Letters to the editor: June 28, 2019

Single-payer the answer

Thank you for your editorial on the lack of oversight in the senior care industry. It is one of the reasons I tell my kids: “Don’t grow old. There’s no future in it.”

Mahatma Gandhi once said, “A nation’s greatness is measured by how it treats its weakest members.” But in our country, 100 citizens, typically the very young or old, die every day because they lack health insurance.

We need a single-payer health insurance program that covers all our citizens, regardless of age or pre-existing condition.

France has the best single-payer system in Europe. One aspect of that system has government workers coming into the home to clean toilets, wash floors and take on other tasks the elderly can’t manage on their own. This allows seniors to remain in their own homes, where research shows they live longer.

Moving to a single-payer system is hardly a new idea in this country. In the 1950s, then United Automobile Workers President Walter Reuther pushed for it. Harry Truman tried as well, as did the Labor Party in the most recent attempt in 1996.

These seniors, as your editorial mentions, raised and educated their children, paid taxes to support the government and may well have served their country in the military. Certainly, we have do do better by them, if for no other reason than the fact we are all aging every second, minute and hour we live.

As a member of the Health Care for All Oregon union caucus, I thank you for a great editorial.

Mike Sullivan

McMinnville

Climate bill makes no sense

Regardless of one’s views on climate change, the current cap-and-trade bill makes no sense for a non-industrial state like Oregon. Let’s consider the local steel mill.

As the News-Register noted earlier this year, McMinnville “has a stake in cap-and-trade legislation because it’s home to Cascade Steel Rolling Mills and its payroll of some 400 workers.”

If you look on the web, in fiscal 2017, Cascade produced 489,000 short tons of steel billets. That may seem like a lot, but China’s crude steel production in 2017 was 916.8 million short tons, according to the World Steel Association.

Quickly dividing, our plant’s production amounted to 0.053% of China’s — a minuscule fraction. In fact, China produces 10 times as much steel as the United States as a whole.

The article noted the facility had emissions equating to a little over two-dozen Ford F-150 pickups. Are we going to risk 400 mill jobs and more than a thousand supporting jobs for such a small potential gain?

Have we considered what happens if this production moves to, say, China? I doubt it will be produced using a “state-of-the-art, energy-efficient electric arc furnace,” or get 90% of its electricity from non-carbon emitting hydroelectric dams, as Cascade does.

The only way you can noticeably reduce carbon emissions in a non-industrial state is to dramatically reduce private fuel and electricity consumption through higher prices.

It’s estimated this bill will start off with a 22 cent gasoline tax hike that progressively rises over time. I don’t want to think about what would happen to my electric bill.

This proposed cap-and-trade program would create an expensive bureaucracy resulting in regulatory consolidation that forces out small business. And individual Oregonians would bear the brunt of the costs.

Robert Wilson

Sheridan

Cap and trade an atrocity

Open letter to common-sense Democrats:

I am writing this to urge common-sense Democrats out there to wake up and take their party back. As a former Democrat, I am appalled by what is happening to the civil discourse in this state and country.

The far left has hijacked the Democratic party with its extreme views on the environment, life and free speech. I ask those who have more centrist views to not just vote the party line, but to use critical thinking in casting their ballot.

In our state, the Democrats have a super-majority in both the House and Senate. And please look at the laws they have been passing at the urging of our leftist governor.

One example is the cap and trade carbon-reduction bill, HB 2020. It’s one of the most divisive to hit our state in my lifetime.

I stand with the Republican senators who have walked out to stop this atrocity from becoming law in our state. The economic fallout from this law will be felt by all people, be they Democrats, Republicans or Independents.

The cost of fuel is projected to rise 19 to 72 cents a gallon in the first two years. This cost will increase steadily and continually over the next several years after that. Stand with your rural neighbors in this state, who will be taxed more heavily than those living in the areas.

In addition, the cost for all businesses will increase. And those costs will be passed on to you, the consumer.

Demand this plan be put to voters. Don’t let Gov. Kate Brown railroad it through.

We need the common-sense Democrats to send the governor a message. Demand this be sent to the voters.

Tim Horrell

McMinnville

Not a reasonable reaction

“Send bachelors who are heavily armed.” This is the comment made by Sen. Brian Boquist, who represents Yamhill County in the Oregon Senate.

The implication is that he will kill state police officers who come to escort him to his job. That is not exactly what I expect to hear from the man who is supposed to be a voice for the people, including state employees.

Senate Republicans walked out of the session earlier this year over another disagreement, denying the Senate a quorum so no bills could be passed. They returned after a compromise was worked out that included Republican agreement not to walk out again this session.

They broke their promise last week and walked out again. Because of this, Gov. Kate Brown announced she would send state troopers to bring the senators back to Salem.

They are in a disagreement over a bill designed to help the planet and keep Oregon livable. While all the Republican senators are unhappy over this bill, Sen. Boquist is the only one who apparently prefers to murder people rather than to lose a vote in the Senate.

Right-wing militias have offered to get involved. Republican leaders have rejected their help, but Sen. Boquist had not yet done so, as of this writing.

I think we need to elect a new senator — one who prefers to use the power of his voice. Killing state troopers is not a reasonable reaction to losing a political fight.

I was also interested in the fact that this comment, rather than earning a front page headline in the News-Register, was buried on the second page of a long article about the Republicans walking out. Is the News-Register interested in informing the citizenry of the actions of our state representatives or in protecting those representatives from the anger of the voters?

