‘Do unto others’
Here is who we are, who I am — me, and every other human person we have ever known or heard of.
Studies (at the University of Virginia) show that when we, for example, cheat at a dice game or do something we would admit is wrong, even something “minor,” it “hardens our hearts.” That is, it makes us feel less sympathetic to other people — it serves to isolate us. We feel guilty, I guess, and socially withdraw, at least in this way; we’ve seen how dogs act similarly.
As this happens and influences how we feel and act towards others, they sense it, pick up on it and feel less kindness, less empathetic, toward us. So, I’m trying to imagine how much this effect might be stronger if I do something not so minor, like empty the shelf of hand sanitizer when the store does finally get some in.
There are other examples that others out there might call to our attention. Not one of the seven sins, “Hoarding,” not by name, but …
I’m trying hard to remember that what I do to others has a lasting effect on me. Boy, it sure is hard to live right. I need your help; we need each other’s. The Lord’s Prayer has us say, “Lead me not into temptation.” I think it’s because once tempted, when we drop our guard and just react, our goose is cooked.
Better to walk into the store with a plan that if the shelf is full, for instance, we will take some limited number.
Trying to stay on guard.
Bob Williams
Hood River
‘Sorry, Chuck’
I voted for you based on your good reputation in our Hood River Valley as a positively contributing member of our region. Now I feel disappointed that you squandered that good reputation by choosing dereliction of your elected duty to our citizens. Choosing party politics over elected responsibilities has disqualified you to hold the office representing your constituents.
Our sacred democratic process means you should vote on issues, regardless of the outcome. You were elected to do that. I do not understand how you can live with your decision to walk out of your job, to the detriment of We Citizens and our democratic process. That same process would eventually correct, and mistakes made, as it has always proven to do.
Thank you for you service, when you actually performed it. You have lost my confidence and vote.
Russ Noe
Mount Hood
Half-truths
After following the daily briefings from the White House, I appreciate the direct, clear information from Dr. Anthony Fauci. He uses the latest data and facts that are known to him at the time of the briefing. I even appreciate Vice President Pence for his calm reassuring description of what is trying to be done. What I cannot accept is Trump, who does not seem to take the data and known facts seriously, then goes off the teleprompter and gives his highly skewed interpretation of the real scientific data and facts. It scares me that in times of crisis, people look to the president for guidance and truths. We shouldn’t be subjected to this president’s interpretation of the facts. There should be a way to filter out Trump during the daily briefings so we won’t be misinformed by his half-truths.
Ron Yamashita
Hood River
Care for each other
COVID-19 has been unleashed into our world and it will never be the same. As the virus plays out, it will affect our health and the health and life of people we love. But long after it has passed over, our social and economic systems themselves will be on life support, and most of us will need help beyond our own means alone.
But we are not powerless. We can shape new systems that work better because they are more fair, more inclusive, more welcoming of differences. We can insist that the adaptations our government makes to the structures in our society work for everyone, not just an elite few. Imagine structures that serve people, distributing the benefits of society more equitably vs. bailouts to corporate entities that entrench our inequality and make our world more dangerous. Imagine systems that make us all safer, by making sure that no one is left behind. This time, in which we all feel our vulnerability, can be an opportunity for awakening to the world we dream of. Pay attention now to the heroic goodness that is the essence of humanity.
It’s in all of us, you know — the joy of caring so deeply for each other. What greater wealth could there be than to know that our fellow community members, our fellow Americans, our fellow humans — who are so deeply good, so dignified, despite our many failings — that each of our brothers and sisters are safe and well. May it be so.
Mark Thomas
Hood River
Thomsen is right
Inventing a phony “Emergency” to avoid letting the citizens of Oregon vote on an onerous tax scheme is the kind of Democracy Ms. Gehrig seems to find so appealing. I applaud Sen. Thomsen and his fellow senators’ decision to fight this illegal tax using the only (democratic) option that remained. There is a reason our state constitution has a requirement for a quorum. If the democratic process is as important as she claims, then allow us the opportunity to vote.
Vince Ackerman
Hood River
Here is who we are, who I am — me, and every other human person we have ever known or heard of.
