Letters: Face masks, Gov. Inslee, race injustice and more | June 14

How to control river temperature

Front page headline on May 27 edition of the Tri-City Herald: “State aims to regulate water temperature at federal dams.” This reminded me of what we used to do 60 years ago because of the Hanford Production Reactor heating of the Columbia River.

In the late 1950s and until the nuclear production reactors at Hanford were shut down, the Columbia River water temperature at Hanford was controlled lower for greater production efficiency and safety to the river. Harry Kraemer, an accomplished engineer in the group I was in at that time, coordinated the temperature of the water released from the dams upstream of Hanford by getting them to release the colder water from the bottom of the dam reservoirs instead of spilling warmer top water using the spillways.

As I recall, coordination involved all of the dams from Priest Rapids to Grand Coulee. Dams on the Snake River were not included, but the same modeling technologies would apply. I am sure the technical data and information regarding this work can be obtained through the Department of Energy archives as an alternative to the much-discussed costly dam removal and very expensive energy generation replacement cost.

It’s time for banks to bail all of us out

As we move forward dealing with the COVID-19 crisis, I ask that Congress move to force banks to pause all debt. No collections on debt or increase in interest during our current crisis. This will have multiple benefits.

First, it will enable landlords to stop charging rent to businesses that have no means to pay. Second, it will enable landlords to stop charging rent to families that have no means to pay. Third, it will enable families that are paying a mortgage on a home to keep that home until they return to work. Finally, it will keep our fellow Americans above water financially, since they won’t have to worry about paying any other debts during this time.

This one act will trickle down to the individual in a very strong manner. Then, once we are clear of the crisis, we unpause debt and return to normal collections, with all missed payments added to the end of the previously agreed-to period. Italy was able to do this, and so can we. We bailed out the banks a few years ago; it’s time they pay us back by pausing all debt.

Inslee math can’t add up to Phase 2

Mathematically Impossible: To move to Phase 2, a requirement is “Average number of tests performed per day during the past week should be 50 times the number of cases.” (50 of every 51 tests). However 48 of 49 positive swab (molecular) tests is correct. The test has a greater than 2% false positive error and we have to achieve 2% or less to advance. Math: 1-(50/51) will never be more than 1-(48/49). We will never be allowed to advance to Phase 2. Inslee’s being guided by Science and Data rule making forgot about math.

Has time come to unite for change?

These are unprecedented times. Thinking, caring people of all colors and cultures are outraged by the killing of George Floyd. As a human being, one must be outraged. Not to be outraged is not to be human. But it is hard for me to imagine, try as I might, to understand the pain of black Americans because I am not black. Growing up in Hawaii, I experienced prejudice on an ongoing basis and thought, “What is wrong with being a white kid?” All this pain and anger comes in the midst of the only pandemic I have seen in my 68 years.

Unprecedented times require unprecedented leadership. Our president lacks the skill set to lead. His constant vitriolic rants, lack of empathy, inability to accept responsibility and constant lying make it impossible for him to even attempt to unite or lead the nation through these turbulent times. Perhaps these two seemingly unrelated events will help our wonderful country to realize that we need a uniter-in-chief, not a tweeting, name-calling bully. Donald Trump has made himself irrelevant. Do we, as responsible Americans, accept our current situation or unite to change it?

Hanford rules tell us: Wear masks

I am very disappointed with Benton-Franklin counties’ inability to reduce the number of new COVID-19 cases. We have one of the most-well educated communities in the country and reducing the spread is just simple math and statistics. Furthermore, the principles to reduce the spread of the disease are the same principles for radiation protection taught to every worker on the Hanford Site: time, distance and shielding (PPE). Likewise, the most important index for measuring the spread of the disease is referred to as R0 (R-naught) and is the same as the criticality factor for radioactive material.

To reduce the spread of COVID-19, and to prevent a chain reaction of nuclear material, they need to be at 1 or less. Anyone who is concerned about vapors from the tank farms onsite should certainly be wearing a mask offsite.

I challenge all current and former Hanford workers to lead by example, follow all recommended self-distancing recommendations, do your part in protecting yourself and your neighbors, and help reopen our community.

A plan for policing police departments

In order to change policing culture, entire police departments need disciplinary action. Apply a top-to-bottom set of disciplinary consequences for any police department involved in this type of crime. The entire police department is demoted to entry-level pay for one year. The entire police department is jailed for a month, put on probation for five years and the participants charged with murder and held accountable for their criminal actions.

The National Guard can cover the local policing duties for the month of department incarceration. Policing culture must be incentivized and peer-motivated to eliminate unprofessional, criminal misapplication of their entrusted power.

