As I read Sunday's article regarding Judge Hollenbeck, I thought I noticed some interesting parallels with another story covered in the Tri-City Herald within the last year or so. I'm sure you will recall the events surrounding the Kennewick city attorney and one of the public defenders who were found to be granting favors in return for cash payments.

The Pasco Pool Bond deserves support from Pasco voters!

I have an autistic child. We are "pushing to test an unproved treatment on autistic children." It's "unproved" because our health industry has sat on its hands for 20 years or more while autism rates have skyrocketed.

It is a first for me to have a candidate I can support with confidence and enthusiasm. This candidate is Skip Novakovich, running for state representative, 8th District, Position 1. Skip is a friend and business associate, but at this time I value him from my position as a board member of the Benton Franklin Humane Society.

I am the president of the Retired and Senior Volunteer Program (RSVP) Advisory Committee at the Volunteer Center. I know first hand the importance of the work done by the center.

I compliment the Tri-City Herald in publishing Jennifer Block's article on home birth. "Planning a home birth may sound old-fashioned -- maybe you think it sounds crazy -- but a solid body of research shows that for healthy women who seek a normal, non-surgical birth, there are several benefits."

I have known Vic VanderSchoor for more than 10 years and I can say with out hesitation that Vic is a man of great character.

Judge Holly Hollenbeck, please check your oath of office. Your job is to uphold the law, not be concerned if someone is inconvenienced if they violate the law. I am sorry that Mary Ace was inconvenienced with her alleged DUI and that it might affect her trip to Europe.

The law states that a person will be held for a minimum of eight hours (in jail) after a DUI arrest, to sober up and not be a public threat.

Benton and Franklin County citizens deserve honesty, integrity, and experience to fill the void left by retiring Superior Court Judge Dennis Yule. The person to fill that void is Sal Mendoza.

I appreciate the city of Richland for including the Wings of Freedom Tour in their 50th Anniversary celebration.

I recently contacted an American Red Cross coordinator to find out a location for the Music Saves Lives blood drives in the Tri-Cities and was thrilled to find that there were at least five different dates and times being offered. Unfortunately, I also learned something disturbing.

A recent letter opened with an interesting comment which must certainly apply to that writer to wit: "Doing the same thing the same way and expecting a different result is the ultimate insanity. That important truth applies to politics as well." How could anyone in their right mind think that having more Democrats in Olympia will improve conditions in our state?

On June 22, an Associated Press article in the Herald asked if everything, such as the economy, nature, society, and the Middle East, is "really spinning out of control?" It observed that only 14 percent to 17 percent of citizens polled by the media believe the country is moving in the right direction, and highlighted a citizen who said, "It's pretty scary." It closed with the fear that everything we know may be unraveling (sic). We should all be afraid ... very afraid. Oh, doom; oh, gloom.

What occurred to the woman in Pasco has changed me profoundly. Being a woman, I trust women instinctively. I thought I was supposed to trust women. This has changed my point of view, and will also change the way I talk to my daughter about women who are strangers.

First, I want to thank the Herald for the recent Areva articles and the editorial. Little wonder Areva didn't choose Washington (July 1). I think it is important to understand what has really been happening in the nuclear energy area for nearly 30 years.

The article in the Tri-City Herald of July 13, about a short circuiting of the usual criminal processing in a case of drunken driving has shocked me. That it was perpetrated by an officer of the court and a judge of the court is no less shocking.

The article about Judge Hollenbeck vs. Sheriff Taylor is an example about the loopholes in our justice system that just don't make sense. The law is don't drink and drive (with the blood alcohol level set at .08 for our state). For someone to get pulled over with an alleged .22 (three times over the legal limit), that person should have to pay the consequences, not let go.

In regards to the article about the Steptoe roundabout, the only people who are confused are the ones that have never seen a roundabout, let alone driven one. I believe that the Tri-Citians who travel that way every day know exactly what they are doing when they drive through the roundabout. The signs posted are pretty understandable and easy to follow.

