Letters to the Editor: May 26, 2023

Adults for a change

I know we live in hyper-partisan times, but I would like to make a request of the new Newberg City Council and School Board: Please be the adults in the room.

Over the last several years, we have seen the left swing for big national issues in our town, then the right swing for big national issues.

Can we stop looking at MSNBC or Fox News for public policy guidance and instead focus on Newberg issues and Newberg solutions? How about for the next two years, we have fewer rallies at the flagpole and more discussion of nuts and bolts policy issues, fewer debates about flags and more focus on increasing our kids’ test scores.

Setting up “gotcha” issues for the other side might seem fun, as it triggers the Georges and unions to whip out their checkbooks, but it’s not helping the reputation of our town.

Us folks who aren’t ready to put on our gang colors and go to war simply want our streets to be serviceable, our toilets to flush and our kids to graduate without being bullied. We want our community to be known as friendly, caring and welcoming, period.

So please turn off your TVs, your Twitter networks and your Facebook groups, stop looking at local bloggers pretending to be Woodward and Bernstein, and just focus on Newberg. You might prove a bit less controversial, but will be way more appreciated.

Patrick Johnson

Newberg

Unite for animal welfare

Another consequence of Senate Republicans’ refusal to show up for their jobs in Salem could be that animal abusers no longer face prosecution. And animal abuse sometimes escalates to violence against people.

Oregon has long been a leader when it comes to improving the lives of animals. But grant funding for the state animal cruelty prosecutor will run out at the end of this year.

Senate Bill 696 would secure permanent funding through the Department of Justice.

Concern for the welfare of companion animals is non-partisan, and can thus bridge ideological divides. Visit oregonhumane.org to learn more.

Alisa Owen

McMinnville