Overcome fears

The current economic crisis is about more than bank failures, foreclosures and layoffs. At its core, it is a crisis of confidence. We are afraid of the future and have stopped spending at a time when the economy desperately needs our support.

Government has a role to play in injecting money into the economy, but we as individuals must also be a part of reviving the economy. While many millions are currently unemployed and struggling, most of us continue to bring home paychecks or receive pensions and Social Security payments.

No government stimulus plan will work if individuals fail to do their part in stimulating the economy. Many families have come to understand that they have been living beyond their means — spending too much and saving too little. This must change, but drastically cutting spending now will only deepen the current crisis. People need to continue to spend, but spend more smartly. Spend in ways that bolster the economy today while laying the groundwork for the future.

In our home, we are buying a small freezer and plan to fill it with fruits and vegetables from local farmers. We are designing a new pantry to stock up during sales. We are also continuing to visit our favorite restaurants and to make donations to charities. At church, our youth have raised money to install compact fluorescent lights and we are installing energy-efficient windows.

By spending smartly now, we hope to support local businesses and provide for future savings. In these troubling times it is hard not to be fearful, but by acting together with confidence we can overcome these fears.

Government alone cannot do this work for us, but we can do it for one another.

Rick Davis
Mosier

Give him credit

Having bought a house we could afford and pay off on time; drove old cars then saving to pay cash for new cars that have not been fancy; didn’t have a credit card until I was like 50 years old (which gets paid off monthly); never bought anything we couldn’t pay cash for; it now makes me feel stupid.

I could have bought a high-priced, fancy house with a big mortgage, drove fancy cars or big SUVs, charged things to the max, spent like there was no tomorrow and then get foolish idiots like myself to bail me out. Boy, do I now feel STUPID!

Jim Burdick
Hood River

Heroes time

I am a proud parent of two children in the military. My son, Brian, is in the Navy and is stationed in Illinois. My daughter, Stacie, left on Feb. 3 for Air Force basic training. She will be stationed in Texas for at least six months upon completion of boot camp.

Last December, I heard about a Christmas party at the Hood River Armory. This party was being put together by Mr. and Mrs. Knowles, who have both a son and a daughter in the Air Force. My son was home on leave and I thought the party would be a wonderful time to meet some other families who had kids in the service.

Mr. and Mrs. Knowles were so kind and gracious! They made my family feel so welcomed. Many local businesses contributed to this event as well — thank you all.

At the party we learned about a local pro-troop group called the Heroes Club. This organization meets on the fourth Wednesday of each month at 5:30 p.m. in the armory, 1590 12th St. The club is open to all who want to support our military personnel. What a great place to meet other families as well as put together monthly care packages for our local heroes.

Tables are set up with many goodies ranging from packets of cocoa to face cream. These items are donated and collected by many. Greeting cards are made out to service members.

A table is also set up for school kids to make cards. If you are from a military family, or know a service member, you can assemble a care package for that person. Thank you to all those in our community who participate in this event.

I recently learned that coupons are needed and appreciated on many military bases. Perhaps these could be added to the packages? I would be more than happy to clip coupons if they are dropped off at the armory during the Heroes Club gathering.

I have been blessed with so much. I have four children and two beautiful granddaughters. I plan on asking that they donate any future gifts to our local Heroes Club.

Diane Hoeger
Hood River

Beloved hotel

It is sad that the Columbia Gorge Hotel will close its doors. I hope that the right person will come along and buy the hotel and open the doors again before summer gets here.

I have some great memories of that beautiful hotel. I saw my first fashion show, ate my big breakfast there that was good. I saw Tom Grant there when he did his concert. Saw the lovely Christmas lights they had on their hotel. It was so pretty to look at. I took a drive with friends and saw their great view from the hotel. I enjoyed their gift shop.

I am going to miss that hotel and I hope the right person will buy it up and open the doors again.

Pam Smiley
Odell

Doomed to fail?

If we are to believe Cliff Mansfield (letter of Jan. 31) the United States of America is doomed. A progressive president and congress will lead us to utter ruin. As promised by Mr. Mansfield “liberalism and socialism WILL fail,” i.e. progressivism and social conscience have no place in America.

Tax and Spend, the rallying cry of so-called conservatives, is anthem to the actual Borrow and Spend conservative policy. All we have to do is look at the increase in the national debt over the years of Republican control of both houses of congress (and particularly during the Bush administration) to see how well that policy works.

Apparently for Republican conservatives, Reaganomics, deregulation, corporate welfare and tax breaks for the rich are the answer to everything. These policies are the only ones our national government should employ. Fraud, greed and stupid financial and business practices are the true dreams of America.

Oh, by the way, if any of these actions happen to bring suffering to corporate executives or threaten their businesses, we have the American taxpayer to cover for their mistakes, i.e. the 2008 Financial Institution and Banking $700 billion bail-out.

And while we’re at it, let’s take $18 billion of those tax dollars to give banking execs bonuses for trashing the financial market. Thank God we have such an exemplary alternative to progressivism.

Gary Fields
Hood River

Trust Boggs

I am writing in regard to the article of Jan. 25, titled “Port grounds glider pilot.”

I would like to add my voice to the growing groundswell of support for Gary Boggs’ commercial gliding operation, Northwest Skysports.

As a former student of Mr. Boggs, I can state unequivocally that he is a consummate professional and one of the most skilled aviators it has been my pleasure to meet. On countless occasions I have entrusted both my life and that of my family’s to Gary Boggs.

