LETTERS

Dear editor,

Having been raised in southwest Georgia for my tender youth years, I have come to know Blakely as the land of my ancestors who plowed the soil and planted the seeds for generations to come. I was raised in these agricultural based communities and was taught the meaning and importance of preserving our land, our resources and preparing for our children to come. While Mr. George Israel may consider us to be "radical environmentalists," the truth is the wisdom of our forefathers was passed down and taken to heart.

It is up to us as members of this planet to make efforts to improve the condition in which we live, but even more importantly, how we leave it after we have lived it. The fact is that we can do better than the Dynegy Longleaf plant, which would emit millions of tons of harmful pollution every year. Georgia gets 62 percent of its electricity from coal and that is 20 percent more than the national average! Most of the power from the coal plant would be sold on the market to Florida and Alabama, while the harmful health impacts stay in Georgia.

The wiser solution would be investing in clean and affordable resources that would serve better for our health and create more than 16,000 long-term, family supporting jobs. It is these jobs that are the smarter choice for helping the area's economy. Pamela L. Johnson 207 W. Brookwood Dr. Valdosta, Ga. 31601