I appreciated the recent editorial regarding timber theft. The case that this type of crime harms us all is well taken.

It is reasonable to expect the Legislature and appropriate agencies to protect and manage the use of our public resources. The theft of state timber robs dollars used to fund school construction.

The editorial stated, "Crimes against our natural resources, whether it's timber, fish or wildlife, must be taken seriously." This needs to be expanded to include water.

Clear, clean, cool water is this state's most valuable public asset. Our water is many times more valuable than our timber. Water is our common wealth.

Water is the base upon which our economy is built.

We rely on the sale of state timber to fund school construction, yet a $10 water right can give the holder state permission to extract millions of dollars of value from the public commons. No other fees are collected.

If this too isn't a theft, then it's a "taking" -- a transfer of wealth from the public to the private.

Our state was organized to provide public education. It was our founders' primary concern.

I propose that we rethink the giveaway of public water. A reasonable fee for the use of public waters could be dedicated to the operation of public schools and water resource management.

Lanny Carpenter, Olympia

Brame murder-suicide not ready for film

It has all the essential elements of a "Movie of the Week" -- police corruption, violence, the other woman, allegations of rape ...

Unfortunately for two children in this world, it is their lives.

Hollywood often jumps the gun in gaining rights to persons who experience personal tragedy.

It is my hope that Hollywood will recognize that this tragedy belongs to these children, and until they are old enough to understand, Hollywood should leave this tragedy alone.

Crystal Brame did everything right: She documented the abuse, contacted the right people, did all the right things -- right down to meeting her abuser only in a public place.

Unfortunately, everything in this case wasn't enough to save her life. Public officials claim ignorance. Last time I checked, ignorance of the law was no excuse.

I hope that, until the children can fully come to terms with the deaths of their parents, this tragedy will remain private. The public will just have to let this "Movie of the Week" alone.

Jody Pierpoint, Olympia

Police need to crack down on violators

I am writing because I feel that downtown Olympia is unsafe.

I walk on Capitol Way almost every day, and from 14th Avenue all the way to Fourth Avenue. My life is regularly endangered by rude and inattentive drivers.

Many times I have been halfway into a crosswalk, with some drivers at a complete stop, and a smiling woman with her head glued to a cell phone has screamed past me through the crosswalk.

Other times, trucks, SUVs, buses, BMWs and old beaters jet through intersections in apparent competition with pedestrians.

Even while crossing with a lighted walk sign, I have regularly been in close calls with drivers careening around corners without slowing down, not knowing that a person soon would be in their path.

Also, most drivers don't seem to be aware that pedestrians walking on sidewalks have the right of way over cars entering and exiting parking lots.

I understand that our mayor, council members, businesses and most locals would like downtown to be a thriving, attractive destination. This will not happen as long as people feel endangered while crossing the streets.

Why aren't there regular traps by the Olympia Police Department? These should include tickets for violations of pedestrian right-of-way laws, not just for speeding. Also, if there is true support for a pedestrian-friendly downtown, the city should invest in better signage to alert drivers that this is a heavily traveled pedestrian area.

Jeanne Marie Thomas, Olympia

Nation can't continue to shoulder financial burden

The Olympian's position on providing tax money for illegal aliens for prenatal medical attention is a large part of what is wrong with American finances today.

If a person comes to America legally and wants to reside and work here, no one would have a problem with helping them to become a part of our collective effort to be a nation. But you propose helping those who sneak into our country without giving our immigration laws a chance to work, thereby denying us an opportunity to prepare for the help these people might want or need.

We cannot continue to help these unplanned-for people without causing major financial problems for our government.

To propose throwing endless amounts of money at this problem is improper.

Our government is often criticized for overspending and not planning and thereby controlling costs. Uncontrolled immigration, the same thing as illegal immigration, can only lead to an inability of the government to plan.

We as a nation must either decide to control illegal immigration or produce uncontrolled amounts of money for whatever desires the illegals come up with.

Today it is prenatal care; what will it be tomorrow, or will we run out of money first?

Dennis Rohn, Hoodsport

Banning herbicide use is not the right answer

I am writing in response to a couple of letters exhorting the state to stop using herbicides.

Both letters infer that the Department of Transportation is responsible for the contamination of the watershed through its roadside spraying program.

This is not an objective view, considering that a majority of the watershed pollution comes from property owners who do follow the label directions in the application or disposal of herbicides that are purchased over the counter. Some of the culprit chemicals mentioned were dichlobenil, 2,4-D and dicamba.

Dichlobenil is used primarily as a pre-emergent in landscaped beds in the form of granules in products such as "Casoron."

Dicamba and 2,4-D are commonly found in lawn weed-control products like "Weed & Feed" or "Weed Begone."

These can be a problem if not applied in accordance with the label.

A lot of roadside spraying involves glyphosate-type products like "Roundup," which adheres to soil particles and becomes inert after spraying and is very safe in an area with leaching problems. Like any public applicator, the spraying projects must be licensed by WSDA.

The Department of Transportation must keep records of all spraying and maintain these records for seven years under the law.

Integrated pest-management programs use herbicides as well as other methods to control unwanted vegetation; banning one component of the program is not the answer.

Dave Myers, Olympia

Both sides in conflict must make concessions

Ariel Sharon has recently failed to do his part to move along the new road map for peace in the Middle East.

The Palestinian Authority, under the new leadership of Mahmoud Abbas, has embraced the peace plan, which calls for concessions on both sides.

However, on May 12, Sharon declared that settlements would not be up for negotiations.

Amid headlines that blame the failure of the peace process on Palestinian terrorists, it's clear that the latest wave of attacks happened five days after Sharon's announcement.

Coincidence?

Random terror of Islamic fundamentalists?

Or a planned response to an equally fundamentalist regime, such as Sharon's Likud-led coalition, which openly advocates the increasing occupation of Palestinian lands?

Of course, this does not justify suicide bombings, which are crimes against humanity, but it certainly does not leave Sharon's hands clean.

The settlements are illegal under U.N. Resolution 242.

They surround Palestinian villages; some are built on top of demolished Palestinian homes.

They are serviced by Jewish-only roads and control the major water supplies.

Settlers are known for their violent attacks against Palestinians, including attacks on farmers and children as they walk to school.

Before any peace process can be considered legitimate, both sides must make a sincere effort at concessions instead of demanding that the other side capitulate first. Peace and security have a price.

Kristina Johnson, Olympia

Not all domestic violence is physical

Tacoma Chief of Police David Brame shot his wife and then himself.

I would like to seek help for those who get verbally abused by their female spouses, those who create a lot of mental, emotional and psychological damage for their male counterparts.

It appears as though only the physical violence is violence in our society.

It is about time that the other, nonphysical aspects of domestic violence are brought to light and dealt with.

Hopefully, then the physical violence will gradually become a thing of the past. For no one can ever clap with just their one hand.

Abdul Noormuhammad, Olympia