Letters to the Editor submissions were down all around in 2019. We received 639 letters from 379 writers this year. Contrast that to 2018, when the News received 865 letters by 476 different writers — that’s 226 fewer letters and 97 fewer writers this year.
The most prolific month for letters this year was October with 78, although both May and July came in at a very close second with 77. The fewest letters came in February and December, both with a mere 31; September was next lowest at 43. Steve Kaplan wrote 33 letters this year, the most from any one person. Coming in second was Benjamin Sheppard with 20. Close behind was David Warnock with 18; Bill Davis and Gary Fields both wrote 16 letters.
Now, the reoccurring themes: President Donald Trump had 16 letters this year in support of his administration; topics covered the border wall, his State of the Union address and the Mueller report exonerating him from wrongdoing. But Trump additionally was the topic of 86 letters against various aspects of his administration, including his relationship with Russia, his stance on climate, dealings with Iran, treatment of immigrants and acceptance of white nationalism — among others.
Rep. Greg Walden received five letters in support of his work and another 23 against his policies and stances, including his support of President Trump, conditions for immigrants at the border, his high rating by the National Rifle Association and his stance on healthcare. He had another eight letters that asked for specific answers on topics ranging from Trump to forestry practice — or urging constituents to call Walden to ask for answers — and two praising his support of the Bridge of the Gods proposed bike lane.
Politics in general was a popular topic: There were 78 of those in total, ranging from gun control (six in favor, one opposed) to various House and Senate bills both nationally and at the state levels. The June walkout in the Oregon Senate by Republicans saw 15 letters against Sen. Chuck Thomsen’s participation in the walkout, with four letters written in favor of the move.
Climate change was also a big topic, with 22 letters supporting climate legislation and/or striking students, and eight dismissing the threat.
Locally, both the May and November elections were hot topics on the letters page. Candidates received a total of 27 letters of support in the May port, parks and school board races. In November, there were 30 letters of support for Measure 14-67, the Protect our Parks charter amendment, and 22 against; the measure ultimately passed.
Affordable housing and the Morrison Park issue were two linked topics for letters to the editor this year. There were 17 letters in favor of keeping Morrison Park a park, with seven on the pro-development side. Six more agreed that affordable housing was needed, regardless of where it is placed.
The Hood River County School District’s HEALTH Media club at the middle school level wrote 12 total letters urging county residents not to smoke (two) or drink and drive (seven). They also penned three letters detailing fun, healthy things to do in the summer months.
We also keep track of all the letters we receive regarding the Hood River News. We had 15 total regarding the newspaper, mostly negative (12) — that we need to focus on investigative journalism, that we are biased towards the left and that we are more propaganda than news. Three of those were from people unhappy with our editorial cartoon choices; one letter writer additionally expressed disappointment that we publish viewpoints, cartoons or letters, from those who oppose the president.
It’s hard to put every letter into a neat category. We had 164 letters that fell into the “other” slot — meaning we’d get one or two on a certain subject. These letters ranged from Hood River Reads event listings to support of local theater productions and from CASA training events and garden tour routes. There were also letters against increasing noise at the airport, as well as against Pacific Power’s plan to cut power on windy days as a forest fire prevention measure.
The News thanks all who have written letters this year and in past years. Letters form a vital role in the efforts of this and any newspaper to present an open forum for diverse viewpoints. We appreciate the time and effort it takes to express those views.
Keep them coming again in 2020. We’ll be keeping a list.
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