Studies (at the University of Virginia) show that when we, for example, cheat at a dice game or do something we would admit is wrong, even something “minor,” it “hardens our hearts.” That is, it makes us feel less sympathetic to other people — it serves to isolate us. We feel guilty, I guess, and socially withdraw, at least in this way; we’ve seen how dogs act similarly.
As this happens and influences how we feel and act towards others, they sense it, pick up on it and feel less kindness, less empathetic, toward us. So, I’m trying to imagine how much this effect might be stronger if I do something not so minor, like empty the shelf of hand sanitizer when the store does finally get some in.
There are other examples that others out there might call to our attention. Not one of the seven sins, “Hoarding,” not by name, but …
I’m trying hard to remember that what I do to others has a lasting effect on me. Boy, it sure is hard to live right. I need your help; we need each other’s. The Lord’s Prayer has us say, “Lead me not into temptation.” I think it’s because once tempted, when we drop our guard and just react, our goose is cooked.
Better to walk into the store with a plan that if the shelf is full, for instance, we will take some limited number.
Trying to stay on guard.
Bob Williams
Hood River
‘Sorry, Chuck’
I voted for you based on your good reputation in our Hood River Valley as a positively contributing member of our region. Now I feel disappointed that you squandered that good reputation by choosing dereliction of your elected duty to our citizens. Choosing party politics over elected responsibilities has disqualified you to hold the office representing your constituents.
Our sacred democratic process means you should vote on issues, regardless of the outcome. You were elected to do that. I do not understand how you can live with your decision to walk out of your job, to the detriment of We Citizens and our democratic process. That same process would eventually correct, and mistakes made, as it has always proven to do.
Thank you for you service, when you actually performed it. You have lost my confidence and vote.
Russ Noe
Mount Hood
Half-truths
After following the daily briefings from the White House, I appreciate the direct, clear information from Dr. Anthony Fauci. He uses the latest data and facts that are known to him at the time of the briefing. I even appreciate Vice President Pence for his calm reassuring description of what is trying to be done. What I cannot accept is Trump, who does not seem to take the data and known facts seriously, then goes off the teleprompter and gives his highly skewed interpretation of the real scientific data and facts. It scares me that in times of crisis, people look to the president for guidance and truths. We shouldn’t be subjected to this president’s interpretation of the facts. There should be a way to filter out Trump during the daily briefings so we won’t be misinformed by his half-truths.
Ron Yamashita
Hood River
Care for each other
COVID-19 has been unleashed into our world and it will never be the same. As the virus plays out, it will affect our health and the health and life of people we love. But long after it has passed over, our social and economic systems themselves will be on life support, and most of us will need help beyond our own means alone.
But we are not powerless. We can shape new systems that work better because they are more fair, more inclusive, more welcoming of differences. We can insist that the adaptations our government makes to the structures in our society work for everyone, not just an elite few. Imagine structures that serve people, distributing the benefits of society more equitably vs. bailouts to corporate entities that entrench our inequality and make our world more dangerous. Imagine systems that make us all safer, by making sure that no one is left behind. This time, in which we all feel our vulnerability, can be an opportunity for awakening to the world we dream of. Pay attention now to the heroic goodness that is the essence of humanity.
It’s in all of us, you know — the joy of caring so deeply for each other. What greater wealth could there be than to know that our fellow community members, our fellow Americans, our fellow humans — who are so deeply good, so dignified, despite our many failings — that each of our brothers and sisters are safe and well. May it be so.
Mark Thomas
Hood River
Thomsen is right
Inventing a phony “Emergency” to avoid letting the citizens of Oregon vote on an onerous tax scheme is the kind of Democracy Ms. Gehrig seems to find so appealing. I applaud Sen. Thomsen and his fellow senators’ decision to fight this illegal tax using the only (democratic) option that remained. There is a reason our state constitution has a requirement for a quorum. If the democratic process is as important as she claims, then allow us the opportunity to vote.
Vince Ackerman
Hood River
Editor’s note: This writer refers to Anne Gehrig’s March 18 letter “Harmful inaction” regarding Sen. Chuck Thomsen joining the GOP walkout over the proposed cap and trade legislation. The writer refers to the climate emergency cited by Democrat proponents of the bill.
