Letters, letters, letters

The Nugget welcomes contributions from its readers, which must include the writer's name, address and phone number. Letters to the Editor is an open forum for the community and contains unsolicited opinions not necessarily shared by the Editor. The Nugget reserves the right to edit, omit, respond or ask for a response to letters submitted to the Editor. Letters should be no longer than 300 words. Unpublished items are not acknowledged or returned. The deadline for all letters is noon Monday.

To the Editor:

In response to the letter submitted by Rob Corrigan January 12: Oregon's hospitality industry is proud of the role it has played in making Oregon's lottery one of the most successful in the nation.

The premise forwarded by Corrigan, that Oregon's Lottery is not maximizing its return to the state is simply false.

In fact, an evaluation of state lotteries shows that Oregon's Lottery and its relationship with the hospitality industry is one of the most lucrative for the state, of any in the nation.

The only one more successful is the West Virginia Lottery.

Interestingly, video lottery retailers in West Virginia earn 43 percent of proceeds, over one-third more than those paid to retailers in Oregon.

Oregon's Lottery and the hospitality industry are providing critical funds to schools and other important state programs.

The Governor recently recommended adding state police to funding from lottery dollars.

The retailer compensation system developed over the last 12 years by four different Democrat-appointed lottery directors and nearly 20 different lottery commissioners, is working. It's working better than any other state in the U.S.

The changes Mr. Corrigan suggests would ruin that performance and indeed destroy the funding source that the Governor projects to provide nearly $500 million to education in the next biennium.

Ill-informed sources suggesting shallow solutions are endangering Oregon's Lottery success.

Michael R. McCallum,

President/CEO Oregon Restaurant Association

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To the Editor:

In the past you have defended The Nugget's selection of consistently liberal commentary and political cartoons by rightfully invoking editorial privilege.

After all, you as the editor do have the right to choose commentary consistent with your point of view.

When political bias creeps into supposedly objective features of the paper, however, then criticism is warranted.

I refer to the weekly "Tales from a Sisters Naturalist," a column purportedly about nature topics, but which all to often is sprinkled with childish cheap shots at President Bush and other blatantly partisan comments.

Jim Anderson's rambling diatribe last Wednesday about the deadly environmental horrors supposedly being perpetrated by President Bush was a curious example of post-election disappointment skipping right past the clinical depression stage into the delusional.

Mr. Anderson could hardly contain his excitement about sharing his discovery of a new Bush-bashing book by liberal lawyer, professor and environmental activist Robert Kennedy -- whom Mr. Anderson tries to convince us is a most credible and unbiased source.

Fully as credible and unbiased, I presume, as the Democrat Party's darling Michael Moore in his carefully crafted "Fahrenheit 911" propaganda piece.

Anyone who refers to the President of the United States and his staff as the "Axis of Evil" as Mr. Anderson did in his Wednesday column is so blinded by hatred and so intellectually lost that he has forfeited all credibility to lecture anyone on politics.

Stick to the birds and the bees, Mr. Anderson. America chose. Your guy lost. Get over it and move on.

Brett Warren

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To the Editor:

Petitions saying YES to an unspoiled town and no more formula restaurants can be signed at Angeline's, Bedouin, Martolli's, Paulina Springs Bookstore, Sisters Bakery and Zadow Physical Therapy.

This issue got an editorial in The Bulletin on Saturday, and needs clear local support. Let your voice be heard!

John Rahm

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To the Editor:

A somewhat belated thank you for providing contact information of agencies helping those affected by the December tsunami.

One agency not listed, HelpAge International America (Helpage.org), focuses its support on the not-often-mentioned elderly victims of this and other disasters.

It is the only agency (supported by a global network of members and partner organizations) with a mission to improve the lives of disadvantaged older people.

The agency can be contacted at: HelpAge International America c/o International Charity ConsultantsLLC, 225 Peeke Ave., St. Louis, MO 63122.

Thank you,

Adrienne Banks