Letters to the Editor: Sept. 20, 2024
Hollow promises
Years ago, Venezuela was one of the richest countries in South America.
Then the socialists took over. Now it is one of the poorest, with high inflation, crime and poverty rates.
If elected, Harris and Walz will turn the United States into another Venezuela.
Harris was appointed the border czar, and look at what a disaster that was. She will say and promise anything to get elected.
So before you vote, look at what the candidates have said in the past, not what they say now. Remember, a leopard does not change its spots.
Don Bowie
McMinnville
Blight is back
If you’re already sick of seeing all those Lindsay signs, don’t say you weren’t warned. I warned you all in a letter published on April 26.
If those who voted for Lindsay the first time had voted for Bubba, we wouldn’t have to put up with this again. What’s more, some of the signs are downright WEIRD.
What does “shall not be infringed” mean? Come on Lindsay, most of your constituents won’t understand it.
Besides, the phrase should be, “shall not be infringed upon.” If you’re trying to be clever, please get it right.
Vote for Bubba King.
Philip Haynes
McMinnville
Smoke and mirrors
I ask readers to look up and read about the Federal Communication Commission’s Fairness Doctrine, the Supreme Court’s Citizens United decision and the recent Supreme Court ruling giving presidents immunity from prosecution.
We as a people need to demand fairness and truth.
News reporting should be held to a higher standard. Lying reported as news should not go unpunished.
Wealthy families and corporations should not be able to buy elections. And presidents should face the consequence if they fail to follow the law, just like every other American.
Immigrants are not the problem. The problem is so much smoke and mirrors it’s near impossible to see the forest for the trees.
Jeri Lynn Paull
Whiteson
Not respected
Labor Day had come and gone, and the debates were over. It was time to make our choice for the next leader of our country.
We went down to the local Democratic Party headquarters and we got a Harris/Walz lawn sign.
Knowing not everyone would agree with our choice, but also realizing we live in a country that allows diverse opinions, we placed our Harris/Walz sign in our front yard, among the flowers, Japanese maple and newly planted lavender. Twenty-four hours later, it was gone!
We were greatly disappointed that our choice had not been respected. We wondered just what were they afraid of.
We will replace the sign and ask that whatever your choice is for the next president, please vote on Nov. 5.
Daniel Browne
Gloria LaFata
McMinnville
Re-elect Remy
No local official has done more to bring resources into Yamhill County, to address problems like homelessness, crime, addiction and affordable housing, than McMinnville’s Mayor Remy Drabkin.
Because she treats everyone with respect, she works effectively with people. The personal relationships she has built with our state’s highest leaders cannot be replicated by her opponent, or any other person in our city or county.
Whether it was by chairing the affordable housing and homelessness committees as a city councilor, or her subsequent service as mayor, the city has received considerable state funds that would not have been available without her involvement.
Under Mayor Drabkin’s leadership, the city worked with Rep. Lucetta Elmer this past session to get $2 million in funding for new water and sewer infrastructure. That will contribute to housing in the city. and those kinds of successes have grown throughout her term of service.
Some of the projects she has taken the lead on are now well established, such as Project Turnkey, which places nearly 70% of its tenants into permanent long-term housing. Others are just coming on, such as the 200-unit Stratus Village housing project now breaking ground, and Anydoor Place, the crisis navigation center coming online this fall.
As mayor, she has played an important role in state legislators taking a tougher stand on hard drugs, while also working to ensure people dealing with an addiction have a path to treatment.
Anyone can point out problems, but few can deliver solutions. Remy is one of them, and I have gotten an up-close look during my service on the city council.
She has kept our city functioning at a high level during a very difficult time. In doing so, she has earned another term to continue her important work on our behalf.
Please join me in voting to re-elect Remy Drabkin as mayor.
Sal Peralta
McMinnville
Convicted criminal
I was driving down the road when a car displaying a “Trump 2024” bumper sticker passed me. My first thought was, I hope the owners have no children.
How can you back a convicted criminal and want your children to grow into upstanding citizens?
Please stop and think when you vote. Our children are the future of this great country.
Bertha Biskey
McMinnville
Resist far right
The new Republican majority in the U.S. House is a collection of election deniers, QAnon conspiracists and political arsonists. They are hell-bent on gaining power at the expense of our democracy.
