Letters to the Editor: January 6, 2023

Rate hike ahead?

A regional newspaper based in Portland reports that Portland General Electric and Pacific Power are raising electricity rates on their customers.

Presumably McMinnville Water & Light will pass along a like rate increase to its customers. The city just imposed a new service fee on Water & Light bills, so a rate hike would serve as a most unfortunate double whammy.

Brad Thompson

McMinnville

Publicity stunt

I find the heralded “Listening Tour” by Tina Kotek a misnomer. It’s more of a publicity stunt.

In Yamhill County, it only included a select number of participants and prearranged topics. Not very inclusive.

The focus of the tour was how to deal with a minority of the Yamhill County population. It seems it’s always the “takers” that get all the attention, with little or no concern for those who work to provide for themselves and their families.

What about the small business proprietors, professionals, working people and farmers, who struggle daily to keep food on the table, gas in the tank and money saved to put children through school and cover their ultimate retirement? What they get for their endeavors are higher taxes, fees and prices, along with increased regulations that seem designed to restrict one’s ability to support itself.

How about talking with seniors who scrimped and saved to provide for their own retirement, only to see it taxed away, seemingly at every turn?

It’s time for the governor and Legislature to start listening to those of us who pay the bills. It’s time to give an ear to those of us who aren’t looking for a handout.

Steve Sommerfeld

Sheridan

Photo kudos

What a wonderful article in the News-Register concerning kittens.

Although Rachel Thompson did not write the article, she took the accompanying photo of an elderly woman holding a snuggly kitten, and it caught my eye. It is spectacular.

I just wanted to say, GREAT WORK!

Laura Tapscott

Amity