I wish to thank Mr. Ward for his response to my letter of July 7. Mr. Ward is possibly correct to some degree. I am sure, as a manager of a fish hatchery, he has had considerable more schooling than I regarding the waste disposal procedures.
However, I wish to use my lay opinion regarding this matter. I ask Mr. Ward: Are the phosphates and nitrates added to the effluents by hatchery employees, or are they natural occurring? If they are added, why? I was taught in high school biology that a natural stream will clean itself by natural aeration and scrubbing every 10 to 15 feet (this is if mankind is not allowed to interfere). I agree that fish and other aquatic animals will probably leave the area of the immediate ingestion of the effluent but I find it hard to believe they will vacate a large area as is implied by Mr. Ward.
I have fished just a very short distance down stream from a sewer outlet into the Gunnison River at Delta (back in the "good ol' days) and have caught some nice sized fish. Of course, knowing what kind of water I was taking them from, it was strictly sport fishing and the catch was returned to the water. Who knows what all was in that sewer water at that time!
I know the hatchery is adding a large amount of effluent to the North Fork. However, isn't the fish effluent, other than the phosphates and nitrates possibly be added by employees, more natural than all of the pesticides, herbicides, non-organic fertilizers and other chemicals such as oil and other non-organic road debris, etc, etc being added by mankind?
The North Fork, Gunnison and Colorado rivers have many hundreds of miles to flow and naturally clean themselves of organic matters before the water is used for human consumption. I think we should be more concerned about all of the non-organic "additives" we are placing in the river rather than the small amount of fish "doo-doo" that the Hotchkiss Hatchery will place into the stream.
Again, I say it is just another example of the government (us) wasting money protecting us from ourselves. It is nice to have a civil discourse and I think Mr. Ward and I can agree to disagree.
Larry M. Head
Hotchkiss, CO
Dear Editor:
Are you looking forward to paying more taxes? At the end of this year, the Bush tax cuts expire and Democrats, who control both legislative houses and the Executive branch, have shown no interest in reinstating them. Income tax rates will increase 3-5 percent, depending on income levels. The ‘death tax’ will be reinstated; if you die in 2011 or later, your heirs may have to pay up to 55 percent of your estate value in taxes. Capital gains taxes will dramatically increase; child credits will decrease. And then the first wave of taxes from the health-care bill will hit.
The Administration has appointed a panel to find additional taxes to fund the spending programs (health care, TARP, Stimulus, etc.) that have been implemented in the last 1-1/2 years. The panel is looking at a Value Added Tax (federal sales tax) and a Net Worth Tax (to ensure that no one accumulates wealth). These would be added to income taxes, inheritance taxes, and health-care bill taxes.
Taxes impede growth and employment. This is not the time to increase taxes.
In November, vote for candidates who will lower government spending instead of increasing taxes. ‘Government by the people’ only works if people participate!
Angie Many
Eckert, CO
