More letters posted Oct. 26

McGary my pick for county coroner

I have known Curtis McGary for the past several years as a funeral director. With his mortuary science degree and over 5,000 hours of training plus over 30 years of experience, I believe Curtis will bring a level of professionalism to the coroner’s office that has been missing for several years.

Raebel my choice for county coroner

Please vote Jamie Raebel for coroner

I met Jamie Raebel when I worked as a radiological technologist at the local hospital and he was a supervisor on police patrol. I have seen Jamie and how he interacts with people in stressful situations who would come into the emergency room. It takes a special person to be able to handle these traumatic situations and the move to coroner would be a natural progression for him. Jamie is compassionate and respectful and has worked tirelessly for the people he has proudly served for over 35 years.

Jamie now leads a successful squad of detectives that investigate some of the most awful crimes reported. Besides those duties, he supervises detectives from all the agencies in the area when there are incidents involving staff from police and sheriff agencies in the region.

Jamie has an impressive list of law enforcement, legal and community leaders who endorse him and that tells me they feel he is the right choice for the job. He is proactive in that he has taken coursework, besides his law enforcement investigation classes, to better serve our community.

Jamie Raebel will make a great coroner!

Brown would help fix U.S. problems

We are voting for Christine Brown for our 4th District representative. Dan Newhouse has done nothing to help fix such things as the terribly egregious immigration situation. The position taken by the Tri-City Herald favoring Newhouse makes no sense. If the House is flipped, Newhouse would suddenly become even more of a liability rather than an asset to our district.

Then there is an ominous Social Security and Medicare situation looming over the country, driven by the anti-middle class Republican-led Senate. Mitch McConnell blamed the recent up-spike in the deficit on “entitlements,” specifically Medicare, Medicaid and Social Security. Yet there has been a direct relationship between the “tax reform” and huge increases in the deficit. Trump and the likes of McConnell said the “trickle down” effect of the tax cuts to the high-end taxpayers and large corporations would stimulate growth and reduce the deficit within a year. Time is up.

There has been a significant deficit increase since McConnell became majority leader, much of which is a result of the huge tax cut. This Republican administration needs a check on its unbridled power. Christine Brown will help exercise that check with common sense and intelligence.

GOP set to slice Social Security

I'm an old guy (71) currently benefiting from two remarkable programs designed to make life better for senior citizens; Social Security and Medicare. Now, the Republican Party is promising to cut funding for these vital programs, which have lifted millions out of poverty and prolonged their lives. Are there any people out there who dislike these programs and won't claim their benefits? So ... if you like Social Security and Medicare and want them to be there for you and your family, you need to vote for Democrats, the party which created these programs and will protect them. Here, that means supporting Christine Brown for Congress and Maria Cantwell for the U.S. Senate. It's a no-brainer.

Newhouse gets what cleanup needs

Dan Newhouse is a champion for the ongoing cleanup of the Hanford site. As someone who worked on the site for 15 years and has lived in the Tri-Cities for 40 years, it is reassuring to see Rep. Newhouse roll up his sleeves and dive into the complex challenges facing the cleanup mission.

Dan works in a bipartisan way with our senators to understand the issues, advocate successfully for robust resources and share the important message of the vital efforts taking place at Hanford.

Collaboration is key as Hanford cleanup requires a large percentage of the Department of Energy’s entire environmental cleanup funding. Other states also need cleanup funding. We wouldn’t have been able to achieve the continued cleanup progress we’ve made without the congressman’s dedicated and collaborative efforts in the U.S. House of Representatives. He has arranged for and welcomed decision-makers representing other states and congressional committees—both Democrat and Republican—to visit the site to learn about the crucial necessity for and see for themselves the scale and scope of, the cleanup efforts.

Don’t take Hanford funding for granted. Rep. Newhouse has demonstrated performance in his steadfast efforts on our behalf.

Vote to re-elect Dan Newhouse.

I-1639 worth it for safe storage

As a local pediatrician of 12 years, I am a strong supporter of Initiative 1639. Safe storage of firearms, as a component of this bill, is a matter of personal and public health.

Spencer was a delightful 9-year-old boy. I asked him, as I do all my pediatric patients, if there was a gun in his home. His answer was “yes.” Spencer knew that the gun was in dad's closet. Mom reported that the firearm was not secured.

The family was counseled on safe storage practices, and I followed up with them at the next encounter. Spencer had taken the gun to a friend's house to "show it off." Fortunately no one was injured, but the outcome could have easily been tragic.

I-1639 touts sensible regulations that will protect our children and our communities. Research has shown that a firearm is twenty-two times more likely to be used in an accidental shooting, criminal assault, or suicide then in self-defense.

In fact, 2016 CDC Washington state data reports 616 firearm deaths with 515 as suicides. Safely stored firearms is preventive against accidental deaths and suicide.

The time has come to enforce safe storage of firearms. Please vote "yes" on I-1639.

Vote Shon Small, says legislator

This is a letter of endorsement for Shon Small. Shon has shown that he is willing to work well with Republicans and Democrats. I say this due to his impressive list of endorsements.

He is endorsed by the local leadership of both parties. He is also endorsed by all the sheriffs and law enforcement as well as many of city and county leaders.

I have found him to be a terrific partner in Benton County legislative matters. He is always accessible and has a positive, can-do attitude. He is a proven leader, and I am confident he will continue to serve our county well. I like his passion for solving the mental health problems we have in our county and others.

Please support Shon for county commissioner.

Carbon tax will change nothing

Re: Article in TCH, dated Oct. 21, (Initiative 1631 Washington State Carbon Tax)

Regarding the 57-cent gas increase Mr. Rossi referred to, it occurs in 2035. That would go up to about $1.30 per gallon by 2050. But these numbers are a red herring. They are way too low to accomplish the stated purpose of I-1631, i.e., “to quickly and effectively reduce pollution.”