Poor leadership
The administration (President Trump) was informed by the intel community back in January that a pandemic could be coming and chose to not respond. As a result, there were no preparations made, no masks, no beds, no preparations of any kind. The Senate intel committee was informed and again, it was kept hidden from the American people — so much for government transparency. Two senators, Richard Burr and Kelly Loeffler, used this secret meeting to their advantage to sell millions of dollars’ worth of stock, having gained insider knowledge that the rest of us had no access to. Markets have crashed and will probably continue to do so as the administration refuses to deal with the issues, both economic and the pandemic.
Ben Carson, who is secretary of Housing and Urban Development, is a medical doctor; he didn’t see this coming? Why hasn’t HUD done anything to get the homeless off the streets? They are the most vulnerable of populations as many have preexisting conditions, are exposed to the elements and don’t have the money to access healthcare. So, Dr. Carson, what have you been doing all this time? Surely Dr. Carson would know that we need test kits, masks, gloves, and other medical equipment, where was he during the ensuing month and a half, the time difference from when the administration found out and the public was finally informed. As a nation, we need competent leadership during a crisis, and this isn’t it.
Rob Brostoff
Cascade Locks
Canceled
On behalf of the Hood River Valley Leos club, I would like to inform the community that our monthly Bottles & Cans event, taking place on April 4, is canceled. This is due to the current situation surrounding COVID-19 and related closures/cancellations. However, we would greatly appreciate if you save your returnable bottles and cans and bring them to our next event on May 2 (barring further closures). May’s Bottles & Cans will be from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. and all proceeds will benefit the HRVHS Speech and Debate Team.
Jacob Kaplan
Hood River
Can’t fool physics
Our country’s delayed response to this crisis is another lesson on the limits of wishful thinking. We saw it coming and we wasted time denying the science of how it develops. Those countries who acted early are benefiting, but our Republicans and federal executive branch simply denied the problem. What’s unfolding now is a predictable, exponentially increasing progression of damage, requiring increasingly aggressive mitigation and adaptation. We’re in damage-control mode, which will be far more costly in lives and money than if we hadn’t been in denial.
Negotiating with laws of physics is clearly a waste of precious time and resources. You can fool people and politicians, but you can’t fool physics.
Having lived the school of hard knocks in various corporate crises, I learned that every hour spent denying a problem is an hour you’ll later wish you had. Hypothesis: The Universal Law of Messes states that the earlier you control or avoid any potential or evolving mess, the better the outcome and the less it will cost.
Oh yeah. I’m talking about the climate crisis. The COVID-19 crisis has the same lessons, viewable in fast-forward.
Eric Strid
White Salmon
Presidents
Harry Truman — The Buck stops here.
Donald Trump — It’s not my fault.
‘Nuff said.
Martin Bowe
Hood River
Uninformed advice
As a former public health physician, I was not pleased to see the coronavirus “advice” given by A. Fields in his recent letter to the editor here. Mr. Fields likely does have some area of expertise from which he could advise the public. Public health (PH) is clearly not it.
May I respectfully urge all of us to leave advising about coronavirus to our designated PH experts — the OHA (Oregon Health Authority), the county PH department, and the CDC. CV-19 is indeed a serious infectious disease, now of pandemic proportions, that will challenge and possibly overwhelm our medical capabilities.
Many readers of this paper will recognize “advice” from non-experts like Mr. Fields for what it is — uninformed and worthy of no further attention. But others may not, and may be led to put themselves and the rest of the community at greater risk by careless behaviors. No one wants the outcome from that.
Bonnie New
Hood River
Two crises
It is wonderful to see people coming together to get through the COVID-19 crisis. People are at their best when faced with a crisis that affects the whole community. We can’t forget that we are in the midst of two crises. More epidemics are one of the expected results of the climate crisis. There are many others.
We can, and must, deal with both crises at the same time. Our economy has ground to a halt and will need to be rebuilt. If we bail out the fossil fuel companies and provide subsidies to the cruise ship industry and airlines, we will have used our financial resources (which aren’t unlimited) to put ourselves in a worse position with the climate crisis. Instead we should be converting cruise ships to hospitals and subsidizing renewable energy to build an economy that will get us through the climate crisis. Subsidies must go to the people that need them to survive and new jobs created to build a new infrastructure.
