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Opinion Letters to the editor for April 11, 2011
Letters to the editor for April 11, 2011
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Bateman at the throttle To the Editor: I enjoy Chris Bateman’s columns for The Union Democrat. Let's make sure he is not invited to fly a F-16 and sticks with the throttle on the Sierra Railroad. I will challenge him to jump the zip lines at Moaning Cavern. Jim W Hildreth Sonora Comments about Rush Limbaugh To the Editor: In a recent editorial by Maureen Dowd, she writes, “Rush Limbaugh mocks the president and his club of male liberals, “the new castrati … they’re sissies.” Patriot Limbaugh has the effrontery to make such charges with a history of failed marriages, which reportedly produced no children, and a record of avoiding soldiering in Vietnam via his family doctor’s report to the military that Rush had a debilitating malady on his posterior rendering Rush unfit to don a uniform. The military doctors accepted that report and exempted Limbaugh. End of story. Ray Mellana Sonora Expansion of Sonora Walmart To the Editor: A while ago, I wrote Mayor Canning and City Administrator Miller a letter requesting information concerning Walmart's expansion of its sales floor into the parking lot. I have received no response to my request for information regarding permits, EIR, public safety and most importantly — fairness. When I made the initial request, Walmart had expanded its shopping surface by about 5,000 feet, now it appears to be 10,000 square feet and seemingly growing everyday. My concerns are: Public Safety — Walmart has created a public safety problem. By closing off several lanes of access for emergency vehicles, they potentially place lives in danger. Its actions certainly further complicate matters at the intersection leading into the lot from Old Wards Ferry. Environmental — Walmart has placed several chemically based items into the parking lot. Will this create contaminated water run off? Do these materials present potential harm to wildlife? Was there an Environmental Impact Report required and completed for this expansion? Fairness — How would you feel if you owned a grocery store, hardware/garden supply business or any one of our small businesses trying to compete with this monopolistic giant? Are all businesses being treated equally by local government agencies? Why has our population been stagnate over the last decade? It just might be a matter of unfair competition and lack of "family wage" jobs. How can one merchant compete with another when one of them pays minimum wage/no benefits and possibly no rent for its "commercial" property? Common sense dictates that nobody wants to open a business unless the rules are the same for all. Local businesses and the public deserve answers. These are fair questions to ask. Domenic Torchia Columbia |
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