
the opinions expressed are not those of the editor. Letters
must include name, address and daytime telephone number
for verification. Letters must not exceed 350 words and
may be edited or rejected for reasons of legality, length
and good taste. Thank-you letters should be limited to 10
names. A fresh viewpoint on matters of general interest
to local readers will increase the likelihood of publication.
Writers should avoid personal invective. Unsigned letters
will not be accepted for publication. Requests for withholding
names will be considered on an individual basis. Only one
letter per month from an individual correspondent will be
published.
Please
send your letter to:
225 Marine Drive, Blaine, WA 98230 or fax 360/332-2777.
E-mail:editor@thenorthernlight.com
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