Letters: Elections, Halloween, Duportail detour and more | Oct. 11

Halloween should happen for kids

Let’s make Halloween happen for Tri-City kids! They deserve to participate in this special rite of passage and experience a much-needed night of normalcy.

We have all had many opportunities to problem solve and get creative over the last six months and we can do it again on Oct. 31. If you don’t want to participate, leave your porch light off; if you would like children to knock on your door and do face-to-face trick or treating, leave your porch light on. Finally, leave your porch light on with a bowl of candy outside your door if that feels more comfortable.

Now kids, especially you older ones, remember to make this fun for everyone and just take one delicious piece of candy so all can enjoy. We can do this safely and savor a special night of happy memories.

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Biden vote means we get competency

Please stop defending the indefensible President Donald Trump. He is the worst person for the office he holds. He needed to put on his big boy pants and address the American public after he was briefed on how deadly the COVID-19 viral outbreak was. Ramping up the supply of PPE, telling Americans it was their civic duty to wear face masks/coverings, social distance and wash their hands would have prevented countless infections and over 100,000 deaths. He should have led by example.

Instead, we watched Gov. (Mario) Cuomo of New York beg for enough PPE and ventilators. So many people died of COVID-19 infections that their bodies were kept in refrigerated trucks until they could be buried without attended funerals. Meanwhile, President Trump encouraged supporters to go to his mass rallies without following CDC guidelines.

Vice President Joe Biden is a moderate Democrat. He will have a big job ahead of him repairing America’s standing in the world, treating Russia like the adversary it is, protecting the environment and reversing climate change, restoring the postal system and ensuring healthcare is available and affordable for all.

Voting for Joe Biden is a vote for competency and decency.

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Mike Mitchell most qualified

It is not every day we can elect someone who understands their role and can start working from the day they are sworn into office. We have that opportunity in the (Walla Walla) Superior Court judicial race.

I know Mike Mitchell to be an even-tempered, compassionate, and knowledgeable individual. He has all the qualifications it takes to be our next Superior Court judge. He was appointed a Superior Court commissioner in 2009 and served as judge protein on various occasions since the 1990s.

Mike completed the Judicial College training in 2013, a requirement prior to serving on the bench as part-time court commissioner for Walla Walla County starting in 2013.

As we move forward into 2021 and beyond living in this new normal, it is imperative we have a judge who can start hearing cases immediately. COVID-19 has created such a large backlog of cases and changed the way the courts are having to operate, a person of Mike’s expertise and knowledge is highly desirable.

Join me in voting Mike Mitchell for Superior Court judge Nov 3.

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Support Peck, he’s not corrupt

I vote and support Brad Peck. All the accusations that have been made against him have been unfounded; that makes him an honest, upstanding commissioner. When the other commissioners went against Inslee’s orders and met in Commissioner Didier’s potato shed, Commissioner Peck chose to abide by the law.

I don’t agree with Gov. Jay Inslee, but if you can’t trust someone to not break the law, why would you want them in charge of anything for your city/county? Commissioner Peck may make a mistake from time to time, but he will rectify it. Vote for honesty and not corruption.

Thank you.

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Think of the good Trump has done

So you do not like Trump, but look at the good he has done in so short a time. He has Israel and the some of the Arab nations uniting. He signed the Save Our Seas Act, which funds $10 million per year to clean tons of plastic from the sea. He also signed the biggest wilderness protection and conservation bill in a decade, designating 375,000 acres as protected land.

Do you dislike that he listened to Senator Scott and passed Invest in Opportunity Zones to help minorities? Do you dislike that he passed prison reform, which has made a huge difference for the black communities?

Do you dislike he has brought home over 40 Americans who were held captive? Do you dislike that he supports law and order? Do you dislike that he made a commitment to end human trafficking? Do you dislike we are energy independent from foreign nations?

He has done a multitude of positive things for our world and nation. He and his team get things done. So he is gruff and outspoken, but his heart is in the right place to make America great again. May God bless him and our country.

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Vote to reject sex education measure

Last April, our state Legislature passed Senate Bill 5395, which mandates the teaching of comprehensive sexual education from kindergarten through high school. Parents felt ignored by the legislature, and in an effort to bring this to a vote of the people, they gathered over 266,000 signatures for Referendum 90. This was the largest number of signatures ever gathered in Washington State history!

In order to repeal this very bad law, you need to vote reject R90 on your ballot. Send Olympia a loud and clear message, “Stop sexualizing our children!”

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Use mute button for next debates

At an early age, I learned the adage, “Better to remain silent and be thought a fool than to speak out and remove all doubt.”

President Trump should learn from this expression. His constant talking during Biden’s two minutes of response to a question during the presidential debate was utterly childish. For the next debates, I highly recommend giving the moderator a mute button on Trump’s microphone to eliminate his blathering during Biden’s responses.

