To The Eagle:

In reference to the Honorable Mayor’s dissertation (The Eagle 6/17/10), from a “transplant of retirement age” citizen of Wahkiakum County, please indulge my feeble defense.

Mr. Wehrfritz should be apprised of the knowledge that the “transfer payment” recipients contributed a minimum of 7 and a half percent (15 percent for self-employed) of every dollar they earned for 48 years to prepare for their “transfer payment.” It seems to me that our county is the beneficiary of our investment because we chose to live here and have improved the private property we inhabit and added to the local tax base with the increased values that now exist. We patronize the local businesses, we license our vehicles and pay for fishing and hunting licenses, we are connected to all the local utilities, we support the moral integrity of the area by contributing to the local charities and the houses of worship. Ask the local realtors about our insignificant “transfer payments and investments” and what it has done for them.

Let it be known, we pay our fair share (without complaint) of taxes including school taxes even though we have no children in school. We are proud Americans who willing support our county, state and country because it is our freedom and privilege to live in America. Social Security has problems because Congress took our FICA taxes and mismanaged the investment through the years. Our babies are being aborted so there will be less contributions in the years to come because we are managing our population.

Back to the issue at hand, we were attracted to the area because of the little friendly main street community that existed six years ago – what happened? A lot can be attributed to mismanagement, poor leadership and landlords who raise the rent. They saw their neighbors cash in on “over priced real estate” that the newcomers were willing (though foolish) to pay. Now they want their piece of the pie. This has resulted in empty buildings and a sad looking little town. We have seen other “ghost towns” in our life time and it isn’t caused by “new comers,” “who don’t understand and must learn to appreciate the relationship between town and country.” High rents and high taxes cause the struggling entrepreneur to close the door of their struggling little enterprise.

Please reflect on these thoughts and find a place in your heart to appreciate the contributions that the newcomers provide. We desire to see our little community prosper and grow but selling its soul to the landgrabbers and outsider financial institutions will not solve our problems. We need creative, energetic community leaders with appreciation for the potential opportunities in front of them If you succumb to the deceptive outstretched hand of easy, low interest money, it will bite hard if the endeavor fails and they become the owner of your community. The repossessed properties that are on the local market now belong to the banks or mortgage companies – they were private property – is this what we want. I don’t think so!

Today’s affluent generation expects more than ice cream shops, retail outlets, and dime stores to entertain them. We appreciate these things of yesteryear and miss them, but they are left to posterity. Even the music of our generation is not wanted or appreciated. This place could become a mecca for water sports if promoted as such, but I guarantee you wouldn’t appreciate the clientele it brought in with their fast boats, skidoos, etc, loud music, scantily clad bodies, flowing spirits and recreational drugs – it would bring lots of revenue to Main Street (maybe an ice cream shop) but we would lose our town and country atmosphere. What is wrong with a bedroom community with a peaceful beautiful natural surrounding and happy neighbors who share with one another? I guess it would mean less revenue for superficial trails and a tiny park on main street.

If the “transplants of retirement age” were not here I suspect the little town and island would still sport old run down houses and fallow fields of tall dry grasses and no addition to the county coffers.

Janet Freed

Puget Island