Great rainy photos
Thank you, August Frank, for your “Rainy day delights” (Tribune, Feb. 23).
Keep up the wonderful work.
Karen Young
Lewiston
Our fish deserve a chance
Counting salmon/steelhead returns provides a statistical tool that can be useful in analyzing trends in fish numbers. Jerry McGehee’s Feb. 11 letter shows a command of important numbers in the ongoing fish discussion. He reminds the reader of some positive numbers for 1998-2009, but when transport was abandoned for dam spills, he brands the decision “reckless.”
If the situation was a clear case of “transport v. spill,” this reader would be inclined to agree. Alas, it was not a clear case, and McGehee even wrote, “Many factors affect returning salmon and steelhead.” That sentence ... reveals his most accurate assessment of the situation. The numbers alone are not a complete picture.
His “many factors,” deserve more attention than the statistics of salmon and steelhead numbers on the lower Snake River dams almost two decades past. Another factor that hurts salmon/steelhead numbers ... is the irresponsible unrestricted release of multimillions of hatchery-produced pink and chum salmon by Japanese, Chinese and Russian fisheries interests.
There is another factor that I want to mention and it is called “critical mass.” Mark Kurlansky brings this issue up in his massive work, simply titled, “Salmon.” Critical mass is vital to species survival and North American steelhead and salmon species have already been lost. For those that remain, the struggle is difficult and survival is at risk.
The sad story of the salmon continues. I don’t want our steelhead, our salmon to disappear. ... The fighting steelhead and fighting salmon ... deserve a fighting chance.
Steven R. Evans
Lapwai
Penny common sense
Coin collecting was a childhood hobby of mine. Consequently, it’s been obvious to me that the penny has been less than worthless for decades.
Imagine for even a moment the time (money) wasted nationwide producing, transporting, counting and sorting the penny. I’m guessing it could be a $1 billion a day.
The real reason for their continued existence is their use as a tax token. The penny’s existence enables local jurisdictions to levy sales taxes at the point of purchase in fractional increments (8.6%).
The whole thing is a hugely wasteful dance with the devil. Sales taxes should levied to the seller (merchant) based on monthly tallies and removed from the front line entirely. Some minor changes in computing and accounting, and it could be implemented almost immediately.
The same rationale could be applied to the nickel and the dime. Retailers could then round every price in the store to the nearest quarter. Bing, bang, boom; easy as that.
I also believe this would have a stabilizing effect on the overall economy.
J.C. Passmore Jr.
Elk City
When enough is enough
Watching the bizarre antics of Donald Trump and his idiot sycophants during his first month back in office would be amusing were it not for the fact that the effect on the country I love so much will be so serious and dangerous.
Looking at what Trump is doing certainly looks like a deliberate effort to destroy our nation, destroy our financial system, reduce our country to the status of banana republic, trash our international alliances and allow Vladimir Putin, and perhaps Xi Jinping, to carry out far-reaching campaigns of empire building.
Trump came into office pledging revenge on all of those who he considers his enemies and even those who did not step forward and worship him profusely enough. Well, Trump really does not understand the American people very well. We can tolerate a lot because we are basically a peaceable people.
At some point, however, the American people will say enough is enough. Trump thinks he is about to deliver a comeuppance but the shoe will be on the other foot. People who voted for him are already going online and regretting their votes, as they should. When Trump’s idiocy reaches intolerable levels, which is not that far away, the American people will rise up and take steps. Trump’s empty-headed, idiot, grinning sycophants would be well-advised to jump ship soon so they don’t go down with Trump.
Trump thinks he is quite the tough guy but he can’t hold a candle to the American people for toughness.
Danny Radakovich
Lewiston
Open your eyes
Once upon a time, I was a little boy. I would shut my eyes and tell my parents I was blind. Being unblind was a simple matter of just opening my eyes. Real blindness is a serious problem for one million Americans who are blind.
Recently I had the privilege of attending the Wild Rose Church of God Fall Harvest Festival in Viola. I simply had to open my eyes to see what is right with America. Approximately 100 assembled in the beautiful community center. A crowd of Mennonites and their community guests shared song, food and prayer together.
Mennonites have long roots that began in the 16th century and flower in the U.S. and world today, with 500,000 in the U.S. and 2.2 million globally. Today there are 18 distinct groups of Mennonites in North America. Purity of heart, service to others, and pacifism are characteristics of people dedicated to a simple, nonmaterialistic lifestyle. They are dedicated to work with their hands, many in construction, ranching and farming, and serving others with their hearts. They believe in a strict separation of church and state.
With my eyes wide open and ears listening to many beautiful a cappella songs: “Rock of Ages” and “Such Love I Can’t Explain” — “I see the love of Jesus in little children’s eyes.”
I affirmed what I know to be true: My Mennonite neighbors, the Kohens, are the best family a person could have.
Stan Smith
Viola
