I enjoy the articles and photos of Hood River from past years.

However, on page one of the Feb. 27 Centennial special section, the photo of Second Street identified as a 1908 photo was taken at a later date. The buildings are likely unchanged from 1908, but the cars are of late teens to early ’20s vintage.

Also on page eight the cars on the street by the Oregon Hotel are not Model As. They appear to be about 1910 to 1912 vintage. This may seem like nit-picking but to an antique car buff, these things are important.

Appreciation due

Sometimes in the busyness of our everyday lives, we forget to stop and show our gratitude for the services our city and county has to offer.

On Saturday, Feb. 23, an out-of-town family whose grandparents are buried at Idlewilde brought one of their loved ones to Hood River for burial. The motorcade had just left Gresham and I put in a call to the Hood River City and County dispatch and asked for some assistance for when the motorcade arrived at Hood River.

On projected time, the motorcade arrived and our city and county officials went to work. The professional conduct and compassion shown to this grieving family at one of the darkest times of their lives, was breath-taking and words cannot express the family’s gratitude.

City and county officials brought the family to Idlewilde without a glitch, or losing any family members or friends in the process.

How fortunate we are to live in a community like the Hood River Valley, where people still care about people. This is just one example of what we “take for granite.”

Voting concerns

In the Feb. 23 edition of the Hood River News a lady wrote expressing concerns about the super delegates. I, too, have concerns and don’t think they have the right to choose the nominee over the popular votes of the people.

After some thinking I decided my vote doesn’t count, anyway, because Oregon is one of the last six states to vote and 44 states will already have decided who the winners are.

Voting is supposed to be by secret ballot so why the rich celebrities’ endorsements? Why have a secret ballot if you’re influenced by these people? Can you not think for yourself? But there may be some people who can’t when they clap, cheer and stomp their feet when their choice stops to blow his nose.

Cheers for blowing your nose in public! Excuse me!

I will cast my vote because I’ll know I at least tried to put in the best person to lead our country.

Against Broughton

Regarding the proposed Broughton Mill resort: Support open discussions, because when people stop and think about the negative long-term effects of such a large development, I believe everyone will say no.

Not only will the resort change our precious small-town environment, it will bring an even higher number of people willing to pay more for the same decently priced goods we enjoy today, raising prices for everyone. I implore the Gorge Commission to interpret the Scenic Act as it was intended and not distort laws to please a corporation.

Un-represented

Bamboozled? Lately, I have been wondering if our local government is a microcosm of our larger government.

It appears that elected officials might not really be representing the larger electorate that put them into office in the first place. Consider the following situations. I read that the Hood River City Council has raised sewer rates by 25 percent for non-city residents. So much for non-city residents being represented equally on this decision.

The reasoning was that these lines are more expensive to service. I seriously question that reasoning. The failing lines are in the city, not the urban growth boundary. I also read in the paper how the county has purchased a piece of property on Cascade Avenue for “affordable housing.“

My concern is that county commissioner Perkins stated that they would use money from the sale of a State Street property to fund it. If I remember right, this was the property that people fought against being developed. Was this not a dead deal?

Recently I attended a meeting regarding the Pheasant Ridge development for high-density. We were told a month ahead of time to send letters with concerns regarding the development.

About 50 people showed up to the meeting, most of whom were against the development of the property to the “new” high-density standards. Paul Cummings informed everyone that we would not be bamboozled and we would all get to give testimony.

After about 45 minutes of the development’s attorney speaking, the gavel came down and the meeting was adjourned without testimony. I never saw a commission leave a room so fast. On top of that, the developers proceeded to give a pitch for their development. I didn’t think government was partnering with private enterprise? I sure hope our local government isn’t as representative as the greater government.

I hope we, the electorate, are being heard.

At loss from tax

I just received a letter from the City of Hood River informing me that my sewer rates were going to increase by 25 percent. What? Didn’t the city just levy an increase a little while ago?

