Dear Editor,

It is sad that the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife after purchasing who knows how much land in Okanogan County is still not satisfied with what they have. It is also sad that our county commissioners are allowing this trend to continue, stating that they do not want to get between a willing seller and a willing buyer.

Under the guise of saving habitat, fish, wildlife and mostly their own jobs, the WDFW is given money from taxpayers who fund this department like all the other departments of Washington State government. To say that the WDFW is a willing buyer is true enough, their willingness to spend other peoples’ money as they please seems characteristic of government in general, but are the taxpayers willing to see government buying land like a drunk looking for another drink. The few willing sellers are made richer on the back of the “willing buyers” (taxpayers) through a government department that is always able to find more property to save/buy. The WDFW is then allowed to double dip into taxpayers pockets by receiving a portion of the money collected in the Discovery Pass scheme, this way the taxpayer is screwed twice and “gets” to pay for it both times.

I support Ray Campbell for county commissioner because he sees the need to derail this “long train of abuses and usurpations” described in our Declaration of Independence. As private property continues to disappear here in the Okanogan, and with it our customs and culture, we need to ask ourselves if this trend towards tyranny can be reversed. We can not secure the Blessings of Liberty for ourselves or our posterity apart from private property. Help elect Ray Campbell in November.

Steve Lorz

Tonasket