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Voice: The dunes and Daniel Patterson

In response to Daniel Patterson's (aka Osama bin Patterson) recent column, I submit the following: Mr. Patterson and his followers are nothing more than environmental terrorists!

Mr. Patterson and his followers have only one agenda in mind; to close the great outdoors to everyone except his followers. The only way he and his followers can succeed at this is to use the Endangered Species Act as his main weapon.

I ask you Mr. Patterson, can you honestly state that there is no other place on the face of this earth that these so-called endangered species do not also exist? Of course you can't. Have you or your followers exhausted all possible locations worldwide? Of course you haven't!

But you are not interested in that, are you, Mr. Patterson? Mr. Patterson, you and your followers are well-financed and were so blessed with political favors by the Clinton administration and his cronies that now you have the nerve to complain about the Bush administration trying to correct all the political favors and the wrongs you and your followers received! The population of this great land, the state of Califonia, is busting at the seams, and you and your followers want to restrict or even close off areas where clearly more riding areas and expansion are needed!

I do not see you, Mr. Patterson, or your followers trying to limit alcohol sales, or traffic problems in the cities, or on the highways, reducing class sizes or trying to solve real problems like crime, that would benefit the population as a whole! Why is this, Mr. Patterson? Could it be because you and your followers would receive nothing in return, no political favors, other than the comfort that the state might be a better place to live in?

Mr. Patterson and his followers complain about non-off-roading opportunities and how little of them exist in the dunes. Mr. Patterson and his followers complain about lack of trails and facilities; maybe, Mr. Patterson, if you and your followers were charged the same amount, or more, in fees and permits for your non-off-road use of the dunes that we are charged for our off-road use, there would be money available for this.

You and your followers could finance your parking lots, restrooms and picnic tables and trash cans, but don't ask me to help you pay for all this! And yes, Mr. Patterson, we would still come rescue you in the event of an emergency!

But don't hold your breath, Mr. Patterson, because you and your followers really don't want to enjoy the dunes, do you! You and your followers would never want to pay your own way! Maybe a green sticker that could be attached to your head or something so we would know instantly that you have paid your fees to be there! There are so few of your followers who would that it would take years to generate any money for this effort!

What's that? Don't want to be charged for hiking or walking or facilities for using the dunes as they are public lands already! Yes, we said the same thing, and nobody in the Clinton administration paid any attention! So now we have the camping permit and the infamous adventure pass for our forests!

And as far as law enforcement goes, Mr. Patterson, we all know you and your followers would never cause any overcrowding, excessive noise or drinking problems in the dunes because you and your followers would have thousands of acres, unlike off-road users, to wander in and would not be forced into smaller areas like we are!

Mr. Patterson and his followers quote surveys and statistics that the public enjoys hiking (58 percent). Were any of these respondents asked or informed about their preferences and if they would go hiking in the dunes!

Mr. Patterson, you and your followers are exactly what you claim the Bush administration to be: a minority special interest with extremely deep pockets! You and your followers are nothing more than children who complain the loudest when they don't get there way! If you're not part of the solution.. .. oh well you figure it out

JAMES R. JOHNSON JR.

Riverside

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