From time to time, the media announces the award of another MacArthur Genius Grant. These awards are given to deserving individuals in order to free them to practice their particular skill or talent free from financial pressures.

I am disappointed in the Herald's coverage of the Boehner/ Hastings fundraiser. While I am pleased with the prompt coverage of the protesters actions, the caption indicated that the reason we were there was because of dissatisfaction with their voting records.

In 2000, Richland Mayor Bob Thompson helped me return to the Utility Advisory Committee. As chairman, I jumped into an ongoing evaluation of a potential new form of BPA contract for the Richland electric utility.

Now that Chocolate the dog has returned to the Tri-Cities in luxurious style, and his medical care is completed due to the goodwill of many people, and he can look forward to recuperation with a new adopted family -- isn't it time that we people consider how this goodwill and free care could have been put to better use supporting the much more worthy cases of sick children and adults in the area who are more deserving of funding to provide their care?

What happens in Appalachia stays in Appalachia, or at least the politicians of both political parties hope that is the case, because they are committing a crime against humanity there in the isolation of a primeval forest.

Oil from ANWR will be much "greener" oil than most of the oil that fills our cars now. Norway and Denmark drill off of their coasts. These countries and the U.S. are the ones that can be counted on to drill in an environmentally responsible manner because of our strong environmental regulations and lobbies. We buy oil from many countries, like Venezuela and many in the Middle East, that could care less about the environment. Remember the burning oil fields in Kuwait after Saddam Hussein was forced to withdraw during the first Gulf War?

Jillian Klym's letter published July 8 was way off base. Doc Hastings is anything but uninformed about the challenges facing the health care system and the strain of rising costs. Here are the facts:

I am absolutely enraged at what I read in today's paper (July 9). I read that there is a program for rapists to help them get less time and go through counseling. What is wrong with our society? Counseling isn't going to stop a rapist from raping again. Why is it these rapists who are raping little children are getting away with jail time instead of prison time? When you take someone's innocence, that is an innocence lost. You can never get that back! A rapist is just as bad as a murderer. Especially when the victims are young children.

What is it going to take for judges like Craig Matheson to get a clue? Alan Ray Elmgren rapes a grade-school aged girl, and ties up her siblings, and he gets less than the minimum sentence because now that he's been caught he feels bad? Those children will be serving a life sentence.

We have been neighbors of the Spanners for more than 15 years. We have witnessed what a fine successful, close family they are.

On July 5, I was incredibly proud to see the TV news highlighting the mass re-enlistment of about 1,200-plus military personnel in Iraq. What is it that they know that the naysayers don't? What makes these men and women excel in the harsh, hot, miserable conditions they face daily? Why do they do what they do? They serve and re-enlist because they believe in the cause of democracy -- they believe in seeing this mission through, and they serve because they believe victory is possible.

I support Jerri Potts for the Benton Franklin Counties Superior Court Judge position. She has been employed as a commissioner since 2002. Jerri has been fulfilling the job description for Superior Court judge in every way except one -- she does not preside over jury trials. There would be little, if any, learning curve performing the duties of Superior Court Judge.

Mike Hazel wanted Mr. McVay to give examples of the Democrats' view of what Socialism is (Letters, July 7). Here are several. Redistribution of wealth. Taking from one person and giving to another, aka tax the rich. Socialized drug program. Socialized medical care. Social Security. All Democrat programs or moderate Republican. Granted Bush is somewhat of a moderate. He did not downsize government and has taken hits from the right for this.

With due respect to Tim Fredrickson on his opinion that earmarks are vital to the Tri-Cities (July 6), I say rubbish! In Eastern Washington, we are highly disadvantaged by the overspending that goes on through the earmark process. Anyone who thinks we are so lucky because the state legislature threw $1 million our way for a sunshade at Dust Devil's stadium, or Congress gave $1.5 million for the Ben Franklin Transit Modernization, is nave at best, and perniciously deceptive at worst.

