Letters 12/28/06

Dec. 27, 2006

He declares victory
The Coast Guard has withdrawn its rulemaking and announced a temporary cessation of training on the Great Lakes. I would like to think our group, the Blue Eco Legal Council, had something to do with this.
On November 9, 2006 we filed a 60-day notice of intent to sue the Coast Guard over its plan to conduct live fire training on the Great Lakes. On December 13 I had a conference call with two DOJ and four Coast Guard attorneys. They offered to give us 30 day written notice prior to resuming lead bullet training if we would hold off litigating until they finished their rulemaking. I declined, telling them that they had no right to decide on discharging lead into the Great Lakes because Congress has enacted strict prohibitions on this activity.
On December 18 the Coast Guard pulled the rulemaking and put out a press release that non-emergency training will be halted until further rulemaking. I must declare a preliminary victory although I am not sure this is over. Instead of announcing the cessation of training as part of the rulemaking, the Coast Guard did so in a press release. If the Coast Guard changes its mind I doubt a citizen can march into court and hold them to what was announced in a press release.
We are further disappointed that the Coast Guard decided not to respond to the thousand comments submitted by the public. From the press release it seems that a future rulemaking on this subject is being considered. Now the public will have to watch for the new rulemaking and submit new comments sometime in the future. Maybe the Coast Guard is hoping the issue does not provoke such an angry and widespread response next time?

Steven B. Pollack, attorney
• Highland Park, IL

Megs & Gigs
Thanks to the Northern Express for consistently putting together a great local newspaper enhanced by articles of interest beyond just this area.
Nice “Happy Birthday Hard Drive” article by Kristi Kates. I would like to make one small clarification in reference to the average new laptop; it actually comes with 100 GigaBytes of hard drive space. That truly boggles my mind when you compare it to the 5 MegaBytes referred to and shown in the picture. Therefore, it would be 100,000 MB! Incredible, indeed. Keep up the good work, please.
Tom Grabowski • TC

The ‘true‘ Christians
In response to Oran Kelley’s recent letter to the editor, I wish to pose and answer the following questions: Who are the “true” Christians and what is their earthly mandate? True Christians (contrary to the self-willed “cultural” christians Oran Kelley so aptly identified) are those men, women and children who have been chosen to supernaturally receive the Holy Spirit. One example of that phenomenon is recorded in Acts 1, chapter 2, v 2,4:
“And suddenly there came a sound from heaven, as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled the whole house where they were sitting... and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak with other tongues as the spirit gave them utterance.”
Whereby once a person has breathed this all powerful divine spirit into their heart, he or she can properly and proudly state: “I am born again!”

Steve Redder • Mt. Pleasant