Green T-shirts with “WEAN the tree commies” are sprouting up on Whidbey Island, and Steve Erickson, WEAN guru, says, “What is it they’re trying to say?” (News-Times, May 4.)

Maybe this will help Steve get the message: Unlike our free enterprise system, a basic belief of Communism is that all property belongs to the people. We are always amazed that a small group of environmentalists (usually individuals that have little, if any, financial resources or motivation of their own to acquire any real property for themselves) can succeed in a quasi-legal confiscation of property that owners have acquired through hard work and sound financial management.

In reality, they don’t take property titles away from the owner. They obviously don’t want the responsibility. The original owner keeps the title, continues to pay taxes and any mortgages but no longer has control of what can and can’t be done with his property, regardless of hardship. Steve Erickson and Maryanne Edain’s action under their WEAN banner have cost Island County taxpayers significant amounts of money by their continuing litigation and battles with county government.

Sad as it may be, I’m sure WEAN’s most recent victory will only motivate them to try and accomplish more of their agenda and further control how property owners can and can’t use their property. Their belief and goal is that every piece of real estate belongs to “the people,” and usage must be according to their dictates.

Face it … Communism is alive in Island County. The WEAN-like mentality of environmentalists will continue to gain control of private property until the masses wake up and somebody and say, “Enough is enough!”

Now, do you “WEANies” understand what we are saying?

Barbara and Bill Strowbridge

Oak Harbor