WW welcomes letters to the editor via mail, e-mail or fax. Letters must be signed by the author and include the author's street address and phone number for verification. Preference will be given to letters of 250 words or less. Pet Sounds I'm writing in response to the story by Philip Dawdy regarding Multnomah County's proposed pet-food sales tax ["The Politics of Puppy Chow," WW, Sept. 1, 1999]. I sure hope Mr. Dawdy is right when he says the proposal is dead. I'm not so sure the county has given up the fight. My guide dog, Merlin, and I, along with other members of the Guide Dog Users of Oregon and their guide dogs, have been at nearly every public meeting to protest this idea. Since a retail tax on pet food was first proposed by Multnomah County, and after objections from the public against it, they tried to introduce the tax idea at the wholesale level. Now the county is behind closed doors with the tax on hold while they hold a broader discussion about funding. We're not very optimistic about the outcome. Animal Control services are a necessary part of public safety. To say that pet owners should have to pay for the entire program is about as fair as making only those with kids pay for schools. We also don't like the idea because large animals consume more than small ones, and that's not fair to owners. Also, it's difficult at best for some people on fixed incomes to keep their beloved dog partner, and this tax could make them have to return the dog to the training school. We urge the county to keep Animal Control funding in the general fund and stop sniffing around a pet-food tax. Judy Wilkins, secretary, Guide Dog Users of Oregon Ars Longa, Vita Brevis I enjoyed reading the article "The New School" (WW, Sept. 15, 1999) by 30-year-old Caryn Brooks and others featuring the finest artists of the local (age undetermined) art scene. I have followed the work of 28-year-old Jon Raymond, 29-year-old Erin Boberg and 32-year-old James Harrison, as well as some of the other creative talents of 154-year-old Portland. We should be proud that we stack up so well culturally next to major cities like 275-year-old New York City and even 2050-year-old Paris. I hope that the 25-year-old Willamette Week will follow their careers and continue to offer essential data to help us appreciate their talents like their age, weight, sex, perhaps even current hair color, as they reach 225-year-old national and 4.5 billion-year-old world recognition! Brian Borrello Northeast Alberta Street - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Willamette Week | originally published October 6, 1999