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Letters: A national cult Sept. 11 has ceased being an event; it is the centerpiece of a national cult. Otherwise-rational people, when faced with the administration's inaccuracies will fabricate theory inconsistent with the known evidence with the same blind devotion as those before have hugged their children and fed them poison Kool-Aid, or swallowed fistfuls of downers and put their head in a plastic bag, as an obeisance of faith in their devoted leader. Fact: This is a nation of checks and balances; the citizenry must be an influential part of the body politic for this to function as a democracy, and that restraint is being undermined. Don't ask for my faith. Fact: I deserve a better response than, "Sit back, shut up and leave the bombing to us." This is my country. You are stripping me of my wealth. You are killing my children. I've every right to question. Ryk Tompkins Central Point *** Guest forum: Pass the maximum house size law By Amy Ahrendt Clark Ashland I am a homeowner in the Skidmore-Academy Historic District and am in strong support of the proposed Maximum House Size ordinance. I urge the City Council to adopt the ordinance as soon as possible. The main arguments reportedly raised against the ordinance at the recent hearings are, in my opinion, clearly outweighed by its benefits to the community. As a former tourist to Ashland myself, I can assure many doubters that visitors to Ashland come not only (and not even all primarily) for the Oregon Shakespeare Festival, but also for the picturesque charm that our town offers. The historic districts are an integral part of this charm, and preserving them has economic value in terms of tourism. In addition, there are many of us who believe that preserving our community's heritage by means of its historic neighborhoods has an intrinsic, if intangible and unquantifiable, value for residents and visitors alike. Ashland's historic neighborhoods make up a quite small percentage of property within the city limits. Those who desire to build a huge home, or who feel that their creativity would be impeded by having any size limit, have the choice of other areas of town in which to build. This ordinance does not limit property owners' creativity in any way except in terms of size ( and it might even be argued that a size constraint could promote rather than destroy architectural creativity!) I also venture to guess that the vast majority of people who will feel adversely affected by this ordinance are not current Ashland property owners, but those who desire to move here from elsewhere and build grand homes (as evidenced by the new mansions now gracing many of our hillsides.) Contrary to the opinion expressed by one of the planning commissioners as quoted in the Tidings, we cannot rely on the "culture of Ashland" to keep a check on the size of new homes or new additions in our historic neighborhoods. The changes happening in our historic neighborhoods are by and large not being initiated by those who have grown up within the traditional "culture of Ashland" but by wealthy immigrants imbued with the culture of conspicuous consumption. It is government's obligation to consider the common good in enacting laws and regulations, and the government passes many types of legislation which impacts owners' property rights in some way. As a property owner, I am happy to be limited by the Maximum House Size ordinance and believe that it is a reasonable constraint on property rights given that there are alternatives for those who feel negatively affected by it. LINKS: DAILY TIDINGS: Main | News | Sports | Business | Obituaries | Opinion | Columnists | AP News | Subscribe | Archives | Weather | Classifieds | Contact Us | Privacy REVELS: Main | Calendar | Dining | Movies | T.V. OTHER: Road Cams Copyright 2003 Ashland Daily Tidings 541.482.3456. 1661 Siskiyou Blvd., Ashland, OR 97520. Ottaway Newspapers, Inc. - Advertisers -