Opinion » Letters to the Editor
Letters 11/3-11/9
Amazing snap from the 2016 Deschutes Cyclocross Race from @trevorlyden. Tag @sourceweekly on Instagram for your chance to be featured in Lightmeter.
In Response to, "Fight for the Ochocos," (10/19)
This is a protest of Russ Axons one-sided article about the proposed Ochoco Summit Trail System. It was stated at the end of the article that they tried to reach the Ochoco Trail Riders to no avail. Strange, Brian Jennings (Source staff member) had my name and number. If Mr. Axon had asked Patrick Lair of the Ochoco NF, Patrick could have given him my name. I'm even in the phone book.
I have been riding in the Ochoco's since the '60s. We like to ride there in the summer because the clay soil in much better for riding than the rest of Central Oregon trails which are volcanic ash. As far as a National Recreation Area, the local community is very opposed to it as was shown in a public meeting held in Prineville.
WE don't want to KILL the poor deer and elk, we just want to share the woods with them and anybody else. Remember that everybody that goes to Ochocos drives there in a MOTOR vehicle. It is a very large forest with plenty of room for everyone to enjoy.
—Larry Ulrich, President Ochoco Trail Riders
Deschutes County Sheriff
My name is Justin Goodkind and I moved to Bend nearly 2 years ago. Since then, I've seen far more negative press about the misconduct of the Deschutes County Sheriff's Office than is reasonable or acceptable. So, I'm curious why your paper decided to endorse "Shane and his posse" (his description, not mine)?
Central OR has a fiscal, social, and moral responsibility to plan for its future. Eric Kozowski is a true leader and someone my family and friends trust. His private sector background, rooted in information technology, is a value add for our county. His ability to combat cyber crimes and implement new cost-reducing technologies like body and dashboard cameras gives Eric the ability to be effective in the modern era. Eric has highlighted several opportunities to reduce egregious overspending habits including the unnecessary growth of management within the Sheriff's Office and paying the outgoing Sheriff more than $11,000 a month for 3 months of being on call.
And while correcting poor spending habits is easily achievable, correcting the rampant misconduct is not. Change is necessary and the current leadership in incapable and unwilling.
Said another way, Shane and his gang are crooked. My family and friends don't trust him, so why do you?
—Justin Goodkind
Gena Goodman-Campbell for State Representative
The Source got it wrong when they endorsed Knute Buehler for State Representative in House District 54.
Republican Knute Buehler is, unfortunately, not a moderate or independent, as is demonstrated by him voting with fellow Republicans 85 percent of the time last session. The Oregon League of Conservation Voters gives Buehler a puny 35 percent rating on their scorecard on key environmental issues.
Climate change may be the largest issue future generations face today, and Gena Goodman-Campbell has the experience to help us create a clean energy economy. She has worked tirelessly to protect Oregon's rivers and deserts, preserved Oregon's wildlife and natural heritage for our kids and grandkids, and will continue to do so in the legislature. She brought together more than 200 local business owners and community members to preserve the incredible Badlands wilderness. She also demonstrated courage as a strong public voice against the Malheur wildlife refuge takeover, when others were silent. She will protect the quality of life that we all love which is critical to our local economy.
We need a voice in the legislature that is courageous, focused and totally committed to working on issues that support Central Oregon and protect our natural heritage.
Inexplicably, the Source overlooked Gena's years of public service in our community. Knute's "broad experience" with "diverse viewpoints" is pale when compared with the challenges Gena has faced and the success she has achieved.
I urge everyone to join me in voting for Gena Goodman-Campbell by Nov. 8.
—Rynda Clark
Among the many points people should understand about the 2016 presidential election are three in particular.
The U.S. is not a democracy or any one of democracy's alleged interpretations. It is ruled by plutocrats and corporations with the oligarchs they have purchased in the Democratic and Republican parties serving as their agents. Regardless of who is elected to become president in January 2017 she or he will be complicit with or at the mercy of the top office holders in the Senate and the House of Representatives.
Another problem related to the election is one that is a constant fact of life and goes beyond each quadrennial charade; that is, Americans have been lied to since they were able to understand the spoken word and have, for the most part, become fertile fields for propagandists and other charlatans.
Let's assume for discussion Trump practiced what he boasted of and preyed on dozens—make that hundreds—of women to their great discomfort. Now, let's consider many politicians and their hacks from the Republican and Democratic Parties who, in a rare display of bi-partisanship, attacked Trump for what he said. Among these attackers were people who promoted and supported wars that have been horrendously tragic for millions of women and their families from death and displacement. Apparently, these "moralists" are offended by the molestation of women but indifferent to families obliterated by bombs or other devastation.
—Bill Bodden
Vote for Gena Goodman-Campbell for State House District 54
I'm writing this as a mother, a physician, gun owner and public health activist. As a mother, I was devastated by Sandy Hook as I have a daughter the same age as the murdered children. As a physician, I've seen the devastation of gun violence first hand. Yet since Sandy Hook, there have been 186 school shootings, and in 2016 alone, 306 mass shootings, according to the Gun Violence Archives. But there has been almost no legislative action to help prevent these tragedies.
