racism not part of it its bad policies shirley kerns klamath 051110

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Racism not part of it; it’s the bad policies

Herald and News letter by Shirley Kerns, Klamath Falls 5/11/10

In response to Larry Dunsmoor and Jeff Mitchell:

It is disappointing that you would label those who oppose the Klamath Basin Restoration Agreement as “racists.”

Opposition to dam removal and the KBRA has nothing to do with race and everything to do with ill-advised policies that pit multi-generational farm families against one another, reduce the value of agriculture to the Basin, make it harder to feed a hungry nation and provide ever-increasing taxpayer dollars to those fully employed in "scientific study" and "restoration" as opposed to real production.

You know what they say: “Those who have lost the argument are the first to resort to name calling.” In attempting to first divide and then demonize your opponents, you demonstrate your solidarity with our current national leadership.

And, yes, we do have a plan. Leave the dams in place to produce needed electricity and install fish ladders for fish passage. Fish ladders are feasible and they do work. Provide deep-water storage, but unlike the KBRA allow this water to be used for both agriculture and fish. Finally, and perhaps most importantly, follow the state’s water rights adjudication process giving us a lawful order for water priority without circumventing Oregon Water Law.

The KBRA, as you envision it, looks a lot like a full employment program for hungry farmers.

Misguided policy as the KBRA would increase our community’s dependency on the federal government and taxpayer dollars. Just look at the astronomical sums of public money it would take to implement it. To reverse this tend of dependency, we must elect people who will follow our Constitution, work toward limited government, and employ common sense in enacting environmental policies.

Shirley Kerns

Klamath Falls