I am at a loss as to this ever-growing appetite for revenue. Maybe the city is trying to curb obesity by charging more, so we can’t buy as much food! It must be that the city is not charging enough for new construction, and we have to make up the difference? Where is all this money going?

I certainly don’t see it transferred to the roads, as the same holes that have been on Belmont for two years haven’t been fixed. Maybe it is to pay for the downtown construction! Oh, no, that was a grant. OK, new snow plows — No, not there? Up grade the sewer plant? Uh — no! More police — Naw! OK, I am at a loss!

Please tell me and the other citizens of Hood River your reasoning, where the money is going, and why we are not allowed to have input on this!

Learn a lesson

Many voted for Bush because they were convinced America was no longer safe and we needed the protection only he could provide. Over the past several years we have seen proof of this. Homeland security has failed to secure our harbors on numerous occasions that we know of, and still is understaffed and under-funded based on expert opinions.

Well over one trillion dollars has been spent in Iraq with easily another trillion anticipated. A reasonable portion of this money will undoubtedly be spent rebuilding things we paid to blow up.

We will build schools and public structures in Iraq while several Portland-area schools 50 or more years old cannot be replaced because of funding. Medicare spending is to be frozen for five years under the new Bush plan of budget cuts.

The U.S. economy is clearly in trouble. We don’t need an expert to clarify the words “recession” or “market instability” to see costs of everything rise, from houses to food.

Forget the gas debate. Now we see the true genius in the current plan for Iraq and how it will continue to infect (or if you choose — affect) us for decades to come.

Our leaders recently asked the Iraqis to hold another set of elections in the near future with a deadline set to facilitate this. They voted down our suggestion. Isn’t that the reason we have been sold on for being there — to promote a democratic society with elections and political stability?

Then Bush went to OPEC, the people who ultimately control the world’s oil and everything to do with gas and transportation. He asked them to increase production of crude oil since our prices were escalating and he has apparently realized this is a problem over here. They flat-out told him no. Production is fine and they expect prices to drop soon.

I think over here they call it “back at ya.” As in, if you want gas prices lower, have your price-gouging friends consider reducing their quarterly profits below $60 million. John McCain has already said he is willing to stay in Iraq 50 to 100 years if necessary. He obviously does not consider any of the aforementioned issues a real problem.

I strongly encourage anyone above a household income of $200,000 to vote for John McCain. It will be the best way to keep your money and insulate yourself from the real-world problems in our country and abroad. What I can’t understand, and no one has ever been able to clarify this for me, is how anyone under $200,000 in income could ever consider voting for McCain.

You have to know that every day your life will be adversely affected by the politics and spending we will see and have seen for the past seven years. Think about it.

Super delegate ills

For the past eight years I’ve considered myself a Democrat, not because I believe in all their policies but because I think Bush has been terrible for our country. Never in the past eight years could I have imagined voting for a Republican after Bush; that is, until now. If Obama gets more votes but the super delegates decide to give the nomination to Hillary I will vote for McCain.

Not because I like him, because I don’t. In my opinion if the super delegates don’t listen to the people’s vote then that’s unforgivable because we are supposed to still live in a democracy.

Please don’t misunderstand what I’m saying. I desperately want to vote for a Democrat. I’m just hoping the super delegates don’t forget to listen to the people; otherwise the people may stop listening to them.

Explain rate hike

This letter is in response to the column by Bob Francis that attempts to justify a 25-percent increase in sewer rates for those of us who live outside the city limits. He never specifically comes out and says why we will pay 25 percent more. Can we get specific expenses of why and how the city came up with a 25 percent increase?

When the sewer went in out on the west side of Hood River, all the landowners were required to pay the installation costs. Then to hook up we were required to pay a connection fee. Then we pay the monthly service charge, which has gone from $36 to $44 recently.

With the recent housing developments on the west side, it seems to me the city should have more than enough revenue to operate. But I guess if you keep saying something long enough, everyone will think it is true, even if it isn’t.