Joint statement on respecting signs
At meetings of their respective county party central committees, the Skamania County Democratic Party on Nov. 18 and the Skamania County Republican Party on Nov. 21 adopted the following statement:
More than 100 yard signs were defaced or stolen in Skamania County during the recent election. Many signs were stolen from private property, and signs were stolen from county road right of ways where they were legally placed by permit. The Skamania County Democratic Party and the Skamania County Republican Party condemn these actions and call on all citizens to commit to respecting our history of civility in our public elections. We are one community and we can disagree on candidates and policies while respecting the law and each other.
D. Mike Collins
Skamania County Republican Party Chair
Joe Kear
Skamania County Democratic Party Chair
Who will benefit?
The power of grievance cuts a deep groove in the human psyche. Yes, we all have felt left out, left behind and powerless, at one time or another. Unless you are rich, inflation really hurts. Life is not fair and there are just too many rules, regulations and taxes that make running small businesses more and more expensive and complicated. But the roots of our country’s economic and social problems run deep. There will be no simple easy fixes to the economy nor to immigration, nor to access to health care, nor the funding of Social Security.
If you are old enough, you may remember that in the 1990s, Independent candidate Ross Perot was worried about the future impacts of globalism on American jobs. Perot lost, but neither mainstream political party had a plan to deal with the loss of jobs as manufacturing went offshore. Republican administrations tried deregulation and lower taxes for corporations and banks. The deregulated stock market thrived until it all crashed in 2001 and again in 2008. As a result of globalization, deregulation, and tax breaks for the wealthy, many working people were financially ruined, left out and left behind, especially in the industrial part of the country. These people and their children, now two generations of the aggrieved, had their say in 2024. They demanded a new direction and they are going to get it … but who will benefit?
In 2016, Bernie Sanders and his campaign was right about big money influencing elections. We also ignored Bernie’s warning about the impact of the growing gap between rich and poor driving unanswered grievances. Democrats didn't get it; Donald Trump did. His wealthy supporters like Elon Musk are creating an administration where lies are normalized, where loyalty is the only measure of competence and all power is transactional — this for that. The rule of law will not apply to the wealthy. But this future is the people's choice.
It remains to be seen what, if anything, the Trump administration will actually fix and who, if anyone, will be held to account for both their lies and their promises.
James McKee
White Salmon
Forgotten
No surprises following the election as Donald Trump doubles down on becoming dictator by picking unvetted, unqualified cult loyalists Matt Gaetz, Tulsi Gabbert, RFK (Robert F. Kennedy) Jr. and Pete Hegseth for key cabinet posts. Trump told innumerable lies on the campaign trail but his insatiable need for power was never in doubt.
Do his voters really want to live under a dictatorship? David Brooks argues persuasively (New York Times, Nov. 11, Opinion, "Voters to Elites: Do You See Me Now?") that the working class justifiably feels forgotten, so they emotionally relate to Trump’s angry rhetoric. But neither Trump’s previous administration nor other Republicans have treated workers well. Vowing to make Barack Obama a one-term president, long-time Republican Senate leader Mitch McConnell opposed everything Obama proposed to help the working class. Republican House leaders John Boehner and Cathy McMorris Rodgers followed suit; for example, they withheld a full House vote on Obama’s signature immigration reform bill — already Senate-passed — despite sufficient House votes for passage to become law.
And don’t expect the present Trump administration to help workers. He’s already appointed mega-billionaire Elon Musk, who contributed $118 million to Trump’s campaign, to lead the “government efficiency drive,” likely cutting millions from programs helping the working class. Trump praised Musk for saying he would fire any striking workers in his Tesla company, the only non-unionized U.S. major automaker, and just hire new workers.
Many people vote their emotions. Working class voters, in particular, hurt themselves doing so; they win when Democrats win.
Norm Luther
Spokane
Not a 'small challenge'
As a former board member of Thrive, the land swap challenge with Mt. Hood Meadows started in 2001 to provide a fair and equitable deal for the public and to keep the north side of the mountain from destination resort development. This has not been a “small legal challenge,” as referred to in last week’s paper ("Land swap," Your Voice, Nov. 25 edition).
After more than 20 years, they are still at this “David vs Goliath” battle. I believe Thrive still remains committed to adhering as close as possible to the deal agreed to by all parties. Those parties are the United States Congress, Mt. Hood Meadows and Hood River County. I assume Thrive continues to remain willing to negotiate a reasonable settlement.
Judie Hanel
Hood River
Wandering in the wilderness
Seems to me there are two main groups freaking out over the Democrat’s recent electoral face-plant:
1. Those who actually believe Trump is a fascist who will make himself dictator, end democracy and free speech, imprison his political enemies, reinstate slavery, outlaw abortion and deport all immigrants.
2. Those who just pretended to believe.
The problem for both groups is Trump is no longer a candidate to be discredited and never will be again. He will be president and, eventually, people will notice he’s not doing the horrible things they claimed he would do. For the first group, they may have to admit they were duped. For the second group, the Democrats and the media, apparently unburdened by the reality of his four years in office, saw no label or prediction too incredible or extreme and will now have to explain why anyone should ever trust them again, about anything.
Sane Americans don’t believe this nonsense and THAT’S why Democrats were rejected. You would think this would be a good time to take stock, reassess policies and maybe move a bit toward the center, where most Americans live. But they aren’t doing that. Instead, they are telling themselves they lost because Americans, every single person who voted for Trump, are stupid (racist, sexist, transphobic, homophobic, Islamophobic, xenophobic) fascists. If they persist in that delusion, that’s fine with me, because it will keep them wandering in the political wilderness, where they belong, for a long, long time.
Steve Hudson
The Dalles
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