Published August 4, 2004

That was quite an editorial the Herald and News wrote about the United States' largest gas-fired power plant that Peoples Energy wants to build near Bonanza.

When I moved to an "exclusive farm-zoned area," the last thought on my mind was the need to protect myself from people like you who think you can push your unwanted pollution-producing industrial plants into farming communities because we do not have the population to stop you.

You and your ilk are the reason zoning laws were written, and for a fraction of required tax dollars you ignore zoning laws and pollution laws. Trampling on the rights of the average people, for the desires of the supposed elite, seems to be the in thing these days.

You, sirs, are thieves. You are attempting not only to steal our property values, but our way of life.

We live in the Bonanza-Langell Valley area because it is a farm community, not your garbage dump.

If you feel you have the right to rewrite the laws to force this powerplant on us, why can't our our dairy farmers dump their manure in your back yard? Only a few hundred truckloads a day shouldn't disturb you any more than me listening to the fans cooling the largest gas-fired power plant in the United States.

Your brethren in Lane County are attempting to do the same thing to the farmers over there with a slightly smaller monster power plant. Maybe we can put together a tea party and throw your newspapers in Winchester Bay.

Don Stanton

Bonanza