Letters: Elections, climate change, capitalism and more | Sept. 27

This Republican will vote for Raffa

I have endorsed Justin Raffa for county commission because his opponent, Jerome Delvin, advanced a proposal to split up the Benton Franklin County Superior Court.

He did so by convincing a member of the Legislature to place a provision to split the court, placed in a budget bill to avoid any public debate. No one supported this proposal, not the County Bar Association, no attorney that I know, nor any Judge in either county.

Fortunately, leaders in the state Senate acted to stop this proposal. The bicounty relationship has deteriorated. The bicounty superior court has worked well since the late 1970s, and it is not in the public interest to attempt to change a system because of personality conflict with commissioners in Franklin County. This is a solution in search of a problem.

I have never supported a Democrat for any office in my adult life, but I am making an exception in this case: 1) I know Justin Raffa to be a man of integrity who seeks to serve the public; and 2) Unlike the incumbent, Justin will work to build our local institutions rather than tear them down.

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Peck and Mullen for Franklin County

As Latinos for Rocky Mullen and Brad Peck for Franklin County commissioners, we need commissioners with knowledge of running successful business, not community fun games. We need commissioners with experience in working with public money and community taxes. Brad Peck has a proven record in running his own successful business and has taken the TRAC — or now HAPO Center — into the black and out of the red, where for years TRAC was losing $400,000 yearly and now is in the positive making money.

Rocky Mullen has experience in managing one of the largest cattle companies in Washington and many other businesses that Rocky and his wife together have been successful managing as owners. We need leaders who will listen to everyone, not just a certain group of friends and community others, and we need commissioners who will represent all and take their job seriously for the betterment of all taxpayers and all residents who live in Franklin County. My wife Marty and I invite all our friends, business owners and those that we practice our faith with to vote for Brad Peck, Commissioner District 1 and Rocky Mullen District 2. Mark your ballots for Peck and Mullen, Franklin County commissioners.

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Lehrman right for Franklin County

The Franklin County Republican Central Committee effectively said on Sept. 3 that Brad Peck is the wrong person for the County Commission; they agreed that the commission “needs more common sense,” and voted 25-1 against endorsing Peck.

I agree — leadership, accountability, transparency and a science-based approach to managing Coronavirus in our community is sorely needed. That’s why I’m voting for Kim Lehrman for Franklin County Commissioner District 1, and I hope you join me.

A vote for Kim is a vote for a commissioner who listens, weighs all sides of an issue, and makes informed decisions based on science, knowledge and principle — not party. Kim will provide the leadership our county needs to face present and future challenges, and she will represent all members of our community.

Kim is an educator who taught in the Pasco public schools and understands the needs of students and teachers. She’s the parent of four children and understands the needs of families. She grew up on a farm and understands the needs of farmers and the agricultural community.

Her cooperative spirit, intelligence, and experience is what we need. Please join me; vote for Kim Lehrman, Franklin County Commissioner District 1.

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‘Free’ items aren’t really ‘free’

The Tri-City Herald should discontinue use of the word “free” from news articles when referring to products and services being offered at no direct cost to the recipient. Whether the article promotes free meals, free COVID testing, or free laptops for students’ use, those products and services are not due to an unlimited supply of manna raining down from heaven. There are costs associated with each offering and those costs are borne by someone else. Whether it’s earnings, time, talent, taxes, effort or resources, someone else paid a price to make something available to others without receiving payment in return. I am not suggesting that such programs are wasteful, wrong or unimportant but the term “free” is inaccurate and it also subtly implies that such help is insignificant, easy or of minimal value.

Maybe we could adopt a new acronym similar to the phrase, Buy One, Get One (BOGO), used by the marketing folks. Let’s try, Donated by Someone Who Cares for You (DONSOCY); or Provided by Others (PROBO); or maybe No Payment by Recipient (NOPAYR).

Don’t minimize the generosity of those behind the products or services mentioned in your articles, just be sure that the word “free” is eliminated from the offer.

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Smoke-filled air a warning to us

A few hours after the smoke hit, my lungs and throat were burning. My asthma and allergies were the least of my issues as light activity like climbing the stairs became a challenge and sleep became second to that feeling of panic when it seems you cannot breathe. As I lie awake scared, I am also frustrated and wondering, how many others must suffer? What it will take for this nation to get serious about limiting climate change?

It’s time to break down barriers to available solutions and incentivize accelerating the transition to a carbon-free economy. Let’s expand the network of fast charging stations for electric vehicles, add hydrogen stations for hydrogen fuel cell vehicles, reward farmers for sequestering carbon in their soil, return the revenue from a price on carbon to the people in equal shares, and expand carbon pricing worldwide with tariffs on imports from countries without a price on carbon.

I know that these actions won’t reverse the damage in my lifetime. However, if we work together to begin to be better stewards of our earth, these solutions will limit the damage that future generations will have to endure.

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Supposed ‘poll’ was fishy to her

I (recently) received a call from a data collection group. Many questions about the November election. Most were just, “who will you vote for in the presidential and gubernatorial elections?” type.

But, then, the person read me statements — supposedly accurate and objective — about each gubernatorial candidate which seemed to have been written by each candidate’s opposition. The critical statements about Inslee were all about policies and there was no use of labels or guilt by association in them.

