Vote Darcy Long
Darcy Long is my candidate for House District 52. Why? She is dedicated to fixing the housing crisis in her district. It’s one of her top priorities. Her opponent, Jeff Helfrich, is absent on the issue. Not Darcy; she rolls up her sleeves and faces tough challenges, like the housing crisis, head on.
Darcy has shown that she can make things happen. At the start of the pandemic she established a warming shelter for the homeless in Wasco and Sherman counties. She is dedicated to improving the lives of working families who often struggle to pay for housing. She understands that to address housing affordability, you have to address access to basic health care, and to a living wage.
Darcy knows she cannot solve this problem on her own. Investments in small communities must be made to solve the housing crisis. Darcy knows that to do that she has to work with all sides in Salem. As a small business owner and City Councilor for The Dalles, time and again she has shown an ability to do just that.
Darcy will bring integrity, a can-do attitude, and a determination to solving problems that affect Oregon families. That’s why she’s got my vote. I encourage you to join me in voting for Darcy Long for HD52.
Nancy Roach
Hood River
Affordable housing
As a home owner of 30 years in Hood River, I am concerned about affordable housing for our community. I am frankly discouraged by the lack of humanity toward the working poor and the fact that we haven’t come up with solutions to make our neighborhoods safe. I am looking for a candidate that can see this issue from the point of view of ‘and/both’. I have recently been looking into the Democratic Candidate, Raz Mason, concerning this issue. Here are a few of her proposals that I can get behind as a solution to a vexing problem.
Ms. Mason wants to:
Expand ‘medium zoning’ housing, by adding more mother-in-law apartments, duplexes and triplexes. This would give more people an opportunity to live and work in Hood River as well as support the rental market for landlords.
Increase taxes on short-term rentals and limit out-of-town owners by taxing empty houses.
Promote home-shares (see HomeShareOregon.org) and allow on-driveway RV rentals that expand affordable housing and increase owners' income.
Facilitate co-housing and tiny home developments as well as RV and mobile home parks.
Develop more public-private partnerships to build affordable apartments.
Increase mixed-use density in our small-town downtowns, which means stores below, apartments above.
Ms. Mason’s proposals have been refreshing solutions to a huge problem.
Sheila Shearer
Hood River
Stephenson for Labor Commissioner
Christina Stephenson has my vote for Labor Commissioner. As an attorney who works on behalf of both employees and employers, Christina has the knowledge and experience to advocate for small business owners and workers alike. In addition to her work as a civil rights and employment attorney, Christina has been involved at the legislative level, helping to draft and pass the Oregon Workplace Fairness Act and the Paid Family Medical Leave Insurance Act. Both bills have become national models for workplace legislation. As Board of Labor and Industries Commissioner, Christina intends to put working families and small businesses first by investing resources in job training and apprenticeships so that more people can get jobs, earn raises, and support their families with living wages.
Please join me in voting for Christina for Labor Commissioner — the right choice for working families.
Alison Roberts
Hood River
Your vote matters
When I turned 21 (voting age then), I went to the Clackamas County Courthouse in Oregon City and registered to vote. I have voted in every election since then, no matter how large or how small. It is a constitutional right and responsibility!
Nov. 8, 2022, is Election Day. The following is my opinion regarding four candidates who I believe are best qualified for the position for which they are running.
Christine Drazan: Running for governor; formerly Minority Leader for the Oregon House of Representatives.
Cliff Bentz: Running for U.S. Representative for Oregon's Second Congressional District, covering two-thirds of Oregon, 18 counties, and is the seventh largest Congressional District in the United States!
Daniel Bonham: Running for Oregon State Represenative House District 59.
Jeff Helfrich: Running for Oregon State Representative House District 52.
Some people say "My vote doesn't matter." It does matter! Oregon became a state on Feb. 14, 1859, when a line was drawn in the middle of a street in Oregon City and residents of the then Oregon Territory were asked to vote for Oregon as a territory or to become a state! It was tied until two fur traders came into town and broke the tie by walking to the Oregon as a state side of the line! (True story.)
So friends, vote on Nov. 8, 2022!
Paul Munsell
The Dalles
Totalitarian sheriff
Klickitat County Sheriff Songer gets points in my opinion for being honest about his complete disrespect and disregard for the U.S. Constitution, the balanced branches of government, and the rule of law.
