Traverse City Record-Eagle

Opinion

January 29, 2012

Letters to the Editor: 01/29/2012

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Fracking threat to water

Michigan Citizens for Water Conservation (MCWC) passed a resolution to ban horizontal hydraulic fracturing in Michigan. MCWC sees fracking as a direct and critical threat to our state's most precious natural resource: water. Michigan is surrounded by the largest supply of freshwater in the world; half of Michigan residents get their drinking water from groundwater wells.

Using millions of gallons of fresh water to fracture each well is an unsustainable, irresponsible use of our water resources, and the impact on our freshwater supply from the fracking process has serious consequences.

Because the horizontal sections of the wells are not cased in cement, chemical leakage from these sections represents a significant threat to groundwater. In addition, fluid spills before injection, and when recovered, can contaminate surface and underground water sources. Drilling into these formations creates pathways by which fluids or natural gas itself can find its way into water supplies as well. Once the process is complete, 40 percent to 70 percent of the fracture water (flowback) returns to the surface, which means millions of gallons of contaminated wastewater need to be disposed of, directly threatening water supplies.

MCWC will continue our fight to protect Michigan's waters from fracking.

Monica Evans

Honor

The writer is president of Michigan Citizens for Water Conservation.

Fight for democracy

If you weren't at the Milliken Auditorium Jan. 11, you won't believe it. If you were there, you probably still can't believe it. More than 500 people — to include folks from the Upper Peninsula to the north and Manistee and beyond to the south — crammed into Milliken to hear a riveting presentation by David Cobb, founder and spokesman for the national Move to Amend movement (www.movetoamend.org).

One thing making this evening so incredible was that 500 northern Michiganders came out, not so much for a speaker most had never heard of, but because we know that corporations are not people. We know that legislators too often are accountable to the huge moneyed interests that get and keep them elected, not to us. We know that We The People are what make democracy work. And we also know that our democracy isn't working for 99 percent of the people in this country — and we aren't going to take it anymore.

Kudos to Leelanau Independent Women for Democratic Action for hosting this event, to the political parties and organizations that have signed on to the movement, and the northern Michiganders who are joining the fight to restore democracy to We The People.

Betsy Johnson

Empire

Offering hope, healing

In January, many Americans focus on the sacredness of the life of the unborn child. I would like to put in a good word for the work of Pregnancy Care Center here in Traverse City. Pregnancy Care Center bases everything they do on their belief "that human life is sacred because we are created by God and in His image."

Pregnancy Care Center (pregnancycarecentertc.org) offers pregnancy tests; pregnancy confirmation through ultrasound; material assistance, including diapers, maternity and baby clothes, etc.; education on parenting; adoption information and referrals; and hope and healing after abortion.

The ultrasound, a window to the womb, is especially enlightening. Ultrasound allows the mother to see the heartbeat, activity, features, and development of her unborn child.

"Beloved: what was from the beginning ... what we have seen with our eyes ... concerns the word of life ... made visible ..." (I John 1:1-2). The word is Jesus, the light of the world, the lord and the giver of life. "In him was life, and the life was the light of men. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it" (John 1: 4-5, RSV).

Leonard Dezelski

Traverse City

Feed the geese?

I'm amazed at Mr. McIntyre's Jan. 18 letter. He speaks first of remarkable change at Boardman Pond. I ask, is he referring to the fences and signs asking everyone to stay out due to dangerous and unstable situations? He speaks of a noticeable increase in waterfowl.

Please imagine for a second if Sabin and Brown Bridge ponds were drained and all the near shore environment and submergent plant life were eliminated. Do you suppose they're looking elsewhere for food? Lastly, he boasts, "Now if I could just silence the geese." May I suggest he feed them?

Bruce Carpenter

Traverse City

The writer lives on Boardman Pond.

We will remember

As we now begin to experience a slight bit of clarity to reflect upon the passing of our beloved Matthew Schwartz, we have hope in our hearts.

Together, the United States Air Force and the citizens of Traverse City honored both Matt and our families with undeniable love, dedication and patriotism far beyond anything we could have ever imagined.

Time will heal our wounds. Love will mend our broken hearts. Forever we will remember the brave souls who gave all.

Thank you.

God bless America.

Luke and Anne Schwartz

Traverse City

A tax is a tax is a tax

As we all know, our new Republican governor and Sen. Howard Walker and Rep. Wayne Schmidt (you know, the Republicans: "No new taxes"), passed into law a new tax on pensioners set to begin with our first checks in 2012.

There appears, however, to be no accounting for deductions or exemptions. The total being taken from our pockets, and therefore from this community, is 4.5 percent of 100 percent of the entire pension check. That amounts to money that is no longer going to circulate in and around Traverse City. It constitutes movies not seen, dinners out not taken, groceries not bought, charities doing without, and so on.

For those of you who really believe that the Republicans are the party of the people, I have a bridge between Mackinaw City and St. Ignace that I'd like to show you. Talk about hypocritical. This, by the way, is what some folks used to call taxation without representation.

None of these guys are doing the things they represented themselves as doing. A tax is a tax is a tax. And if Mr. Nerd is going to impose another new one, he should at least get the math right.

Thank you.

Bill Brown

Traverse City

ed - dm A great loss to TC

I am deeply saddened to hear that our city commissioners have axed the train. It seems very evident that the wish of our residents is to keep the Spirit of Traverse City at its current location.

The "I'm not willing to throw away five years of planning" mentioned by one of our city commissioners seems extremely selfish to me. This is a great loss to Traverse City. What a shame.

Troy Partlo

Traverse City

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