February 18, 2009 The Daily Gleaner Too much politics in Crown land decisions Robert H. Young Fredericton Re: The state of our forests I was not discharged from the Air Force after the Second World War. Instead, I was transferred to Air Force Reserve, and retained my obligation to serve Canada and its people. After the war, I was employed by the Province of New Brunswick as a forester and felt the same duty that I had as an airman. I was not alone. Most forestry workers like forest rangers and wardens, as all civil servants, felt we were employees and Crown land and province shareholders. Sixty years later, I feel that we are victimized citizens. The Forest Resources Study of 1974 recommended licences to Crown land be replaced by wood guarantees, and private woodlot owners be primary suppliers to industry. It was rejected. Today, woodlot owners, farmers and inshore fishermen have all been victimized as machines, politics and industry have increased their stranglehold on the management of public resources the world over. Now I know what happened. The industrial-political complex puts commerce and industry first and people second (if not lower). For 50 years the forest industry bought job- and environment-killing machines to replace workers and passed on silviculture, fire protection and administration costs to people. In effect, the peoples' share went to killing jobs and environment and profits went to industry. The sad part of this bitter political lesson is that it explains our warlike world ruled by the military industrial complex which U.S. war veteran and President Eisenhower condemned in 1961. As our world collapses into war, unemployment, pollution and economic confusion, I speak for the people who non-violently protest, and vote against the industrial-political partnership that controls life sustaining resources of our planet home at the expense of peace and people.