The internet is a great tool for communicating with neighbors, friends and families while we are isolated or quarantined. We need to re-organize it so that we can talk to each other without being spied upon by companies to sell us things we don’t need and politicians trying to convince us that lies are true.
Every crisis creates opportunities. Let’s use this one to pull together and create the sustainable country we want to live in.
Roger Gadway
White Salmon
‘Flushed funding’
The office of Gov. Kate Brown reported that the recent walkout by Chuck Thomsen and other Republican legislators left $3 million in funding for Hood River County on the table, abandoned. A small part of that was back-filled by Gov. Brown’s executive order, for which we can be thankful. The rest was essentially flushed down the toilet, for which our county will suffer.
The walkout and loss of funding came at a time when Hood River County is in dire financial straits, and is working hard to pass a revised, much-needed tax measure this May. Thomsen’s flagrant disregard for the county’s financial needs hurts every resident of this county. It also shows a vivid actions-speak-louder-than-words contrast with his defensive claim that his walkout was to serve the best interests of the people of this district.
For this careless throwing away of funding and other reasons, we need the upcoming tax measure to pass more than ever. And for this and other reasons, we need Chuck Thomsen to be recalled and replaced by a more dedicated and county-serving state senator.
Rhonda Starling
Mosier
Release info
I understand and agree with the requirement to protect people’s health information. However, it is pointless to release the fact that someone tested positive for COVID-19 with no additional information. For starters, what events did that person attend that could inform others as to their personal risk? If the health department has that information, are they contacting people individually who may have been exposed? Giving the age and area of exposure would not compromise the patient’s privacy.
We would all take this risk more seriously if we had realistic numbers to back it up. I think the County Health Department should record the numbers of people who self-report their illnesses, and the number tested with negative results. Release that information so the public has a better understanding of risk.
Irene Fields
Hood River
‘Ironic’
As a healthcare provider, I am completely embarrassed but not surprised by the way President Trump has mismanaged the coronavirus outbreak. He keeps saying things which reveal how much more he values the economy than American lives. I guess that is what happens when you hire a businessman to run a country: Great numbers, but everything else, not so much.
On Feb. 2, Trump told Sean Hannity, “We have pretty much shut it down coming from China.” On Feb. 26, he said, “We have 15 people (sick). If you have 15 people, in a couple days it’s going to be down to close to zero.” On Feb. 27, it was, “We have a situation with the virus. We have done a great job, but the press won’t give us any credit for it.” I believe the president deserves 100 percent of the credit for watching Americans die and doing nothing for weeks. Who else denied the problem for so long and refused to act?
This week the president continues to insist the coronavirus is basically the flu. He also wants people to go out in the public to spend money because “the economy needs it.” It is so ironic that the guy who “single-handedly built the economy” has now destroyed it by being a selfish, dishonest, and ineffective leader.
Steve Kaplan
Hood River
‘Crazy Trump’
Rush Limbaugh did not get lung cancer from smoking cigarettes. He got it from pushing rotten stinky toxic air from his lungs with all his hateful, racist, xenophobic rhetoric he has spewed in the last few decades. This is the man Trump gave the Presidential Medal of Freedom in his State of the Union address. Trump has claims in his campaign speeches to be reaching out the people of color and our LGBTQ population. Does the man have any clue how his award to Limbaugh is antithesis to his efforts? Obviously not. How can anyone from either group have any respect for Trump or want to see him re-elected? How can anyone?
Gary Fields
Hood River
Take long view
In this time of shelter in place, the economic impact on small businesses appears likely to be overwhelming. It is easy to imagine all of the retail spaces on Oak Street and in Hood River empty following eviction for inability to pay rent. Property owners also must adjust to the new reality and take the long view advocated for people invested in the stock market. Hood River small business owners make many contributions to the city including bringing tourists and locals into downtown to shop and thereby supporting the local economy.
It is hoped that property owners will employ the long view and belt-tightening in order to retain as many as possible of those small businesses and to keep downtown from becoming a deserted wasteland.
