Some mandates are worth having

Regarding your recent article titled "Farmer defends ag," I wonder why Barry Bushue and the Farm Bureau are attempting to deny farmers and millions of other Americans access to health care.

Family farmers, like many others in our society, have to pay exorbitant amounts for health insurance, unless they have a pre-existing condition and can't get it at all. Family farmers can be forced into bankruptcy just like millions of Americans when their health care bills are not covered by insurance. Family farmers may delay seeking care for themselves or their children because they can't afford the high cost of a doctor or hospital visit.

Barry Bushue states that he and the Farm Bureau are against mandates. Does that mean that he is against public education, Social Security, car insurance, police and fire protection, and even Medicare? All of these are mandates that we all must pay for.

As someone who makes a living farming, I don't consider that Barry Bushue is defending me. On the contrary, his efforts to deny Americans access to effective and affordable health care are a danger to me and to the farmers and citizens of our country who desperately need reform of our health care system.

Jim Gilbert
Molalla, Ore.

Oppose every government idea

If the government is for it, I am against it. As long as the politicians take money from corporations, PACs, political parties and others who are not entitled to vote for them, I do not expect any governmental policy to be truly for the people.

The fact that the government and the corporate media are in favor of industrial wind power should tell you that something devious is going on.

Why do they lie about the cost of wind power?

Why do they lie about imaginary environmental benefits of wind power?

Why do they lie about wind power's ability to meet increased demand for electricity?

Go to wind-watch.org. Learn some truth.

If you cannot smell a rat, then you will end up living among them.

If the government is for it, I am against it.

Roger Whitten
Oakesdale, Wash.