Commentary praise
The recent commentary in Columbia Gorge News by Howard Bulick (July 10) deserves accolades. Mr. Bulick didn't narrow his prose into political back-and-forth but rather highlighted the history of our great nation in regards to immigration. He points out that we need a bi-partisan solution addressing the border crisis. I know firsthand as an employer of 40 Mexican nationals on my fruit farms that they are all seeking a better life for their families. Without a bi-partisan guest worker program, they must take the "illegal path" of crossing into the "Ustados Unidos."
My forefathers several generations removed fled Ireland due to famine as a result of the failure of the potato crops. They immigrated to Kansas via New York. Eventually they ended up in Hood River Valley as fruit workers and loggers. Our families are immigrants that believed then and still do that to get what you want in life you need to work hard and earn it and be willing to take risks and hope that you are allowed to achieve your dreams. It seems to me that there is a little bit of bi-partisanship philosophy in this mindset.
Jeff McNerney
Hood River
Immunity?!
How can the leader of the "free world" not be held accountable for crimes he has committed? Nor, according to the Supreme Court, can his crimes be investigated. What happened to no one is above the law?
The Constitution contains express language: “The President … shall be removed from Office on Impeachment for, and Conviction of, Treason, Bribery, or other High Crimes and Misdemeanors.” Granting immunity to Trump negates the intent of the Founding Fathers.
An honest accounting of a history we should never forget tells us one of the principles of Nazification was to take over the courts. With control of the courts Nazis did whatever they wanted.
Trump once said he could shoot somebody on Fifth Avenue and he wouldn’t lose any votes. Now that our Supreme Court has granted sweeping immunity to a president, were Trump to shoot somebody, he would not lose any freedom, either. Nixon could have legally committed all his crimes. Trump could legally order the assassination of his political opponents.
If elected, Trump has publicly stated he will be a dictator on day one. Trump has often expressed full support for the Heritage Foundation’s Project 2025, a 900-page blueprint guiding an administration, including Supreme Court justices, on how to sink a democracy into full corporate authoritarianism where laws will only apply to we the people, not to those in power.
The Supreme Court ruling in Trump vs. United States supports presidential lawlessness, exposing how fragile the safeguards on our democracy really are. When the justices lack the morals to resist collusion in rampant misrule, we stand to lose so much.
This next election could be our last chance at retaining our democracy and civil society. This year we must vote for the Democrat if we want to remain true to the intent of our constitution.
Chris Connolly
Snowden
Two kudos for HR planners
When was the last time you heard someone compliment a city government? Well, fasten your seat belts, because that’s what we’re going to do.
“We” are the co-chairs of DarkSkyGorge, a local group of about 90 residents who want to limit light pollution in the Gorge. And we want to compliment the Hood River city government — specifically its planning department — for two recent actions.
First, the city acted to correct a looming lighting disaster at the corner of Cascade Avenue and 20th Street. A 24-hour convenience store is being developed there, and its original lights drove the neighbors to complain (“Intense lighting directly into our home,” “We thought the circus had come to town”).
In response, the city hired outside experts to evaluate the lighting at this site. Those experts took detailed measurements, which confirmed that the lighting didn’t meet national standards. Among other problems, the lights were far too bright and far too white (5,500K).
Armed with these data, the city is requiring the developer to hire its own lighting professional to develop a new, detailed lighting plan, and the site won’t get an occupancy permit until that plan is approved.
We’re not saying the city was perfect on this project — we wish oversight had started sooner and the developer been given less time to make corrections — but overall, the city’s planning department stopped a major lighting disaster. Kudo No. 1 to the city.
Regarding kudo No. 2, the city acknowledges there’s a gap it needs to correct. The city’s planning documents say precious little about outdoor lighting, so this time the city had to hire outside experts to evaluate the situation. But wouldn’t it be better if the city could apply its own, objective standards?
Luckily, the city is currently reviewing two of its important planning documents, and it has invited us to offer suggestions about lighting — which we are doing. To us, this collaboration is commendable.
We will continue our efforts. If you’d like to help, please contact us at DarkSkyGorge@gmail.com.
Mike Hendricks
Hood River
Mike McKeag
Mosier
Dear Mr. Bonham,
Regarding your letter of June 26 to this paper: Yes, hypocrisy is alive and well in our world, but I find it so highly ironic that someone like you, someone who supports Donald J. Trump, would have the gall to use this word about others.
You support a candidate who exploits the Bible and mumbles incoherent words meant to sound Christian-like when he knows nothing nor cares anything about being a person of faith. He does this solely for the purpose of getting votes and manipulating people.
This is hypocrisy.
You support a candidate who is the champion and a huge (“The biggest anybody’s ever seen!”) purveyor of twisted words and absolute lies, someone who says one thing and then does the unethical and immoral thing.
This is hypocrisy.
You support someone who purports to be a proud American but who is a pusher of conspiracy theories, a spewer of hate and a fomenter of fear, a global troublemaker and the absolute biggest whiner when things (our fair American election, for one) don’t go his way.
This is hypocrisy.
You are a state senator. I did not vote for you, but I honored those election results. (Are you able to see the difference?)