Peter Frothingham
Odell
‘B-bye working families’
After many pro-recall letters to the editor in this and other SD26 papers, Sen. Chuck Thomsen wrote a long “Hello neighbors” letter defending his walking out of the recent legislative session. He explained he did this for us, “putting working families first.” He cited being a local orchardist who was raised in the Hood River Valley and being a father and grandfather and former volunteer fireman. All true, and having the ring of just a regular guy, your neighbor, who’s devoted to “getting things done for the people of our district.” Other facts shed more light.
Last November, at the Port of Cascade Locks annual dinner at the Cooper Spur restaurant, Thomsen bragged that he had just completed $2 million (yes, million) in renovations to his vacation home in Arizona so his Senate Republican friends would have a comfy, sunny place to hang if/when they chose to walk out again.
Well, sure enough, he and they did walk out again, so I guess that $2 million renovation did come in handy. Meanwhile, the actual working families of this district, like mine, whom he claims to hold dear, stayed where they belong and did their work.
This working family is voting for a recall.
Cindy Allen
Hood River
Thomsen stood up
I’ve been saddened to read the relentless attacks on Chuck Thomsen in the Hood River News this month. I doubt that any of the letter writers know Chuck personally as I do, or appreciate how well he has served our community for a very long time. Chuck joined his colleagues who left the legislature in February because they believed all Oregonians should have the right to vote on the controversial Cap and Trade bill. Because he stood firm for us, a recall petition was filed against Chuck. Really? Recall Chuck from office because he was standing up for the wishes of his constituents? Although the recall was begun locally the process has now been taken over by the powerful Portland political machine with their massive amounts of money. Already, $100K has been thrown toward the recall effort. If they have their way, Hood River County will be subjected to a partisan and bitter recall election at just the time when we need to stand together to get through the public health crisis we face. Join me in saying no to outside interests forcing their agenda on us.
Barb Hosford
Hood River
Vote for Kallery
I’m writing to endorse Sean Kallery for Hood River District Attorney. He’s a dedicated prosecutor who understands the balance between justice and fairness. I believe Sean is committed to the community in which he and his family live and will serve with integrity if elected as DA. I support Sean 100 percent and encourage the residents of Hood River to vote Kallery for DA.
Angela Young
Tigard
Poor leadership
The administration (President Trump) was informed by the intel community back in January that a pandemic could be coming and chose to not respond. As a result, there were no preparations made, no masks, no beds, no preparations of any kind. The Senate intel committee was informed and again, it was kept hidden from the American people — so much for government transparency. Two senators, Richard Burr and Kelly Loeffler, used this secret meeting to their advantage to sell millions of dollars’ worth of stock, having gained insider knowledge that the rest of us had no access to. Markets have crashed and will probably continue to do so as the administration refuses to deal with the issues, both economic and the pandemic.
Ben Carson, who is secretary of Housing and Urban Development, is a medical doctor; he didn’t see this coming? Why hasn’t HUD done anything to get the homeless off the streets? They are the most vulnerable of populations as many have preexisting conditions, are exposed to the elements and don’t have the money to access healthcare. So, Dr. Carson, what have you been doing all this time? Surely Dr. Carson would know that we need test kits, masks, gloves, and other medical equipment, where was he during the ensuing month and a half, the time difference from when the administration found out and the public was finally informed. As a nation, we need competent leadership during a crisis, and this isn’t it.
Rob Brostoff
Cascade Locks
Canceled
On behalf of the Hood River Valley Leos club, I would like to inform the community that our monthly Bottles & Cans event, taking place on April 4, is canceled. This is due to the current situation surrounding COVID-19 and related closures/cancellations. However, we would greatly appreciate if you save your returnable bottles and cans and bring them to our next event on May 2 (barring further closures). May’s Bottles & Cans will be from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. and all proceeds will benefit the HRVHS Speech and Debate Team.
Jacob Kaplan
Hood River
Can’t fool physics
Our country’s delayed response to this crisis is another lesson on the limits of wishful thinking. We saw it coming and we wasted time denying the science of how it develops. Those countries who acted early are benefiting, but our Republicans and federal executive branch simply denied the problem. What’s unfolding now is a predictable, exponentially increasing progression of damage, requiring increasingly aggressive mitigation and adaptation. We’re in damage-control mode, which will be far more costly in lives and money than if we hadn’t been in denial.