But the statements about Loren Culp were full of deliberately deceptive supposed “facts” and labels like “Trump supporter.” “Far right,” “pro gun,” etc., which were not a part of the Inslee statements at all.

Then, the questioner said that “sometimes these polls change people’s minds,” and he asked if I had changed my mind about who I was choosing to vote for governor. Clearly, this was the purpose of this call. I would be interested in knowing who is paying for this type of data collection. Is it the taxpayers of Washington? Because it was clearly directed at changing Culp supporters’ minds.

Pay attention out there voters. Pay close attention. One side has the media on speed dial.

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Patriots wear masks in public

I recently visited my parents in San Diego and saw a variety of signs. My favorite was, “A Patriot Wears a Mask.” My father is a patriot and staunchly refuses to wear a mask and badgered our server about wearing a mask while serving us outside on the patio. I defended the server and my mother left a large tip.

None of us can change my father, but I believe we all should continue to wear masks in public until this coronavirus is contained. I am a documented DAR (Daughter of the American Revolution) through my father’s ancestry, and I consider myself to also be a patriot. I also believe we should all continue to wear masks while in public to stop the spread of COVID-19.

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Why it’s all right to vote for Biden

Trump says the Bible is his favorite book, yet can’t name a single chapter or verse he finds inspirational.

Trump accuses people who take a knee as unpatriotic, yet he refers to World War I heroes buried in France as “losers.”

Trump tweets he’s for law and order, yet 7 of his closest associates have been indicted, arrested, or convicted of crimes.

Trump insists he’s a business genius, but he won’t release his tax returns.

Trump sees himself as an expert on international trade, yet the U.S. trade deficit surged to the highest level in 12 years.

Trump claims voting by mail is crooked, but offers no proof.

Trump insists he’s tough on Russia, yet he continues to deny U.S. intelligence that implicates Putin’s attack on our elections.

Trump assured us in March COVID-19 would disappear in spring, yet there are 185,000 Americans dead in September.

It’s okay to vote for Democrats. You’re not surrendering to socialism, just calling for decency in leadership. You can even tell everybody you voted for Trump if they ask! But make no mistake, we must elect Joe Biden.

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Show some class, leave signs alone

Why am I not surprised? Some Trump supporter felt the need to deface the Biden/Harris sign in West Richland.

It just reinforces the fact that they are as self/serving and egotistical as the person they support. I hope they find out who did it and prosecute them.

I know it’s hard to do, but a little class and decency shown would be nice!

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Try reducing social media time

In Sunday’s edition (9/13/20), Laura Bell wrote of media needing to be factual. I must agree. Journalism should be of the highest caliber. Unfortunately, let us look at how we receive our news first.

On July 28, I uninstalled Facebook after realizing how pointless it had become. It became, for me, a place of highly polarized news and debate. It was no longer a place of quirky cat videos and odd news out of Florida. Once I cut “fb,” as the cool kids call it, I received news primarily through local news channels. I’ve found myself less polarized. I’m more receptive to a wider array of ideas. Similar to when I was in high school, a pre-Facebook-obsessed time, when I listened to NPR religiously.

On social media platforms, we tend to have like-minded individuals. Or we’re seeing what we’ve subscribed to primarily. Further entities like Facebook target what you see even when not subscribed. Ultimately, Facebook is only telling you what you want to hear. Traditional media outlets, regardless of perceived bias, tends to have more factual and less inflammatory content than found on social media.

I encourage all to reduce social media’s news influence in favor of traditional media.

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Rude passerby soured memorial

On 9/11, I was at the memorial held at the VFW in the Uptown of Richland. It was nice seeing all of those flags and reminded me of Sept. 12, 2001, when we all came together as Americans and flags were flying everywhere. Then something changed that ruined my recall.

A fellow was driving by in what I assumed was his mother’s car and yelled, “F--- the police.” My emotions went from rage to sadness.

Some 222 police officers died that day, 19 years ago, trying to save lives. F--- the police? How could anyone even think to say something like that? Especially on 9/11.

I want to say so many things to that ungrateful person, but I will keep it civil and only say, “Thank you,” to our police. And, I will always have your six.

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Limit excesses of our capitalism

Capitalism, insufficiently regulated, is the central player in the extinction of the world’s wildlife, the disappearance of rainforests across the globe, the pollution of our air and water, and the existential threat to the very survival of humanity — of us.

Carbon underpins America’s capitalist economy, on the surface the most successful economic engine in world history. Carbon-based fuels dominate global energy production, but in using them we have made a bargain with the devil, as their byproduct has been global warming with its brutal climate change consequences. The devastating wildfires we are seeing today are a grim prelude of things to come.

The appeal of capitalism is its presumed fit with human nature, namely that one works best when working in one’s own self-interest. But even San Francisco’s “filthy rich” living in Pacific Heights must have wondered as they coughed to clear their lungs of the acrid smoke, and looked out on a red twilight, whether this was in their interest, or anyone else’s for that matter.

We can continue to thrive in a capitalist economy if we harness its perverse incentives. Or ultimately, we can cease to continue at all.

This story was originally published September 27, 2020 at 12:02 AM with the headline "Letters: Elections, climate change, capitalism and more | Sept. 27."