You are now prohibited from running for your position in 2026 because you did not do your job.
You were elected to serve us and you swore you would do this. But instead, you just took your marbles and went home when things weren’t going your way at the State Capitol. You left Oregon citizens, including Oregon school children, in limbo while you played political games.
This is not democracy!
State rules regarding our legislature do not indicate that our legislators will uphold our democracy, Constitution and legislative system only when things are going their party’s way.
Please do not ever use the word hypocrisy again!
Shannon McCloud Morgan
The Dalles
Dazed and confused
After years of telling us reports (and recorded evidence) of Biden’s mental and physical decline were just FOX News/Republican disinformation, SOME Democrats are finally conceding old Joe just MIGHT be slipping a bit. The true believers are still buying into the “he just had a bad night” narrative, but even those who finally “believe their lyin’ eyes” are saying they have no choice but to vote for the vegetable to “save Democracy!”
Couple of relevant facts:
1. The people who are telling you what a catastrophe another Trump term would be are the exact same people who have been lying to you about Biden. They’ve been (and still are) lying to you about a LOT of things, and if you still trust them to be telling the truth about Trump, that’s on you.
2. When picking between two people who have never held a particular office, it makes sense to examine their track records, look at their speeches and even make deep dives into their psyches to speculate about or predict what they would do if elected. In this case, we don’t have to guess, and from my perspective the presidential track records are pretty clear.
Trump didn’t actually “end Democracy” and make himself dictator after winning the 2016 election. If you didn’t know, dictators don't typically get impeached and lose re-elections and court cases. They DO use their powers to prosecute political enemies and Trump has only been on the receiving end of that sort of abuse. I also note the border was secure, inflation was minimal, gas prices were low, we were energy independent, we weren't wasting billions on "green" energy boondoggles, crime was down, girls’ sports were safe, there was peace in Ukraine and Israel and no Afghanistan withdrawal fiasco.
Even if Biden wasn’t a feeble, confused elderly man, HIS track record is quite clear and four more years of the same is not something anyone (other than our enemies) should wish on America.
Steve Hudson
The Dalles
No lesson needed
I appreciated the "History Lesson" on Juneteenth and Kwanzaa (Your Voice, July 10). But her premise that I didn't my homework is misguided. A resolution to make Juneteenth a city holiday was not on the agenda for that meeting.
The subject came up in the city administrators closing comments at the end of the meeting. Where he asked for consensus of council to move it forward to a resolution at a later meeting. The mayor asked my opinion on it , in which I gave my impromptu answer.
I can assure everyone when this appears on the agenda as a resolution, I will have done my homework. During closing comments of our July 8 meeting, this paper's errors on reporting council meetings was discussed.
Butch Miller
Cascade Locks
Editor's note: See A10, "Vacant council seat remains unfilled," for two meeting corrections. corrections.
Blueprints for control
As reported in the Seattle Times, the Washington State Republican Convention in April, quote, “called for an end to all mail-in voting” and approved this resolution: “We oppose legislation which makes our nation more democratic in nature.”
Then in May, from reporting in Centralia Chronicle, the Washington State party and Mainstream Republicans of Washington filed a suit to prevent the attorney general from disclosing the potential financial impact of three ballot initiatives, which would reduce state revenue by billions — money earmarked for public education and climate projects.
The national Republican Party approves the Supreme Court ruling in Roe vs. Wade ending a woman’s constitutional right for reproductive freedom. They also oppose IVF procedures and contraception medications. They are also supporting the Project 2025 plan to put into effect if their candidate Trump gets elected. BBC News explains a few key items:
1. Proposes the entire federal bureaucracy, including independent agencies like the Justice Department, be placed under direct presidential control.
2. Eliminating civil service qualified selection and protections for thousands of federal workers, which then would be replaced with political appointees (therefore loyal to the president, not the country).
3. A drastic overhaul of the FBI and eliminating Department of Education.
4. Slash federal money for research and investment in renewable energy and carbon-reduction goals
With the Republican-appointed Supreme Court justices recently ruling the president has “Absolute Immunity” for "official acts" gives a Republican president the power he needs to implement Project 2025, as AP News reported, and behave as a dictator, above legal accountability.
Where are you, a citizen voter, in the Republican plan of limiting democracy, ending reproductive freedom and living under authoritarian power? Left out of the picture, unless we use our most powerful tool — our vote.
There is a party that supports reproductive rights, addresses climate change, builds new infrastructure, creates new jobs, protects Social Security and Medicare, believes in the rule of law — the Democratic party. Use your vote for your freedoms, economic opportunity and security, and continuing our Constitutional government.
Steven Woolpert
White Salmon
Dangerous rhetoric
On Sunday evening news (KATU Channel 2), they showed a statement released by Jeff Helfrich, State Representative from Hood River County, about the attempted Trump assassination. He wasted little time posting his comments and blaming it on the Democrats. Let’s make a little comparison here. Helfrich posts his irresponsible rhetoric way before investigations have been completed, but fails to say anything about what Donald Trump posted prior to his rally in Pennsylvania about that there will be a ‘bloodbath’ if he’s not elected. So, who do you think is really responsible for dangerous rhetoric?
Bev Annala
Hood River
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