Letters 02-20-2012

Feb. 19, 2012

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Please keep your letter under 300 words (one page).

Only one letter per reader in a two month period will be accepted. may be edited for length or to correct factual errors. Letters must be signed to be considered for print and a phone number is required for verification. Faxed letters are not accepted.

World Spay Day

According to the Humane Society of the United States, 50 percent of dogs and 70 percent of cats that enter a shelter will not make it out. One homeless pet is euthanized every two seconds. Often these animals are the offspring of cherished family pets, even purebreds. Maybe someone’s cat or dog got out just one time, or maybe the litter was intentional, but efforts to find enough good permanent homes failed. The result is that homeless animals have to be euthanized. Spaying and neutering saves lives.

The 18 th annual World Spay Day takes place Feb. 28. Humane organizations and rescue groups, veterinary clinics and individuals all across the U.S. are organizing reduced cost spay/neuter clinics, hosting fundraisers and bringing awareness to the importance of spaying and neutering. Locally, we have 11 veterinary hospitals participating. The participants will match every spay/neuter appointment made that day with a free spay or neuter for a shelter or rescue animal.

Michele Fortuna Kalkaska

Northwoods Animal Coalition

More truth please

Northern Express fell short of its duty to the truth when it presented the issue on "Organic Farming". The cover subtitle, "A Hit in the Abstract, but Tough to Make it as a Business" and the title of the feature article, "From Farm, to Table, "¦ to Poor House" leaves little to the imagination when divining the intention of the editors.

If you had asked folks involved with farmers markets, then you would have found out about the likes of the Boyne City Farmers Market, and heard about its thirty years of providing a market for healthy, local food to the community. If you had asked folks who have farmed and sold food in our community, then you would have found out about the likes of Mike Everts and Blackbird Gardens, and heard about his more than 20 years as a successful truck farmer, educator, mentor, and caterer.

If you had asked folks who have processed and retailed locally grown food, then you would have found out about the likes of Pleasanton Breads, and heard about their use of Michigan grown grains, fruits, and vegetables since firing up their baking oven in 1993. If you had asked folks in the local field to plate restaurant business, then you would have found out about the likes of Eric and Jennifer at the Cooks’ House, and heard about them beginning their fifth year sourcing most of their menu from farmers, growers, and artisans who call Northern Michigan their home.

Instead, you asked a fellow recently transplanted from Arizona, with no experience in the local food industry, except as an entrepreneur beginning to farm here in Northern Michigan. A little dedication to the truth would have revealed a vibrant, expanding culture of eating healthy food grown and processed by our neighbors.

John McClorey - Boyne City

Fuss over nothing

This fuss over contraceptive coverage is just that, a fuss over nothing. If we allow employers to pick and choose, based on their personal beliefs what they will or will not cover for their employees, chaos will rule, and history and bigotry will reassert its drumbeat again.

If I am a Jehovah’s Witness, and I don’t believe in blood transfusions, shall I be allowed to exclude that coverage from my employees? If I am an Kosher Jew , and believe pigs are unclean, shall I void my employees coverage for needing a new pig valve? And if I am a Seventh Day Adventist, and believe eating animals is wrong, do I void prescribed medications tested on animals, or containing animal byproducts, for my employees?

And on and on it would go ... God help us and protect us from such enforced ignorance.

Patrick Begg - TC

Robo Fracking Letters

It seems like the "anti fracking" propaganda gets distributed on a regular basis similar to the Robo politico calls we will most certainly have to endure this coming fall. The message is more or less the same but the names are changed so the letters are not interrupted.

And like Robo calls after you heard the first one well you get the picture. There is no "opinion" just negative propaganda begged from what one can glean from the internet and like-minded blogs or in the name of saving the environment.

At what point can we have a meaningful discussion when it comes to energy. The advent of recovering vast volumes of natural gas and oil from shale using technology that has been evolving for decades can not only be important to our economy but for many economies around the world. Generating more of our electricity, heating more homes and powering more of our vehicles on natural gas will significantly reduce our use of coal and foreign oil while adding needed career jobs.

Natural gas emits merely 20% of nitrogen oxides and carbon monoxides, 40% less CO2, 1% of the mercury and 1% of the sulfur dioxide of coal. We have over a 100 year supply which no doubt will increase. This cleaner fuel source can possibly bridge the gap that we are looking for to a more permanent energy solution.

Renewable energy such as solar and wind now accounts for about 2% of our current energy requirement. These will help but it will take decades before they provide a noticeable amount of our energy.

Let’s stop the Robo letters and let’s begin the discussion of what needs to be done to save our economy, our children’s future and yes, the environment.

Jim Peters - East Jordan

Obamacare works?

I have a few problems with Ms. Hunter’s letter in your 2/6 issue. First, she claims nearly one in four Michigan children under the age of 19 have a pre-existing medical condition and were denied insurance. I’d like to know where she got that number. Ever heard of Blue Cross/Blue Shield of Michigan, they accept everyone who applies regardless of medical history.

Second, costs to insurance companies mandated through federal and/or state regulation are passed on to the consumer through higher premiums. Thirdly, whenever you hear the words "FREE" or "out of pocket savings" relating to Medicaid and Medicare you should be reminded these are taxpayer funded benefits.

Right now we borrow approximately 35 cents on the dollar to provide these benefits. So you can pay now through higher insurance premiums or simply dump the cost to pay off the debt on your children and grandchildren. Either way we need to get the government out of the healthcare business.

Get ready citizens, someday soon the government check will not be in the mail. Simply look to Greece, Italy and Portugal, we’re on the same path.

Tom Biggs - Manistee