When we moved there, Richland took us in and made us feel welcome. Thank you all | Opinion

Newcomer made to feel welcome

We moved to Richland at the very beginning of the COVID shutdown in 2020. It was a hard time for all of us, and it took a while to settle in here. But the people here drew us in. We have lived in several communities across the nation.

Richland has the kindest, most compassionate, genuine and just plain nice people we’ve met. I use a walker, and there’s always someone opening doors and helping me when I need it. But you have all shown exceptional kindness. Neighbors check on me to make sure I’m OK.

They take out my trash and do my recycling. When I was in the hospital recently, they took care of my cats. And I’ve made really good friends here.

So thank you, Richland. Thanks for caring. Thanks for noticing, for seeing people. Thanks to the door holders. Thanks to the cheerful retail clerks. Thanks to all the polite and helpful kids at Hanford High and other neighborhood schools.

Thanks to the bus drivers who have a friendly greeting every time. Yes, even the ones who tell awful jokes! Thanks, Richland for community, and for friendships and for becoming my new home town.

Penny Watkins, Richland

Is Trump making his voters happy?

Many people voted for Trump. I assume they’re happy that:

• Prisoners who violently assaulted police and desecrated the Capitol have been pardoned and freed.
• Non-vetted people access classified information.
• Musk and his employees have access to government computers in federal payments, personnel other agencies.
• Public health notices, thus, medical research (e.g., cancer, bird flu) have been suspended because researchers can’t communicate among themselves.
• Frozen international aid includes humanitarian aid, so, as the agencies say, “People will die.”
• Firing inspectors general, consumer protection, experienced federal law enforcement officers and prosecutors, without replacements ready.
• Government hiring freeze includes National Parks seasonal workers. Rangers wonder how the parks will function this summer.
• Fox News says paying higher prices is “patriotic.” Tariffs mean prices will increase even more.
• Trump wants to eliminate the debt ceiling, cut food assistance, healthcare and social programs so he can increase tax cuts for his wealthy buddies.
• Trump has threatened at least five countries. He is seen as the bully of the world.

It seems MAGA means the U.S. will be less safe, less healthy, less respected, more expensive and run by a billionaire. Who benefits from this? China does — they are showing themselves as friendly to other countries.

Joyce Scherpelz, Richland

Closing doors will cost my business

My comments on the business owners that closed to support illegal immigrants: You are well within your rights to deny your services to me in order to support criminals; however please be aware I also have the right to not spend my dollars in your business.

If I ascertain you closed to support illegals, rest assured, you will not receive my business in the future. People who are in the United States legally have nothing to worry about from the current administration’s actions to restore our nation’s borders and remove individuals who enter illegally.

John Oldham, Kennewick

Disappointed with Newhouse

I am writing today to express my disappointment with the office of Rep. Dan Newhouse. Last week I wrote to his chief of staff, expressing my concern at the purge of FBI agents and the firing of nonpartisan government inspectors general by the Trump administration. Not only did I not get an explanation, but my note was not even acknowledged.

Since my note, all sorts of other debacles have ensued. It is time for all elected officials to face up to what appears to be an effort to fundamentally change the nature of the Republic. Please, Rep. Newhouse, do your best to defend your oath to the Constitution and to defend the interests of your constituents.

Jim Campbell, West Richland

Rebuilding Gaza but not America

So, King Elon Musk and his consort Donald Trump are going to take over the Gaza Strip and rebuild so the Palestinians can lead beautiful lives.

Who is going to rebuild the parts of the United States of America after floods, hurricanes, tornadoes and fires have destroyed many parts of our country so Americans can live beautiful lives?

How Trump has the nerve to announce during a news conference in front of the American people standing next to Israel’s “leader”and announce his plans is beyond me. How smug Netanyahu must feel to have the U.S. pick up the tab for a war we did not participate in nor start.

April Nishioka, Richland

Trump plan won’t trim your costs

Nearly half of Trump supporters are economically stressed and pay no federal income tax. Trump has promised help by extending his 2017 tax cuts and eliminating taxes on tips, overtime and Social Security. This plan provides little added benefit to the economically stressed, since most already are untaxed on their total incomes.

Trump’s new tariffs will result in retaliation and inflation, likely raising living costs by thousands of dollars annually. Trump also is considering cuts to numerous safety-net programs at a potential cost of thousands more to replace eliminated essentials.

