Your Voice: April 2, 2025

I may be crossing the line on someone's politics here, but I will argue that none of us wants to live in a country where a young Ph.D. student can be whisked away off the street by masked agents for her freely expressed opinion in a school newspaper (terrifying — our daughter is a student at Tufts). We may not all agree with this young woman's politics, but we can agree with her rights.

I don't think we want to live in a country that prefers to avoid offending billionaires with tax increases rather than pay for Medicaid and Medicare and veterans health care and the institutions that protect us from bird flu, cancer, and the measles.

I doubt we want to live in a country that places so little value on our libraries and museums and national parks and forests that it is gutting these institutions and agencies, leaving them to die.

Of course we all have ideas about how we can reduce government spending, much in the same way I periodically go through our credit card charges to see what I'm paying for, and find that we are not even watching the Disney Channel.

But enough is enough. Join us with your voice and your protest.

Here are the details: Saturday, April 5 at 11 a.m. Meet on the lawn area south of Ferment Brewing, 403 Portway Ave., on the Hood River Waterfront.

March to the Salmon Fountain, Second and State streets and rally until 1 p.m.

We will have some additional signs if needed, first come, first served.

Kelly McCune

Mosier

Caption complaint

The March 26 issue of Columbia Gorge News has a picture on page 8 in an article about the Northwest Forest Plan. The caption contains a completely unsupported/unattributed statement about the plan being the major factor in the decrease in the number of sawmills and the reduction in timber jobs.

What is the source for this information? What proportion of lost companies/jobs is due to market consolidation/automation? If the driving force is reduction in harvestable timber, how much of that is due to non-sustainable forestry practices vs. conservation on behalf of endangered species? This caption detracts from an otherwise informative article.

Wayne Thayer

White Salmon

Editor’s Note: Columbia Gorge News explained how the Northwest Forest Plan impacted timber-dependent, rural communities, like those in Skamania County, in an article titled “Will the Northwest Forest Plan balance ecology and economic well-being?” (Oct. 16, 2024). For more context, and the story behind the caption in question, please read the article online at columbiagorgenews.com.

E-bike legislation

There is a bill in Salem being considered, HB3626, that would allow e-bikes for 12 year olds and older. I think 12-14 year olds should ride bicycles for exercise and their safety. The e-bikes law now is a child needs to be 16 or 15 with a driver’s permit.

It is true that the current law is difficult to enforce unless an accident occurs. The Hood River City Police have tried to educate youth on the law but underage youth continue to ride.

When I go to the Hood River pool, I see about five e-bikes parked there that belong to Hood River Middle School students. I heard that local youth are hacking into the e-bikes computers so they can go faster than programmed. E-bikes can go up to 20 miles per hour. Being a retired parenting educator, I know that 12-14 year olds have brains that are not mature enough for the responsibility of fast, heavy e-bikes. A 15 year old in Bend, killed riding an e-bike, was on a sidewalk but did not yield to a car that was exiting a busy road. Recently, youth drove by in the Hood River Heights on an e-bike with a driver and two passengers. When a passenger’s weight is added to an e-bike, the e-bike handles differently and is much more difficult to control and stop. Most e-bike are NOT designed for passengers! Cheaper e-bikes have been known to have poor braking and in the past year, the West Side Fire Department has responded to battery fires where a couple of the fires started in e-bike batteries.

All e-bike riders should know the rules of the road! Youth and/or parents should be cited if children under 16 are riding e-bike without a driver’s permit. E-bike riders under 18 years should not be allowed to take passengers on their e-bike and should wear helmets.

Nancy Johanson Paul

Hood River

Min Yasui Day

The World War II era has many nostalgic tales of Victory Gardens and the strength of Rosie the Riveter. But, behind these tales of fortitude and resilience, are darker tales that are too often forgotten. Minoru Yasui and his family experienced great injustice, but his choices and his life are a beacon of courage and grace in the face of hate, propaganda and fear.

Born in Hood River in 1916 to Japanese immigrant parents, Yasui grew up among the pear trees of the Hood River Valley and was ultimately laid to rest there in 1986. In these years, his life was a rich story of culture and perseverance. Minoru left home to attend the University of Oregon, where he joined the ROTC and became the first Japanese American graduate of its School of Law. He began practicing law in Portland, Oregon, in 1937.

