The history of the United States is a history of migration. Except for Native Americans, who numbered 5 million when the first Europeans arrived, everyone in the United States is either an immigrant, a descendant of immigrants, or forced migrants.

Historically, newly arrived immigrants have been the scapegoat; that is, they are blamed and discriminated against during times of economic struggle. This divides the working classes. I hope that respect and dignity are in the forefront of Hood River County community members when working with all community members, no matter when they migrated or immigrated.

All people, regardless of their citizenship, deserve to be valued. This is the type of county and country I want to live in. Do Hood River County residents want to repeat history by treating Hispanics as the Japanese were treated? Or do we want to expand democracy and treat all our neighbors with respect and dignity?

Social Security fix

Are you worried that the Social Security system is going broke? Well, I have a possible solution.

Why not make all wage-earners pay Social Security tax on all the money they earn each year? That includes basketball players, actors, doctors, attorneys, CEOs and politicians — to name a few lavishly paid professionals.

As of now, these high earners only have to pay into the Social Security system until they make $97,500. When they retire, they earn the maximum amount allowable. Yet I know a few wealthy retirees who consider their Social Security checks simply spare cash to squander, because they have made other investments with their sky-high paychecks.

Mr. or Mrs. Average Worker, meanwhile, have to pay Social Security tax on all the money they earn, because they don’t earn enough to reach exempt status. That’s 7.5 percent of their income, incidentally, assuming they are lucky enough to work for an employer who pays the other half.

If workers such as tradespeople and artisans are self-employed, they have to pay 15 percent on everything they earn up to the magic $97,500. Consider that the next time you think you have been overcharged by your electrician or your piano teacher. When these hard-working people retire, they can barely live on the paltry checks they receive from a lifetime of paying into the system.

When people retire, their Social Security dividends could be disbursed according to an individual’s actual financial situation. Factors such as age, number of dependents, and cost of living in certain areas might be considered. That way, a doctor and a janitor who live in the same town might draw the very same Social Security check each month, no matter how much they paid into the system during their careers.

By the way, why should Social Security tax only be taken from earned income? Why don’t they take it from all personal income? That would ensure that Master Trustbaby, Ms. Wealthy Widow, and others like them would contribute to keep the system going.

Is this Socialism? Probably. Some would consider it so. But I just think it’s a matter of fair dealing. Why should the rich always get richer?

Employees are vital

How much are our county employees worth? A very tasteless ad was run the other day in this paper advertising the positions of our county employees with their salaries.

I don’t know who ran it since there was no disclosure in the ad, but I do wonder if my tax dollars were paying for it. However, as tacky as the ad was, whether or not its intent was to goad county employees into not striking, it was very educational for those of us who live in Hood River County and enjoy all of the services here. Why? The published wages for the majority of county employees are not enough to live on. Even a double-income family would find it difficult to live in this town. Buying a house now would be almost impossible. These are people who provide services that we have decided are necessities, not luxuries. Without them the town doesn’t run. Think of that.

Hear child’s wishes

The Oregon Supreme Court heard oral arguments on Nov. 6 in the case of Lia Boldt vs. James Boldt, concerning the father’s desire to circumcise their son. The father converted to Judaism in 2004 and now wants their 12-year-old son to convert as well. The mother is trying to protect her son from an unnecessary and harmful circumcision. Lia Nikolaea Boldt is Russian Orthodox, as were both parents at the time of the boy’s birth.

What is troubling to Christians is the father’s desire to force this child to abandon the Christian faith of his birth, which does not require circumcision. The mother claims her son does not wish to be circumcised but is afraid to challenge the father, with whom he resides. The Court needs to appoint a guardian ad litem to represent the boy’s interests, since he’s the one most directly affected by any decision.

Christians and others view very unfavorably the forced conversion of anyone, including that of a Gentile, Russian Orthodox boy. Hopefully the Court will recognize the right of this child to decide as an adult (just as the father decided when he was an adult) which religious faith he wishes to embrace.

Thanks, community

My family and I wish to send a heartfelt thank-you to this wonderful community. In August, a month after our son was born, my husband, Pete, was diagnosed with a tumor in his pancreas. At OHSU in Portland, we were told he would have to have a “Whipple” – an incredibly serious surgery in which the gall bladder, bile duct, part of the pancreas and part of the small intestine are removed in a procedure that takes about 10 hours, assuming there are no complications. His surgeon told us recovery from the Whipple would take 3-4 months.

In late September, Pete underwent that surgery. He spent almost two weeks in the hospital at OHSU and has been recovering at home since then. Because of the nature of the surgery (his abdomen was cut open literally from one side to the other) he cannot do things like rake leaves, pick up our baby (much less our 3-year-old daughter) or even drive. He’s only now able to go to work for a few hours a day.

The outpouring of support we’ve received from friends, neighbors and even mere acquaintances during this trying time has been truly heartwarming. Along with a flood of well-wishes, people have dropped off meals, taken our daughter for play-dates, fetched groceries, run errands, weeded our garden, mowed our lawn, raked our leaves and had our house cleaned. We’ve even been offered credit at local eateries. Every gesture has made our lives a bit easier during a very stressful time.

We’ve loved Hood River and the people who live here for a long time, and for many reasons — it’s why we chose this place to live and raise our kids. But these last few months have made us appreciate how truly special it is. We could not have made it through this difficult chapter without the support network that seemed to envelop us like a warm blanket practically the day word of our situation got around.

So, thank you, friends and neighbors. We are blessed to have you in our lives.