Letters: Elections, face masks, migrant workers and more | July 26

Editor’s note: Letters about the upcoming Primary Election are due to the Tri-City Herald by 5 p.m. July 28.

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Orange grower shows kindness

In these days of doom and gloom, it is nice to find a ray of kindness in the world.

After I told my daughter in Colorado that I was drinking a lot of orange and cranberry juice to get plenty of Vitamin C, she ordered 15 pounds of fresh navel oranges from Hale Groves in Florida for my Mother’s Day gift. I really enjoyed the fresh juice and sent an email to Hale Groves to say so. Their reply was to ask for my daughter’s name and address so they could send her a gift of oranges! Then this week another box of oranges came to me, and in checking with my daughter, she had also gotten a box, and no, she had not put in a monthly order for me.

So kudos to Hale Groves for their kindness and marketing savvy! This is the kind of customer service we need more of, not those who do a bait and switch on you.

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Mullen his pick for county commission

Candidate Rocky Mullen for commissioner of Franklin County Position 2 deserves your vote and (is) a man of integrity, Christian, honest, man of faith, respectful. (He has the) quality that I look for in a candidate who will serve the community with his constituents in mind on every vote he makes.

I am a Christian and a member of the LDS faith and support and endorse Rocky Mullen for Franklin County commissioner. Rocky is a man who has the ability to be a good listener and loves the Pasco community and the wealth of diversity it represents.

Latinos and my LDS friends will be served by a man of respect and a man of faith who uses his talents in looking for the good in others and (is) not involved in undermining others for personal gain and a person who will find solutions to the problems to make Franklin County better today than yesterday.

We need good men who will respect all laws in the state and a man who will rest his hand on the Bible to uphold his fellow man’s good wishes. My wife Marty and I ask you to vote for Rocky Mullen, Franklin County Commissioner Position 2.

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Jenkin best for 16th Senate seat

I support Bill Jenkin for 16th District senator. Bill is a principled leader with a proven track record. He has integrity, a strong work ethic and a breadth of knowledge well suited to public service.

Years of experience as a small-business owner gave Bill a foundation in fiscal responsibility – an important trait as Washington finds itself in a severe budget shortfall. He has dealt firsthand with burdensome government regulation. Bill knows that we need an evenhanded approach to COVID-19. Our district’s businesses must be allowed to safely reopen.

As a vineyard and winery owner, Bill knows the vital economic role agriculture plays in our state. He will work hard to solve important water, regulatory and agritourism issues to help our district’s agricultural businesses thrive. He knows our dams are essential to irrigation, transportation and electricity.

Through his experience on the Prosser School Board, Bill developed a well-rounded understanding of the issues in education. Bill will work to ensure Washington state meets its obligation to fund education, and he will prioritize reopening schools safely.

When compared with his competitors, Bill stands out as the best choice in the 16th Legislative District.

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Tri-Cities: Suck it up and mask up

I am tired of living in a county that is stuck in Phase 1 restrictions. I am saddened each and every day when I read about more people dying a horrible death from COVID-19 infection.

Wearing a protective face mask is not infringing on anyone’s freedom. Nor is wearing a seatbelt when you drive, or putting a young one in a child safety seat.

COVID-19 virus spreads mainly from person to person through respiratory droplets produced when an infected person coughs, sneezes or talks. Spread is more likely when people are in close contact with one another (within about 6 feet).

So everyone wear a protective mask. Maintain your social distance. If you do, you may prevent someone’s death, and they may save your life.

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Support Brown for district court

I have known Sen. Sharon Brown since she has been in public life and have worked with her on many legislative issues over the years. Sharon has always worked tirelessly on behalf of all the citizens of the Tri-Cities and has proven to be an effective leader, both in Olympia and here at home.

She has always spoken and conducted herself with the highest integrity and would conduct a courtroom honestly, fairly and with respect for all persons involved. Sen. Brown is a constitutionalist and believes that a judge’s job is to weigh the facts and the law in making a ruling, and that a judge’s job is not to seek specific outcomes or to legislate from the bench. She is a trained mediator, and no one will work harder than she.

