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LETTERS TO THE EDITOR Letters to the Editor, Nov. 19 DailyTidings.com Writer Posted Nov. 19, 2015 @ 12:01 am Posted Nov. 19, 2015 @ 12:01 am » Social News p bs:newslist StartDate="20121121" EndDate="p bs:datecalc Months="3"" DateSort="1" UseObjects="1" ObjectClass="81" Taxonomywords="2324,665" ExactTaxonomyMatch="1" Image="1" Count="4" --> Support wilderness plan In “Wild Side: Why we climb mountains,” Joseph Valle writes about why humans are compelled to reach the mountain peak. While I appreciate the sentiment, I want to highlight the underlying infrastructure that makes his trip to the wild side possible. We would like to think that wilderness areas arise organically, but of course they are the most intentional of places. For Mount Thielsen, this is particularly relevant because it is currently part of a proposal that would create a 75-mile-long wilderness corridor, which would incorporate Crater Lake National Park and many other pre-existing wilderness areas. Habitat connectivity is one of the things that keeps Mount Thielsen and Crater Lake spectacular and pristine. Unfortunately, the timber industry threatens to clearcut the unprotected area outside of these wilderness areas, which threatens their integrity. As someone who loves wilderness and who appreciates the ecosystem services that such areas provide, I, along with over 31,000 Oregonians, support Sen. Ron Wyden in passing a bill that would permanently protect 500,000 acres outside of Crater Lake NP. Such protection would ensure that we could continue to bag those peaks and explore an untrammeled wilderness into perpetuity. Sarah Lukins Ashland City's growth unsustainable In her Nov. 3 Council Corner article “The future of Ashland’s water,” Pam Marsh points out how the ongoing drought has forced the city to increase water rates by 10 percent in each of the last three years, to accelerate the TAP water project and to supplement the city’s drinking water by taking away TID water rights from 86 Ashland households on the west side of town. She predicts, “In the future, it is possible that we will need to divert water from east-side users as well.” Marsh concludes by saying “And along with questions of technology and money, we also need to initiate a broad community conversation about our habits and our expectations.” Read: Get ready, Ashlanders, for more water shortages, more rate increases, more watering restrictions and possibly even water rationing in the future. Clearly, Ashland has a water problem. Which is why it just boggles my mind that Marsh, along with the mayor and other city councilors, are about to make the situation even worse. If they vote to approve the Normal Neighborhood Plan, which allows developers to build approximately 450 new residential units in that area, they will be putting Ashland on an irreversible path of unsustainable growth. I think it is irresponsible for our city leaders to permit such over-development of new housing during these times of continuing drought. Such growth will result in severe water shortages, requiring the city to draw more extensively on expensive TAP water and surely leading to more rate increases for everyone. This is a quality of life issue and it affects every person living in this beautiful city. Paula Fox Ashland The joke is on us If several billionaires came to your house asking for a $2,180 hand-out for each person living there, and came back each year with the same request, how often would you cough up the money? My guess is you wouldn’t do it once, much less year after year. Most of us would laugh — or kick — the billionaires out of our house. Well, the joke is on us! This is exactly what the International Monetary Fund calculates Americans subsidize fossil fuel companies each year. Not only are corporate annual profits in the multi-billion dollar range, the salaries of their chief executive officers are in the multi-million dollar range. Little wonder that corporate executives are committed to buying every legislator they can; it’s the best way to protect the obscene subsidy they gain from us each year. Indeed, IMF figures indicate 2015 total subsidy granted U.S. fossil fuel companies was $699 billion — from a U.S. population of 321 million. Adding insult to injury, the same corporations are routinely funding the campaign of lies and misinformation that prevents us from addressing global warming, a threat to the livability of our planet for future generations. Are fossil fuel corporations playing us for saps, or what? Trisha Vigil Talent DailyTidings.com Writer Posted Nov. 19, 2015 @ 12:01 am » Comment or view comments Terms of Service /* $( document ).ready(function() { // Jquery mobile is trying to style the button and leaving a blank gry button on top of a white button $("#viafouracoms .vf-comment-controls li.vf-right").html(' Submit '); });*/ » STAY INFORMED Email NewsLetter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. calendar Connect with DailyTidings.com Facebook Twitter RSS Back to top Reader Services Reader Services home Subscriptions Subscriber controls Contact us Submissions Photos Events Letters to the editor Corrections Alerts Email alerts RSS feeds Text Alerts Advertise Media Kit Home Products and services Ad rates Advertising contacts Propel Marketing Mail Tribune Daily Tidings The Nickel Shop Our Valley Blogs Mobile Site Stay Informed Email newsletter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. 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