Letters to the Editor: April 11, 2025

Bread lines

Historians now agree that it was not Marie Antoinette who uttered the famous line, “Let them eat cake.” It was actually Donald Trump.

Stuart Gunness

Sheridan

Your help needed

After the passing of our longtime chair, Jim Culbert, this is my first letter as interim chair of the Yamhill County Parks Advisory Board. Jim often wrote to the editor, and I hope to carry on that tradition.

One of the most frequent questions I’ve received since stepping into this role is: How are our parks really doing? The answer is complex, but it begins with this:
The parks department manages 18 properties totaling 272 acres, but only 13 are developed for public use.

Even counting all 272 acres, we rank just 26th out of Oregon’s 35 counties in park acreage per person. As our population grows, this highlights the need for thoughtful planning, equitable access and increased investment.

Our parks offer more than recreation. They support public health, environmental resilience and community connection.

People use them — Rogers Landing saw more than 600 vehicles in one day last summer — but many are in poor shape due to years of limited resources.
Travis Pease, our parks manager, and Mark Lago, our public works director, are doing excellent work with the means they have. But it will take more to restore our parks to a state we can all be proud of.

I’ve seen volunteers log more than 640 hours this fiscal year.

They’re organizing fundraisers like the upcoming “Pawsitively Electric,” set for July 12 at Ed Grenfell Park. They’re contributing to a new parks system Plan and inventorying trees to prepare for the emerald ash borer threat.

But volunteers can’t do it alone.

I urge county leaders to support the parks department in creative, forward-thinking ways as well. I also encourage community members to share their ideas.

Our board welcomes public attendance at meetings, generally running 5:30 to 7 p.m. every third Wednesday in the Yamhill County Public Works Building.

Neyssa Hays

Carlton

Hail to the library

As a lifelong patron of the Newberg Public Library, I have witnessed first hand the invaluable role libraries play in enriching communities. From a young child attending story time in the children’s section to an adult engaged in the weekly Art Club, the library has been a constant source of knowledge, entertainment and connection in my life.

I’ve checked out books from my library since I was a small child, and I’ve participated in the summer reading program nearly every year, fostering a love of reading and learning. The library has been there for me both for fun and for research.

As a voracious reader, I have probably saved thousands of dollars — and miles of my own shelf space — by borrowing my public library’s books instead of purchasing them myself. I also take advantage of their incredible range of materials, which goes beyond traditional books.

I borrow physical media such as CDs and DVDs from the library, as well as e-books and audiobooks through the Libby membership my library cards provides. Two of my favorite perks from the Newberg Public Library are their free museum passes, which have allowed me to visit the Portland Art Museum, and my Kanopy membership, which gives me monthly passes to stream thoughtful films and documentaries for free.

I’m able to explore my interests and expand my horizons because of all these resources the library provides.

Libraries are even more than books. They are dynamic spaces that offer learning, creativity and access to culture for everyone.

I’m grateful for the resources the library provides and for the staff that makes it all happen. I hope our community continues to fight for libraries so they can keep serving as a vital hub for knowledge and creativity for all.

Cameron Backus

Newberg

Stand together

I’ve been recently fortunate to travel overseas in two countries with longstanding ties to America: Australia and New Zealand. The people in both countries have been extremely gracious and friendly to a couple of visitors from the U.S., even inviting us into their homes.

Travel is such a great way to get perspective.

For some of the time, we were even without internet access. What a wonderful experience that was!

As we returned online, we learned how our president was administering his “medicine” of economic pain to American and the rest of the world, and discussed the issue.

The underlying questions were: What was the disease that needed such harsh treatment, and was the cure actually far worse than the disease?

They saw America as having a strong economy and a strong dollar. We thought the same.

Why, after promising to lower grocery prices and “make America affordable again” on the campaign trail, did our president turn 180 degrees and decide higher prices will make us wealthier!

The world I traveled in is curious.

So am I. I am curious, and sad, to see our once-vibrant economy, strongest in the developed world, and our stable government as well, attacked and diminished by our president in just a matter of weeks.

Can we survive this government until the next presidential election? I certainly hope so!

It was great to read about so many patriotic Americans taking on this government in peaceful protests on April 5. We can and we must continue to stand up for each other and fight for our country.

Philip Forve

McMinnville

The selfish generation

As I witnessed the protest at the McMinnville Public Library, I noticed the age of many of those involved.

Like me, they seem to be gray-haired Baby Boomers, children from the Greatest Generation. Our parents fought wars, rationed much, worked hard and gave us a better life.

Today, we bear witness to the Selfish Generation. It’s all about me and what I deserve.

They protest attempts to curtail wasteful government spending with no regard to how future generations will pay for it. They protest the efforts to equalize a fair and equal trading policy. They protest for allowing men in woman’s sports.

Even Wall Street negatively reacted to the attempts to strengthen our economy by becoming more self-reliant and independent from foreign production.

Company CEOs worry more about the immediate bonus and stock options, than the future of displaced and unemployed workforce.

The misinformation on changes in Social Security and Medicare are again all about me, despite knowing that both are on the path toward collapse.

