For 46 days I have eaten nothing and drunk only water while I have passed into the state of medical starvation here on Capitol Hill.

I have done this as a part of a national rolling fast sponsored by Jubilee USA to symbolize the tens of thousands who starve to death each day in Third World countries.

Jubilee USA now has a bill in the House of Representatives that would cancel the debts of 67 of the world’s poorest countries (HR 2634), many of which pay up to 50 percent of their annual budgets in debt service to the International Monetary Fund and World Bank. Many of these debts were incurred some 30 years ago.

Under HR 2634, the money saved from debt payments will now stay in the country and be directed into anti-poverty programs to save thousands of lives.

To help pass the new Jubilee Act of 2007, please contact your two senators and your representative and urge them to both co-sponsor the act and vote for it.

Arts in the Gorge

A lightly attended but well-received event happened at Riverside Community Church on Sunday afternoon.

The Sequoia Trio from Western Oregon University played a concert that was generously sponsored by the Hood River Cultural Trust. To live in a beautiful area and have such wonderful support for the arts is a blessing indeed!

Perplexing items

Past items in your paper which “caught my eye,” compete with the “Bush Gangsters” practices: For example, the July 7 news item, city “police shake-up”over hanky-panky, followed by more of the same with NORCOR (Sept. 15).

And standing next in line waiting its turn- (drum roll), the nominees are: (1) Did the city get to the top of its problem? (2) Are the NORCOR “trouble makers” behind bars? And (3) Are the two sheriffs standing on level ground?

Note the Sept. 22 article wherein both sheriffs indicated that they felt “blindsided” by the NORCOR’s problems being exposed by news reporters — dah!

For these reasons, we NEED investigative reporters to shed light on the shady areas of our justice systems and governments, plus the Bush gang.

Locally, we can attest to our sheriff’s performance as we witnessed him in our living rooms while watching TV this past year. (He should be a “shoo-in” if he chooses to run for another term). And what a showing that was!

A personal disappointing help-seeking personnel (deputy) problem visit with Sheriff Joe Wampler ended with a warm smile and a good-bye; which had left me perplexed as to how a local bank employee could “fall off the earth” following an altercation with another.

So, after all is said and done, will all this just be another, “The more things change, the more they remain the same”?

Thanks, HOPE

I am writing to say thank you to HOPE (Housing for People), the City, and all the other entities that have made the 34 new homes on May Street possible.

There is no issue more important in our community than housing. If the people who work here can’t afford to live here, we won’t have a community. It is pretty simple. If we don’t have a place for families to live, we will lose county staff, hospital staff, teachers, small business owners, anybody who makes an average wage. With housing costs continuing to increase, at least in the Gorge if not the nation, I just want to say that I think HOPE is a much-needed resource for this community.

Trail thanks

Several people attended the Mt Hood National Forest trail work day for maintenance needs along Trail 450, Lookout Mountain Trail.

The event was coordinated by Jim Thornton, U.S.F.S., and sponsored by New York City Subs. Thanks to Jim and the 10 volunteers, see you again next year.

Anyone wishing to do any trail work can reach me at (541) 490-1127.

Support HOPE

I want to say thank you to HOPE/Housing for People. For the past 20 years, HOPE has been building homes for people who work in our community. They are now in the process of building another 34 homes on May Street that are targeted toward people and families that work in Hood River and would like to live here. This is what makes a community.

If our city/county staff, hospital staff, school teachers, small business owners and others can’t afford to live here, we won’t have a community here very soon, it is that simple. I will continue to support HOPE and others that realize this problem and are working to add affordable homes to the Hood River area.