Biden vs. Trump, Horse Heaven wind farm, masks and other Herald letters to the editor

She’s not missing events like Jan. 6

America is no longer burning, police shootings are down, and Trump’s private army of racists arrested. Biden’s economic growth is the highest since 1984, six times higher than Trump’s. We have 4% unemployment, down from the 5-6% average since 1946. Wage growth is up and workers in 21 states will see wage increases this year.

Biden is improving the standard of living in Guatemala, Honduras and El Salvador after Trump deliberately lowered it by cutting off foreign aid. Biden signed a Hate Crimes bill to curb Trump supporter violence such as the Jan. 6 insurrection. Biden has administered over 500 million vaccinations, provided free home testing kits; saving thousands of lives.

Biden is reducing the air pollution Trump deliberately increased. With the increased price of oil, greenhouse gases should drop even further as electric car and hybrid sales, already at record levels, continue to rise. Putin’s “puppet” is no longer in the White House.

Yet we have letters demanding students not wear masks in order to expose their teachers to C0VID-19, and if the teachers die, that’s their problem. Trump supporters miss the violence, the threats, the shootings and the burning cities. But most of all, they miss Jan. 6.

Mary Jo Wilkins, Kennewick

Consider results of censorship

Yes, censorship is sometimes necessary when false information may risk the lives of others.

Allow me to share some censorship history that actually put peoples lives at a higher risk.

Toward the end of World War I, the flu pandemic of 1918 started. It became known by many countries as the Spanish Flu, and it’s been estimated that nearly 50 million perished.

Researchers do not know why the flu was so lethal.

Could it be that it wasn’t the strain that was so lethal, but rather the time that it occurred?

During war time, many nations that were concerned about morale suppressed news of the flu. Spain was neutral during the war, so the gruesome details were not restricted and read by other nations. The free press in Spain is actually how the pandemic became known as the Spanish Flu; there is no proof that it originated there.

Can it be that the virus was not as lethal as perceived, but rather so many were uninformed and therefore didn’t take the necessary steps of precaution? Can you imagine the uproar if we were left uninformed in today’s society?

Gary Hanson, Kennewick

Wind farm a way to ‘flip east side off’’

It is no surprise that the west-side governor is in favor of the mega wind farm project proposed for our area. No surprise because it mainly benefits his neighborhood, without any negative side effects. Also since most of us around here are opposed to the thing, it gives him another chance to basically flip the east side off, which he likes to do!

Bob Cummings, West Richland

Wind turbines ‘beautiful’ too

Twenty-five years ago, GM leased a fleet of plug-in electric cars to see if there was a market for such a vehicle. A few years later, GM recalled the cars and crushed them, saying there was no viable market for them, despite the fact that most people who drove them liked them with many offering to buy their EV-1.

Detroit is finally building and selling hybrid and plug-in electric vehicles. As more people buy these, we’ll need more renewable electric power. Many citizens don’t want more wind farms because they spoil viewing the scenic hills. What scenic hills? The mostly brown sagebrush and cheat grass-covered hills? Or the residential housing-covered hills?

I’ve always viewed the windmills as beautiful in two ways; they give us power from our nearly constant wind and they are graceful to watch. When Steve Forbert was here for a concert I drove him up to the Nine Canyon Wind Farm. He was so impressed he talked about them during his show that night.

Brady Layman III, Kennewick

Our mask mandate must go away

Shame on the Richland School Board for backing down on the mask mandate. You just taught our children it’s okay to be bullied and how to cower down to Gov. Jay Inslee, a bully. Every state except ours and three other states have dropped the mask mandate. There is no reason other than to show us that he is in control and won’t back down because parents and students protested. Am I mad? You bet I am! They all need to be recalled and need to be replaced who voted to keep the mask mandate.

Parents, do you really want Richland School Board being in charge if they can’t stand up for your children?

Disappointed citizen,

Brenda Greenough, Kennewick

State usurping school board

We as parents elect a school board to oversee the education of our children. On our property tax statements, there are three items called school debt, capital and enrichment. Parents have control over the spending on buildings, maintenance, sports and other special programs.

Two other property tax items are known as the State School I and State School II. This amount of tax pulled from property owners is sent directly to the state. The state sends the funding back to the schools to pay for basic education. The elected school board hires the superintendent to implement the hiring of department heads and principals. The state pays the salaries of teachers and staff from our very own property tax money.

The Richland School Board tried to exercise their authority to make mask wearing by students on community school property as optional. The governor called for a withdrawal of local community tax money to pay teachers. The Richland superintendent closed the schools. What gives the state the right to supersede parental control? This is a wake-up call to parents — you have no control over your children’s education within the school buildings that you own. Mask mandates today. CRT tomorrow?

Mike Massey, Kennewick

RSD board: obey required rules

The Washington governor (Jay Inslee) directed all students to wear masks in the classroom to avoid spreading COVID-19. In violation of this legal order, the Richland School Board made wearing masks optional. The school board set an awful example for the students by showing them they may ignore the governor’s order. The school board should have handled the situation in a manner that agrees with their position without violating the law.

Another law requires they should notify the public before making major policy changes. All sides should be considered before changing the rules. The board approved the proposal without any discussion. Again, the school board by example showed the students to ignore any rule with which they disagree.

The school board should make policy changes according to accepted rules — exactly what our education institutions should be teaching the students.

The new school board needs training in following the rules they took an oath to follow.

Jerry Greenfield, Richland

Following science only if convenient

Gov. Jay Inslee frequently refers to following the science. Yet in his recent visit to Tri-Cities, he appeared to rely on emotion while supporting windmills and solar farms in the Horse Heavens, which many oppose due to the visual impact of windmills stretching for miles.

The governor’s statements such as, “The visual impact is offset by not having children choking with asthma in the summer,” and ,“So if you like to fish and you like to breathe and you like to have a few trees, wind turbines make sense,” seem more a plea to emotions than one based on science.

Are forest fires the result of climate change or poor forest management? Most are caused by humans and natural causes.

And, according to the Tri-City Herald article, most of the power produced by the Horse Heaven Wind Farm would be exported to more populous areas.

It seems science is only followed by the governor when convenient.

Jim Davison, Waitsburg