Thanks!

Derby racer enjoyed the ride

Thank you to the community and my sponsors for helping send me to Akron, Ohio, to participate in the 71st All-American Soap Box Derby World Championship!

Thank you to everyone that came by my lemonade stand in Port Gamble to support me.

Thank you especially to Lori and Jerry Schmidt from Kitsap Bank for buying my Stock car and to Best Friends Antiques, Bob Thompson of the Armed Forces Top Fuel Funny Car program, Central Market, Cheryl’s Cleaning Service, Del’s Automotive Service, Design’s Unlimited, Silverdale Sunrise Rotary, and to my grandparents, aunts, uncles, and cousins for helping me reach my goal.

It was an incredible experience. Because of your generous support, kids like me are able to participate each year in the All-American Soap Box Derby.

I’m looking forward to starting our new season this weekend, Aug. 9 and 10, on our Dauntless Drive track in Poulsbo.

Tommy Walters

Wally Nation Racing

Silverdale

Gordon Elementary auction was great

Although this thank you is somewhat belated, we wanted to be sure to thank our community for your ongoing support of our Richard Gordon Elementary annual auction. Even in this very hard economic time the community came through and supported our auction by attending, contributing or volunteering. The benefits to the children of Gordon will be felt for years to come.

We would like to especially thank Jan and Gordon Zufelt of John L. Scott, Joe and Penny Beaulieu of Heart Homes and Tom and Rebecca Clifford of Countrywide Home Loans for their generous donations which gave our fund an item such a nice jump start. The funds will allow us to begin construction of our new school garden. We know that our students will learn a lot from this new area for many years to come. We would also like to thank Kiana Lodge for hosting us once again in their lovely facility.

We hope to see everyone again next year at our 10th annual Spring Fling Auction.

Samantha Graham, Gordon Elementary PTA President

Kristina Vernik, Spring Fling Chair

Claudia Alves, Gordon Elementary Principal

State legislature

This isn’t the way to deal with global warming

Kitsap County needs to elect people to the state legislature with good sense, good judgment and the will to exercise both.

In the 2007-08 session, a whopping 4,355 bills were introduced, with 852 bills passed. Old outdated superfluous laws taken out of the state’s code was 0.

Many of the 852 bills were laws that will serve a few select citizens at a cost to all taxpayers that far outweigh the benefits. Many more of these laws were instating licenses and fees on small service-oriented businesses such as florists, berry pickers or interior designers in the effort to protect a few companies, reduce competition and increase fee collection to the state.

Some major bills citizens were expecting to be addressed were the ferry service catastrophe, the government- run universal health care (House Joint Memorial 4005) or the engorged over spending that has increased the state’s budget expenditure to 33 percent in the past four years!

One of the most far-reaching bills dealing with “global warming” (ESSHB2815) passed and was sponsored by Phil Rockefeller the State Senator for the 23rd District. This law creates a huge negative impact on our quality of life. It will cause loss of jobs as more companies are forced out of our state, loss of citizens’ incomes and significantly increase costs to heat and light our homes.

Three main sections of this bill are:

• Limit the miles we are allowed to drive by 18 percent by 2020.

•Directs two state agencies to come up with a “cap and trade” program for allowances of “carbon emissions” by December of this year (a program not based on science devised by scientists but a government policy devised by bureaucrats)

• Directs the state to increase “ green jobs” to 25,000 by 2020. The legislature could not define the term “green jobs” but this section clearly instructs that state revenues be re-allocated for “job training” and “educational purposes” given out in the form of grants.

The ideology dictating this bill does not allow for the carbon requirements of our states forest or open space.

It does not consider the state’s clean hydropower. It does not allow consideration that for this law to have any meaningful effect on ‘the carbon curtain” these efforts must be global in scope.

Can anyone imagine the United States, Europe or Japan telling Asia and Africa to choose poverty, disease, hunger and illiteracy over electricity? (Forbes, Aug. 11)

The only way the government can “create” a job is by taking money from some citizens and giving it to others.

We could help our environment more if we turn to the common sense of rewarding people instead of punishing them. We could give a tax break for buying a hybrid or fuel-efficient car, or incentives to assist the research and development of solar and wind power. Kitsap County needs strong advocates in the state legislature who have respect for the quality of life of the ordinary citizen and fight for our issues.

Shirley Brown

Poulsbo