July 18, 2008 07:05 am Speak out against mine Is this Kentucky? Wendell Berry's "You cannot regulate an abomination" speech (http://redstaterebels.org/2008/07/wendell-berry-on-mountaintop-removal/) denounces violence and poll-day patience as solutions to Kentucky politicians' failure to stop mountain-top mining. It is applicable to Oneonta Town Board zoning board officials and Larry Place's proposed gravel-mining scheme. "The name of this solution is nonviolent resistance, or insistence, including civil disobedience. If your government will not rise to the level of common decency. If it will not deal fairly. If it will not protect the land and the people, if it will not fully and openly debate the issues, then you have got to get in the government's way. You have to forbid it to ignore you. "You have to provide it with two new choices: either it must grant you the consideration that it rightly owes you, or it must expose itself openly as a government not representative of the people, but owned by the privileged few." The Place deal reeks of cronyism. Pertinent neighbors were not consulted, yet the DEC approved this change from R-40. Otsego County Soil and Water Conservation District's Eric Miller stated that any flooding due to this "flip-flop" zoning will not be FEMA covered! Also, five points of applicable law should be considered. Valid exploitations of Place's inherited land include subdivision, a driving range, or other uses that will not potentially alter water wells, or put dusty, noisy, heavy trucks on state- and town-maintained roads. As with what I consider the Otsego County board's sweetheart loans to their friends' businesses, the town zoning board is either high-handed or inexperienced. Before and on Monday, July 21, please tell them they can't ignore citizens' valid complaints, or that burned out "tax-free" house or gravel pit could be next door to your own property sooner than you think. Lisa Barr Macomb, Ill., and Oneonta Property would stay on tax rolls In his recent letter, Arnold Weiss falsely stated that Meridale Farms would be taken off the tax rolls under the proposed economic development project. The truth is that keeping the property on the tax rolls has always been a key element of the plan, and this has been stated clearly and repeatedly at each public forum where the project has been discussed _ the town board, the county agriculture and farmland protection board, and the Meredith Historical Society. The proposals for Meridale Farms would use federal and state funds to create a "farm incubator" to start new farming businesses. It is patterned after successful models in Vermont and Massachusetts. Agriculture, the largest industry in Meredith, is struggling. Farms are closing and there are few new farm businesses. The federal government pays more than $2 million a year to farmers in Delaware County to help keep existing farms afloat, but almost nothing to help new farmers. Mr. Weiss was campaign manager for the losing candidate for supervisor in last fall's election. From his letter, it seems clear that he is still angry over that loss, and is anxious to start his next campaign now, with the next election well over a year away. A centerpiece of Mr. Weiss' new campaign appears to be opposition to this important agricultural economic development project. In his haste, he has launched a media blitz to several newspapers, smearing the sitting town board with statements that are false, but easy to fact-check. There needs to be an open and rational discussion in Meredith of potential plans for Meridale Farms so the best project can be crafted, meeting the goals of all groups in the town. Making blatantly false statements about this important economic development project for personal political gain is not helpful to the town. Ken Jaffe Meredith Don't allow war with Iran Despite the lack of compelling evidence that Iran posed a real and imminent threat to the U.S., George Bush is sounding the drumbeat for war with Iran. This apocalyptic administration's accusations about Iran's nuclear weapons program is unproved. This is vividly reminiscent of the lead-up to the ill-conceived, poorly executed, endless war in Iraq. A U.S. attack on Iran will cause thousands of U.S. and Iranian deaths. It will promote hatred for and further isolation of the U.S. It will provoke increased terrorism and threaten the availability of oil by further destabilizing the Middle East. It will cost U.S. taxpayers billions, which will eventually be diverted from much-needed domestic programs. We the people cannot afford to allow our government to use misinformation and false claims to lead us into yet another war. I urge readers to contact all your representatives on local and national levels to request that they support diplomacy with Iran. Negotiate, don't annihilate. Go to congress.org to find contact information for representatives. Cynthia Benjamin Mount Vision Benjamin is a member of Military Families Speak Out. Advice on drugs questionable I am disgusted and outraged that a pediatrician, namely, Stephen Daniels, would suggest giving cholesterol drugs to 8-year-olds as a way of prevention! These cholesterol drugs can be harmful to your liver and require periodic testing! But then I read that he is a consultant to Abbot Laboratories and Merck & Company and has probably been paid well for this advice. How about improving diets of these children! Teaching them and their parents instead of putting them on drugs which they will probably require for the rest of their lives. I think he has forgotten the oath he took _ do no harm! I wonder would he give the same advice to his family and friends. I doubt it! Barb Walls East Meredith
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