Kelsi Stahl, Klickitat County
Jan. 6: Not a riot
In response to the Sept. 28 letter "Biden's Speech," while I disagree with much of what you said, I am only commenting on one statement you made. The planned attack and armed forced entry of our Capitol building on Jan. 6 was not a riot. It was not the same as the demonstrations and "riots" in Portland and Seattle. It was an insurrection. It was designed to prevent a peaceful transition of power. People were calling for the hanging of the vice president of the U.S.A. It is a disingenuous, false equivalency to compare political demonstrations, no matter what level of vandalism occurred, to the Jan. 6 attack on our democracy. There is a big difference.
Amy Wheeler
Hood River
Radical Democrats
Leftists, especially those in the west end of Klickitat County, have organized a campaign to evidently place a liberal Republican in the sheriff's office, Mr. Garique Clifford. Thus far, Clifford refuses to answer up concerning how his most ardent supporters are in fact radical Democrats who are involved in a pre-planned letter-writing personal destruction campaign against Sheriff Bob Songer.
Clifford's supporters should be vetted to find if any of them have been or are presently affiliated with subversive radical groups to defund the police or hold formal or informal membership in Antifa and Black Lives Matter. Some appear to hold positions in the formal Klickitat County Democrat Party and have and are working in concert with the editor and publisher of the Goldendale Sentinel newspaper with the objective to remove the sitting sheriff from office.
I encourage people to ask questions of the Democrat Party leadership and get them on record regarding their political methods they employ.
Mike Goodpaster
Goldendale
Stephenson for reproductive rights
As someone who values reproductive rights and choice about what women can do with their own bodies, Christina Stephenson has my vote for labor commissioner.
Christina is a proud and vocal supporter of reproductive health care, including full access to safe and legal abortions. As commissioner, she will fight to make sure that abortion stays legal and accessible to workers by investing in healthcare and abortion providers.
Christina will also work to ensure that no worker is discriminated against because of a decision to have an abortion. She is the only candidate for labor commissioner who is endorsed by Planned Parenthood PAC of Oregon and Pro-Choice Oregon. Please join me in voting for Christina Stephenson for labor commissioner.
Daniel Fritz
Mosier
Mason for senate
It's rare that we get to vote for someone with as much real-life experience and education as Raz Mason, who is running for state senate. She’s been a long-haul truck driver, and has a master’s degree from Harvard. What a combination of skills and experience!
She is especially committed to connecting rural people — liberal and conservative — to solve problems. And she is true to her progressive values.
Her experience includes serving as a teacher with an extensive STEM and career/technical education background, and she has taught government and economics; after her Harvard education she was a hospital chaplain who worked with veterans. She has worked with the victims of domestic violence. And — so important for our region of Oregon — she has been the executive director of a climate change education foundation, with a focus on community adaptation to extreme weather.
Given the economic, climate, and civic challenges we face today, our district deserves a senator who cares for rural working people and has the diversity of experience and intellectual chops to be an effective legislator. From her childhood experiences in rural Oregon to diverse public service work, she understands us and will serve us with heart.
Please join me in supporting Raz Mason for state senate.
Maureen Lauran
Hood River
Support Darcy Long
I am supporting Darcy Long for House District 52 Representative because she has a proven track record of supporting policies that make our community safer and more inclusive.
As a city councilor in The Dalles, she led a joint work session of city and county elected officials to discuss the current status of mental health needs and services and identify solutions. She led the development of a warming shelter, which she helped build and also lived at during the winter of 2020. Darcy is a problem solver who knows how to work with people on all sides of the issues. She is the kind of hard-working, smart leader I want to see representing our community in Salem.
Cindy Allen
Hood River
Waymire for sheriff
I have lived in this community for much of my life and not a day goes by that I am not appreciative for the beauty and people I am surrounded by. One of those people is David Waymire, who I have known for more than half my life, but that is not why I believe he should become the next sheriff of Skamania County. David is committed to this community and that is evident in the numerous roles he has taken on, specifically with our youth, which I believe is most important. Again, that is not the reason I know David should be our next sheriff, although it is a big one!
The reason David Waymire should be our next sheriff is because he has the experience, commitment, knowledge, and drive to take this next step. He has worked under and learned from Sheriff Dave Brown, who has done an excellent job in leading our sheriff’s office. David has learned numerous positions within the sheriff’s office so he understands it all. I know Chief Waymire will take on this new role with the passion and commitment he has had with all his other roles. I know he will have the understanding, the skills, and the determination to do what is needed, to listen, to have compassion, and also strength of character to be an incredible sheriff, one we can be proud of and look up to. David is exactly the right fit for this community, which deserves the best.
