Backing Anacostia
A bill to make the District of Columbia a state has passed in the U.S. House of Representatives. Certainly with a population exceeding the states of Vermont and Wyoming, the district’s residents deserve the advantages of statehood.
Republicans are predictably opposing the 51st state, seemingly because of anti Black Lives Matter sentiments, anti-democratic Trumpism and maybe racism. Wyoming and Vermont are more than 90 percent white, so why not balance with an equally Black state?
The proposed name, Washington-Douglass Commonwealth is not a good one. We don’t need two states named after the former slave owner. I would suggest the name Anacostia, the largest Indian settlement there when Europeans arrived and dominated.
Richard Shafer
Pullman
The ‘big lie’
Joseph Goebbels is credited with saying, “If you tell a lie big enough and keep repeating it, people will eventually come to believe it.” President Biden’s naive climate change plans will cause unprecedented damage to America’s energy economy, lifestyles and individual freedoms if actually carried out. His executive orders have already caused gas prices to rise at least 50 cents a gallon with no relief in sight.
We in the United States are being fed a huge lie, that we can significantly change the climate by greatly reducing our carbon dioxide production. If there were real science to back up this “need,” it would be published for all to see. Sadly, the mainstream media, the United Nations and some in our government continue to claim the science is settled without providing the data to back up the claims.
China is building on average about one coal plant a week; purportedly, more coal plants than all other countries combined. China emits close to one third of all human carbon dioxide emissions. That’s more than the U.S. and European Union. combined. China is not promising any reduction in carbon dixoide emissions before 2030 when they hope to be the dominant power in the world.
The United States is dependent on China for the critical material components of wind turbines and solar panels. Less than 5 percent of U.S. energy production is now from wind and solar. The potential environmental and economic damage involved in raising “green” energy production to even 50 percent is huge. The negative economic consequences will likely be quite painful. Let’s continue to encourage green technological advances but recognize that green energy is many times more expensive on a unit of energy basis. It is time for the media to honestly research and present the facts about climate change and green energy.
Larry Kirkland
Moscow
Share and connect
May is Older Americans Month. Every May is Older Americans Month. This May is striking to me because four out of every five COVID-19 deaths are Americans 65 years and older. That is 500,000 deaths in one year.
In this past year many have written more condolences cards than in all their other years combined. We are hoping that vaccinations will bring us the killing of COVID-19 and a return to the lives we love.
The Washington State Council on Aging, on which I serve, is encouraging the celebration of Older Americans Month by urging seniors to share their experiences and thereby foster the connection and engagement that build strong resilient communities. When people of different ages, backgrounds, abilities and talents share experiences — through action, story, or service — we indeed have something to celebrate.
Here are some ways to share and connect: look for joy in the everyday; reach out to neighbors; build new skills; and share your story.
If you know of a senior in need or someone caring for a senior, contact the Whitman County Council on Aging or Rural Resources for help.
Karen Kiessling
Pullman
The airport and water
A column in the paper (Daily News, April 24) tells us about plans to expand the passenger terminal at the Pullman Moscow Regional Airport. It is good news as the existing terminal space is cramped and not safe. The article goes on to elaborate on the benefits of having a regional airport in our area.
However, it is important to point out that making our area more accessible also encourages newcomers. Moscow and Pullman are growing. It is likely the 2020 census will indicate that growth.
One of the consequences of growth is increased demand for water. We know our water supply is limited. The two aquifers we depend on are consistently declining. None of us want the day to come when we turn on the tap and nothing comes out.
Therefore, I’m grateful to one of the members of the airport’s Terminal Advisory Committee, Paul Kimmell, as he is also the chair of the Palouse Basin Aquifer Committee, which works to ensure a long-term, quality water supply for the Palouse Basin region. Paul’s advocacy for conservation, his deep understanding of the water constraints, combined with his place at the table for our regional airport, makes perfect sense.
Let’s recognize, acknowledge and thank those in our community who seek to meet the challenges of the future with careful consideration of what must be done today to reach the goal of true sustainability. Thank you, Paul Kimmell, for your dedication to the Palouse.
Zena Hartung
Moscow
Concerned about development
At 7 p.m. Wednesday at Moscow City Hall, the city’s Planning and Zoning Commission will consider approval of the Harvest Hills development, Area 1 and Area 2, located on Mountain View Road, Third Street and eastward.
The Area 1 proposal is especially alarming because of its location within blocks of Moscow Middle School and its sports complex, the Hamilton-Lowe pool complex, the skate park and the city soccer playfields, areas of heavy use especially by young people.
The additional congestion and traffic caused by new homes and businesses will seriously endanger the young people as well as nearby residents and neighborhoods nearby the narrow, heavily used Mountain View Road.
Residents of the area did not receive notice of the meeting (unless a sign on an undeveloped stretch of road qualifies) and feel uninformed and extremely worried about the additional development.
To urge the commission to delay the decision on the Harvest Hills development until the public is informed and specifics provided by the developer, email the commission immediately at p&z@ci.moscow.id.us or attend the meeting Wednesday on the second floor of City Hall at 206 E. Third St.
Carole Hurley Hughes
Moscow