I would not do so lightly. Previous writers have expounded eloquently and at length on the “political aspects” of the Port’s decision and the great loss to the Hood River economy and the quality of its citizens’ lives. I beseech the Port Authority to reverse its decision, within its limited jurisdiction, and embrace Northwest Skysports as an asset to this community and its voters.

As for me, I will be writing my newly elected U.S. Senator (D) as soon as I figure out who this Gordon Smith fellow is that is listed in the Hood River News’ “Where to Write” section.

Max Kline
Hood River

 (Editor’s note: As of last week, “Where to Write” has been updated with newly elected Sen. Jeff Merkley’s contact information.)

No nukes

As a taxpayer, I am outraged that the Senate version of the economic stimulus plan includes $1 billion in funding for the National Nuclear Security Administration, which oversees the U.S. nuclear weapons infrastructure.

This is going to be a problem because President Obama has pledged to “set a goal of a world without nuclear weapons, and pursue it.” News outlets have reported that he is interested in working with Russia to drastically reduce the stockpiles of both countries. Investing $1 billion into nuclear weapons infrastructure now just doesn’t make sense.

In working for peace, we people are going to have to work hard at getting this information to everyone so they can make their decision about more nuclear weapons.

Hanford Reservation on the Columbia River in Washington is a nuke waste dump that is probably leaking waste into the Columbia River right now.

The nuclear people have not been able to or desired to clean it up. Kids don’t understand nuclear fusion and fission because science is not taught to them.  It would take hours to describe how nukes have been a fearful presence my entire life.

I knew people who died from exposure to radiation via wind currents, lived thru the cold war fear of being atomic bombed in the 1950s (after U.S.A. bombed Nagasaki/Hiroshima, Japan). The bomb shelters people built. Stockpiles of food for/if we survived.

The intentional exposure of American soldiers to radiation at the Yucca Flats bombing range by Las Vegas, Nev., to see how radiation affected them.

All that fear is still here. I say nukes are no-nos for human beings for lack of respect.

Judith Nappe
North Bonneville, Wash.

ANOTHER VOICE

By GARY BOGGS

It is difficult to refute the charges made by the Port in the newspaper article of Jan. 28.
    The newspaper is not the appropriate forum. Unfortunately, the Port of Hood River has consciously deprived me of any other forum.

There was no hearing and no opportunity to present my side of their allegations. I have had no opportunity to confront witnesses against me, no opportunity to cross-examine and no opportunity to present my own expert witnesses. The Port does not wish to have their actions reviewed at an impartial hearing because they are afraid of losing. This is the reason I am responding to the statements they have made in this newspaper.

In October of 2007, I had a confrontation with the fixed base operator (FBO). After that confrontation, the people running the fixed base operation began a campaign to “kick me off the airport.“ However, since the Hood River Airport is a federally funded public airport, they cannot do that. The Port, with their attorney, came up with a plan to “get rid of me.”

Although I had already been operating here in Hood River for years, they announced that in order to operate, I needed a concession permit. The permit was filled with pages of fine print. Although I had my attorney review it, the port told me that unless I signed it, I would not be granted a permit. The agreement said that if there were any problems, I would have the opportunity to defend myself at a hearing. It was apparent during the one-year agreement that the Port’s main focus was to look for, and document, reasons not to renew the agreement. There was one hearing scheduled, but it was canceled.

During the year, my tow rope was cut. This was a serious safety issue and I reported it to the sheriff and FAA.

In the newspaper article, it is reported that the Port had photos of me doing maintenance on an aircraft. I was not. Gliders are often disassembled and need to be reassembled. That is not maintenance. And, in fact, I was assembling the glider on private property next to the airport.

The article states that a pilot named Dayle Harris said I made several upwind descents that went against the flow of traffic. This statement is confusing and in error. Aircraft normally land upwind, so I think the statement is backwards and it meant downwind.

This illustrates the real problem —- the Port of Hood River, with no flight experience and no knowledge, is penalizing me for what they believe is unsafe flight. It should be noted that the FAA did not consider this unsafe flight. As an instructor, I am required to teach downwind landings, to demonstrate the hazards of doing so.

Also, Hood River airport is an uncontrolled airport, which means that a pilot can select to land upwind or downwind. My procedure when landing downwind, for training purposes, is to announce on the radio what I am doing. This notifies all other pilots (with radios) of my intention.

As a sailplane, I have the right of way. So, once I have announced my intent to land downwind, I have the right of way and it would be illegal for a power pilot to land upwind.

But, I have had no hearing — just a notice that the Port would not renew my concession agreement. Recently, Captain Chelsey Sullenberger III successfully landed a U.S. Airways plane in the Hudson River after his aircraft was disabled. He had the benefit of not only being a glider pilot, but also a glider instructor. This knowledge and practice gave him the tools to divert a catastrophe.

As an instructor, I have trained hundreds of pilots. Many of them are power pilots. I have flown thousands of hours.

Part of learning how to fly any aircraft, power or glider, is practicing emergency situations. You practice how to react to potential emergencies, with an instructor, so that you are ready for a real emergency should one arise. During training, I push my students, so they will be safer pilots. Sometimes, I put them in critical situations so they will develop their skills and learn how to safely recover. Now, the Port has denied me that opportunity.

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Gary Boggs, owner of Northwest Sky Sports, was featured in the Jan. 17 edition of the Hood River News. Earlier this year the Port of Hood River decided not to renew his permit.