Resolutions won’t help

April 22, 2023

To the Journal editor: Dear citizens of Alger County, this letter is in response to two resolutions adopted by your County Board of Commissioners at their April 10 meeting. The two resolutions, #2023-07 and #2023-08 were put forth under the guise of protecting your right to bear arms, often portrayed as “freedom.” There has been much debate, discussion and division about this topic, prompted by the dramatic rise in mass shootings across our country. Neither of these resolutions has anything helpful to add to this debate in addressing the issue of reducing those mass shootings ...

Climate is changing

April 21, 2023

To the Journal editor: The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration reports 2022 was the sixth warmest year on record since 1880 in terms of global average temperature and that the 10 warmest years have all occurred since 2010. The great majority (97%) of the most qualified scientists in my field of atmospheric science believe human-caused greenhouse gas emissions and other irresponsible actions like mass deforestation are responsible for this global warming/climate change (see climate.nasa.gov/scientific-consensus). Additionally, the World Meteorological Organization ...

We can do better

April 11, 2023

To the Journal editor: I am writing with possible concern about a sight being considered for the new veterans home. I am not a chemist and cannot say if a Superfund site is really ever clean. My concern or wonder is whether the only sight being discussed per TV for a new veterans home is an old dump Superfund site. It is my understanding whoever ends up owning the property will be required to do regular testing to ensure the sight is still safe. Why would anyone pick an old dump for a new veterans home if there is the slightest chance there could be contaminants still on the ...

Truth and loyalty

April 5, 2023

To the Journal editor: My parents’ moral foundation superseded loyalty to their son after I pocketed a chocolate bar when I was 6 years old. I confessed to the crime after I was cross-examined in my family’s court of law, I was convicted and sentenced. I had to apologize to the store owner in person and was grounded with extra duties. What if your brother committed a crime, would you turn him in? I bring this up because while on a solo cross country bike ride in the 1990’s, I unknowing met Ted Kaczynski, the Unabomber, on the road as I was heading out of Lincoln, ...

Local solution needed to issue?

April 4, 2023

To the Journal editor: At one time, stores had to do an inventory at the end of the year and fill out a form declaring the value of coolers, freezers, shelving, etc., as well as the inventory of merchandise. As of right now, none of that has to be done. A few years ago, the voters of Michigan voted that personal property could not be taxed. So, as far as being taxable, what ever is inside the store is not there. The store is empty. You may see a lot of items inside but they are not taxable as they are considered to be personal property. I’m not sure if a governmental unit could ...

New gun laws won’t help

April 3, 2023

To the Journal editor: The headline of an editorial in the March 30 edition of The Mining Journal posed the question of what can be done to stop school shootings, but went on to endorse legislation currently under consideration in the Michigan Legislature that will criminalize many, if not most, state gun owners and further erode the freedoms that are supposed to come with United States citizenship. Some of that legislation may, in fact, be unconstitutional. Those laws, if enacted, will not protect anyone any more than laws already on the books. Criminals ignore laws, no matter how ...