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Don’t ignore COVID guidelines

Donald Trump has coronavirus? What might this mean? In our community, there are many people who don’t wear masks or comply with social distancing and think that these measures we take as a community to protect the health of the public are actually a means of population control. Donald Trump didn’t try to discourage this mentality before he got sick, and in some ways validated it. In fact, his lack of cooperation with social distancing guidelines is probably why he got sick.

Only time will tell what might happen, but I have a few hypotheses. If Trump recovers, it will only reinforce the idea that this virus isn’t dangerous, despite the fact that a million are dead because of it. People will continue to ignore guidelines. If Trump doesn’t recover, it will reinforce the conspiracy theory that coronavirus was made by the government to control the people. If he doesn’t make it to the election, people will think that this was the left’s plan all along. And people will continue to ignore guidelines. The reality is, coronavirus is a serious disease that we need to take it seriously. People are dying. So please, whatever happens, don’t ignore the guidelines.

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Keep in mind cost of electing Dems

As you prepare to vote, by reviewing your ballot, please remember that the vast majority of those candidates with a “D” after their name, whether on a statewide or a national level, appear to have the same plan and path forward. Spend, spend, spend. And to accomplish this spending, they will need to raise our taxes and fees.

It seems like a big part of their campaign strategy is to promise all kinds of “freebies” to a lot of the voting population. As we all know, there is truly no such thing as free. Someone must be providing the funding for all of these “carrots” they are dangling in front of voters. Hence an increase in taxes and fees.

As you vote, please do the necessary research to be sure you are voting for not only the person but the costs (increased taxes and fees) that come with that candidate’s party strategy, philosophy and sales pitch.

Thanks, and please vote!

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Duportail detour fosters speedway

If ever a speed limit sign and/or increased Richland Police patrols have been essential, it is on the south end of Tanglewoood Avenue. Since the residents of this neighborhood have been held captive by the Duportail detour, Tanglewood has become the new Daytona speedway. Dozens of drivers seem to be wanna-be Marios and the scary part is there are dozens more children playing on the same street. If the city police are stretched so thin that they cannot include Tanglewood in routine patrols, then let’s install a camera to slow the flow and add a speed limit sign. This is a residential neighborhood.

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Justin Raffa for county commission

In these difficult times, we need leaders who will listen, will work respectfully with other elected officials, will be transparent in their decision-making and actions and will support our local community. Justin Raffa is that kind of leader.

Justin has worked tirelessly for the good of our community in so many diverse areas. He isn’t just a joiner who sits back and lets others do the work, he digs in and commits his time and energy to whatever cause or group effort he takes on as evidenced by his willingness to serve on the boards of a number of our state and community groups, including the state and local arts commissions, Leadership Tri-Cities and Visit Tri-Cities.

His integrity and passion for people and for issues of importance to our community is evident. His civility in dealing with others is widely recognized and continually demonstrated. We could not have a more trustworthy elected official.

It is so important that we all vote this November, and when you are filling out that important ballot, please check the box for Justin Raffa for County Commissioner District 1.

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Disagree but find common facts

I complained about Trump (as have 11 retired/former military leaders, including Mattis, and many who have left his administration). One major issue is he has made Democrats “the other, the enemy.” This attitude has caused many inaccurate statements and stereotypes.

Both Left and Right believe their ideas are best for our country. Both say that the other side wants a dictatorship. I hear these views from opposite sides:

Republicans say “law and order;” Democrats see support for a president who flouts the law (e.g., Hatch Act; fraud of Trump University and Trump Foundation). Republicans love the new postmaster general; Democrats see mail, prescriptions, checks and (previously) live animals being delayed. Republicans say “mainstream media” is biased; Democrats say Fox News and OAN are biased (both need FactCheck.org). Trump says voting by mail is fraudulent; our Republican Secretary of State says vote-by-mail is secure. “Better Russian than Democrat” is a T-shirt slogan; Democrats see Putin smiling at the discord he has created in our country.

If we are to be the UNITED States, we can’t see different views as hostile or fearful; we need to communicate with each other; find common facts, and common ideas to make our country better together.

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Johnson right for Superior Court

I support Brandon Johnson for Walla Walla County Superior Court judge. I have known Brandon over 20 years. I am a civil trial attorney and tried numerous cases in Walla Walla County.

Brandon is a perfect fit for a Superior Court judge and would do an excellent job. He is very intelligent and has practiced in many different areas. He has also served as a judge pro tem (a substitute judge in Superior Court), an arbitrator and a mediator with much success.

I know he is well respected by attorneys and the judiciary in the Tri-Cities. He definitely has the legal ability and intelligence to do the job but more importantly, he has the compassion necessary to make the difficult decisions that will impact people’s lives forever.

