Letters to the Editor: Jan. 3, 2025

Clear the way

Since the Yamhelas Westsider Trail right of way is owned by the county, we ask the county to clear the brambles so county residents can walk sections of the trail and judge for themselves if the work on the Stag Hollow Bridge, which was at least 50% complete in 2021, could be resumed.

Lindsay Berschauer is gone now, replaced by Bubba King, and Mary Starrett will be term-limited out in two years. Maybe with Bubba King, we could get a new consensus on the recreational value of the trail.

Fear of homeless squatters was a major point of opposition. So, in the years since the county acquired the former rail bed, how many homeless camps have we actually seen?

Philip Haynes

McMinnville

Trail of wreckage

There are approximately 245 million eligible voters in the U.S., only 64% of whom participated in the recent presidential election.

Convicted felon Trump only edged Harris by 1.5%, and thanks to third party candidates, received less than 50% of the vote overall. But he was awarded just over 60% of the Electoral College vote, which he cites in claiming a landslide victory.

One electoral vote represents 720,000 people in California, but only 195,500 in Wyoming, giving Wyoming residents 3.5 times the ultimate voting power. This disparity is present in many states, and serves to provide Republicans with a built-in advantage.

For the Trump supporters conned by false promises he’s already backpedaling on, along with the 1.7% of the electorate voting for a third party candidate and the 89 million eligible voters who chose not to participate, the outcome falls directly on you. The remainder of the voters, the ones who backed Harris, are just collateral damage.

Elections have consequences, and this one will affect everyone, domestically and abroad.

Trump’s deportations, tariffs and suspect domestic policies will promote further inflation and add to the national debt here at home. His geopolitical and foreign policies will leave us isolated, creating a power vacuum for China and Russia to fill.

When you hire a clown, you get a circus. Based on Trump’s cabinet and staff picks, this describes it perfectly.

For those who have amnesia about Trump’s first term, you are about to get a stark reminder. The chaos has already started, even before his inauguration.

Jeff Campbell

McMinnville