While Japanese Americans had faced discriminatory laws since Minoru was born, things reached a crisis stage when Executive Order 9066 led to curfews, zoning, and the eventual internment of Japanese Americans throughout the country. When Yasui’s father was taken to a Montana detention camp, Minoru went into action.

Believing the curfews violated civil liberties, Minoru asserted that citizens must “tell our government [when] they are wrong.” One night he stayed out, defying the curfew for three hours. He recounted, “I got tired of walking up and down Third Avenue,” and approached an officer and asked to be arrested. This led to a year of solitary confinement and a $5000 fine. Despite his case reaching the Supreme Court and many appeal attempts, his conviction was upheld and Yasui was sentenced and moved to the notorious Minidoka Relocation Center.

He continued fighting for civil rights, and in 1983, his conviction was vacated; however, the issue of racially-based discrimination that he and thousands of others faced during World War II was left unanswered.

On March 28, our community honored this hero by celebrating Oregon State’s yearly Minoru Yasui Day. I encourage you to learn more about Minoru and the diverse cultural history of the Hood River Valley.

Audra Moffett

Hood River

Ghosted

Recently, a group of 15 or so folks from around Klickitat County went to the county building in Goldendale to meet with staff of our CD 14 Congressman Dan Newhouse during one of his mobile office events. We had been informed by his Yakima office that no appointment was necessary. Upon arrival in Goldendale, the onsite staffer told us that we needed an appointment and we couldn’t meet with her in Goldendale.

We called the Yakima office immediately to request an appointment. Once again, we were told that no appointment was required and that they would ask the onsite staffer to meet with us. After waiting more than an hour, we called the Yakima office a third time. This time, we were told we could not be seen without an appointment and would not be accommodated that day.

This directly contradicts the description of mobile office events on Newhouse’s website, which states: “Members of the public are invited to meet with Congressman Newhouse’s staff with no appointment necessary.”

It seems that serving and communicating with constituents is not a priority for Congressman Newhouse.

Shelley Baxter

White Salmon

Infrastructure

The Republicans under Trump and Musk are NOT cutting Social Security and Medicare. Instead, they are cutting the infrastructure. When you have NO means of connecting to Social Security or Medicare, you are unable to sign up or contact anyone if problems arise.

Examples are applying for either, moving, changing any information, not receiving your check OR having any medical service refused or questioned.

Another problem is the inability, because of staffing, to cut checks. Who do you contact in any situation? Since they are cutting the infrastructure, there is no real reason to cut funding, since the money will not be spent. Next, since there is a surplus, it is possible to lower funding to the amount actually used.

This infrastructure cutting is true of many other situations. Cutting the Department of Education means that there are no real methods of getting the funding that they have been sending to the states. In other words, federal money spent on education will decrease, so why budget for it? Also, it encourages spending on private education. At this time, Trump and Musk are continually pushing the limits on ignoring our constitution. I think it might just be a little late when the millions of pro-Trump believers wake up and see what is happening. I hope those receiving Social Security actually blame the Republicans instead of continuing to believe everything they say. Recently, some of those fired have been rehired, after having a month-long paid vacation. Watch for more of this in the future.

Leonard Hickman

Hood River

Libraries

The March 14 Executive Order calling for the dismantling of the federal Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) hits close to home. The State Library of Oregon receives 25% of its budget from IMLS (www.oregon.gov/library/Pages/Updates.aspx). This order would eliminate or severely reduce several programs. One of them is the SAGE libraries courier system. SAGE allows borrowing materials from a consortium of libraries across our state. This expands the reach of a local Hood River library card. The Library2Go/Libby program allows digital access to more magazines than many can afford and permits access to e-books. I’ve witnessed school children get excited about reading through Oregon Battle of the Books. This program would fall prey to the budget axe.

Our public libraries support lifelong learning. They help form the foundation of our democracy. I urge you to join me and contact your Congressional representatives to voice your concerns.

Judy Zimmerman

Parkdale

Trump’s record

Trump has a historic track record of legal, financial, and political controversies that are unprecedented for a U.S. president. For those still insisting he’s some kind of misunderstood genius or victim of political persecution, the sheer quantity of legal troubles, financial penalties, and scandals is worth considering. No other modern president has come remotely close to this level of chaos.

