Letters to the Editor, Oct. 18 edition

Despite this fact, a grant was obtained to study and recommend how we can further densify our town.

Portland State University recently released new numbers based on population studies and models stating that Hood River is currently growing and projected to grow at 1.4 percent per year. This is a drop of the previous population estimate by 30 percent. It also reports that after 2035, the population will naturally decline to only .9 percent growth per year.

This further supports the HNA that we do not need to change current zoning.

In a “destination town,” density does not equate to affordability. Comparing our area to Portland suburbs is not accurate as we are a stand-alone town. I don’t think anyone who lives here would ever want to be referred to as a “suburb” of Portland.

If you build it, they will come to our gem of a destination town and our infrastructure cannot handle the population increase. They will love the tiny lots and low maintenance for their second homes and investment properties. We need to take a stand as citizens and demand that our intersections, parks and open spaces, downtown parking, utilities and all other compromised infrastructure is better managed before we ever consider changing zoning.

Kristi Chapman

Hood River

‘Pants-wetting’

Early 1960s, Nikita Khrushchev suggested that the Communist would overthrow America “without firing a shot.” (I remember a moto back then that stated, “Better Red than Dead”).

According to my internet research, I found there is a list of Declared Communist Goals in the 1963 Congressional Record — Appendix, PP 34-35, Jan. 10, 1963, re, The Communist Takeover of America — 45 Declared Goals (from Greg Swank 12-4-2), that I find to be of GREAT concern.

I challenge you to research and read them, then count the number of those GOALS that have already been accomplished in that “pants-wetting” list. “XZ<>YZ” you ALCU for your support!

My conclusion: President Trump only has three obstacles to overcome in order to make America GREAT again: 1. Control or STOP this massive uncontrolled immigration, 2. The soon to be completed list of those Communistic 45 Goals to overtake America, and 3. That soon-to-be-launched nuclear warhead missile. (Not to mention those organized harassing Democrats.)

P.S. Back in 1954, I joined the Oregon National Guard. We went up to For Lewis for two weeks each year for eight years. One short segment of my training dealt with the various types of warfare, including psychological (propaganda), radiological, chemical, BUT not “baby bombing,” like that of the Obama era!

Alan Winans

Hood River

A plan too far

As life long residents of the Hood River Valley, we are shocked and deeply concerned about proposals for the Westside Area Concept Plan being ramrodded through our community by developers proposing a huge dense and variable housing project.

We need affordable housing, but density does not equal affordability. And we certainly feel the enormous impact of this project will negatively affect the livability of our entire community unless we preplan and prevent against the overcrowding of our already packed schools, the gridlock of the narrow county roads, the stress on emergency services, police, fire and public works, and the overload of our water treatment system, not to mention the loss of green spaces paved over and forever lost to recreation.

A development that would literally increase our population by thousands requires collaborative planning and public input from all areas of the city and county for the good of generations to come. This takes time and this project is being fast tracked! Why?

What guarantees are in place ensuring the housing will actually be affordable? Are the developers being held to a contract that says housing must be sold only for $X amount? If not, what prevents this development from becoming expensive housing? How will the community hold the developers accountable to keep the housing, services and maintenance affordable for the future of those we wish to serve?

Are the developers pre-planning, pre-funding and pre-building the expansion of roads, mass transit, new schools, playgrounds, parks, ball fields, recreation centers, bike paths, green spaces, day care facilities and staffing, a larger police force and sheriff’s office, expanded public works, improved waterworks and sanitation, maintenance, etc.? If not, why not? These facilities and services must be in place as a housing construction commences.

Why would our community want to undertake such a sizeable project without providing safeguards in advance for safe and healthy livability? Let’s demand the WACP have all the above comprehensive services and facilities built in first.

Let’s provide great affordable and variable housing and, in so doing, guarantee and protect the reasons we love living here for everyone in the community.

Charlotte and

Richard J. Arnold

Hood River

Out of the equation

Every time anyone with leftist leanings manages to poke their head up above the crowd in the corporate/mainstream media, the oxymorons on the left sharpen their long knives and fall all over themselves trying to cut it off.

Their only concern is the enhancement of their progressive credibility/authority. Ken Burns spent just as much time and energy making his claim that America’s best idea is Socialism (The National Park Service) as he did on the Vietnam series. You move any more to the left, and you remove yourself from the equation (like me). Authoritarian leftists are oxymoronic (“They hate it when you call them that.” — Holden Caulfield). Equality and authority are mutually exclusive. Consider the great leftist humanitarians Mao, Stalin and Pol Pot. One cannot command one’s equals.

David Warnock

Hood River

Kids still have nothing

In 1996, my aunt, uncle and cousins came out from Wyoming. While here I took my kids, in-law kids and my cousins’ kids to a county and city youth center they were testing. What was said by the people putting it on for the whole county and city was, “If a good turnout, we will build a complex for the youth in our county and surrounding areas.” Twenty-one years later, still nothing. The kids either have to play sports or work. Even if they work, they would still like to go see their friends and talk. They had pool tables, games, music they could listen to. There was soft drinks and some food. They said if they built one, there would be a study room if kids wanted to do homework and a room or two to watch TV.

Well, it turned out a great success! What happened: not one thing! The port, county and city could put in funds. I imagine they would say there are none. But they can spend all sorts of money fixing up streets to show tourists how nice our town is!

They can develop the port, build breweries from one end of the Gorge to the other. The youth in this county have already lost having candy at parades.

The seniors had homecoming parade taken away. The young people see all the booze factories going in the Gorge, but adults expect them not to drink. If you are going to have everything for the adults in our county and surrounding ones, then give them a place to talk and hang out with each other! I think there is one place kids can go and that’s Pietros. They are limited to three or four games. You wonder why some kids turn to drugs and drinking. There is nothing to do here.

John Dorsey

Hood River