Letters to the Editor

An elegant slice of life

Sunday's issue of Pacific Northwest ("The Romance of Dance," Feb. 12) was just breathtaking. I loved the dance and chocolate features — two things that make life worth living — along with rainbow carrots (who knew?) and a timely portrait from the floral front lines. Thank you so much for making my day brighter with a gorgeous slice of Northwest life.

— Monica Elenbaas, Kirkland

Food to sustain us

I thought you did a very good job of explaining the issues regarding pesticides and farm workers ("Harvesting Answers," Jan. 8). You made everyone concerned seem human and thoughtful, not a caricature in the bunch. I, as a 28-year Western Washington farmer, would like to share a few insights and opinions.

My first observation is that there would be little need to grow perfect insect-free fruit if farmers were not hooked on exporting what they grow. Not only would the odd bug not matter and would easily be pulled off shelves, there would be less time and opportunity for pests to grow while held in shipping containers.

American taxpayers pay for more than 97 percent of the cost of supplying water to Columbia Basin farmers. Washington electric consumers pay for the remainder, making water essentially free. When you subsidize farming with free to near-free irrigation water you cause overproduction. Small farmers see the price of what they grow decline and they are squeezed out of business. This is true up and down the West Coast, in California, Nevada, Arizona and Colorado. For some reason we Americans don't count the value of subsidized irrigation when we talk about farm subsidies.

If we moved to a system of sustainable agriculture, one that does not depend on government subsidies, one that does not destroy races of salmon, one that produces food for local consumption, we would have no need for armies of migrant workers, no need for tons of pesticides, and we would have far more affordable hydroelectric power.

— Gerard Bentryn, Bainbridge Island

Where are the porches and the elders?

In your article ("Your 2 Cents, Please," Jan. 15), you discount the importance of the sage in the doling out of advice by mere mention of when people had porches and grandparents sitting on the porch. Sage: An elderly person, widely respected for his/her wisdom, experience, judgment; Webster's New World Dictionary. Every person, however wise, needs the advice of some sagacious person in the affairs of life.

As one who is elderly, I had hopes and aspirations my offspring would seek my sage advice. It hasn't happened. Is it because I don't have a front porch? On Jan. 15 we celebrated the birthday of Martin Luther King Jr. It was my 82nd birthday.

In these troubled political times, I do not witness a sage among our political leaders. There are no elder statesmen. Is the present administration seeking advice from the "advice people"?

President Harry Truman knew the importance of the front porch. He had one built on the White House.

— Marie Whitener Hindery, Seattle

Send letters to the editor to Pacific Northwest magazine, The Seattle Times, P.O. Box 70, Seattle, WA 98111, or e-mail pacificnw@seattletimes.com. Include a telephone number for verification.