Thirty-four felony convictions: In May 2024, Trump was convicted on 34 felony counts related to falsifying business records in the hush-money case involving Stormy Daniels.

Ninety-one criminal charges: As of July 2023, Trump faced a total of 91 felony counts across various jurisdictions, including New York, Florida, Washington D.C., and Georgia.

Twenty-six sexual assault allegations: Multiple women have accused Trump of sexual misconduct over several decades. In May 2023, he was found liable for sexual abuse and defamation against writer E. Jean Carroll, resulting in a $5 million verdict.

Six bankruptcies: Trump’s businesses have filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection six times, primarily involving his casino holdings in the early 1990s and 2000s.

Five draft deferments: During the Vietnam War, Trump received five draft deferments, including four for education and one for medical reasons (bone spurs).

Two impeachments: Trump was impeached twice by the House of Representatives: first in 2019 for abuse of power and obstruction of Congress, and second in 2021 for incitement of insurrection.

Two convicted companies: In December 2022, two Trump Organization entities were convicted on multiple charges, including tax fraud and falsifying business records.

Highest annual budget deficit: The $3.1 trillion deficit in 2020 was the highest annual deficit in U.S. history. (FYI, the NEW budget is going to significantly add to the deficit).

Most added to the national debt in a single term: The national debt increased by approximately $7.8 trillion during Trump’s term.

(Source: www.facebook.com/share/p/1BkRwMnbrU)

I found this on Facebook and fact checked it. How can any rational citizen support such a crook? My neighbor calls it “willful ignorance!” How is withholding federal money from states because they have a different opinion not extortion?

Steve Michaels

Tygh Valley

History lessons

I am trying to be something of a student of history. From that perspective, I’d say we are experiencing a coup, an attempt to destroy our representative government which at least tries, sort of, to be guided by respect for human rights, decency, and the rule of law. This to be replaced with government by violent corrupt thieving thugs who have no respect for human rights, decency, nor the rule of law.

Often through history, various military groups will align with or against such a coup attempt, and then commence to killing each other. Russia in the first part of the 20th century is an excellent example. Civilians too often find themselves like mice trying to avoid being stomped by warring elephants. In particular, lightly armed individuals and local groups are nothing more than target practice for trained and experienced military groups. Strutting around arrogantly with an AR-15 pretty much constitutes a suicide attempt in such circumstances.

The above said, I’m not familiar with a situation in which such chaos could crash the complex financial and goods distribution systems that feed us, and existing authority chains. Could this disintegrate existing modern military groups? A modern military suddenly without fuel nor lunch could disintegrate quite quickly, within months, it seems to me, to just more hungry armed thugs roaming around. Who knows how that would play out. I suppose in such a situation of civilization meltdown, being lightly armed well enough to fend off the occasional disorganized small groups of local robbers and thieves might be useful.

Jerrold Richards

Lyle

Bye, ‘Trolls’

Well it’s the end of an era. For the past 50 years, I have had a pleasant relationship with the Hood River Bridge Trolls (the toll personnel). They have always been friendly and courteous during all of the weather or toll hikes. The Trolls have taken a lot of guff during the toll hikes periods for the Hood River port commissioners over the years! Back when I started to use the bridge, the traffic was very sparse; sometimes I was the only car on the bridge for the trip across it! Boy, has that ever changed ... The port commissioners have taken a lot of my money over the years and put very little of it back into the structure while building up all of the other port properties. One of these days, their cash cow will dry up and they will have to figure out how to run the port without the toll income. I so look forward to a new bridge being built.

Well, a fond farewell to all of the past and present Trolls of the Hood River Bridge.

Kurt S. Rohrbacher R.N.

Willard

Editor’s Note: Resolution No. 2022-23-14 declares that by June 30, 2026, all toll revenue must be utilized for operations, maintenance, capital repairs, and replacement of the existing bridge. The port is working to cut costs and generate revenue in areas that have been previously subsidized by bridge toll revenue. For the most recent financial report, visit www.portofhoodriver.com/financial-reports.