Faith Gundersen
Carson
Long for house rep
As a person who supports small businesses, I am voting for Darcy Long for House District 52 Representative because she’s proven she cares about local businesses, workers, and economic development. As chair of the Urban Renewal agency in The Dalles, she renegotiated an agreement between Urban Renewal Agency and the Sunshine Mill, which allowed them to continue providing jobs, paying property and payroll taxes, and running an internationally recognized company that has helped revitalize the downtown.
She also led the creation of a new incentive program that will increase the beauty of downtown The Dalles, as well as the number of housing units in the urban core. She believes it’s critical for all workers to be able to freely unionize, no matter where they work. She would welcome the opportunity to work with and learn from labor organizations about how to effectively protect unions. I hope you’ll join me in supporting Darcy Long.
Elizabeth Kendall
Hood River
Reproductive rights
We are hearing it a lot now from our Republican candidates in Oregon: Abortion is settled law. Well, that is exactly what our Supreme Court justices said in their confirmation hearings, just before they voted to overturn that law.
The history is clear: If you take your rights for granted, you will lose them. So if you care about these rights, act like it, and vote like it. Vote for candidates who express full-throated support for reproductive freedom. Vote for candidates who have a lifetime of support for those rights.
Dean Myerson
The Dalles
Tina Kotek, the climate candidate
If you are concerned about climate change, you have to like what the state has been doing to reduce carbon emissions. Tina Kotek is the only one of our candidates for governor who has backed the three biggest state initiatives to cool our rapidly heating atmosphere.
Hot summers, drying and dying forests, and raging fires all result from our burning oil-based fuels. Only Kotek supported a 2016 bill requiring power companies to generate more of their energy from renewable sources. The bill ensured that the state would wean itself off of coal-fired power by 2035.
Not only did conservative opponent Betsy Johnson not support that 2016 bill, she opposed creation of the Clean Fuels Program that has prevented millions of tons of emissions since 2016, according to state environmental regulators.
And Kotek was the only gubernatorial candidate to support a 2021 law that requires the state’s largest power companies to transition to 100% clean energy by 2040.
We need a lot more action on climate change, and fast. We can’t afford Tina’s anti-climate opponents. Vote for Tina Kotek, the only candidate with the courage and commitment to fight climate change.
Lindsay Ray Kammer
Hood River
Vote Raz Mason
Raz Mason has deep roots in agriculture. As a kid, she participated in 4-H and as an adult, taught classes in agriculture for high school students and science to middle schoolers. She is a member of Oregon Women for Agriculture.
I’m supporting her for state senate because she is an advocate for both agriculture producers and agriculture workers. We need both! She supports overtime pay for our farm workers after 40 hours in a week, and also assistance to small-scale ag producers, because she doesn’t want small farmers to be so burdened they might have to sell their land.
She understands how climate change is affecting our agriculture industry. She will work to get farmers the help they need to transition to more climate resistant crops, and assistance with efficient irrigation technologies, so that water and agriculture both remain prized aspects of Oregon life.
Please join me in voting for Raz Mason for state senate.
Brandon Kammer
Hood River
Support Tina Kotek
I'm so glad that Oregonians have a clear choice for governor in Tina Kotek. I'm quite disappointed that Betsy Johnson has chosen to straddle party lines and split the vote. Johnson tries unconvincingly to proclaim herself a moderate, but with respect to women’s rights, she is anything but moderate.
It is Democrat Tina Kotek who has the admirable track record of leading efforts to protect women's reproductive health rights.
Oregon has the nation’s strongest protections for a woman's reproductive freedom and access to affordable reproductive health care. That's in part because Kotek led the effort to pass Oregon’s Reproductive Health Equity Act.
Tina Kotek will be a champion of rights for all people to assure Oregon has fair, equitable treatment and opportunities for everyone.
Please, join in supporting Tina Kotek, to ensure continued leadership for a woman's right to choose.
Laurie Macdonald
Hood River
Had enough?
It is time to remove a huge amount of "out-of-control" Democrats from office. We all see it. We all know it. Even Democrats I speak with talk about it. They admit the disturbing corruption occurring.
Let us just name two of those issues: Defunding police at a time when crime is skyrocketing and the horrible homeless issue of failed Salem Democrat policies that have improperly addressed that serious issue. It has been frustrating to witness. Regular diligent people in this society are done with it. They do not even want to talk about it anymore. It just makes us angry. It has become an elevated level of frustration because no justice system legitimately pursues investigating one illegal act after the other by these powerful leaders. There are no consequences.
But that is not actually true. There is one more consequence we as patrons of our state and country can employ to begin putting an end to this extensive line of injustice and abuse of power: Remove them from power. Vote for somebody else. Get them out of power. Join the "had enough:"crowd. Remove them.