I know he will always follow the rule of the law, hold people accountable when it is required and yet understand the necessity to be unbiased to make a decision that is appropriate for all parties before the court.

I encourage everyone in Walla Walla County to vote for Brandon. He will serve your county in a manner that respects the law and all people who will appear before him.

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Get N95 masks out to everyone

Mr. Trump, get medical grade N95 masks available for everyone in this country. Why? Because there is no “ME” in mask.

Current masks provide little protection for the person who is wearing them. They really are used to protect other individuals around us when we can’t social distance. That’s why I say there is no “ME” in mask!

We need to get medical grade N95 masks out to everyone in this country if they want one. The evidence is clear that masks in general can benefit in keeping the spread of COVID-19 down and opening the economy. The evidence is also clear that medical N95 masks do the best job in protecting the person wearing the mask as well as those nearby. But those are saved for frontline personnel.

Mr. President, create a presidential order that massively ramps up production of medical grade N95 masks immediately so that when I wear one, I am protecting others and myself.

Then there will be a “ME” in mask use, and I believe people will get used to wearing and wanting to wear them more because they will help themselves as well as others.

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Didier reckless and feckless

This letter is directed at Clint Didier: How dare you declare that Democrats “don’t stand for freedom and don’t stand for America?” Just because Democrats don’t agree with your opinions as to what is best for this country doesn’t give you the right, or the knowledge, to make such a statement.

Lucky for me, I don’t live in Franklin County and have such an opinionated, egotistical and narrow-minded person representing me. Your behavior in this pandemic has been reckless and not in the best interests of the citizens of Franklin County. This back-handed approach to getting someone voted out of office because he wouldn’t go along with your illegal actions should be condemned by Republicans and Democrats alike.

You should be ashamed.

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Floyd’s record far from innocent

George Floyd had moved to Minneapolis after being released from Texas prison for aggravated robbery. He was under the influence of fentanyl and methamphetamine at the time of arrest. He’s been in jail for at least five times. Floyd’s profile reads like a career criminal involved in drug abuse, theft, criminal trespassing, aggravated robbery as well as entering a woman’s home and pointing a gun at her stomach while looking for drugs and money.

Shortly after George Floyd’s death, 3-year-old Mekhi James was killed in Chicago’s street gang wars, one of more than 100 people shot over that weekend. Included among the dead were two boys coming home after getting candy at a neighborhood store, and a 13-year-old girl.

An intersection in Minneapolis will be named after George Floyd, by unanimous city council vote.

Rarely is heard about the innocents like little Mekhi James. Sadly, it’s just everyday news of no political value for civic leaders in those communities.

Ironically, Blacks take another walk to the back of the bus, this time led by the elite liberal media and leadership that profits from Black misguided focus on law enforcement rather than the thousands of Black on Black murders.

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Our democracy is ‘at grave risk’

We have a democracy that now is at grave risk.

It’s been said all politics is local. However, now it seems to only echo a head of state and when that head of state says he isn’t interested in democracy unless it serves him, you are in a very bad place.

Our head of state has indicated that even if Americans vote and he loses by a landslide, he will simply call many votes illegitimate or late or duplicates or fakes and so on and refuse to accept it unless it is decided in his favor. Where have we heard that before?

After 200-plus years of elections, now suddenly a “leader” is allowed to create false doubt about the legitimacy of the election process itself. Is he telling his base that as long as they vote for him, win or lose, they’ll have power for life through him and his dynasty, and no need to have another election?

It would seem he is already a dictator in all but name. We are in a very bad place you and I. Many seem not to care. When you do care, it’ll be too late. You’ll have to live with your shame.

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Don’t bring end to Electoral College

Thank you, Jeff of Richland, for your Letter to the Editor (9/25/20). It startled me into researching this issue on my own. It is unlikely that the Electoral College will go away soon because it requires two-thirds of Congress and three-fourths of the 50 states to amend the Constitution.

Your alternative, the National Popular Vote: Compact Clause, however, could “put the fate of every presidential election in the hands of voters in as few as 11” of the 50 states. That does not sound good to me. Small states and rural communities like ours will be voiceless. Personally, I believe we should stick with the ground rules laid out in the US Constitution.

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Try reporting 3rd-party results

A recent letter writer expressed his disgust with the Republican-Democrat duopoly that controls our politics. If a voter is unable to tolerate the stench from either the D or R candidate, the only options are not voting or voting for casting a protest vote for a third party candidate who has no chance of winning.

I think a lot of people feel this way and wonder why when Tri-City Herald reports elections results, votes for non-duopoly candidates (or no vote at all for a particular office) are not included.

This story was originally published October 11, 2020 at 12:01 AM with the headline "Letters: Elections, Halloween, Duportail detour and more | Oct. 11."