Letters to the Editor 8/12

Hoping for failure

On July 27, Rep. Lois Capps joined the successful vote against the “Extinction Rider” in the Interior Appropriations Bill for 2012, an attempt to gut the Endangered Species Act.

If the rider had passed, no more animals on the brink of extinction ever would have been given the protection of an endangered species listing, and their habitat would have been lost.

To Congresswoman Capps, thank you. To the majority of her colleagues on the Republican side of the aisle, shame on you, and shame on you again for adding dozens more anti-environmental amendments to the interior bill to hamstring the Environmental Protection Agency, make it harder to enforce the Clean Water Act and relax regulations on oil and coal companies.

It’s obvious what you are trying to achieve. Here’s to hoping you don’t succeed.

Linda Seeley

San Luis Obispo

Good neighbors

A July 21 letter to the editor states that Conoco-Phillips is not contributing its fair share to the maintenance of Dale Avenue.

Dale Avenue is at the top of Los Berros Road in the area known as Summit Station in southern Arroyo Grande. A number of people have improved Dale Avenue and dedicated improvements to SLO County, but the county fails to accept. SLO County has recently enacted an ordinance that requires a road maintenance association if you want to build or do a lot split. You must have 100 percent compliance, which to date has not happened.

ConocoPhillips recently contributed $4,000 to trim trees overhanging the road. When the culvert washed out before Mr. Leader and his friends moved to Dale Avenue, ConocoPhillips donated more than its share to rebuild the culvert and are about to do so again because the rains last year severely damaged it.

I like the fact that ConocoPhillips made $14 billion, as part of my pension has their stock.

I find them to be excellent neighbors and more than generous contributors to Dale Avenue.

Bob Blair

Rural Arroyo Grande

Tea party beginnings

It seems some readers have forgotten that the tea party started with the TARP bailout, which was during President Bush’s administration. Then the spending accelerated with President Obama with the stimulus plan. Then there was Cash for Clunkers, the GM bailout and Obamacare, a new entitlement with no limits on costs.

The tea party didn’t want to strap their grandchildren with debt. America was downgraded because of uncontrolled spending, not because of the tea party. Obama’s been in office for two years with no budget, then suddenly it’s another crisis. Our president never accepts fault, and he’s always the victim.

Janice Morgan

Templeton

Gold makes the rules

Regarding “Firms agree to wildlife protections,” Tribune, Aug. 10.

“Shameful” is the only way to describe this deal. The national environmental groups rolled over for mitigation (that the county and the state should have required anyway) and agreed not to mount a challenge of these monstrous, industrial solar eyesores on endangered species habitat.

State and local government officials, from the governor’s office to the county supervisors, abdicated their responsibility to enforce California’s laws that protect endangered species and their habitat, proving once again that those with the gold (in this case the “green”) make the rules.

Thank goodness that we still have Sue Harvey and North County Watch.

Pat Veesart

Santa Margarita