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Letters to the Editor: January 17, 2020

Nothing but the best

Reading your editorial on our local Willamette Valley Medical Center might make some folks reluctant to seek treatment there. As a recent patient, I want to go on the record: I received outstanding care from everyone, from the receptionist to the orthopedic surgeon, Dr. Elizabeth Ackerman.

This was not my first trip to a hospital, so I do have the first-hand knowledge to make a comparison. If I ever need hospital care again, Willamette Valley will be my first choice.

I also required therapy after my hospital stay. And I have nothing but high praise for the provider, Ability Physical Therapy.

I think our little town is fortunate to have such excellent care providers.

Judy Hromyko

McMinnville

 

Sad news about hospital

It was very sad to read about Willamette Valley Medical Center not being a very good hospital any more.

I worked there for 13 years while it was under Triad. I worked in collections, which I enjoyed.

It was rewarding to be able to help people with their accounts. I helped them set up monthly payment plans on large balances.

Sometimes people lost their jobs and couldn’t make their monthly payment. I would verify their unemployment. Sometimes I would make the payment out of my own pocket to avoid their account going into default.

But the business office was dismantled in 2012. Operations were centralized in Tennessee, and 17 local people lost their jobs, including me.

It messed up my retirement, as I was 61 at the time. And it was horrible for our small town, as people like to talk to someone face to face when situations arise in connection with their bills, not over the phone to a stranger across the country.

It’s sad that corporations don’t value their employees any more. You can work at a company for years and suddenly find yourself out of work or unable to do your job satisfactorily.

I don’t wish the best to the humans that make these decisions. Karma to you all!

Sandra Ponto

McMinnville


 
Lay off the president

Now that it’s clear that allegations the 2016 Trump campaign conspired with the Russian government were at best ill-founded, or at worst a hoax, it’s time to consider the geopolitical collateral damage. Pro-western Russians were kneecapped, and the hawks took charge, looking east.

Take yourself back to the histrionics after the election upset.

We kicked their people out, they kicked ours out, we closed consulates, they closed consulates, we forced Russian reporters to register as foreign agents, they forced ours to register in response. At the same time, the new administration secured increased U.S. and NATO defense spending, sold Javelin missiles to Ukraine and launched cruise missiles into Syria.

It appears we’ve foolishly driven Russia and China into a quasi-alliance and started what some are calling a new Cold War.

In 2017, the Chinese navy exercised with the Russians in the Baltic Sea for the first time. In 2018, China participated in the largest Russian military exercises since the Cold War. And this past year brought further, more strategic alignment.

Militarily, the Russians and Chinese jointly flew nuclear-capable bombers, and Russia agreed to assist China with development of a new early-warning missile alert system. This all comes on the heels of introduction by both powers of hypersonic weapons and the end of the INF Treaty, the only one ever banning an entire class of nuclear weapons.

Economically, an even more significant milestone was achieved. A $3 billion bridge over the Amur River was completed. Built over a disputed waterway that triggered a border war in 1969, it’s the first bridge to connect land on both sides of their 2,600-mile border.

Construction began in December 2016, at the height of post-election hysteria. Let’s stop the myopic “get Trump at any cost” train before it causes any more geopolitical damage.

Rob Wilson

Sheridan

Comments

Sandy

After reading this letter from Rob Wilson I looked up the Amur River bridge. According to Wikipedia, it was proposed in 2007, agreed to by both sides in 2013 and begun in 2014 on the China side, delayed until 2016 by the Russian side. So trump had nothing whatsoever to do with the opening of that bridge. And those javelin missiles? The rules under which we sold them, according Business Insider, require that they be stored far away from the fighting, so they are are essentially useless. Trump is using American foreign policy to make deals to hurt his election opponents, which is the very definition of an abuse of power, He will not be thrown out because the republicans in Congress are as craven as he is. But he certainly should be.

Sandy

After reading this letter from Rob Wilson I looked up the Amur River bridge. According to Wikipedia, it was proposed in 2007, agreed to by both sides in 2013 and begun in 2014 on the China side, delayed until 2016 by the Russian side. So trump had nothing whatsoever to do with the opening of that bridge. And those javelin missiles? The rules under which we sold them, according Business Insider, require that they be stored far away from the fighting, so they are are essentially useless. Trump is using American foreign policy to make deals to hurt his election opponents, which is the very definition of an abuse of power, He will not be thrown out because the republicans in Congress are as craven as he is. But he certainly should be.

