Benton Co. Fire District 1 is stretched thin, but voters can help | Opinion

Benton District 1 to seek levy lid lift

As someone who lives in and volunteers for Benton County Fire District No. 1, I see firsthand what it takes to respond to emergencies in our community—and how challenging it’s becoming.

We respond to 2,000 emergencies each year, most of them medical. With more calls, we’re stretched thin — especially when emergencies overlap. Sometimes that means we need help from neighboring agencies. We’re grateful for that support, but depending on others can delay response when every minute matters.

Our crews do everything they can to respond quickly and professionally, but it’s clear we need more hands, updated equipment and stations that can support the growing demand.

That’s why I’m grateful our Board of Fire Commissioners is asking voters to consider a levy lid lift this August. This is about making sure we can continue delivering the service our community relies on.

If approved, the funding would allow us to hire more firefighters and EMTs, replace an aging ambulance and equipment and make long-overdue station improvements — all of which affect our ability to respond quickly and safely when residents need us most.

I’m proud to serve this community, and I hope residents will take a moment to learn more at www.bentonone.org/fire-levy-lid-lift.

Brock Long, Kennewick

Richlander liked Trump’s parade

I had the pleasure to view the Army 250 Parade on Saturday. It gave me a great sense of pride watching the young men and women represent their units and the Army. All are patriots willing to protect us at all costs. Our future is in good hands as represented by the parade participants. For those not familiar with our history, the parade gave a historical overview of the conflicts our country has endured starting before we became a nation.

I suspect the recruiting stations will be overrun with potential new recruits. Since the Army has met its recruiting goal four months early, potential recruits will have to wait until 2026. It seems leadership has made the difference in attracting new recruits. One reason we have no kings is that the U.S. Army helped make it so.

David Havre, Richland

Trump tax cuts aren’t affordable

America can’t afford to extend tax cuts to the richest 1/10th of Americans, nor is it needed. Some in that group like to correctly point out that the top 10% account for 70% of income tax revenue, but it’s also true that they own 70% of assets. Some also point out that a large minority of Americans don’t even pay income taxes. That’s a reference to millions of low-paid workers and to disabled people who spend every dollar they get on rent and other necessities. Many are on the verge of homelessness.

Most wealth is inherited and all wealth depends on the awesome American infrastructure that is bought with tax dollars. Many corporations profit from tax-funded contracts and subsidies too, so the wealthiest 10% benefit far more than the rest of Americans from government spending. If they don’t have lots of disposable income, then they must not be doing it right. Maybe spending too much on influencing lawmakers from both parties, by the way.There’s a limit to how much the wealthy can be taxed before it becomes counterproductive. America is well below that limit and voters should be demanding more, not less, taxation of the very wealthy.

Greg Carl, Richland

Gabbard video downright dumb

Tulsi Gabbard just made a video warning of our impending nuclear doomsday. It’s dramatic, but dangerously dumb.

Why? Because:

1. Putin wants us to be passive.

2. Mutually Assured Destruction means everybody likes existence, so nuclear war is highly unlikely.

3. Tulsi claims “political elite warmongers” are happy to totally destroy the earth because — wait for it — they have nuclear shelters that normal folks don’t have. (And the ultra-dystopian background music cues so we know the conspiracy is 100% true. Yes! 5-15 years in an underground bunker! Every elite politician’s dream!

4. Think about it. If we are afraid to confront Putin’s crimes because he has nukes, (here’s what) we clearly teach the world: Get nukes! Then invade your neighbors with impunity. America will cave. Same with you, China.

Biden sent those very messages by slow-walking arms and restricting their use. He even publicly declared his fear of “nuclear Armageddon.” Now we are broadcasting our cowardice even louder by abandoning Ukraine.

The result:

1. Germany now wants nukes.

2. So does Poland.

3. And Ukraine, who now regrets giving them up!

4. More proliferation will continue.

Gabbard’s fear-mongering rewards bullies and ensures our children’s world will have more nuclear countries. And Putin smiles!

Mark Douglass, Kennewick