Injustice of ‘50s has returned

If you are white, imagine being a young black man in the deep South in 1950. You are driving in your own car, alone, late at night, and make a wrong turn. You’re in a parking lot. You get surrounded by a group of five white men with guns. They want to know why you’re there.

Now, if you were white, you might be brave enough to say what you thought.

Since you are black, you know that you should probably show deference and respect at all costs. But, inside, can you imagine feeling the fear and injustice? Hold that injustice for a full minute, because black men in 1950 lived with that injustice all the time.

Now, stop imagining that it is 1950. Because this has been happening here, in Kennewick, Pasco and Richland, and small towns all across America, for almost a week. Do you still feel the injustice? Do you think you should?

General Mattis, you are wrong

Sir I have the utmost respect for you and the service to our country. Yes the constitution says we have the right to protest. No where does it say we have the right to loot, destroy and murder in the name of protesting. I think that is the point you and others are missing. When they started looting, destroying property and killing they became Domestic Terrorist. When our President saw this happening it made him sick. He took an oath to defend this country against all enemies both foreign and domestic.

Mask requirement confusing to her

Is anyone else confused?

For some time, it has been recommended to wear a mask. In spite of the reports that masks can make a difference in the spread of the virus, compliance is not substantial. So, I’m confused as to why there is a nonenforceable directive that will be implemented on June 8. In some articles, the masks are “required.” In some articles, people are “urged” to wear masks. Currently, you can see how “urged” compliance is working or not working by looking around and seeing the number of people choosing to not follow the voluntary guidelines for wearing masks. What will change with a hollow “urging” to wear a mask? The directive seems like it is a bureaucratic way to circumvent the statistical requirements to move from Phase 1.

Could the directive at least be enforceable at businesses, similar to the no shirt, no shoes, no service?

Remember what ‘King-J’ has done

Last year at this time, our governor was flying all around the country on our nickel touting the “Green New Deal” while running for president. Last November, he was trying to spend the $360+ million surplus we enjoyed because of the great 2019 economy. January (after the) first outbreak in (a) nursing home, (Gov. Jay) Inslee did nothing to protect our old folks. In February, making rules with his “brilliant” staff on how we are to live. I am confident that any random group of fifth graders could make better rules than his staff have created. In March, order rules to start. How is marijuana “essential?” How does fishing spread the virus? In April, extend the shut down for another month. Oh, don’t forget King-J and his minion Ferguson have filed 25 lawsuits against the federal government.

Now King-J has openly stated that when he re-opens the state, it will “look different.” I’m sure the “new look” will include new higher taxes, especially on business, more efforts to remove dams, more light rail that goes nowhere and isn’t used, more stupid rules created to tell us how we must live and many more government employees to police the new rules.

This dunce has done enough to Washington. Remember what King-J has done in November.

Can’t we be kind to each other?

My 67-year-old husband was dropping off a package at the UPS store. He was wearing a mask. Because our business ships a lot of packages with UPS, we print the label and simply drop the package at the store. My husband was dropping a couple of packages, and a large man who was in line started screaming at him and cursing. He said, “You got closer than 6 feet,” and kept cursing until my husband left the business.

My husband was putting his handcart back into the truck when this rude man came out of the store. He then resumed cursing at my husband. My husband drove away and, when he passed the other man’s vehicle, the man leaned out and blasted an air gun while continuing to curse at the top of his voice. I’m thankful it was not an actual gun! What is wrong with people? There is no excuse for an adult to throw a tantrum of this magnitude. Can’t we all be kind? Shame on that terrible person.

Virus creates interesting times

We live in interesting times.

We have Fox News opinionators such as non-journalist Sean Hannity playing down concerns over the Coronavirus epidemic, thus encouraging people to do things that may have already gotten them killed through needless exposure.

We have crowds protesting public health interventions that save lives being egged on by TV personalities who know better than to go there themselves.

We have a quack “doctor” who has never had a medical license given national airtime to say the exact opposite of what every serious infectious disease expert and epidemiologist in the country is saying.

We have a president who is calling on his supporters to liberate blue states from the recommendations that his own advisers support to mitigate the effects of the virus.

Lastly, using the U.S. Constitution as an excuse to defy our governor, we had an adjacent county government that attempted to open up that county for normal business. Hey! Really! Where did they get the idea that they could endanger their citizens as well as the rest of the state? It is hoped that the voters in the subject county remember this attempted transgression and vote the responsible politicians out of office.

Pandemic parable: riding COVID lion

Calvin Coolidge said it: “The business of America is business.” And we desperately need business to get going again. However, there is an analogy from another time and place that applies to the current pandemic: We are all riding on a lion and that lion is COVID-19, and if we get off the lion before the lion is dead, the lion will eat us.

This story was originally published June 14, 2020 at 12:01 AM with the headline "Letters: Face masks, Gov. Inslee, race injustice and more | June 14."