Giving 50 percent effort and then saying you did your best is no way to run a state. So how can Gov. Gregoire even begin to defend the loss of the Areva contract for Washington. The real reason Washington did not win this contract was because Gov. Gregoire is not willing to make a decision. It's probably because these tough times don't affect her. According to the Seattle P-I "Gov. Chris Gregoire is benefiting from more than $650,000 in campaign contributions from Indian tribes that hit the jackpot in 2005 when she killed a gambling compact potentially worth more than $140 million a year to the state."

Carol Moser, Democratic candidate for the State Legislature, was a student in my English class at Kennewick High School and was valedictorian of her graduating class. I followed Carol's career over the next 25 years and am very proud of her accomplishments and public service.

I suggest that anybody interested in the Second Amendment issue, either pro or con, read an article entitled "Would Banning Firearms Reduce Murder and Suicide?" by researchers Don Kates and Gary Mauser. This research provides more information on the cause and effect relationship between firearms availability and suicide/homicide rates than the Centers for Disease Control report cited in the editorial "Supreme Court on Guns: It's an Individual Right" (Our Voice, June 6). What you will find is that suicide rates are constant and that the number of firearms has no correlation to the rate of suicide, only the method, of which others are equally as sure and fatal as a bullet.

Where else can you drive 25 mph and see birds, small animals, a beautiful river and all ages of people enjoying themselves doing everything from fishing to reading a paper, shooting hoops, walking the dog, playing in the grass or just enjoying the peace and beauty of the river.

Fourth of July, a designated American holiday and now a sham holiday. A majority of our population are bereft in knowledge of the American historical origins of this holiday, which was intended to celebrate Americans' independence from overbearing and intolerable British rule, as described in the 1776 Declaration of Independence.

In my 44-year professional career, I have interacted with many attorneys, numbering well into the hundreds. It has been my observation that attorneys having a technical background provide balanced, systematic and broad-based approaches to recognizing and understanding complex issues.

If Dino Rossi were governor, the Tri-Cities would be celebrating the addition of 400 new high-paying jobs to the area. Instead, we risk losing 1,000 jobs that a recent Sunday story in this newspaper said added up to an $80 million payroll.

My name is Eli Crosby. I'm a 17-year-old Kennewick High School student. A few months back I got in trouble with the police over graffiti by a Sun Mart near my school. A friend and I thought it would be cool to draw on the wall. Well, it wasn't. I was sent to the Juvenile Justice Center, where I was put in the diversion program, which is a program for good kids who make wrong choices.

Many years ago, Washington state taxpayers paid for construction of Highway 240, the Richland bypass. It was intended to provide a daily commuter route to Hanford.

I find the editorial regarding the Second Amendment extremely disturbing (Our Voice, July 6). The media is so biased, electing to "inform" the public using propaganda on a continuing basis.

Elections always are important but sometimes we find ourselves being asked to vote for candidates we may not have much familiarity with. When it is a nonpartisan position, it can become even more difficult. In the case of the upcoming election for Superior Court judge, Position 1, Benton and Franklin County, I do not have that problem. I believe that the pres-ently serving Superior Court Commissioner Jerri Potts is extremely qualified to continue serving Benton and Franklin counties.

In regards to the editorial board opinion on Rattlesnake Mountain access, I agree with the importance of keeping the communication and observatory facilities on the mountain and the ability to access these important features. However, I absolutely disagree that Department of Energy is acting "ungrateful, insesitive and galling."

I must add to the recent article "Financial hit expected in next 6 months."

Fourth of July, Independence Day, a time to reflect on our past and our future. Some say we are on the wrong path, I say stay the course. It's time to vote for a leader to either keep the path we are on or to change our course.

I read the paper, watch the news and it makes one wonder when you see a story that is from the East Coast, about this state.