This letter was sent to the Richmond Times-Dispatch and garnered me "Correspondent of the Day" honors when it was printed on January 6, 2001.

December 30, 2000

Richmond Times-Dispatch
P.O. Box 85333
Richmond, VA 23293
Attn: Editorial Page

Dear Sirs,

Well now. For the third time in about a month and a half we have been told that we will definitely get some snow. Yep, big snow storm on the way, make ready. But what’s this? No snow! How can this be? All the weather forecasters said it would snow. Even the Weather Channel.

Now you’re probably wondering, "Floyd, what’s your point?" Well, as one who pays attention to the political scene I can’t help but notice an interesting dichotomy. In recent years the folks inside the beltway (especially the likes of AlGore) have been telling us that we must change our nation’s energy policies. We must do this to cut down on greenhouse emissions from combustible engine vehicles, yadda, yadda, yadda. The proof they cite are the predictions by weather forecasters and scientists who tell us that the Earth’s temperature may rise by a degree or two over the next hundred years.

This will cause the polar ice caps to melt and the resulting floods will swamp our coastlines, etc., etc., etc. So I ask you faithful readers, if they can’t get the weather predictions correct for only one or two days from now then why should we believe that they’ll be correct about a hundred years from now? Just thought I’d ask.

As for the continuing "mis-forcasts" I’ll tell you what I think. I think the local supermarkets are behind it. Think about it.

Sincerely,

Floyd C. Bayne