Libertarian hero living the dream

Rory Westmoreland seems a true Libertarian hero. Unfazed by government rules, the complaints of petty bureaucrats, meddling environmentalists and lesser businessmen, he pursues his capitalist destiny. [Junker boats owner often in hot water, page one, June 4.]

Hopefully, courageous tea-party, property-rights and, most of all, Ron Paul supporters will rally to the defense of someone who actually animates the philosophy they espouse: life unshackled by regulations and the social protections that only serve the weak.

So what if the rest of us law-abiding citizens are left to suffer the consequences. After all, which is more important, the health of society or economic freedom. Westmoreland is, after all, just living the dream.

Ron Paige, Bellevue

State agencies ineffective

Thank you for your well-written front page article today, regarding the fouling of Penn Cove after the sinking of the vessel Deep Sea last month.

Your watchdog article I thought made two points rather well.

The obvious one is bringing Rory Westmoreland out of the dark shadows he operates in and providing us with the ultimate definition of a scofflaw.

Just as important, you have illuminated the perfect storm that exists when you match a repeat offender of environmental laws with several state agencies including the departments of Ecology, Natural Resources and Health that demonstrate nothing more than institutionalized impotence and collective hand-wringing when it comes to dealing with these problems.

More here:

Focus on owner of sunken boat in Penn Cove