Letters to the editor

Developing K2

Proposal raises questions

I have some questions about the proposed K2 “Commons” that Emma Amiad described so vividly in this past Wednesday’s Beachcomber.

First let me say there is no one on Vashon Island for whom I have more admiration than Emma Amiad. She works for the common good; she’s smart; she knows how to get things done; she’s a friend.

But beyond the glittering vision of a K2 Commons, questions arise for me.

What is “common” about the K2 “Commons?” It appears it will be privately owned and operated at a profit. So isn’t that a “mall” rather than a commons? Or is the vision for its ownership and control similar to that worked out for the Village Green? There, private funds secured the property, a growers association built the covered produce stand and the Vashon Park District owns and manages the property.

Who will control which tenants may operate in the space? Will some be commercial? Could all of them be commercial after the turnover of a few agencies?

If the development is with private money, is there a way to reward the developers and then somehow turn ownership and control over to a public agency?

The K2 “Commons” deserves serious discussion. I hope these questions contribute to that discussion.

Jim Hauser

VIPP

Group tries to return all calls

In the Dec. 12th issue of the Beach-comber, Robert Ortega sent a letter to the editor expressing his frustration with Vashon Island Pet Protectors (VIPP) when no one returned his repeated phone calls in October, asking for help with his rescued dog.

VIPP receives numerous daily calls — none are ignored intentionally. We keep a log of all calls, but there are none from Mr. Ortega during the month of October. What the log does show is a number of calls with unidentifiable names and phone numbers.

This is not in the least unusual, especially with cell phones when the transmission is faulty or incomplete. We rely on the caller to try again and hope one of us is present to respond personally. It is always best when leaving a message for anyone to speak slowly and distinctly, particularly when giving a call-back phone number. As with others, we hope Mr. Ortega will call us again. 

 Piro Kramar

Taxes

New cremation fee is an insult

Hey, taxpayer, guess what? On Oct. 24, King County figured out how to levy yet another tax for you to pay. If at the end of your life (of paying taxes) you wish to be cremated, you are now required to get a permit from the county to do so. The permit will cost you $50 at the moment, but have you ever heard of taxes going down?

I strongly resent being told by King County that I’m required to pay them $50 in order to exercise my freedom of choice.

This ordinance is yet another example of superfluous bureaucracy.

If others of you resent this sort of government intrusion into your private lives, contact your representatives and make sure they understand your point of view.

Charles Hitchin

Climate change

Nature, not man, is the culprit

Today’s conventional wisdom says global warming is occurring, that it is the fault of man and that it will have disastrous environmental consequences, and those who disagree with this are considered virtual heretics.

But there is another side to this issue clearly documented in a DVD titled “The Great Global Warming Swindle,” put out by the BBC and available through Junkscience.com.

Among the many points the DVD raises are such things as analysis of ice core data showing that CO2 levels rise and fall after global temperatures rise and fall and not before completely undermining the whole notion of CO2 being a cause of global warming.

That solar activity and deep space cosmic radiation which affect cloud cover are the main causes of global climate change clearly demonstrated by historical data.

That various political and environmental groups receive huge amounts of money from various government and private sources to prove “man-made global warming” and feel threatened by anyone who takes issue with their point of view and so on.

The video clearly shows that the issue of “man-made global warming” is far from settled. Anyone who is truly interested and can set aside any ideological or preconceived notions will gain a lot from this documentary.

In the not too distant future we will quite possibly wake up to increased taxes, fewer choices, less freedoms and a lower standard of living all in the name of “man-made global warming.” At least after viewing this video we may realize just how badly we were misled.

All of this being said, we are all morally obligated to manage the environment in such a way so as to provide a healthy and growing economy and at the same time not “trashing” our backyard on a micro or macro level. But whatever we do must be based on real truths, not propaganda.

Douglas E. Larsen