When he says the law is what he says it is, I think he means it. The idea that sheriffs are hired to enforce laws made by the legislature, subject to judicial review, doesn't seem to be in his head.
This is the very essence of the totalitarian mindset. Maybe if he loses the election, he can get a job for the thugs currently running China. They also say the law is what they decide it is on any given day, and they punish and kill those who question this. He'd fit right in.
Jerrold Richards
Lyle
Save lives!
Have you felt great anger, sorrow, and despair about gun violence and the inaction of government to do something about it?
Well, in November you can do something to help save lives by voting yes on ballot measure 114!
Passage of this Measure does the following:
Requires a license to purchase a firearm; requires completion of a background check — no loopholes! — Prior to purchase; requires participation in a classroom firearms training course; limits magazine capacity to ten rounds; and prohibits the sale, transfer, trade, and manufacture of high capacity magazines for civilian use.
Fourteen states and DC have some kind of licensing law; nine states and DC have laws limiting magazine size.
Giffords Law Center reports that states with licensing laws have 56% fewer fatal mass shootings.
Connecticut's licensing law led to a 28% reduction in gun homicides and a 33% reduction in gun suicides.
Save lives! Vote yes on ballot measure 114 in November!
Connie Krummrich
The Dalles
Don't vote Kotek
What a great year to be an Oregon voter. We have two good choices for governor, neither one of which is Tina Kotek.
Republican or Democrat we all have the option to vote for change by either casting our ballots for Drazan or Johnson. Either of these candidates will help move Oregon in a new direction away from the radical leftist path we are heading on. Both candidates allow a voter to feel good about their vote even if you traditionally support a candidate because of the R or D after their names.
Don't fall for Kotek's straw man argument about abortion. The right to an abortion is protected by the constitution of the State of Oregon and it can not be taken away by the unilateral action of the governor. Do be concerned with the fact that the governor appoints the heads of state agencies like OSHA, ODA, DEQ and others. Oregon cannot afford to allow Kotek to appoint radicals to head these departments to further drive Oregon down the woke hole of death that our state has already fallen into.
For 2022 vote anyone but Kotek.
Ryan Bond
The Dalles
Vote Drazan for Gov
Are you happy with the Democrat-controlled Oregon State Government? This includes a child rapist governor (Neil Goldschmidt), an influence peddler in the Governor's office (Kitzhaber's girlfriend/mistress), a homelessness epidemic, constantly increasing taxes, and control of our personal lives. It is time for a change. This year, if you vote, we can remove the super majority of tax-and-spend liberals. We can change the direction of state government.
It's all about control. Do you want to control your own destiny, and live in the freedom for which our forefathers sacrificed their blood and fortune, or do you want to live your life under government control?
Please join me in voting for Christine Drazan for Governor and Jeff Helfrich for state representative.
Mike Courtney
The Dalles
EDITOR'S NOTE: Neil Goldschmidt left the Governor's office in 1991, and John Kitzhaber and First Lady Cylvia Hayes left office in 2015.
Clifford for sheriff
I have been honored and privileged to serve the communities of the Columbia River Gorge as a Police Officer and Deputy Sheriff for the last 32 years. In that time, I’ve been afforded the opportunity with work a very diverse and professional group of dedicated law enforcement officers, which brings me to endorse and support Garique Clifford for Klickitat County Sheriff.
I have worked with Garique for many years, from his time at the Bingen-White Salmon Police Department and currently in the Skamania County Sheriff’s Office. I’ve watched him progress exponentially in this very difficult career field. His work ethic, integrity, and service to community is beyond reproach. I have seen Garique in high-stress situations as well as in day-to-day activities and he is always professional, compassionate, and empathetic toward both crime victims and suspects alike.
On a personal note, I consider him a friend and find him to be morally sound and a great family man. He is a long-time Klickitat County resident, where he raised a wonderful family, and continues to have deep roots in the area. He volunteers his time and is always eager to lend a hand when needed.
In my opinion, Garique Clifford is the clear choice to lead the men and women of the Klickitat County Sheriff’s Office. He is a strong leader, a professional law enforcement officer, and a better person.
Undersheriff Pat Bond
Skamania County Sheriff’s Office
Does CO2 cause global warming?