I’m saddened and shameful that this selfish attitude is the legacy we leave after the past generations gave so much for us to enjoy a better life. I am thankful my parents are not here to witness how we have failed to live up to their examples of sacrifice.

Mark Van Hoef

McMinnville

So very proud

It’s tax time.

I used to send in my tax payment with some satisfaction, knowing I was helping fund scientific research; care for veterans; public health and education; food programs for those in need; public services like air traffic control; national parks, roads, museums and libraries; the arts; and other wasteful, corrupt programs.
It’s true. I grumbled about the vast subsidies provided to corporate farmers and billionaires.

But I’m not an idiot. I know the rich always demand a big chunk of the public pie.

This year, it’s a little different.

I had a hard time finding a reason why I should pay my taxes, seeing that all the programs used to help Americans had been destroyed. Plus, since my savings had been decimated, it was harder for me to feel good about the whole thing.

After some consideration, I realized my tax dollars were still going to some good causes. They will help Elon Musk defray the cost of his diamond studded chainsaw. More importantly, they will help Mr. Trump maintain his robust constitution, and we all know how important constitutions are!

In my own little way, I am helping out when I pay the costs of Trump’s government plane and his Secret Service protection so he can play golf in Florida. I take pride in knowing I help pay for his sunscreen and golf cart gas while he’s on the links.

It’s all part of Make America Healthy Again. And I can recommend the regimen to anyone dying from malnutrition, diabetes, cancer or measles.

True, my contribution is a drop in the bucket, as he has only wasted (oops, I mean “ spent”) $14 million so far to defend and protect his constitution by swatting a little white ball around with his Saudi buddies and other oligarchs. But hey, I’m doing my bit to help.

I’m confident Mr. Trump will continue to appreciate my money and spend more of it. It makes me feel like a winner, and thus so, so proud.

Margaret Cross

McMinnville

Tariffs a disaster

Tariffs impose taxes on us. In fact, the recent tariffs imposed by President Trust may very well represent the largest tax increase in American history.

Many people assume tariffs punish foreign countries. In reality, they function as a tax on us, the consumers.

When the government imposes tariffs on imported goods, foreign producers don’t absorb the cost. American businesses and consumers do.

Here’s how it works:

If a tariff is placed on imported steel, for example, U.S. companies that rely on steel — like car manufacturers and construction firms — are forced to pay more for materials. These businesses pass the higher costs down to consumers through increased prices on cars, appliances, and even homes.

The same applies to tariffs on everyday goods like clothing, electronics and food.

Rather than protecting American jobs, tariffs often backfire. Higher costs make it harder for U.S. businesses to compete globally, leading to layoffs and economic strain.

In past trade wars, we’ve seen American farmers and manufacturers suffer as other countries retaliate with tariffs of their own, reducing demand for U.S. exports.
If we want a strong economy, we need fair and open trade, not hidden taxes disguised as economic policy.

Tariffs don’t punish foreign governments; they punish hardworking American consumers. These tariffs may be the worst economic policy in my lifetime.

Jerry Hart

McMinnville

So much winning

The recent stock market decline is the inevitable result of an economy directed by a six-time failed businessman, a scammer, a man who can lust but not love. Our president sees the larger world, which is to say anything beyond his checkbook, as a personal threat rather than a window to the joys and opportunities of diversity.

So, what does he do? He builds walls — physical, emotional and economic. He insulates himself from perceived dangers and lashes out at supposed injustices.
He is a man without subtlety or nuance. Like bullies everywhere, his only tool is a hammer, so every problem is viewed as a nail.

True negotiation, give-and-take, win-win, is outside his expertise. He sees life as a zero-sum contest.

Where does that leave the rest us? We certainly are no longer that shining city on a hill Reagan described: “… (a city) teeming with people of all kinds living in harmony and peace; a city with free ports that hummed with commerce and creativity. And if there had to be city walls, the walls had doors and the doors were open to anyone with the will and the heart to get here.”

Instead, I fear under this administration we will become an island cut off from financial, intellectual and cultural interactions with others around the globe, and from the friends we need for security.

Thankfully, not all the news is bad. We eagerly await the capitulation of Lesotho, a tiny southern African country, caving under the pressure of Trump’s 50% tariff.
For too long, those rascals from Lesotho, whose 2023 per capita GDP was $878, have taken advantage of our largesse. Their economy will be decimated by the tariffs, thereby providing a powerful warning to the rest of the world: This is what happens when you mess with the big boys.

And those depressed stocks? They’re bargain-priced now!

Stephen Long

McMinnville

Trade not so free

After seeing the reciprocal tariff table Trump displayed at the White House, and a separate Bank of America Global Research analysis for 2022-23, showing most G20 countries assess two, three and sometimes more the rate we assess on them, I can honestly say I am stunned.

Of what possible use is the World Trade Organization?

It is like the United States unilaterally disarmed. No wonder much of our industry went abroad.

So much for the “free trade” they sold us. It was always a fiction.

Even if one believes in free trade, how can he support the status quo? This goes way beyond political party.

Rob Wilson

Sheridan