Letters to the Editor, week of Jan.18-24

A letter in the Jan. 4 edition of the Columbia Gorge News criticized patients who wanted a doctor who “looked like them.” My question for the letter writer is, “Have you ever had a doctor who didn’t look like you?”

Growing up, all of my doctors and dentists were men. I have a vivid memory of the first time I saw a woman doctor. I was much more comfortable with her than I had been with the male doctors. Since then, I have gone out of my way to find women doctors, especially for primary care.

Does this make me a sexist? Maybe some people would think that … for me, it’s an issue of comfort. All things being equal, if someone is going to examine my body, I am more comfortable if that someone is a woman than a man.

Nancy Roach

Hood River

Vote yes for schools

White Salmon School District voters, a ballot will be mailed to you shortly. With that ballot, you have the power to affect our collective future. Like most states, Washington does not fully fund public education. The levy on the ballot will help close the gap between government funding and the actual cost of operating the district, providing activities that motivate and enrich students. The two levies on the ballot are combined to replace the current levy, with actual tax rates ending up lower than current tax rates.

I hope that if you have children in the schools, your support of the levy is inherent. If you don’t, please recognize that all of us will need professional services as we age: Engineers, health workers, business owners, farmers, teachers and others. A better educated population has less dependence on public assistance programs, lower crime rates, greater tax revenues, improved public health, and less unemployment. As 90% of American students attend public schools, supporting school levies is an investment in your own future. Barbara Kingsolver said it best: “Be careful what you give children, for sooner or later you are sure to get it back.”

Voter turnout historically is low in non-presidential elections. Please remember to vote “yes” for schools and turn in your ballot by Feb. 14. Your support is invaluable!

Becky Williams

White Salmon

Support education

I am writing to encourage the folks living within the boundaries of the White Salmon School District to think seriously about voting “yes” for the levy in February. This is not a new levy (actually now divided into two separate parts) but a renewal of the funding that has supported our school district for many years. As a community, one of our most important obligations is to support the education of our upcoming generations of citizens. We have been fortunate to have had a competent caring group of professionals — teachers, administrators, support staff and maintenance crew, and I feel blessed to live in a community that has taken seriously its responsibility to support our schools. Because the state does not fully fund schools it is up to us, the citizens of the district, to ensure a quality education for our students. These two levies will provide staffing, supplies, enrichment programs, technology, important maintenance projects, curriculum updates and so much more.

Again, your yes vote does not mean adding another new tax, it simply means that you wish to continue to support the excellent work our school district is doing to ensure that all of our students receive a quality education. That is an important part of what makes our community remarkable.

Heather Weisfield

White Salmon

Vote yes for school district levies

I am a lifelong champion of public schools. I attended public schools exclusively, as have my children, and we all received immeasurable benefits from our experiences. One of the best things about public schools is the community effort to keep them thriving. In an ideal world, our state governments would provide 100% of the funds needed to educate children. I think we can all agree on the importance of preparing children as they grow to become strong, involved community members! Since our state government does not fully fund public education, school districts rely on collective community funding to maintain our schools and continue providing enriching experiences for our children.

The White Salmon Valley School District has two levies on your February ballot. The first, for Educational Programs and Operations, replaces an expiring levy that you are already supporting with your tax dollars. This levy supports teacher and staff salaries, food services, athletics, music and enrichment programs, after school programs, and more. These are the parts of school that can really make a difference in a child’s life. My kids do their math and reading homework, but they’re excited for band and art. My son came home from school this week and couldn’t wait to practice his new trumpet part for the school Jazz Band. I have learned over the years that kids who are excited to go to school stay in school.

My children have also received meaningful mentorship from many WSVSD teachers and staff. WSVSD does a great job finding well-qualified staff members; ensuring they have funding to provide competitive salaries will help retain and draw new fantastic educators.

The Capital levy supports safety, technology, and infrastructure improvements for WSVSD. The to-do list for this levy includes roof replacements, replacing aging portable classrooms, and modernizing technology. Many children rely on the warmth and safety of our schools, and learning new skills on technology that works consistently is crucial to their success as they grow.

Please join me in voting YES on both WSVSD levies in this election, for the children and for our future!

Marisa Cieloha

White Salmon

We won freedom from dictatorship

We, United States of America, beat dictatorship by keeping Trump out of democracy because he wanted to take it away from us.

Trump doesn’t represent me or America, only himself and family! His!

A proud American veteran,

Steve Cochenour

The Dalles