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A wish, age 6
My baseball doesn’t hit my bat, I want a refund!
Trey Roeseler
Hood River
No double talk
There is one thing I’ve learned about politicians: They are ruled
by poll results.
Rick Metsger seems to be no exception. While Metsger killed two
bills in his committee that would have made it impossible for
illegal residents to get driver’s licenses, he is now claiming
support for the same bills. All of Metsger’s double talk can’t
hide his voting record, which speaks for itself. Let’s stop
sending politicians to Salem who do one thing and say something
different based on political expediency.
Terry Benton
Hood River
Support VanOrman
We are fortunate to have in Suzanne VanOrman, an outstanding
candidate as representative to the state legislature. As director
of the regional Head Start program for 22 years, she has the
dedication and experience necessary to work effectively for
solutions to problems in education, health care and government
efficiency.
She has proven fiscal and management skills and will work to
improve Oregon’s public education system and provide stable
funding for our schools. She understands that a well-educated work
force is a benefit to all Oregonians and is essential for a
healthy and competitive economy.
She will work to extend health care to all children in Oregon and
to control prescription drug costs for individuals and small
business. She will work to provide public oversight on health
insurance rate increases to stabilize health insurance costs for
employers.
She will bring to this position her experience, intelligence and
vitality, and care for our community.
Join me in supporting Suzanne VanOrman for state representative in
District 52.
Sydney Burkhart
Hood River
Watching the flow
The Columbia River rises in British Columbia and flows through
various parts of Canada and the USA before reaching the Pacific
Ocean, a distance of 1,214 miles.
Along its banks are scores of cities and towns. Also, miles of
rivers and streams, some large, some small, which at various times
of the year are at flood stage of off-color due to snow melt — as
is our own Hood River — and they all have one thing in common:
They empty into the Columbia.
And yet we have those officials who tell us that if we all pay
$2.50 a month, every month, 12 months a year, summer, winter,
spring and fall, we can make the Columbia cleaner.
Now, did a little light just come on that says that doesn’t make
any sense; it sounds like a way to get money? Congratulations,
you’ve just become what P.T. Barnum referred to as a member of the
“there’s one born every minute” club.
If you or I came up with such a story and had to take a polygraph
test the machine would fall apart laughing.
But wait; did that light just come on again?
Because if you’re thinking what I’m thinking that they’re
thinking: Hey it worked the first time, let’s try it again. BINGO,
Enter the Dragon, tax number two, the business license tax.
And after all, why not? This has become a city that gives its
citizens the business every chance it gets. Hood River: It’s all
about money.
John Codino
Hood River
A vote for beauty
I want to thank our Oregon congressional delegation, Senators
Smith and Wyden and Representatives Walden and Blumenauer, for
their bills to expand wilderness on Mount Hood. They have worked
in an excellent bipartisan manner to preserve the best remaining
unprotected parts of Mount Hood.
One final push is needed to merge the House and Senate bills and
get one version passed and signed before the end of the
legislative year. I urge them to push the final mile for the icon
of Oregon, our beautiful Mount Hood; for as Dostoevsky said,
“Beauty will save the world.”
Peter Cornelison
Hood River
York goes low
The tactics that Carol York is employing in her campaign are right
out of Karl Rove’s handbook. She has said things about her
opponent, State Senator Rick Metsger, that just are not true. For
the record, Rick Metsger believes that all Oregonians must be
legal residents to get a driver’s license or identification card.
Ms. York has chosen to mislead us about this fact in the most
trusted campaign document, the voter’s pamphlet. It is
disappointing enough that some candidates seek to elevate
themselves by attacking their opponents on TV, radio and in the
newspapers.
For Ms. York to use the voter’s pamphlet to spread her lies is a
new low in campaigning.
Ms. York claims that information was given to her secondhand. Did
she research it to see if it was true? Either she does not do her
homework or she will do and say anything to get elected. Neither
of these are acceptable qualities for a state senator.