Trump baselessly promised to restore well-paying jobs by deporting millions of immigrants. Immigrants primarily fill undesirable jobs, taking good jobs only when demand exceeds supply. Deportation will cause further inflation as businesses pay higher wages for low-end work.

Recent analyses show Trump’s plan to further cut business taxes will have little positive impact on the economy. The tax benefit primarily will “trickle” up to the wealthy rather than down to the economically stressed in the form of well-paid jobs.

Trump admitted his plans will cause “pain” and cutting the cost of groceries will be “hard.” The economically stressed likely will be working harder to maintain their present standards of living.

Russ Treat, Richland

Why stop with Gulf of Mexico?

Renaming the Gulf of Mexico? Why stop there? The state of Montana is derived from the Spanish word for mountainous, Nevada comes from the Spanish word “snowy,” Colorado means “color red” in Spanish, Arizona could be a Basque derived word for “the good oak” and Texas comes from the word Tejas, a Spanish version of a Caddo loan word (taysha) meaning “friend.” New Mexico? New America!

”California” will have to go as well. It derives from a 16th Century novel about a Black Amazon warrior queen. Pretty Woke! Alabama, Alaska, Arkansas, Connecticut, Florida, Illinois, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Oklahoma, Ohio, North and South Dakota, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Nebraska, Tennessee, Utah, Wisconsin, and Wyoming are all variants of Native American words.

Hawaii is the name of the largest island of the chain — keeping it simple. Idaho and Oregon sound made up. Probably are. Delaware, Louisiana, (possibly) Maine, and Vermont are all French-ish. Ou la la!

The states of North and South Carolina, Georgia, The News (Hampshire, Jersey, and York), Maryland, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, West and (southeast?) Virginia and Washington were names brought from Europe.

I guess Indiana is safe: the name acknowledges that Indians lived there.

Mark Sweeney, Richland

Richland’s Neill deserves honor

Great to see Columbia Basin College administration, faculty, students, community, graduates, former athletes and athletics department agreed to honor and recognize Coach Cheryl Holden with “Cheryl Holden Court.”

There was zero resistance throughout the state of Washington.

The Richland High School administration, staff, students, community, former players and athletics department have a long overdue opportunity to do a similar honor and recognition for longtime basketball coach Phil Neill, born, raised and educated in Richland, plus 40 years as a Bomber basketball coach, including 18 years as head coach with “Phil Neill Court.”

There is zero resistance throughout Washington state, including the Washington Interscholastic Basketball Coaches Association and Hall of Fame.

Steve Piippo, Richland, retired educator and coach advocate

USAID important to nation’s ideals

USAID is an independent agency of the U.S. government that is primarily responsible for administering civilian foreign aid and development assistance. It has missions in over 100 countries. It was established by President John Kennedy to unite several organizations and programs under one agency.

Congress authorizes USAID’s programs in the Foreign Assistance Act. It is an official component of U.S. foreign policy.

USAID manages U.S. government programs in low-income countries for disaster relief, assistance to public health and education services targeted at the poorest, helps manage food aid provided by the USDA and assists projects associated with global climate change. Most goods and services financed by USAID must be sourced from U.S. vendors.

Why do President Donald Trump and Elon Musk want to shut down this agency? Musk called the agency “a radical-left political psy op” and a “crazy waste of money” without citing evidence. Trump told reporters “It’s been run by a bunch of radical lunatics, and we’re getting them out.”

USAID advances American ideals, does vital work to help the world’s most vulnerable and demonstrates American good will. Unfortunately the current leadership, many billionaires, have neither good nor charitable intentions.

Amy Small, Richland

Remember voters, Rep. Newhouse

I encourage Rep. Dan Newhouse to remember that he is in Washington, D.C., this year specifically because our district did not want a representative who would blindly follow the policies represented by Trump. We chose Newhouse over Trump’s proxy Jared Sessler.

If only Trump supporters had voted in the District 4 House race, Sessler would likely have beat Newhouse, as evidenced by Sessler’s strong showing in the 2024 primary. It is because of moderate Republicans and Democrats alike that Newhouse gets to return to the Capitol.

I hope that whenever he is asked to tow the party line and blindly follow … what is shaping up to be an erratic, irresponsible administration, that he remember the thousands of us here in Central Washington who want a moderate and, more importantly, functional government.

Murray Sampson, Winthrop