I've met with both Knute Buehler and Gena Goodman-Campbell to discuss their stances on gun violence prevention. Knute would focus all our efforts on improving mental health services, and I agree that improving mental health services in our communities is important. However, mental illness has been an issue in only 2-3% of firearm-related injuries and deaths. Clearly, a focus on mental health alone, while important for our communities in general, will not significantly impact the number of injuries or deaths from gun violence. This issue requires a multifaceted approach, one that involves increased funding and enforcement of existing laws, educating gun owners to lock up their guns to keep them out of the hands of children, and passing and enforcing legislation that would make it harder for dangerous people to purchase firearms.
Unfortunately Knute has voted against common-sense, real-world solutions. He has opposed universal background checks and a bill to close the Charleston loophole. His votes do not represent the 90% of all Americans, or the 84% of gun owners that support universal background checks.
Unfortunately, his votes do not represent the preponderance of evidence from medical and public health studies either. In multiple peer-reviewed studies, states with the strongest gun violence prevention legislation have lower rates of firearm deaths, including accidental, homicides and suicides. The Law Center to Prevent Gun Violence has shown that in states with universal background checks, there is a 48% reduction in gun trafficking, a 38% reduction in women shot by intimate partners, and a 53% reduction in suicide rates by firearms.
Gena Goodman-Campbell strongly respects the 2nd Amendment, and has committed to supporting legislation to prevent felons, domestic abusers, and those with severe mental illness from purchasing guns. She also believes that increasing both the quality of mental health services and funding for mental health for our community is essential. Gena has carefully researched her position on gun violence prevention with public health and medical authorities. She strongly supports the rights of law-abiding gun owners and knows this is a sensitive issue requiring a rigorous approach in order to protect lawful gun owners while also protecting our children and our community from gun violence.
Gena has a history of bringing people together from all sides of an issue, finding common ground, and moving forward together. I have no doubt that she will take this experience and strength bring a voice to all of us in the community that care about gun violence- gun rights activists, gun violence prevention activists, hunters, and those of us who own a gun for self-defense. Most of all, she will bring a voice for our children who are innocent bystanders, and often victims, due to our inability to find compromise, to find common ground. There is no question, no matter what are political views are, that we all want our children to be safe.
We all know that Deschutes County is not immune to gun violence, even among our children. My vote will go to Gena Goodman-Campbell, to support legislation to make our community safer by preventing guns from getting into the hands of dangerous criminals and children.
—Megan Ellingsen, MD, MPH
Elect Gena Goodman-Campbell
Having known and worked with Gena Goodman-Campbell, I can assure you she would be a wise choice to represent Bend in the State Legislature. She's smart, she's passionate about protecting the quality of life we enjoy here and which is vital to our local economy, and she has a track record proving she knows how to get things done.
She understands the issues we face, and will work tirelessly for our schools, for an economy that works for everyone, for policies helpful to small business owners, and for affordable housing.
While her opponent, Knute Buehler tries to portray himself as a moderate, one must only look at his actual voting record, to see that is not true.
He voted no on our State's attempts to increase the minimum wage, provide sick leave and ensure retirement security to hard working Central Oregon families.
He voted no on a Bi-partisan effort to study how to decrease the enormous class sizes in our schools.
It appears that Buehler sees his job as merely a stepping stone to higher office, while Gena Goodman-Campbell aspires to represent the hard working folks of District 54. Vote for Gena, you won't be disappointed.
—Alice Elshoff
Deschutes County Sheriff Race
My wife and I are readers of the Source Weekly. We find amusement in many stories and occasionally an interesting perspective in the rare, researched, in depth and balanced article. I do believe Source editorial staff missed the mark on the endorsement for Sheriff of Deschutes County.
As with many U.S. Marine Vets, hardened by battle, many of us have a different perspective on, and can readily spot, individuals who live a life of dedication, bravery, commitment and honor. We see through the fog of campaign rhetoric and zero in on the candidates who we see "make the grade" for elected office.
Eric Kozowski meets those four badges of valor. He is my choice this go around. We've suffered through scandal after scandal in our Sheriff's Office for going on two years. The culture of the department needs to be scrubbed out. Kozowski has an impressive, diverse background, an impressive plan to get the department out of this mess they're in, and as a fellow U.S. Marine Vet he can get the job done. I urge voters to pick Eric Kozowski for Deschutes County Sheriff.
—Jack Souhrada
Why Sally Russell?
Bend is special. Here there exists an open invitation to engage and play a part in shaping our town. We embrace this invitation with a smile, not a fist. These smiles make all the difference.
This unusual model is indebted to the passionate citizens who show up. This is why I love Bend! I deeply appreciate our practice of curious listening. We need people in City government who understand this. Sally Russell gets it. Sally listens before she acts. She sees the value of a robust, inclusive community dialogue, and how it improves government decision-making.
