Bill of Rights, carbon tax, Road 68, Newhouse, a liberal plot and other Herald letters

1st Amendment: How’s it applied?

Who judges on vaccine exemptions?

Washington State University fired Coach Rolovich for claiming a religious exemption. How does the state, a secular body, determine anybody’s religious exemption? I don’t agree with any religious exemption for vaccine mandates and think everybody who is physically able should get vaccinated. But once you’ve granted that exemption, you have to accept anybody’s claim. The state cannot interpret an individual’s spiritual relationship with their beliefs.

Bill of rights, Amendment I:

“Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof ….”

If that free exercise of religion includes selective vaccine avoidance, it has to be accepted. The state has to either override all religious beliefs to force vaccinations under emergency health authorization or accept anybody’s claim of the exemption.

As someone who’s been vaccinated, contracted COVID-19 and now been boostered, I ask all citizens to get vaccinated so we can get rid of the masks and go back to living.

Dale Pryor, Richland

Richland council unlikely to change

I wish to inform (the Herald Editorial Board’s “A Critical Mission”) that I have, before this recent election, communicated via email with Bob Thompson, who was speaking on behalf of the (Richland) City Council. I asked what the city planned to do regarding the housing crisis. Terse and vague, Thompson suggested that there was nothing to be done but let the free market take its course and that, subsequently, the city had no plans at all to address the rising inaccessibility of housing.

His position being taken now by a loan officer and Realtor, I see no reason whatsoever to believe the City Council will suddenly perform an about-face on the position.

While it is all well and good to encourage private citizens try to address the city’s problems, the reality is that government work must be done by government officials. If citizens want to see a problem addressed, they must apply discomforting pressure to their politicians.

Bengt Freepons, Richland

Time for carbon tax has arrived

We still have time to determine our fate. As we have been hearing a lot lately, the world is now in a climate crisis. The changes to our climate have been devastating to so many people and we know it will get much worse unless we enact aggressive policy now.

The people of this world rightly expect the U.S., the wealthiest and highest carbon-emitting nation (per capita), to lead the way. President Biden’s call during COP26 for global reduction in methane (Biden’s Climate Plan, Tri-City Herald, Nov. 3) can “make a huge difference.” Biden’s climate policies in the Build Back Better plan won’t do enough.

Pricing carbon pollution is needed to reach our climate goals, and it can be done without additional spending. It would also help reduce methane emissions. And including a dividend would benefit most Americans.

“Resources for the Future” shows a carbon price alone starting at $15 per ton of CO2 could reduce emissions 45% below 2005 levels by 2030. And carbon pricing with a border adjustment tax is the best way to incentivize big polluters like China to do the same.

Please ask Sens. Maria Cantwell and Patty Murray and President Biden to support these measures. We can do this.

Lora Rathbone, Richland

Road 68 change isn’t for the better

As a longtime resident of Pasco and having seen the city’s population grow, I don’t complain too much. But this new reroute of Road 68? It’s not working and talking to other residents, it does not work for them either.

Please consider putting it back! It is not as efficient or effective as it was before. If the issue is turning left off Burden, give them the second lane from the inside as a designated means to highway access.

Rafael Diaz, Pasco

Mandates causing division in U.S.

Thank you for featuring the Washington Post article on the conflict at Dayton General Hospital. How very sad. WebMD.com reported, “Experts don’t have information about the outcome of every infection. However, early estimates predict that the overall COVID-19 rate of recovery is between 97 and 99.5%.” (August 7, 2021).

Vaccine mandates are causing divisions in our country that this disease does not warrant. Mandates are just plain wrong. As a fully vaccinated person, I support the right of others to make decisions about their healthcare for themselves. So should we all.

Linda K. Gragg, Kennewick

It’s sad so many refuse vaccine

It is frustrating and sad that so many of our fellow Eastern Washingtonians refuse to do the patriotic thing, namely getting vaccinated to help protect themselves, their families, their neighbors and help the country end the pandemic.

Maybe it would be best if Brad Klippert, and the others who refuse vaccination, did us all a favor and moved to Idaho. It would increase the average IQs of both states.

Reese Bang, Richland

What Newhouse voted against

On Friday (Nov. 5), the House of Representatives passed the bipartisan infrastructure bill. It is a positive step in restoring the decaying infrastructure across the country and providing jobs for millions of workers.

However, Rep. Dan Newhouse voted against it.

In essence he voted against:

Repairing roads and bridges.

Updating railroads and airports.

Improving the power grid and water systems.

Supporting broadband infrastructure.

Cleaning up abandoned mines.

Plugging old oil and gas wells.

Upgrading ports.

A few years ago, he didn’t hesitate to provide tax breaks for high-income individuals. But this time Newhouse turned his back on us, the average citizens and his Central Washington constituents to placate his Republican party.

Suzanne Feeney, Kennewick

Find out more on carbon tax plan

As Congress considers policies and funding to address the impacts of climate change in the U.S., world leaders are meeting in Glasgow to further address the climate crisis on a global scale. These issues are deeply personal for me.

As someone who back-packed the length of Arizona, I experienced firsthand the devastation of extreme heat, drought and wildfires. I moved to Washington one year ago attracted by the cooler temperatures and cleaner air, only to experience record-breaking heat and unhealthy to hazardous air due to wildfires in Washington and neighboring states.

The National Academy of Sciences reports that based on the rate that dry air sucks up moisture, climate change is essentially two-thirds to 88% responsible for the conditions driving the region’s wildfire woes.

Please ask our congresspersons and President Biden to support carbon pricing. Carbon pricing and dividends, along with a border adjustment tax are the best way to motivate polluting corporations and countries to reduce emissions without additional spending.

Learn more about the Carbon Fee and Dividend Plan through Citizen’sClimateLobby.org. The website provides information on how to let your local and national legislators know you want the Carbon Fee and Dividend Plan included in pending legislation.

Craig Mills, Kennewick

Liberal plot

I’m surprised by now that the right wing anti-vaxers haven’t figured out that the Covid vaccine is a liberal plot to diminish the right wing vote. Liberals knew, when the vaccines were made available, that the majority of Donald Trump supporters wouldn’t get vaccinated, even though Trump himself got the shots. A new study shows that Americans in heavily trump-supported counties are three times more likely to die from Covid than in the Biden-supported areas. Coincidence? I think not.

Mike Berriochoa