Letters to the Editor for May 9 edition

The town hall he had “the other day” in Condon was, in fact, in February (Feb. 27). Originally, it was planned to be another of the invitation-only, small group meetings Greg has recently favored, in this case a chat with local ag producers.

Only after word of the meeting got out was it opened to the public. It should be noted that what became a post hoc town hall was arranged after that week’s edition of the Condon Times Journal had already been sent to the printers, so the only way Greg’s constituents were aware of the “town hall” was through email and social media.

As a result, perhaps 20 people attended. At end of a wide-ranging discussion, when Greg’s narrative of the recent (at the time) CHIP renewal was questioned, Greg lost his cool, yelling and pointing at the questioner and finally storming out without chatting up local officials as he usually does.

For anyone who has attended one of Greg Walden’s increasingly rare town halls, part of his routine is recite from memory copious facts and figures. So it is curious that he could not relay to Kirby Neumann-Rea any of his upcoming “’public, private’ events.” It makes one wonder why Rep. Greg Walden is being less than candid with his constituents and why he doesn’t want to us to know what he is doing.

Nathan Welp

Arlington

Neahring visits May 9

U.S. Congress District 2 candidate Dr. Jenni Neahring will meet with constituents Wednesday, May 9 at an event at Double Mountain Brewery in downtown Hood River from 5-7 p.m.

Come meet Jenni and hear her positions on health care, strengthening our public schools, growing the economy with family-wage jobs, environmental concerns and other issues. Come with any questions or concerns you have. Find out why Dr. Jenni Neahring has the best opportunity to win in the general election in November against Rep. Greg Walden.

Since there are so many candidates for District 2, this May 15 primary election is an important election and it is best for a voter to have enough information about the candidates to make the best choice.

This event on May 9 will give you more information about Dr. Jenni’s qualifications that will help you make the most informed decision you can make. It is going to take a smart, articulate, passionate, financially-backed and hard-working candidate to beat Rep. Walden. Dr. Jenni Neahring has these attributes!

Nancy Johanson Paul

Hood River

Oates ‘a rock’

Taking on the chairmanship of Hood River County during a stressful time requires a full understanding of a large budget with complex community interests.

It will also take someone with very a broad based network from which to receive input and exercise influence to aid the fiscal needs and influence partners at the State and Federal levels.

Advocating a sales tax without consulting or seeking advice is not wise, divisive rhetoric during a debate that is intended to harm our county’s agriculture is not cultivating support, impulsive and uninformed advocacy to privatize public infrastructure does not endear me to a candidate.

Mike Oates has been on the County Planning Commission, District School Board and is a respected member of the Hood River County Education Foundation. He brings with him a degree in economics that will be applied with a steady hand needed at the county. His longevity in the county will be a plus.

When big ocean waves are about to arrive on the beach, I like being next to a rock. My vote is for Mike Oates.

Brian Shortt

Hood River

Vote Neahring

Change is created by one individual at a time, one idea at a time, and one vote at a time. I urge you to vote for Dr. Jenni Neahring for U.S. Representative Second District to begin to effect that change.

She is an advocate for health care reform, family-wage jobs, a clean environment, and a strong educational system to prepare kids for success in these times. Since she is a palliative care physician, she is well versed in long term solutions that will help people lead better, healthier lives.

Dr. Neahring will be in Hood River on May 9 at Double Mountain from 5-7 p.m. for a meet and greet.

Please take this opportunity to come out and meet her personally, and vote for her by May 15.

Ellen Wylde

Hood River

Bushes long dead

I daily go get my mail at our post office. Lovely people work there. I often see and visit people I know. I have one small problem. As you enter the building the stairs are flanked by two prominent bushes, both dead as doornails. Been dead for years. I wonder if one of the scout or 4-H type organizations might like to tackle the job of pruning these two bushes with a shovel. It would be a good thing!

John Stevens

Hood River

Vote Helfrich

Did you know that last November, Jeff Helfrich (now an Oregon legislator) received a unanimous “yes vote” from the commissioners of the three counties in his district — Clackamas, Multnomah and Hood River. Those 15 commissioners were both Democrats and Republicans. Jeff was competing against two well-qualified citizens.