The kind of conversation Sally encourages delivers bold results. It is respectful, if energetic. It takes time. It sees questions as a road map towards sustainable solutions. It yields game-changing ideas. Conversations like these have helped Sally and the City Council move forward on key issues like climate change and affordable housing. I am grateful to Sally for these discussions—and the smart decisions they nurture.
I am also grateful for citizen engagement. We are moving through this moment of growth and change with intention, with respect, with curiosity, with courage. Let's continue. Please join me and support Sally Russell's bid for the Bend City Council.
—Ruth Williamson
Rondo for Bend
I work for human dignity. What are you doin?
We worked for Equal Marriage Rights. We won. We fought to end the War on Marijuana. We are no longer drug criminals. Winning the end of the prohibition created black-market that makes our children unsafe.
We fight to keep Troy Field safe from development. A fight to keep open space in our downtown core. To preserve the park that one Bend neighborhood has used for 109 years. We are winning, but the fight continues.
I am pro-business. A salesman all my life. Also a climate conservative. That means that I know that the smartest business plan is a sustainable plan that respects our planet.
I put my name on the ballot to greater serve people in our city that are largely ignored, and not yet represented on our council. We have municipal policies and zones that exclude. Without citation of law. Without due process. We allow some privileged business owners to bully peaceful people using our city resource. Including abuse of police services. We participate in pretentious conversation about downtown crime that doesn't exist. The City of Bend and our Parks and Recreation District must throw away the drugwar playbook. We must only act when treating all with dignity.
Four times in six years I have applied for this job. During that time I have attended many meetings. The mission statement of my weekly calendar is to Learn Bend. Like a second college education. Like a lifestyle. In the last four years, I have missed two city council meetings. (sorry) I can be counted on to show up, because I already do.
My political opponent is a real estate agent who doesn't want to pay for our infrastructure. He told us 8 months ago, over-and-over: The money is there. (Not there) The fact is the $80 million debt to our streets is still awaiting minimal maintenance and repair. His strategy now is to deny the debt exists.
We must pay for the streets we want. My multipart plan enlists non-residents to pay. Solves our citywide transit issues, and does it inexpensively.
With the promise of growth before us, we must seize the day. We must require solar panels on all new commercial and government buildings. We will become the second net-zero energy city in our country. Build a transportation infrastructure supplied by this inexpensive sustainable safe energy source.
I work to build a smart green city. SLOW SMART GROWTH is the only realistic path to prosperity for us all. Affordable workforce housing projects aare a band-aid, not a solution. Let's not spend million$ more, to ask even more people to come here. Does Growth in Bend equal Prosperity in Bend? Please read my Voters Pamphlet Statement.
How you doin?
—Ron Boozell
Why vote for Gena?
Gena Goodman-Campbell is committed to serving in the legislature, and she will do a fine job of representing us. We need a state government that does its part to address our serious affordable housing problem. Gena will work to make the state a reliable partner with local governments and organizations to fix the problems that push people out of their homes and make finding affordable rentals very difficult.
Excessive college student debt is another growing problem Gena will take on, and she already has some practical solutions. As Bend sees more students attending college, better access to transit, and safe routes for pedestrians and bikers are needed.
Better jobs, protecting Bend's natural heritage, support of local businesses, the list goes on. Gena's proven collaborative approach is the best strategy for addressing the problems facing our City.
Her opponent Knute Buehler wants to be Oregon's Governor. In fact, I also want him to be Oregon's Governor. However, he's in the wrong party. The Republican Party has brought the country a monstrous Presidential nominee, not as an aberration, but as a consequence of their ceaseless inflammatory rhetoric over many decades and their irresponsible actions in Congress and state capitols.
As a holder of a non-partisan office, I have chosen to not be a member of any party. But at this point, I've pretty much had it with the GOP and their destructive impulses. Acting out a vendetta against all government is a dumb strategy for the tax dollars we are forced to pay. Policies that favor only the well-to-do are not a recipe for a civil society.
I am not blaming Knute for the sins of his party. In fact, he is better than his party. I understand that a legislator needs to vote with his party most of the time, but many of these GOP block votes are not a good match for the Bend district he represents.
As we have seen, the GOP has enjoyed pretty much zero success in statewide races. Switching parties is the best path to a Governor Buehler.
So my recommendation is that Gena be voted into the legislative seat. I know she will do a conscientious job of representing Bend and will work with the legislative majority to enact measures that will benefit our City. She will listen carefully to all the citizens who live here and reflect the values that are important to us.
Jim Clinton, Mayor of Bend
Letter of the Week: Jim – Thanks for your service and perspective. In our endorsements it was important to us not to choose based on party but on overall merit—meaning every race offered its own comparisons and challenges. Were Rep. Buehler unaffiliated, would that change your choice? Let's discuss when you grab your gift card from Palate. -Nicole Vulcan, Editor
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