01/02/08 Letters to the Editor

Free border agents

To the editor -- Due to a lack of leadership from our elected leaders and representatives, we do not have a needed seasonal guest workers program.

I agree with Nancy Washburn in her Dec. 22 letter that we should release from jail the border agents Ignacio Ramos and Jose Alonso Compean.

Border agents are essential for protecting our borders from those attempting to enter our country illegally.

FRANK V. WARREN

Yakima

Moving wrecking yard

To the editor -- The good news: Yakima County is planning to move the Douglas Wrecking Yard from its existing location on an island in the Yakima River near the Donald/Wapato Interstate 82 interchange.

The bad news: They are planning to move it to the other side of the interchange, 12 feet above the aquifer, adjacent to a historic site, at the entrance to the Yakima Valley Wine Country, surrounded by homes and orchards and readily visible from the freeway.

Why would they do this? Well, they determined it wouldn't be a problem and besides, there is a willing buyer and seller.

CRAIG FISHER

Yakima

Climate recycling

To the editor -- Debate/argument continues concerning "global warming," but assorted media are offering precious few facts as perspective.

1) Is Earth's climate slowly warming over our lifetime? Almost certainly.

2) Why? Surface temperatures of our fair planet continue to rise faster than atmospheric temperatures (true the last 20 years or so), which means "greenhouse gases" cannot be the principal cause. If they were, the atmosphere would warm first; then the land.

3) What can we do about it? What earthly species have always done: Adapt or die. Would it be better if we stopped wasting energy? Of course. We should have done so decades ago, but it's been mostly just talk all my life (60 years).

4) Has this all happened before? You bet. Archaeological/geological records of the last 2 billion years indicate significant ice/snow coverage of our fair planet some three times, altogether occupying less than 5 percent of that 2 billion years. In short: Hot, wet and tropical are mostly what Earth has been the last 2 billion years. Even the fossil record beneath the Antarctic ice cap is tropical-type vegetation.

And please note: If not for "global warming" the Yakima Valley would be under about 600 feet of ice -- just like it was 25,000 years ago.

Enjoy your ski season.

Dr. JEFFREY M. REYNOLDS

Yakima

Wapato cuts

To the editor -- As I read the Dec. 28 article about Wapato's budget, I can't help but wonder why the city didn't look at changing some other things.

I understand that all the police officers have a car that they can take home. That, to me, seems excessive. I grew up in a small town and the police department had only three patrol cars. I wouldn't think that they would need any more cars than they would have officers on at one time. All the cars look fairly new. That's just one thing I notice right off the bat.

With what the city charges for water, sewer and garbage, there should be some money available there. What vabout the jail? Has anyone looked into the cost of having Yakima County house inmates for the city? On the outside it looks like it would be cheaper.

I understand that the city has contracts with other cities, but maybe sending all that business to Yakima County would benefit all.

I am not the one who has to manage the city's budget, but as a city taxpayer I seem to see some things that could change. I hope the city is looking for other ideas and not falling in the "That's how we have always done it" trap.

To the city of Wapato officials, maybe you should ask the folks who live in your town what they might do to cut a budget.

DAVE MARTIN

Wapato

Teach in English

To the editor -- It is past time for schools to drop Spanish classes here as well as nationwide and go back to English only.

For 30-plus years we have been bowing to the Hispanic communities and the Secretary of Education, et al, pushing Spanish language classes in math, reading, writing and thinking. What do we end up with?

Why can't you try immersion in the English language? It works. Our own government proves that by using that method to teach those going abroad to work in foreign countries. It will save money as well as saving our very capable teachers, who, by the way, are struggling with the two-language system.

You already know that America has operated very well in English only for over 200 years. One language is the glue that has worked remarkably well for the U.S.A. We don't want and don't need a Babel of other languages.

Keep your Spanish and other languages at home, but leave our English language alone.

Come on, all you who are for English only, and join with the few of us already replying to the "white paper" (Nov. 12 Herald-Republic, "Language and schools -- A demand for change").

ALICE B. PERIN

Yakima