Negotiating with laws of physics is clearly a waste of precious time and resources. You can fool people and politicians, but you can’t fool physics.
Having lived the school of hard knocks in various corporate crises, I learned that every hour spent denying a problem is an hour you’ll later wish you had. Hypothesis: The Universal Law of Messes states that the earlier you control or avoid any potential or evolving mess, the better the outcome and the less it will cost.
Oh yeah. I’m talking about the climate crisis. The COVID-19 crisis has the same lessons, viewable in fast-forward.
Eric Strid
White Salmon
Presidents
Harry Truman — The Buck stops here.
Donald Trump — It’s not my fault.
‘Nuff said.
Martin Bowe
Hood River
Uninformed advice
As a former public health physician, I was not pleased to see the coronavirus “advice” given by A. Fields in his recent letter to the editor here. Mr. Fields likely does have some area of expertise from which he could advise the public. Public health (PH) is clearly not it.
May I respectfully urge all of us to leave advising about coronavirus to our designated PH experts — the OHA (Oregon Health Authority), the county PH department, and the CDC. CV-19 is indeed a serious infectious disease, now of pandemic proportions, that will challenge and possibly overwhelm our medical capabilities.
Many readers of this paper will recognize “advice” from non-experts like Mr. Fields for what it is — uninformed and worthy of no further attention. But others may not, and may be led to put themselves and the rest of the community at greater risk by careless behaviors. No one wants the outcome from that.
Bonnie New
Hood River
Two crises
It is wonderful to see people coming together to get through the COVID-19 crisis. People are at their best when faced with a crisis that affects the whole community. We can’t forget that we are in the midst of two crises. More epidemics are one of the expected results of the climate crisis. There are many others.
We can, and must, deal with both crises at the same time. Our economy has ground to a halt and will need to be rebuilt. If we bail out the fossil fuel companies and provide subsidies to the cruise ship industry and airlines, we will have used our financial resources (which aren’t unlimited) to put ourselves in a worse position with the climate crisis. Instead we should be converting cruise ships to hospitals and subsidizing renewable energy to build an economy that will get us through the climate crisis. Subsidies must go to the people that need them to survive and new jobs created to build a new infrastructure.
The internet is a great tool for communicating with neighbors, friends and families while we are isolated or quarantined. We need to re-organize it so that we can talk to each other without being spied upon by companies to sell us things we don’t need and politicians trying to convince us that lies are true.
Every crisis creates opportunities. Let’s use this one to pull together and create the sustainable country we want to live in.
Roger Gadway
White Salmon
‘Flushed funding’
The office of Gov. Kate Brown reported that the recent walkout by Chuck Thomsen and other Republican legislators left $3 million in funding for Hood River County on the table, abandoned. A small part of that was back-filled by Gov. Brown’s executive order, for which we can be thankful. The rest was essentially flushed down the toilet, for which our county will suffer.
The walkout and loss of funding came at a time when Hood River County is in dire financial straits, and is working hard to pass a revised, much-needed tax measure this May. Thomsen’s flagrant disregard for the county’s financial needs hurts every resident of this county. It also shows a vivid actions-speak-louder-than-words contrast with his defensive claim that his walkout was to serve the best interests of the people of this district.
For this careless throwing away of funding and other reasons, we need the upcoming tax measure to pass more than ever. And for this and other reasons, we need Chuck Thomsen to be recalled and replaced by a more dedicated and county-serving state senator.
Rhonda Starling
Mosier
Release info
I understand and agree with the requirement to protect people’s health information. However, it is pointless to release the fact that someone tested positive for COVID-19 with no additional information. For starters, what events did that person attend that could inform others as to their personal risk? If the health department has that information, are they contacting people individually who may have been exposed? Giving the age and area of exposure would not compromise the patient’s privacy.
We would all take this risk more seriously if we had realistic numbers to back it up. I think the County Health Department should record the numbers of people who self-report their illnesses, and the number tested with negative results. Release that information so the public has a better understanding of risk.
Irene Fields
Hood River
‘Ironic’
As a healthcare provider, I am completely embarrassed but not surprised by the way President Trump has mismanaged the coronavirus outbreak. He keeps saying things which reveal how much more he values the economy than American lives. I guess that is what happens when you hire a businessman to run a country: Great numbers, but everything else, not so much.