Jim Greenleaf
Hood River
No leadership shown
Sen. Metsger is on the wrong side of the immigration issue, no
matter how much he tried to talk his way out of it. Who would
sponsor a bill requiring election ballots to be printed in
languages other than English? Like most politicians, Metsger knows
how to say what people want to hear whether it lines up with the
truth or not. If Metsger had truly shown leadership and passion
about this issue like he claims, it wouldn’t be an issue of such
contention.
Duke Hagee
Mt. Hood
No more war
In response to the letter on Sept. 16, I am sorry that I was
unable to attend the recent local tribute to the victims and
heroes of Sept. 11.
I just knew that I probably would not be able to hold the
respectful focus required on such an occasion. My grief over the
loss and suffering of that horrific day 9-11 has been co-opted too
many times by the corporate thugs in the White House who are mis-governing
our beloved country into its grave.
The lies, the torture, the wholesale destruction of the planet in
their self-righteous cause of total domination, causes such a
loathing in me, that it at times pops up unbidden despite attempts
at prayer, meditation or mental calming.
“Official” gatherings held, even locally by those I value deeply
as friends, become co-opted for me when I hear such phrases as “a
death sentence just for being Americans” such as was reported in
the follow-up news account of the event.
I just cannot abide our part in the death sentences that are daily
rained down on the innocent children of Iraq, Afghanistan,
Palestine, Lebanon, and God knows where else because we have not
yet attained enough moral courage to stand up and together demand
“No more war.”
I will be honoring the courageous sacrifices of the men and women
who have died trying to save others on 9-11, as well as those here
in our area, and wherever else in the world that courage shows up,
in my heart and my daily tears.
I will be joining with people worldwide on Thursday, Sept. 21,
which is an International Day of Peace, with thousands of events
and activities designed to raise humanity’s consciousness to a
threshold of understanding of our true place in the universe.
(www.internationaldayofpeace.org)
I will also hold the fallen in honor, at the silent candlelight
vigil this Saturday evening in Portland as people gather over the
bridges of Portland at 7:30 p.m. to witness together for that
peace that we have not yet made.
Karen Harding
Mt. Hood
Vote VanOrman
I am supporting the election of Suzanne VanOrman for District 52
State Representative.
With her 22 years as director of the Regional Head Start Program
she has had experience in planning for the financing of education
programs and working with legislators to carry them out. Her
previous experience as an Oregon City Commissioner and Commission
President gave her great training in the legislative process.
Her work to help low-income families locate health care options to
keep them from using high-cost emergency room care is outstanding.
Affordable health care for all is one of her priorities as well.
Small businesses will benefit from her focus on needed health care
programs for them.
Please become a well-informed voter and join me in voting for
Suzanne VanOrman for District 52 State Representative.
Jean Harmon
Hood River
No added wilderness
Senators Smith and Wyden and Congressmen Blumenauer and Walden:
I, a resident of the upper Hood River Valley, request you withdraw
your proposed bills for more wilderness on Mount Hood. We need
less wilderness, not more, because uncontrollable wildfires will
occur in the wilderness and the Forest Service will not be able to
address this problem. The dead and dying trees on the mountain
have created a huge buildup of fuel just waiting for the next
lightning strikes or careless human actions. This buildup of fuels
has resulted through the failed policies of the Forest Service and
their reliance on the failed hypothesis of natural fire regimes.
The Forest Service is saying, “Let nature take its course.” And
nature will take its course in the proposed 128,000 acres of new
wilderness and 189,000 acres of existing wilderness. About 70,000
acres of beetle-killed trees on the east side of the mountain (B.
Pineda USFS 2006) are waiting for the next lightning strikes. How
many hundreds of thousands of acres of sick and dying trees are
waiting?
The Mount Hood Complex wildfires now cover some 1,900 acres and
threaten the Crystal Springs and The Dalles watersheds, our
drinking water sources. Only the expensive efforts of firefighters
have saved them so far. Residents of the upper Hood River Valley
have had to breathe cancer-causing smoke for over a month now. We
need healthy watersheds and healthy airsheds.
The proposed wilderness additions result in too much risk to these
important forest values (including the Bull Run Watershed for
Portland). Wilderness will not protect our watersheds and airsheds
because the forest is sick and wilderness policy prevents actions
to improve forest health.