Sandra Coates

McMinnville

Wild West revisited

I’m so embarrassed by my state senator, Brian Boquist, and his threats of violence against state law enforcement. He seems to be suggesting gun violence is the answer to our problems.

Perhaps the future of our children would be best if the gun battle he wants would happen. Just warn citizens of Dallas that a violent man is about to be taken down by state police so they can take cover.

I thought the Wild West days were over!

Steven D. Harloff

Yamhill

Going green in Mac

On May 30, I was invited, as a member of Zero Waste McMinnville, to attend and enjoy a STEAM event at McMinnville Adventist Christian School. And enjoy it I did.

All students participated in a charming and sophisticated musical presentation in three parts.

The program was unusual in part because much of the instrumentation was unfamiliar. Indeed, some of the instrumentation consisted of refuse items skillfully employed to create rhythm and tone in the delivery of classical compositions.

It was innovative. Outside the box. Pleasing to the ear.

The school was presented with a certificate of qualification for the Oregon Green Schools program by Regional Coordinator Leslie Lanzar, along with a $500 check from Zero Waste McMinnville to help further its science, technology, engineering, art and math efforts. Afterward, we were invited to participate in creative arts and crafts efforts using waste resources as materials.

During the program, I browsed essays and stories, many rooted in sustainability, and admired visual displays. Also featured was a refill station fostering re-use of plastic water bottles.

Although I was only able to stay a short time, I continue to be impressed by how deftly the school has woven sustainability into its curriculum. In the process, the school is instilling some fundamental human values: personal responsibility in the community and the planet, frugal use of available resources, human efficacy in addressing global issues, and simply how great it feels to do the right thing.

I am grateful for the opportunity to participate in the experience of active, relevant learning in our classrooms. I applaud the initiative, innovation and creative thinking I saw at MACS.

Lovetta Dill

McMinnville

Other reasons for die-off

Recently, opinion pieces by an organic Christmas tree grower and private forestland owner concluded fir trees were dying due to global warming or climate change.

Currently, I have Douglas fir growing in ages ranging from 2 to 65 on my timber farm, with 45,000 newly planted seedlings. And I’ve not found that to be the case. 

My speculation is that for an organic grower, moisture conservation to help establish a new plantation is ever more difficult, especially with the tree of choice, noble fir.

Regarding Ben Deumling and his great family, whom I have met, there may be another reason his 150-acre plot of 40-year-old Douglas fir is struggling.

I was on his property years ago, when a contract logger wanted me to help thin the stand now experiencing die-off. What I remember is that his Douglas fir interfaces with Oregon white oak, an indicator species that typically grows on hot south- southwest- or west-facing slopes with shallow, rocky soils.

When I converted half the family farm to Douglas fir in the ‘60s and ‘70s, I planted everywhere I could find a spot, including sites adjacent to oak and a fellow indicator species, Oregon ash. Ash tells the story of wet clay soils, which give Douglas fir something it doesn’t like — wet feet.

Today, 40 to 50 years later, I, too, am experiencing Douglas fir die-off, but only where stands interface with oak or ash. Otherwise, my timber never looked better.

Oregon summers have always been hot. Hence the great Tillamook Burns of the 1930s and extreme heat of 1948-1952, when fire burned half of Yamhill County’s timber. And who could forget the late 1950s, when drought became so severe Portland was considering a cloud seeding venture, if and when any clouds appeared.

Jim LeTourneux

Sheridan

Breaking a promise

Honorable people give you their word and they stick to it. You can count on them to keep their promises even when doing so is inconvenient or unpleasant for them.

Sen. Brian Boquist is one of a group of legislators who gave their word not to go AWOL again this session as a means of preventing a vote.

The issue being boycotted is irrelevant. What is relevant is that Sen. Boquist gave his word, then broke it for partisan political reasons.

Even worse, the senator then threatened violence against law enforcement officers, should they try to compel him to keep that promise.

We already have more than enough violence in society rooted in partisan politics. Having an elected official threaten violence based on political division could easily inspire someone to commit such an act. 

While I’ve never thought much about Sen. Boquist one way or the other before, I will remember this come election day. As an elected official, you shouldn’t be threatening to shoot cops.

It’s a sad commentary that this even has to be said.

Fred Fawcett

Lafayette

Border atrocities continue

The deplorable abuse of children held by our government after their families crossed our border seeking asylum or simply better opportunities has got to stop. Immediately.

Our government’s treatment of these children is shameful and inhumane. It is immoral to keep children confined in the unbelievable conditions we are hearing about from lawyers and other advocates who have visited facilities where they are being held.

This treatment is cruel and deplorable. No one should ever be held in such conditions — having to sleep on bare floors with only a blanket, having to wear filthy clothes, going without soap or other hygiene supplies, getting inadequate food and having to cope with insane crowding.

As children, they need special emotional and physical care. But none of that is apparently being provided, or even considered.

Under the law, no one is to be held for more than 72 hours. Nonetheless, many of the children have been held for months. If there is a backlog in processing the children to determine their status and eligibility for return to their parents or guardians, hire the number of people it takes to adhere to the law.

It’s not a matter of money. There is plenty of that to go around, based on the number of golfing weekends the president takes.

It’s not a matter of illegal immigration, either. The issue of how to resolve immigration questions is separate from that of how these children are being treated.

The children are here, in our custody, and must be treated humanely regardless of their legal status. It’s a matter of the will to do what is morally right.

Where is that will? Where is the conscience of the people in charge of making these decisions? Where is the resolve of our nation to stop this atrocity?

Wanda Cochran

McMinnville