They’ll likely remain in control of the House of Representatives for the next two years, but have already demonstrated an inability to govern. They couldn’t even elect a speaker without historic chaos.
We should all be concerned about their far-right extremist agenda.
Already on the chopping block? Our freedom to vote and our right to an abortion.
Rather than focusing on kitchen table issues, these MAGA extremists are pledging to focus on punishing anyone who tried to hold them accountable for their attacks on our democracy, including members and staff of the January 6th Select Committee.
It’s up to us to resist this MAGA House Majority to protect our democracy and our freedoms. We must call out their lies and combat their far-right agenda, starting now.
Liz Hodgins
Sheridan
Comments
Robin
"Blight is Back" "well regulated", there, I can cherry pick from the 2nd amendment as well as Berschauer. At least my piece is not an afterthought.
Robin
"Hollow Promises" Venezuela is a corrupt Federal Republic controlled by an authoritarian leader. They do have multiple parties and ran as a type od socialist country under Chavez. What they have had for years closer represents what Trump is proposing. There are many variations of Democracies. We are now a Democratic Republic but use social programs as chosen by our representatives. Things like the military, police, fire, USDA, OSHA, highway department, etc. The intention is to pool our tax money to benefit the many. We work on a hodpodge mix of systems in an attempt to bring about equity.
Robin
"Hollow Promises" Venezuela is a corrupt Federal Republic controlled by an authoritarian leader. They do have multiple parties and ran as a type od socialist country under Chavez. What they have had for years closer represents what Trump is proposing. There are many variations of Democracies. We are now a Democratic Republic but use social programs as chosen by our representatives. Things like the military, police, fire, USDA, OSHA, highway department, etc. The intention is to pool our tax money to benefit the many. We work on a hodpodge mix of systems in an attempt to bring about equity.
Don Dix
Sal Peralta - Remy Drabkin's solutions seem to revolve around how much $ she can squeeze out of the citizens - $13 extra added to W&L bills to retire a deficit (now 9 months retired, but still being assessed) - $1.50/K city property tax to fund the fire dept which is no longer under city responsibilities, and yet the mayor and council want to re-establish the entire amount for other unexplained projects ($.50/K has been added back, with the remainder to come on line shortly).
These schemes amount millions of undesignated dollars - and, based on prior actions, the mayor and city council must be drooling at the prospect. Time to change the direction!
treefarmer
Agree or disagree, I am always grateful for this forum. On the subject of signs, I find some of them to be a blight too – although I appreciate that there are substantially fewer now than what we endured in the primary. Even so, I am especially unsettled by the signage displayed on a residence coming into one of our small towns. One side of the house has a huge Trump/Vance sign. When I see support signs for Trump, I tell myself that the supporter must not have studied the issues in depth and somehow has concluded that Trump’s “POLICIES” are preferable to the alternative. I CHOOSE to believe this whenever possible because it is alarming to think a fellow citizen’s support might mean they also share Trump’s corrupt and morally bankrupt values. For the very large sign referenced earlier, any such hopeful assumption is negated by a second large sign on the house that shows Trump displaying double middle fingers – “one for Harris, one for Walz” it declares. Only one way to interpret that proudly vulgar message - shared values. I wish I could un-see it.
CubFan
Don Dix... well stated! Completely agree!
BC
In response to Sal's letter, Mayor Drabkin may have been effective in bringing in money to help the homeless and marginalized, and I certainly give her credit for that, but the other 32,000 citizens are consistently being told to go home, shut up, and pay more. They should be grateful and keep their mouths shut. We are definitely grateful, but we're done being quiet and not counted.
How about the senior citizens who are on fixed incomes? Give it a few more taxes and fees - they'll get to join the ranks of homeless and then will qualify for Mayor Drabkin's attentions, too.
The rest of us are tired of being told to sit down and shut up by Mayor Drabkin. We're not homeless and we're not marginalized, but we do have a vote. There's more to McMinnville's citizens than the least of us, (who absolutely deserve a hand up). However, her myopic vision has got to go.
CubFan
Preach it BC! We need to get the word out about Kim Morris, who will be a welcome relief to Drabkin! But we can't stop there. We need more on the city council who agree with us. Scott Cunningham has been groomed by Drabkin. So voters in that ward need to vote for Chaz Gibbons instead of Cunningham. Encourage people to vote!!