LETTERS IN THE EDITOR'S MAILBAG.

Byline: The Register-Guard

Beware ocean sneaker waves

For more than 20 years we have enjoyed the Oregon Coast. One of our favorite Oregon beach activities is to get out of the constant wind by sitting on the south side of the jetty at Winchester Bay. High up the beach with the warm sunshine beaming down and the lulling roar of the ocean makes it easy to drift off into a wonderful, peaceful nap.

Not a good choice. Even though we were a good 20 yards from the ocean, we were awakened to find ourselves engulfed in a sneaker wave. It would better to call it a mini tsunami. It is a small, surging wall of water that carries a huge concentration of sand. Your clothes are instantly saturated with water and sand that increases your weight exponentially, beyond your level of strength. You are engulfed in a surge mixture of water and sand like liquid cement. This also explains why sneaker wave drowning victims have sand in their lungs.

What saved us? This sneaker wave was just one wave and small enough that we could stand up, grab the jetty rocks and stay on the beach.

If you are ever engulfed in a sneaker wave immediately try to remove your coat, kick off your shoes and keep your mouth closed. Moral of the story: Better to nap in the car or have someone serve as a lookout. And yes, like they say, never turn your back or close your eyes on the ocean.

TIM LOWENSTEIN

Drain

Two hospitals won't cut costs

There is little evidence that building a new $250 million hospital and more competition locally will help control health care costs. In fact, evidence suggests when a market becomes too divided with more than one hospital providing the same services, patient volumes for each hospital decline and costs actually increase.

The proposed new McKenzie-Willamette Medical Center would include very expensive medical technology which already exists in our community. This additional technology will be paid for by the patients in our service area.

Hospitals in Portland, a highly competitive market with many hospitals, have the highest costs in Oregon. Bend and Salem, both single-hospital markets, have the lowest average costs among the state's tertiary care hospitals.

Triad, as a large private corporation accountable only to its stockholders, will minimize the amount of free care it provides those in need. Triad will not provide services that are not profitable for its stockholders (e.g., neonatal care). This will result in the community's nonprofit hospital providing both a disproportionate share of charity care and those services which actually lose money.

This ultimately leads to increased costs at the nonprofit facility, and possibly the loss of needed services due to a lack of resources to pay for them. The Eugene City Council should address these issues publicly as part of this review process.

GUY JUSTICE

Eugene

No more delays on downtown

I was pleased to see our city officials "tour vying downtown developer's projects" (Register-Guard, May 7). It is now time for our elected representatives to make a decision on this long overdue project.

Let's not let another opportunity slip away due to Eugene's penchant for analysis paralysis. Community involvement is good, but let it be after a developer has been chosen and a general direction set. Who in this community would say that downtown is fine, don't fix it? My gosh, it's been 20 years now! My preference is for the bold approach of KWG Development Partners, however I believe Beam Development could produce the synergy needed to get the revitalization going. Anything to get people living, shopping and generally enjoying themselves downtown. Currently, citizens must take shortcuts to avoid encounters with panhandlers, drug dealers and the misbehaving.

We citizens elected the mayor and council to make decisions on our behalf. They need to do that. It is time for the council and mayor to work together and move downtown revitalization forward.

Both of these developers have put their money, creativity and time on the line. Please do not let this chance slip away like the Connor-Woolley proposal. As a citizen I authorize my elected representatives to make a decision this week. No more process!

GALEN HOWARD

Eugene

War alters meaning of support

I am told if I support our troops I want them to stay in Iraq to be killed and maimed. I want their families and loved ones to grieve for the rest of their lives. And I want to continue to see images of Iraqi children, blinded, horribly burned and missing limbs. I want to see their grieving parents who, with good reason, hate us.

If I support the troops I am told I must support their commander in chief, an American president who is despised throughout the world, a president who is an uncomprehending but useful ally of those who recruit terrorists to kill our troops.

If I don't support our troops I want to bring them home to their families and friends. I want to remove them from the Iraqi killing fields and the civil war which our presence only makes worse. If I don't support our troops I want the billions of our dollars which will continue to be wasted in Iraq to be used instead to treat the horrible and lasting wounds our troops have suffered. I want the money which is going to war profiteers to be used instead in our country for education, health care, infrastructure repair, parks, libraries, alternative energy options and the real war we face - the war on global warming.

If I support the troops I am told I must leave them in harm's way; I am told I don't support them if I want to bring them home.

Something is terribly wrong.

GARRY KELLY

Florence

Borgman cartoon offensive

Jim Borgman's cartoon (Register-Guard, April 28) was highly offensive to me.

A man and obviously pregnant woman stand gazing over a boundary of some sort labeled "soaring rates of autism" at an abandoned playground with a caption "Leap of Faith." What is he trying to say? Are we to think "Gee, having a baby is a big gamble because, ewwwww, we might get an autistic one"?

What is the significance of the empty playground? What, autistic kids don't play? So where are they? Have we locked them up in some padded room somewhere? What turnip truck did Borgman come in on?

Recent autism rates do reflect a definite increase, partially due to the recognition of the spectrum of varying degrees of the syndrome. Contrary to Borgman's obvious and unfortunate opinion - these kids are not necessarily defective. These children have highly developed and superior mental abilities, sensory perceptions and uncanny talents compared with the rest of us "normal" people. Often they are more affectionate and loving, as well.

Autistic people simply process information differently than the rest of us. It's not their problem, it's ours. We must learn to keep up with them. Once we reach that understanding, the stigma loses its negativity and we achieve a skill level that benefits anyone we ever come in contact with.

What if Borgman's parents had hesitations about his birth because of fears of having a child who would publish biased and misguided opinions for millions of people to read?

KARLA PIKE

Florence

Dump the high-roller officials

I worked all month and took home $2,800 and change. I'll live on that for 30 to 31 days. What's so great about that?

Nothing, except Gary LeTellier, executive director of Coos County Airport, paid that much for a desk for his assistant. He defends himself by saying they needed it. I'm just a guy who wants to get by, but $2,400 for a desk? That's my monthly budget.

Who's fault is it if a bureaucrat spends $2,400 for a single piece of furniture? We allow it to happen by turning our gaze somewhere else. It's chump change for them. They don't have to account for the money.

When are we going to give them the message? Where are the dedicated workers, those public servants who work for an honest wage for the public good?

I can speak from experience as I returned to the fire service after leaving a high-paying sales job for less pressure and the "feel good" rewards of true public service. Ask any police officer or firefighter. They have second jobs and many of their spouses work to make ends meet. The reward is service, not pay.

Let's dump the high rollers and get some common sense here. You know what to do. I don't need to endorse anyone, but the adage of "throw the bums out" may apply.

TERRY LUCE

Myrtle Point

Jail release doesn't make sense

On March 18 we lost our son, Aaron "Bear" James Smith, in a shooting.

The person charged with the crime, classified as Manslaughter I, was recently released from Lane County jail due to a shortage of beds.

I recently visited the list of the people incarcerated at the present time and was amazed to see the charges these people have on their rap sheets. Anything from DUII to shoplifting.

We would like to know how they come to the conclusion of releasing someone with the charge of Manslaughter I over someone who has shoplifted. This is not only unfair but unethical.

They released this young man with only an electronic ankle bracelet with no public notification. He is not on the list of inmates. I wonder, do his neighbors know they are now living next door to a potentially dangerous person?

JERRY SMITH

NANETTE SMITH

Dexter