Had enough? Vote Republican. I am starting with the top in Oregon. I am on that fast-moving bus to elect Christine Drazan from Canby for our new governor. She is very smart, a real mom, full of policy experience, a true leader, sensitive to Oregonians' needs and extremely focused on getting Oregon back on track as a clean, safe and well-educated state. Join me and many others who have discovered her unique leadership talents. It is about time we have an excellent candidate to help us out. Remove the junk. Replace it with quality.
Cheryl Jones
The Dalles
Reelect McKenzie
Reelecting Dave McKenzie to the Skamania County PUD is in the best interest of our community. His long-term commitment to the county and its residents is exceptional.
I have known Dave and his family for 17 years; they are the bedrock of community service. The diversity and depth of his engagement in both private and public aspects of community service provide him with a unique understanding of the long-term needs of the county. His leadership and management roles in diverse organizations provide him with a perspective few bring to public office, including broad experience in financial management and governmental audits and oversight. I believe he has always demonstrated a balanced and insightful approach to the problems at hand. Whether we like it or not, our PUD will be faced with new challenges as society moves to an ever-increasing reliance on electric power. Providing the reliability needed will require competent management, which I believe Dave has and will continue to provide. I ask you to support Dave McKenzie with your vote for Skamania County PUD Commissioner.
Tom Lannen
Stevenson
Vote community, vote for Darcy Long
I got the honor of meeting Darcy a few months ago at the beginning of her campaign. What struck me was her real passion and dedication for upholding and creating policies that would serve our community, housing, mental health, women’s rights, and the environment. Darcy is a great candidate; she knows it is hard work and is committed to doing that hard work on behalf of her constituents.
She has dedicated herself to running and serving all of us, now it is our job to get her elected. Be sure to vote and ensure your friends and family will vote. If they have questions, reach out to Darcy directly and check out her website to support her campaign at www.longfororegon.com.
There is so much at stake in this election; we need representatives standing up for women’s rights, mental health, the environment, and our economy. We have a tight race for our HR52 and Darcy needs all of your votes. When the news feels too much and you feel overwhelmed, remember you can vote, and that action is meaningful and impactful.
Nicole Bassett
Hood River
Vote Jeff Helfrich
I am a life-long Democrat, but this year, I am voting for Jeff Helfrich to represent The Dalles in Salem.
From 2013-2019, I served three terms as mayor of The Dalles and had the opportunity to serve with some very good council members. State representatives must possess a fair mind, a willingness to work with others, including across the aisle and support the majority vote. In my opinion, in the race for HD 52, only Jeff Helfrich, a retired police officer and veteran, possesses these qualities.
Although I am a life-long Democrat, I must vote for the best candidate. Jeff Helfrich, a Republican, will assure that all residents of HD 52 receive sound and competent representation. Please vote for Jeff Helfrich, in my opinion, the only qualified candidate running for HD 52.
Steve Lawrence
The Dalles
Waymire for sheriff
David Waymire is a natural leader with a steadfast concern and care for the betterment of our community. I have witnessed these qualities multiple times in situations of varying degrees of difficulty. It is rare to say someone is “always” something or holds a way of being in “all” situations but I am confident in using these words when describing David Waymire’s qualities as a person and in his professional life.
He has a calm and confident way of interacting with others regardless of age, background, status, etc. Several community members count on him in multiple settings and roles because that is just who he is: He can be counted on and entrusted with issues large and small. His youth mentorship and community involvement has truly made our community a better place and he will continue to do so regardless of what the future holds for him. The future of Skamania County is of great importance to him, as well as its history. It is rare to have candidate that has the level of knowledge, passion, and vision, that David Waymire encompasses.
If you were ever going to vote for someone to lead and make tough decisions for you and your family, and then your community at large, you most definitely would want your vote to go toward someone with the qualities and experience described above. You want our next sheriff to be a natural leader and forge new relationships while maintaining old ones with the utmost of care, have a passion for this area and the people in it, to be a true team player with the other crucial resources within Skamania County and also know when to hold their ground.
We are living in unusual times. David Waymire is the only candidate who will be able to navigate the complexities in a way that conserves and respects the strengths of Skamania County while moving us forward into new territory.
Tracy Holzhauer
Stevenson
Songer for freedom
The characterization of Klickitat County Sheriff Bob Songer as “totalitarian” in the Sept. 28 letter "Totalitarian Sheriff" is so absurd as to be laughable. Totalitarian regimes trample people’s rights. I’d like to know how Songer has ever done that. For the letter writer and those with his mindset, I’m curious which of their God-given rights they don’t want defended by their sheriff. Would it be free speech and religion? The right to self-defense? The right to petition the government? To be secure in their persons and homes from government intrusion?
In this time of overwhelming corruption and overreach by many of our “public serpents,” we are so very fortunate to have a sheriff who truly is a public servant and stands with and for the citizens, period. Bob has a proven track record of effectively reducing crime and also standing up to the tyrants who would destroy our liberty, livelihoods and bodily autonomy. If you value freedom and want your rights preserved, please vote to reelect Bob Songer for sheriff!