RobsNewsRegister

> delayed until 2016 by the Russian side

The point made in the editorial. Although the agreement to build the bridge was signed in 1995 construction was delayed for decades until December 2016 (see link). What many call the 'Russia Hoax' started spring/summer of 2016 went full tilt after the election in November of that year.

While their economic relationship was already progressing and the bridge may have eventually been built anyway (it is not an insignificant investment - especially for cash strapped Russia) it is now in overdrive including a recent 5G contract (see link). Notice the day it was signed (June 6th). That was no accident. The Russian president was not invited to the 75th D-day anniversary and this signing day choice was a direct response.

The Russians dragged their feet on a closer alliance with the Chinese for decades over fears of millions of future Chinese immigrants in Siberia one day pushing for independence from Moscow. That's ended.

Storage of the Javelin missiles in western is meaningless as they can be deployed quickly. By that same logic any NATO military base not directly on the front lines is useless. They are a deterrence measure in the case of any significant armored invasion by Moscow. Obama gave them blankets.

https://www.cbsnews.com/news/russia-and-china-first-highway-bridge-connecting-china-and-russia-is-complete-2019-11-29/
https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-48548200
https://www.newsweek.com/china-russia-huawei-5g-donald-trump-1442632

RobsNewsRegister

A simplified response to:

The point made in the editorial. Although the agreement to build the bridge was signed in 1995, construction was delayed for decades until December 2016 (see link). What many call the 'Russia Hoax' started spring/summer of 2016 went full tilt after the election in November of that year.

Storage of the Javelin missiles in western Ukraine is meaningless as they can be deployed quickly. By that same logic any NATO military base not directly on the front line is useless. The anti-tank missiles are a deterrence measure in the case of any armored invasion by Moscow. Obama gave them blankets.

https://www.cbsnews.com/news/russia-and-china-first-highway-bridge-connecting-china-and-russia-is-complete-2019-11-29/

RobsNewsRegister

The Doomsday clock was moved to 100 seconds today - the closest since the Cold War (see link). This is what I am talking about in the Op-Ed. The world doesn't revolve around our personal feelings regarding Donald Trump; there is much more at stake.

The latest effort to oust him centered around Ukraine, yet another geopolitical tactic, set a horrendous precedent - the release of a presidential transcript with a world leader to exonerate the president after a leak. How can any world leader trust negotiations with our president are held in confidence? What if the next leak is from negotiations about, say, nuclear weapons?

https://www.cbsnews.com/news/doomsday-clock-is-now-100-seconds-to-midnight-closest-since-cold-war/

tagup

Well....you’re half right...how can any world leader trust negotiations with trump at all....He’s a compulsive liar that can’t be taken at his word......

RobsNewsRegister

I didn't vote for either major candidate in 2016 but he's one of the few in Washington DC who actually did what they said they were going to do when in office. People actually joked about it early in his presidency - 'finally a politician keeps their promises; and its Donald Trump.'

I do agree with you regarding the trust of negotiations with the United States when things can turn on a dime after an election. That's why treaties should be ratified by the senate - that way they have more of a consensus and are binding. The way things are now I don't see how other governments can really make a long-term deal with us.

tagup

I guess I’m not sure exactly what promises he kept....but I do know that the federal deficit has blown up at a time when tax revenue is increasing...if we can’t lower the debt in this climate we never will.....But I’m sure that was the fault of previous administrations.....anyway..I hope his golf game is improving....

RobsNewsRegister

Politifact tracks promises kept and its a pretty impressive list (see link). From moving the embassy to Jerusalem (many promised - none did) to China and so-on. I totally agree with you on the deficit though. Its why I am no longer a registered Republican.


https://www.politifact.com/truth-o-meter/promises/trumpometer/rulings/promise-kept/

RobsNewsRegister

With only 300 words in an op-ed I didn't include Russia-China's possible alignment on tactical nuclear weapon strategy (their use may be back on the table). Because of that we've adjusted ours and re-introduce the weapon type (see link). FYI - tactical nukes are considered low yield - up the Hiroshima/Nagasaki.

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/us-military-deploys-new-type-of-nuclear-weapon-seen-as-key-to-countering-russia/ar-BBZDwgG?ocid=spartandhp

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