On Feb. 2, Trump told Sean Hannity, “We have pretty much shut it down coming from China.” On Feb. 26, he said, “We have 15 people (sick). If you have 15 people, in a couple days it’s going to be down to close to zero.” On Feb. 27, it was, “We have a situation with the virus. We have done a great job, but the press won’t give us any credit for it.” I believe the president deserves 100 percent of the credit for watching Americans die and doing nothing for weeks. Who else denied the problem for so long and refused to act?
This week the president continues to insist the coronavirus is basically the flu. He also wants people to go out in the public to spend money because “the economy needs it.” It is so ironic that the guy who “single-handedly built the economy” has now destroyed it by being a selfish, dishonest, and ineffective leader.
Steve Kaplan
Hood River
‘Crazy Trump’
Rush Limbaugh did not get lung cancer from smoking cigarettes. He got it from pushing rotten stinky toxic air from his lungs with all his hateful, racist, xenophobic rhetoric he has spewed in the last few decades. This is the man Trump gave the Presidential Medal of Freedom in his State of the Union address. Trump has claims in his campaign speeches to be reaching out the people of color and our LGBTQ population. Does the man have any clue how his award to Limbaugh is antithesis to his efforts? Obviously not. How can anyone from either group have any respect for Trump or want to see him re-elected? How can anyone?
Gary Fields
Hood River
Take long view
In this time of shelter in place, the economic impact on small businesses appears likely to be overwhelming. It is easy to imagine all of the retail spaces on Oak Street and in Hood River empty following eviction for inability to pay rent. Property owners also must adjust to the new reality and take the long view advocated for people invested in the stock market. Hood River small business owners make many contributions to the city including bringing tourists and locals into downtown to shop and thereby supporting the local economy.
It is hoped that property owners will employ the long view and belt-tightening in order to retain as many as possible of those small businesses and to keep downtown from becoming a deserted wasteland.
Peter Frothingham
Odell
‘B-bye working families’
After many pro-recall letters to the editor in this and other SD26 papers, Sen. Chuck Thomsen wrote a long “Hello neighbors” letter defending his walking out of the recent legislative session. He explained he did this for us, “putting working families first.” He cited being a local orchardist who was raised in the Hood River Valley and being a father and grandfather and former volunteer fireman. All true, and having the ring of just a regular guy, your neighbor, who’s devoted to “getting things done for the people of our district.” Other facts shed more light.
Last November, at the Port of Cascade Locks annual dinner at the Cooper Spur restaurant, Thomsen bragged that he had just completed $2 million (yes, million) in renovations to his vacation home in Arizona so his Senate Republican friends would have a comfy, sunny place to hang if/when they chose to walk out again.
Well, sure enough, he and they did walk out again, so I guess that $2 million renovation did come in handy. Meanwhile, the actual working families of this district, like mine, whom he claims to hold dear, stayed where they belong and did their work.
This working family is voting for a recall.
Cindy Allen
Hood River
Thomsen stood up
I’ve been saddened to read the relentless attacks on Chuck Thomsen in the Hood River News this month. I doubt that any of the letter writers know Chuck personally as I do, or appreciate how well he has served our community for a very long time. Chuck joined his colleagues who left the legislature in February because they believed all Oregonians should have the right to vote on the controversial Cap and Trade bill. Because he stood firm for us, a recall petition was filed against Chuck. Really? Recall Chuck from office because he was standing up for the wishes of his constituents? Although the recall was begun locally the process has now been taken over by the powerful Portland political machine with their massive amounts of money. Already, $100K has been thrown toward the recall effort. If they have their way, Hood River County will be subjected to a partisan and bitter recall election at just the time when we need to stand together to get through the public health crisis we face. Join me in saying no to outside interests forcing their agenda on us.
Barb Hosford
Hood River
Vote for Kallery
I’m writing to endorse Sean Kallery for Hood River District Attorney. He’s a dedicated prosecutor who understands the balance between justice and fairness. I believe Sean is committed to the community in which he and his family live and will serve with integrity if elected as DA. I support Sean 100 percent and encourage the residents of Hood River to vote Kallery for DA.
Angela Young
Tigard
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