March 19, 2024

Letters 08-27-2012

Aug. 26, 2012
letters

Email your letter to: info@northernexpress.com

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.

Time to split atoms

Across the country, slick sales pitches are being made for wind power. The irony is that those salesmen are working for the natural gas industry. When the wind dies down, something else has to power up; that something is usually a gas turbine burning natural gas, which is the only sort of power plant being built these days.

All those Ontario wind farms are backed up by a gas-burning plant you don’t see; gas burners mean gas buyers and gas buyers mean fracking. Salesmen know which side their bread is buttered on.

If we want to stop burning things to make electricity, our best option is also the most-vilified and least-understood: nuclear energy.

Our news coverage is insanely unbalanced. The Chevron refinery fire two weeks ago sent 1,000 to hospitals and nobody cared, but articles about Fukushima still stoke fears half a world away. Nobody got seriously hurt, despite three meltdowns, but 761 died in the hurried evacuation to escape the deadly-threat-that-wasn’t. It was a false panic on the scale of Orson Welles’ "War of the Worlds."

Patrick Moore, James Lovelock and George Monbiot now promote nuclear power. If we really want clean water and clean air, it’s the way to go.

How about building a new Westinghouse AP-1000 at Big Rock Point? How about two of them in Midland, so we can stop burning gas to make steam for Dow Chemical? I own a wind turbine, but I would rather split atoms than frack shale to stay warm on winter nights.

Russ Cage - Williamsburg

Trivial sports talk

Another disappointment for those of us who enjoy spirited, challenging, and thoughtprovoking radio discussions. Alas, two local radio stations, FM-105.5 and FM-106.7, will be eliminating the talk radio line-up of both conservative and progressive political talk shows along with informative programs that include financial advice, home-care advice, and numerous other formats.

And, for what, you ask? Well, it seems these stations want to bring mind-numbing sports trivia to us 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Yes, 24/7, constant talk about sports!

Rather than keeping vibrant, educational, and important information on the airwaves in our area, these stations have decided to bring to their current intelligent, thoughtful listeners, meaningless sports trivia. Could this change be an example of corporate America removing the thought process from Northern Michiganders, to keep our minds distracted from the serious issues that face our nation? Talk about dumbing down your audience.

This change goes into effect on the last day of August, and when the new format takes place, this listener will no longer be there. Will you?

Betty Bushey - Elmwood Township

Get with it, Express

I completed the 2012 Northern Express Readers Survey (compiled by Survey Monkey) and was dismayed that a supposedly progressive newspaper had a survey that did not allow for "marital status" choice other then single or married.

WHAT?!?! Is this 1950? I assume that your readership is a little more diverse than that.

What about those that are in nontraditional relationships that consider themselves neither single nor married? As for myself, my same-sex partner and I are not allowed to get married, though we just celebrated our 25th year anniversary with approximately 20 other same-sex couples, most of whom also read your magazine.

Get with it Northern Express. And if your answer is that Monkey Survey didn’t give you an option other than single or married, then shame on you for not finding another survey option that meets the demographics of today's families and readers.

Fred Farage - via email

Empty Mitt

Withholding information is a form of dishonesty. It stems from a need in childhood to always perform for perfectionist parents. As in, not mentioning the 'F' on a report card, hoping it will go unnoticed.

Somehow this relays to me something about the character of Mitt Romney and his non-disclosure of taxes. Who knows? Maybe this is a opportunity for him to fess up and grow into a more honest man. I would need to see that to consider him at all in running a country.

C. Moore - Honor

Support Rosie

I was in shock and awe when I read that Rosie Steffens had been let go as executive director for the Leelanau County Commission on Aging. not only know Rosie personally, but also professionally, and I can say without a doubt that she is one of the best, if not the best, executive director any Commission on Aging could ever be fortunate to get.

She is a hard-working, honest, dedicated and loyal individual who has high standards of integrity and morals. She personally visited every one of the seniors who needed services to make sure their needs were being met. For 26 years, she unselfishly took time out of her own personal life to play Santa Claus for her seniors, so that they too could enjoy Christmas. Since reading these articles, I have come to the conclusion that someone has an agenda to meet at someone else’s expense.

At this time, I ask all seniors and everyone else who knows Rosie, to stand up and be counted in her behalf, either by email, calling or by a letter. She has been there for you and now you should be there for her.

Carol Hynes - Beulah

NRA hysteria unfounded

Remember all the hysteria the NRA generated in 2008 when they scared gun owners into hoarding ammunition because Obama was going to take away our gun rights?

Well unless you can name ONE gun right you no longer have, the only thing this accomplished was to double the cost of ammo, which generated obscene profits for wealthy NRA donors.

The reality of the last four years under Obama is that I now have more gun rights. I can conceal carry in national parks and there is concealed carry reciprocity between here and Texas. The NRA has become a branch of the Republican party, using gun owners to fatten the wallets of the wealthy donors and their puppet Wayne LaPierre ($1.27 million salary).

Terry Frysinger - via email

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