I ran an experiment to determine how CO2 and light interact. I used natural air and pure oxygen as checks. And I used SodaStream bottles as containers. What I found is: When first exposed to light, both oxygen and CO2 will cool immediately about five degrees F while the check cooled about one degree. At first that confused me. After two hours in direct sunlight perpendicular to the sun, the temperatures all equalized. I then took the bottles separated by six inches and placed them into a box blocking out all light. Within a minute, the temperature of the air raised about a degree but the temperature of the oxygen raised about six degrees. Also the CO2 temperature raised five degree. That fit my expectations once I understood why they cooled when put into the sun. So, why did I get those results? You have to go to science for that. What are the properties of oxygen and CO2? Both oxygen and CO2 are molecules. Oxygen is O2 and carbon dioxide is one carbon and two oxygen. When light is applied, both carbon dioxide and oxygen divide into atoms which takes heat energy out of the air but quickly return to the lower state of O2 and CO2. The cooling takes place until an equilibrium between those separating atoms equal those combining based on the light intensity. Time will cause the effect of the ambient temperature to become equalized. When the light is removed, all separated molecules return to the combined state which releases energy as heat. The experiments performed on TV to prove global cooling ended up seemingly proving global warming. But the fools were so ignorant of real substance and light science they jumped onto junk science which they have been avoiding proving for fifty years. Do not believe me. Check it out with experiments. But control time, light, substances, and have checks on your experiment. My temperature gun was not perfect but repetition brought an average which I think is accurate. My original experiment covered eight substances. My assumption is light does not separate N2 because that bond is stronger than the oxygen bond and the air check changed little indicating nitrogen was unaffected by the light. This was not something I can guarantee though. I encourage anybody to check or explain my results if they have other answers to such.
Frank Polehn
The Dalles
Vote Drazan
With the mess we in Oregon and the country find ourselves — crime, inflation, overrun border, homelessness, school education, defunding the police, and our freedoms — we need a cool, calm leader in Salem to help us find the way. Christine Drazan, with her quiet demeanor and smile, can do this. Vote for Christine Drazan!
Annadale Rooper
The Dalles
Biden's speech
For those of you who watched divisive President Biden’s “soulful” speech; imagine he had his aviator sunglasses on. One could easily think we were watching a political speech from a socialist banana republic!
He took prime time to villainize an opposing political group/party. Isn’t that what a democracy supposed to have, opposing political views? If the intent was to highlight political extremism; then he should have also reminded us of the views and activity of the extreme left. Antifa, the public and documented recent calls to violence and confrontation by Senator Chuck Schumer, [Representative] Maxine Waters and [Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez]. And of course, the stolen election rhetoric only by the MAGAs? Lest we not forget about Hillary incessantly making the claim in 2016: "Trump the illegitimate president." Along with Stacey Abrams recently in 2018 despite record numbers of African-American voters turning out.
The speech was an insult to every American regardless of your political view unless you want to have the view that his way is the only way. Unless you think the military, with Marines standing behind him, should be part of the political process. Unless you think it is ok to have a two tiered justice system.
From my view, this was a poor political stunt to cast those with an opposing view in poor light. To keep that riot of Jan. 6 the focus rather than the trainwreck he has given us in the news. The Jan. 6 riot, as a conservative, was a riot and should be treated as such. The same as those summer “get-togethers” with real death and destruction of 2020 in Portland and Seattle and elsewhere. I am still checking my history books to find an insurrection that was not armed. I guess if you cannot stand on your own merit with much to show, this is what you do.
The “great uniter”, the “handshake across the aisle” president embarrassed us. He did nothing except to divide.
Steve Nybroten
White Salmon
Thank yous
Having returned after a summer absence to the Gorge to spend the fall, I feel fortunate to be able to cast my vote soon for Tina Kotek, Raz Mason, Joe Yetter and other worthy candidates for public service.
But I also want to express my thanks to the Columbia Gorge News for keeping me informed about my home base through the digital edition, and especially for running the excellent three-part Gorge Action Council’s report on the experience of one immigrant family and their road to becoming documented.
Finally I want to thank whoever found and turned in my phone/wallet which I left in a shopping cart at Rosauers on my first day back. Whether the person was a store employee or a fellow shopper, you were so honest — and are so appreciated.
It’s good to be home.
Tina Castañares
Hood River
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