Letter: Selfish priorities

Editor: The recent General Plan hearing have exposed the short
sighted selfish priorities of certain ³property rights² advocates.
Speaking out loudly against river protections were some from the
usual realtor, development, and farm bureau groups who were told to
show up. They angrily proceeded to jeer and harass and speakers who
questioned whether creek setbacks and riparian protection for new
buildings or crops were a good idea.
While the global issues of climate change, increasing water
shortages, ocean and river fish depletion, and human overpopulation
should be of concern to all of us in the general pubic, the
³property rights² group is focused on squeezing out a few more
dollars off Sonoma County land!
Isn¹t the focus on private gain misplaced? Is making a few more
bucks off the land more important than facing the global issues
while we can? Aren¹t we all subject to global warming, landowners
and realtors included? Do these groups want to leave the big
problems to future generations, while they continue to fight for a
bigger piece of a smaller pie?
Scientists and environmentalists are telling us what we need to
know.
Warren Watkins, Healdsburg