Dale Riddle

Before retiring, I spent 35 years working for the Seneca family of companies. I served as legal chair of the U.S. Lumber Coalition, defending the softwood lumber industry against unfair subsidies provided by the Canadian government. Ernie Niemi’s Dec. 5 guest viewpoint (“Workers in declining industries fed false hopes”) is insulting and grossly mischaracterizes a highly competitive wood products industry here in Oregon. Every president since Ronald Reagan has found that Canada subsidizes its lumber production, harming U.S. lumber mills and tree farmers across the country. These Canadian subsidies are a flagrant abuse of U.S. trade law, and we depend on our leaders in government, like Rep. Peter DeFazio and Sen. Ron Wyden, to take strong action to hold foreign governments responsible for their illegal actions.