Sharon Brown will make an outstanding Superior Court judge. Please join me in voting for her.

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Lehrman best for Franklin County

I would like to highlight the need for great leadership in Franklin County. The upcoming election for choosing representatives that will meet the needs of our county is a pivotal moment in time.

Kim Lehrman is running for Franklin County commissioner, District 1. She will bring unity and understanding to the decision-making for Franklin county with the needs of the people in mind. Her perspective is one of maturity and education. She values all aspects of those she is fighting to represent., especially those who have not had a voice. She shows concern and compassion for every single person regardless of ethnicity, sexual orientation, socio-economic standing, religion or political preference. She will bring a fair and balanced perspective that our county so badly needs at this time of crisis.

There are so many uncertainties in the near future, and it is time for Franklin County to have leadership in place that will provide progressive and innovative strategies, transparency and kindness!

Please take the time to vote, as each person can make a difference and exercise the freedoms we all enjoy in this great country to be heard individually!

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Klicker good fit with 16th District

I hope 16th District voters will join me in supporting Mark Klicker in his effort to become our representative in Olympia. Mark embodies a commitment of service to community that has been a hallmark tradition of the Klicker family name for decades.

Having worked for the Washington Farm Bureau for many years and having been an ag producer, Mark is very cognizant of issues and needs important to agriculture, small business and growing communities. Such experience is sorely needed and his advocacy would greatly benefit our voice in Olympia. Please join me in supporting Mark Klicker as our representative for the 16th District

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Ex-judge says Ajax his choice

I am pleased to endorse Shelley Ajax for Benton-Franklin Counties Superior Court judge, Position 1. As a former Benton-Franklin Superior Court judge, I had the opportunity to regularly observe and work with Shelley over a period of many years. When Shelley appeared before me, I knew she would be an effective, informed and thoughtful advocate and officer of the court who would assist the court in reaching a fair and just decision.

As a judge, Shelley Ajax will bring to the court those attributes that are so essential to the court and her position on it: her academic excellence as an undergraduate at WSU and as a law student at Gonzaga reflect her strong intellect and scholarship; her academic accomplishments, achieved while she was raising young children as a single parent, attest to her remarkable work ethic; the thoroughness, thoughtfulness and empathy with which she has always addressed the circumstances and issues involving her clients demonstrate her wisdom and careful consideration. Those qualities will serve her, the court and our communities particularly well as she considers the myriad issues that will come before her.

I encourage everyone to join me in voting for Shelley Ajax for superior court judge.

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Help migrants get proper health care

Will we ever qualify? Over and over again, Benton County has failed to meet the standards set by the state health department to move to Stage 2 of reopening. I believe there is a reason for this: the migrant agricultural workers. I am not trying to belittle anyone, because I hold a deep respect for these people; they are often willing to do work a lot of us would not care to do.

The problem is there are probably some who are here in this country illegally and as such will have little or no access to healthcare services, and if you have no legal right to be here in the United States, you aren’t exactly eligible to apply for health insurance.

So perhaps if we were a little more compassionate and a little less judgmental and tried reaching out to these people, the situation might improve dramatically.

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Don’t like U.S.? Go elsewhere

You can protest policies, the government or anything else you choose; that is your right. But when you “protest” our flag and anthem, you are insulting the nation that gave you the right to speak freely. Our country is far from perfect. If you know of another country where your freedom and opportunities are better, then you should move there and show respect for their flag.

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Non-drivers left out by drive-thru

I’m seeing so many things becoming drive-thru-only due to the virus, including drive-thru COVID testing. And now there are requirements to stay in your car until it’s your turn for such things as getting a haircut. That’s fine, but it seems in all this there has been absolutely zero thought that not everyone drives or owns a vehicle. We may be a minority, but we exist. What are we supposed to do in these situations?

This story was originally published July 26, 2020 at 12:01 AM with the headline "Letters: Elections, face masks, migrant workers and more | July 26."