Wildfires have been increasing annually in the Pacific Northwest
and the nation as the acreages of overcrowded, stressed, sick and
dying forests have been increasing. The 10-year average of
wildfire acres burned is about 4.7 million. Acres burned in 2000
were about 7.3 million. Wildfire acres burned in 2005 were about
8.3 million. So far in 2006, about 8.6 million wildfire acres have
burned (National Incident Information Center 2006).
How many tons of cancer-causing pollutants were pumped into the
air? How many thousands of tons of carbon dioxide resulted and
what has been their impact on global warming? Instead of
wilderness additions, I request you propose legislation mandating
the Forest Service to manage its lands for forest health and to
minimize the impacts of future forest fires which will occur.
Vic Kaczynski, Ph.D.
Parkdale
Why not PROD?
Does anyone care? PROD will not be a part of the new county animal
shelter in Odell’s Weber Industrial Park! Please contact your
local county commissioner to ascertain why!
Suze Nigl
Hood River
Vote for Babitz
We are excited to write in support of our friend and neighbor,
Arthur Babitz, who is running for City Council.
The council could use someone like him. He is clear-thinking and
direct, extremely knowledgeable in the workings of local
government and is always willing to take the time to explain what
the issues are and why they matter. He genuinely cares about the
trajectory of Hood River and is honest and without political
motivations beyond being of service to our community.
Arthur has a blog where you can get an idea of what he’s about.
Read what he has to say. Field him some questions. We think you’ll
find him well-suited for the position:
http://arthurforcouncil.blogspot.com
Kevin and Jennifer Scott
Hood River
‘Opt Out’ time
Students and parents can choose to Opt Out from having schools
turn over their private contact information so military recruiters
can recruit them.
The deadline for all Gorge area schools is Sept 29. The earlier
you can get this information into the schools the better.
This does not mean colleges won’t contact your student. Schools
should provide forms in English and in Spanish with designations
of both Military Recruitment and Colleges.
If they don’t, insist that they do. Students wanting to protect
their privacy also must Opt Out of the ASVAB (Armed Services
Vocational Aptitude Battery) test administered at schools (usually
sophomore year), as well as Joint Advertising and Marketing
Research and Studies Office (JAMRS, Direct Marketing Program
Officer, 4040 N. Fairfax Dr., #20, Arlington, VA 22203-1613) a
private company hired by the Pentagon to collect student
information of which they currently have 30 million people ages
16-25 on.
Linda Short
Hood River
Support Smith
We are writing today because we in District 52 have an opportunity
to re-elect Patti Smith as our State Representative.
We are the owners of a local business and local residents. We have
personally found Rep. Smith to be well-versed in our industry
issues with a good grasp of what is needed to bring accountability
and common sense to the table.
What Rep. Smith has to deal with takes a very smart and
experienced legislator.
We say let’s vote for Patti Smith and return her to the Oregon
Legislature as our representative. She has earned our vote and
respect. We need her voice in congress!
Bob and Sharon Underwood
Boring
Smith helps vets
Patti Smith values veterans and their families.
Please join me in supporting Rep. Patti Smith, for re-election to
District 52, as she has shown continuously how much she supports
and cares for our veterans and their families, a view I have had
the honor and opportunity to see firsthand.
I have seen Patti Smith at many events to honor our veterans and
their families as she has shown great concern, consideration and
care for those who have sacrificed so much. She has sponsored
legislation that allows public employees the ability to donate
their accrued vacation time to those on active military duty.
Patti Smith worked to expand health care coverage for state
employees and the families of those who are on extended military
leave to serve their country in the war on terror. Patti made sure
our small County Veterans service offices were funded this past
session, along with supporting the many Veteran bills that were
passed during the 2005 session. Patti Smith has been and is an
advocate for Veteran issues.
I urge your support in this next upcoming election to return Patti
Smith to the Oregon legislature. Patti Smith is right on the
issues, right for veterans and their families and right for
District 52.
Vote for Patti Smith State Rep. Dist. 52!
Bill Ward
The Dalles
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