Editor, Gazette-Journal:

Bombarding the public with negative publicity will surely undermine confidence in what we produce—oysters and clams. It would appear that the people who pump out pollution news are worth more to the Commonwealth than we, the producers.

No doubt about it, membership dues, government contracts and advertising spell big bucks for VIMS, universities, non-government organizations and the media. A letter recently sent in to a Richmond newspaper was headlined "Animal waste fertilizer pollutes the bay." Could I point out that Tayloe Murphy was responsible for writing legislation which dealt with this very issue? And guess who sent this kick in the pants in to the paper? None other than a member of VOGG, Virginia Oyster Growing Groupies.

You gave oyster growers money to buy seed and equipment and now these guys have their hands out to get a buck and a half for each oyster they sell! A dog chasing its tail would be a polite way to describe that bit of nutti...