Patricia Kreiter
White Salmon
Blocked sidewalks
Please don't park your garbage containers in the middle of the sidewalk to be picked up. Sidewalks are for pedestrians. Regularly, I walk on sidewalks in town and have to squeeze past or step off the sidewalk to avoid overflowing garbage cans, piles of recycling, and huge yard debris bins. Sometimes, if there is a car or truck parked in the street in front of your garbage, pedestrians like me (not to mention people with strollers or someone using a wheelchair) will have to go into the middle of the street in order to pass by.
This isn't just about being considerate of pedestrians and the purpose of sidewalks being for pedestrians to walk on, it is also a safety issue for many people in our community.
Please don't put your garbage out on the sidewalk. And if you are picking up garbage, recycling or yard debris, please don't just dump the empty containers back onto the sidewalk because three empty containers in the middle of the sidewalk is the same problem.
Serena Smith
The Dalles
Drazan for governor
After the third governor's debate, I am further convinced that Christine Drazan is our best choice for governor. Tina is filled with arrogance and her responses are shallow and pathetic. She speaks so sour, as if talking down to us. And lies more than Betsy.
I spent a lot of time downloading the voting records of these three candidates a couple of months ago. This year is a wonderful year to vote for our governor. All three candidates have extensive time spent in the halls of Salem: Leading their parties, making decisions and voting their personal desires. I no longer need to listen to their promises and rhetoric. Politicians are good at saying anything to get elected. Betsy is awesome at it.
The debate was another eyeopener. Tina and Betsy are pure politicians working for your acceptance. These two act like they had no part in the destruction of the goodness Oregon used to be known to deliver as a wonderful state. Every topic related to Oregon's destruction the moderator covered was a subject these two leaders supported, funded and promoted in small and large ways. All one needs to do is visit their voting records. Yet, carefully, they danced around and acted like they had nothing to do with these failures.
Tina has been the "Head Cheese" as majority speaker of the House. Huge Oregon gavel. Betsy has been the "Co-Head Cheese" of the ways and means, the purse strings of Oregon. Huge Oregon gavel. The only gavel larger than those two was Kate Brown's, as governor. These women have been the most powerful women in Salem. Do not buy their lies. Both have contributed heavily to Oregon's problems. Both have not provided any workable solutions to date. Both are promising they will. Then why have they not done that? They hold powerful positions right now.
Why are we still an atrocious mess? Betsy claimed last night that she has had a housing solution for 20 years. Where? They are the two most powerful people in office right now! Zero evidence that either have solutions. Like many others, I have had enough.
Terry Turner
The Dalles
Vote for Drazan
Oregon has Democrats running for governor this year. Betsy Johnson is and has been a Democrat for years and has voted in lockstep with the Democrats on every major piece of legislation.
Betsy Johnson and Tina Kotek, as leaders of the Oregon Senate and House, have given Oregon all the laws that have created the mess we're now living with. Yet as they both run for governor, they expect us to believe that they will bring change and leadership back to our state. They have created the problems, not fixed them.
A Vote for Betsy is simply a vote for Tina and the Democrats.
We need real change and a new direction for Oregon. We can't afford to stay on the same track we've been on. We need real leadership and Republican candidate Christine Drazan is that leadership. She will fight for Oregon families, and, as a mother, will stand up for our children and their future.
She is the best choice for governor in November.
Erika Miller
The Dalles
Vote for Asa Leckie
Skamania County is entering a precarious time due to inflationary pressures, illegal drugs flowing through our borders, the education of our children, and government overreach. Our commissioners must have the mindset and experience to navigate these difficult times by doing a better job in coordinating the many government functions while minimizing dependencies on Olympia and DC by pushing back on needless regulations. Looking for new revenue streams only expands the government while hiding operational waste. The function of our commissioners is to plug the leaks to ensure the county is running efficiently with the revenues they are currently receiving from the taxpayers.
I believe Asa Leckie has the necessary skill-set to lead us through these difficult times. He has nearly two decades of project management experience while working on complex military projects where failures could potentially be catastrophic and career killers for many people in the chain of command. For the county though, failures are typically swept under the rug and not reported to the public. The Garvison saga is a good example of this — if it was not for the hard work of private citizens. We need to change this by making the county more transparent and accountable to the public.
Please join me in voting for Asa Leckie this November.
Dennis Crow
Cook
Love and family
I've always been part of a religious community, starting before grade school. As I watch TBN, the religious channel, I'm seeing part of the church turning into a courtroom, only to judge!
Let's go back to the days of love, caring and helping each other. We all need something: That's love and support for each other, plus family!
Steve Cochenour
The Dalles
Commented