Comments on the state of affairs

As I reach the (not so) old age of 80, I feel the need to comment on news articles and not care who I offend. Start with fires: We seem to find the only scapegoat for these fires is PG&E. As we point fingers, put the first blame where it belongs, with congress. Our “representatives” have consistently reduced the Forest Service budget for the last 40 years, and have expected that fire- fighting costs be covered within the budget, leaving limited funding for forest management, road maintenance, and fuel reduction. Secondly, we need to take a look at the “environmental” activists and judges that seem to think they know how to manage our forests much better than professional foresters and biologists by stopping all forest improvements with lawsuits. (Take a look at SPI owned forest management vs. public owned lands.)

The other topic: The mess we have with Afghanistan. We spent 20 years (defeating) the Taliban with bullets, bombs and bloodshed, only to have them win it all back in a couple of weeks. Maybe take a page from history and how our forefathers defeated our Native Americans by taking away food and livelihood. With our technology, we could surely find out what countries (and companies) are supplying the Taliban with guns, bullets and food (I doubt they manufacture and grow their own). I would think that cutting off this supply train, would greatly curtail their activities.

— Don Lampe, Forest Ranch