Jeff brings to the legislature many hours of public service, formerly as a Cascade Locks City Councilor and a longtime law enforcement professional.

I’m voting for Jeff because he wants to continue bringing people together so issues in Oregon can be solved.

With two young children, Jeff definitely wants to invest in schools while supporting economic growth and protecting our environment.

If you want to learn more about Jeff go to his website, www.helfrichfororegon.com.

Vote for Jeff Helfrich, District 52.

Tom Yates

Hood River

Ludicrous request

Since I probably won’t be in Washington, D.C., anytime soon, I have a small favor to ask of our Congressman, Greg Walden. Greg, the next time you see Rudy Giuliani, ask him how many times as a U.S. Attorney he, in the middle of an investigation, gave lists of evidence and investigative outlines and techniques to the person he was investigating? Or how many times did he turn that information over to a group of cronies and yes-men that have no standing in the case (like Congressional Republicans), so they could turn it over to that suspect?

I would think that number is pretty low. That’s the information Congressional Republicans are pressuring Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein to turn over. And it’s a ludicrous request. I can’t believe any judge would ever honor it. The Republicans on the Intelligence Committee have already handed in the final report on their “investigation.”

So the next time they need to get involved is when a bill of impeachment hits their desks. Hopefully that will be sooner rather than later.

Jeff Skye

Hood River

Time for single payer

Republicans control the House, Senate, and the presidency. Remember all the chest thumping about removing and replacing of Obamacare, aka “the affordable care act”? It’s gotten deathly quiet now that they’ve proven themselves inept even at their main goal. In the meantime, Charlie Munger, number two man at Berkshire Hathaway, said at their recent meeting that single payer will occur when the Democrats take control.

Again, in the meantime, Berkshire Hathaway, Amazon and JP Morgan Chase are working on their own private plan, and here on the west coast there is a plan called “Health Care for all Oregon,” which is seeking to do a west coast version with California and Washington. It’s billed as a “West Coast Approach to Universal Health Care.”

So where’s Rep. Greg Walden, last seen trying to destroy the Affordable Care Act with nothing in sight to replace it? How irresponsible of our representative and most of his colleagues in the House and Senate. It’s time we have a single healthcare plan that doesn’t waste one-third of our healthcare dollars on overhead and obscene CEO salaries.

Rob Brostoff

Cascade Locks

Vote for Oates

I would like to thank Mr. Rich McBride for making my choice for County Commission Chair.

After reading his statement on his Facebook page, which stated, “Don’t let another orchardist buy this election,” I will cast my vote for Mike Oates.

Perhaps Mr. McBride doesn’t realize the economic impact of the farming community and its impact on our counties families of farmers, farm workers, and our packing facilities employees.

Vote Oates!

Alan Bailey

Hood River

Return to Hood River

During the last 10 years, while the City of Hood River Building Department has been administered by Clair Co., based out of Corvallis, the builders, developers, architects and homeowners in our community have not been well served. The plan review process is long, expensive, unreasonable, and often uninformed. Because Clair Co. administers the building departments for 18 other municipalities statewide, it has no special commitment to Hood River. Often a simple question can get caught up in this large bureaucracy and take weeks to resolve. As we all know, time is money. Hood River deserves better.

We now have the opportunity of returning the City Building Department back to Hood River by joining with the County Building Department. The county department is well run and well respected by local builders. It has been run without interruption and within budget for over 20 years and it currently administers both plumbing and electrical services for the state.

Here is what we believe are significant points to consider in favor of joining forces with the county department:

Building department revenue kept in the local community and used to support the local building industry.

Full time local, accessible building official and inspection staff.

In-house plan reviews and coordination with other agencies.

Increased customer service and availability. Regular office hours and next day inspections.

No city-incurred expenses or responsibilities.

Overwhelming support from local builders, developers, engineers, architects and fire department personnel.

Cost savings to builders and developers, with fast turn-around of construction documents, inspections and elimination of “extra charges.”

Compliance with the State Building Code Division’s requirements to eliminate fully contracted building services by July 1, 2018, and establish government run jurisdictional building departments statewide. This in response to the State of Oregon Attorney General’s opinion that the contracting out of building department functions to a third party is an unlawful delegation of government functions.

Jim Reid and Billy Sullivan

Hood River