Making the I-1631 carbon tax rate 10 times higher (which would be a $4/gallon increase by 2035) only moves the U.S. gas price to be on par with Europe (i.e., $7/gallon), which already sells fewer electric cars than the U.S. (1.1 percent vs 1.7 percent in 2017).

In order for a carbon tax to work, it must be applied globally, not just in a few states. It is disingenuous for backers of I-1631 to claim this as a solution to reduce droughts, sea level rise, wildfires, etc. It will do nothing of the sort.

If you plot temperature data from the Tri-Cities (maximum daily temperatures by year from 1895 to 2017), it shows no increase over time. None. In the end this is nothing more than a new tax on gasoline (and natural gas), most of which middle-class Washingtonians will pay, except those living close to a state line.

Take me literally, or perhaps not

No more Trump support!

I am sick of this record high employment, tax cuts that benefit all of us, border security, fighting ISIS to an end, getting fair trade agreements, appointing constitutional judges. Vote Democrat! Let’s get back to things that really matter like who is more of a victim, how offended everyone is, what gender you are, which bathroom to use, etc.

Come on, people! Let’s get back to the way things were when we were all victims and the economy stunk. Vote Democrat!

Why is caring for people liberal?

I was pleased to receive the Tri-City Herald's endorsement this month, and saddened to see my opponent's campaign manager write a letter dismissing me as a liberal who doesn't represent the district's values. That might sound easy in a newspaper letter, but it's not accurate. Call me liberal if liberal means wanting our state to show up for vulnerable citizens to help them get back on their feet.

But I'm decidedly centrist on many issues, and I've said several times that I'm running on health care reform, which will save us all money. Also my team, unlike my opponent's, have knocked on thousands of doors across our district, talking to voters, who have said that health care is their biggest concern. I've heard from people across the political spectrum, listening to how they'd like our leaders to solve problems.

If we buy the logic that Democrats push through legislation folks don't want, what do we make of Republicans who have not advanced legislation? Why not have independent Democrats, who will work across party lines, get work done for us?

Also, I do have experience in policy making. I've worked on bills, regulations and resolutions for years.

Put people before politics.

GOP’s tax cuts made rich richer

Republican tax cuts have mainly benefited the wealthy. Even before the 2018 cuts, economists stated, "More than 60 percent of all tax preferences flow to the wealthiest 20 percent of Americans, with only 3 percent going to the bottom quintile."

The tax cuts have caused the deficit to balloon. Republican leaders say "entitlements" have to be dealt with (and Republicans classify people on Social Security who pay no taxes as "takers"). Social Security and Medicare trustees report: "GOP policies have hurt both programs." AARP reports that Republicans plan on changing the cost-of-living adjustment, so that cost-of-living increases are less. House Republicans propose a voucher-type program and other cuts for Medicare. Despite what Trump says, it seems Republicans have more plans to cut or decrease Social Security and Medicare. (If you only listen to Trump or Fox News, watch Shep Smith in addition to the "opinion programming.")

Understand that Democrat does not equal socialist. Many Democrats, however, are concerned with the greed in capitalism: income inequality continues to increase. CEO pay has gone from 20 times to 271 times the average worker's pay since the 1960s. Our current administration seems intent on helping the wealthy at the cost of the elderly and other classes.

Social Security is McConnell target

When you vote – and I hope you do regardless of your politics – here’s what you need to keep front and center. You are in the crosshairs of a serious attack on your money and your health.

The Republican tax cut has cut multiple millions off the taxes of the billionaires and large corporations, but increased taxes on many middle-class families, especially ones with children (ask your CPA). Cutting taxes on the corporations might have been a good idea, but the huge gift to the top tenth of one percent was sheer greed. The effect has been to create a massive budget deficit.

Sen. (Mitch) McConnell is blaming the deficit on ‘entitlement’ spending for Social Security and Medicare. As a retiree, I am fully entitled to both – I paid into them for decades. The Republicans want you to care about stopping immigration, having guns, banning abortion and stacking the courts – while they clean out your pocketbook and take away affordable health care and Social Security.

They’re also working to get people off the voting rolls and closing polling places. If you don’t vote in this election, they’re likely to give you the next one off!

Vote no on I-1631 and carbon tax

I just moved to the beautiful Tri-Cities and am amazed at the exponential growth taking place in this forward-moving community. The pro-business atmosphere is outstanding and responsible for propelling the area from cow town status to burgeoning tourist mecca.

It is therefore disappointing to see a crippling gas tax, Initiative 1631, on the ballot. Gas prices of $6 to $8 a gallon within five years will bring the building boom to a screeching halt. And in a move that would make the smug "progressives" in Seattle proud, additional leftist interest groups are opposing a measure to limit the taxation of groceries (Initiative 1634). With characteristic Marxist rhetoric, they advise us that these measures will only affect those big bad corporations supplying us with gas and food.

Hello? Who do they think this burden will be passed on to? Don't let them jack up the cost of gas; vote NO! on 1631.

Keep the cost of our family's food affordable; vote YES! on Initiative 1634.

Editor’s note: An analysis by the Washington Policy Center estimates the average family will spend $125 more on gasoline per year in 2019, and $375 more a year in 2029 if the tax is approved.

Blasdel is truly a public servant

For more than five years, I have had the privilege of working with Franklin County Coroner Dan Blasdel providing ongoing support services for local families, survivors and first responders of especially traumatic losses of life. Dan understands his work is that of a “public servant” rather than a “public official,” evidenced by the heart he puts into his work. Please consider retaining Dan Blasdel as your Franklin County Coroner.