Letters to the Editor

How has Sheldon 'served?'

Editor, the Journal,

Best wishes to Sen. Tim Sheldon on his future as a gentleman timber baron, shellfish magnate and all-around success, in a county where success is not easily attained.

In fact, under his many decades tenure with the state of Washington, representing the citizens of Mason County, his years as a Mason County commissioner (seats held concurrently, no less), and as executive director of the Mason County Economic Development Council, Mason County has managed to achieve the dubious place of 28 out of 39 counties for healthiest counties. (2022 Healthiest Counties in Washington – Niche).

You know who is healthy, and high on the list of counties to live in Washington? That would be our near neighbor, Kitsap County. Not only is neighboring Kitsap County high on the list, but it is No. 2, and immediately behind us, Grays Harbor County at 29. What do Grays Harbor and Mason County have in common? An inability to move from a timber-based economy to anything else.

Politicians in Mason County like to brag that they have lived in the county for five or six generations. I have a question for these long-timers: How has your family contributed to the health and success of Mason County?

Being 28 out of 39 after all of his years of "service" to Mason County does not exactly confer bragging rights on the outgoing senator.

Katherine A. Price, Shelton

Get tough

Editor, the Journal,

Hello. I was reading the letter from Keith Schouviller from Shelton in the Journal from April 14. I believe that the homeless should be made to clean their own messes.

I recently reported a homeless camp and a lot of trash across from the Yacht Club. Someone from the city called me and they took care of it. If the people are there when you make them leave, they should be made to clean up. Maybe under supervision and with the help of the city. Another way is to stop the panhandling. Back East they don't allow it and you don't see that and it's nice. If the homeless refuse help, then take the fund that we all know exists and send them back to where they came from. It takes toughness and if you all don't get tougher it will never change.

I feel for the homeless, but you can't have this and not do anything new to stop it. Make it tough to be homeless here. The crime is up and it's a shame. People have been waiting for someone to step up and get something done.

Vicki Schoeneman, Shelton

Remembering 1962

Editor, the Journal,

Happy anniversary! Sixty years ago today - April 21, 1962 - the world first glimpsed the 21st century as President John Kennedy opened the Seattle World's Fair electronically from the White House. From my houseboat on East Lake Union, I watched the girders going into the sky to build the Space Needle.

I dodged Monorail towers being installed while driving to my job at Boeing. Elvis came to Seattle to make a movie at the World's Fair and rode the Monorail. I shared the world with grandparents, parents, siblings and friends without leaving Seattle.

Century 21 envisioned Pugetopolis running from Vancouver, British Columbia, to Portland, Oregon, with homes, businesses and factories the entire way. Alweg Construction, the German company that built the Monorail, offered to create a rapid transit system from Seattle to Olympia for free. Alweg wanted to demonstrate its Monorail was better than Chicago's L or the New York City subway.

Alweg would use the center portion between north- and southbound lanes of Interstate 5, still under construction, for Monorail towers. Materials and labor would be donated by Alweg; Washington need only provide parking lots every 15 miles and footbridge access to the Monorail. Democratic Gov. John Rosellini said no. There was no need, I-5 was enough.

President Dwight Eisenhower envisioned the entire interstate system, including I-5; he had futuristic vision and judgment that Rosellini lacked. Since then, Sound Transit has cost $168 billion. Only 5% of riders are paying their fares; the rest are freeloaders. The system is going bankrupt yet Gov. Jay Inslee recently announced Move Ahead Washington, his 21st-century transportation plan. A Pugetopolis Rapid Transit system will cost billions more. If Rosellini had accepted the first offer, one-fifth of that system would already be built, and for free.

We need leaders with vision of the possible but judgment of the necessary. Rosellini didn't have the vision of the possible back in 1962; Inslee doesn't have the judgment of the necessary in 2022. He will bankrupt Washington. Seattle Monorail is still running. It's better than Chicago's L and the New York City subway. I know; I've ridden all three.

Ardean Anvik, Shelton

Conservative socialists

Editor, the Journal,

I read a letter last week discussing the merits of newspapers. The gist was confusing because it turned into a mishmash of ideology. The writer seems to think that looking at legitimate problems and finding solutions is somehow a betrayal of American values. 

Now this writer discussed the merits of individuals and businesses. He decries government and K Street

advisers. Who exactly do you think is funding the K Street advisers? It isn't me. And judging from the demographics of Mason County, it isn't you either. It is predominantly Wall Street. It is the people who moved from K Street to the last administration's cabinet and back again.

You see, conservatives love to deride government, but they also love to control its levers of power. And when they write the rules, these so-called conservative have no problem using government to line the pockets of the wealthy at the expense of you and me. They only have a problem with government spending when it comes to you.

Let's look at a local issue as an example. The Belfair sewer project. I see that we are proceeding with that project. But it seems we may be failing to ensure that wealthy landowners are going to contribute to a project they will profit from no matter what, they are actually figuring out ways to make you pay them and to make bigger profits. This is supported by the two commissioners who will tell you they are small-government conservatives, but are in actuality socialists in service of monied interests.

For Pete's sake people! How about driving a hard bargain for the little guy for once? Is that too much to ask? We'll find out. For the record, I support the project in principle. Not even complaining about financing it. I just want a square deal for the taxpayers, and I'm not convinced we are getting it.

Now, when we try to direct other beneficial spending, it is unthinkable. Health care expansion, never. Child care, forget about it. Child tax credits, oh, heavens no. Why? Because it creates the prospect of benefitting the little guy and costing the wealthy something. Anything. Then those ideas become the second coming of the French or Russian revolutions - or whatever country you don't like. And you'll get it even when those types of programs are implemented by their new idols, such as Viktor Orban (He skipped past refundable child tax credits and went straight to grants)

For the record: The social democracies of this world are capitalist economies. And they do significant social insurance programs. And they have an equivalent standard of living. People live well in Canada. Also, there is no historical model of those societies slipping into Communism. If you want that kind of a revolution, then you're looking at a society with ever increasing concentrations of wealth in the hands of the top 5% or so. That is a tried-and-true recipe for political instability. Thus, the path to big problems isn't recognizing and addressing problems, it is ignoring them to enrich the comfortable. And that willful ignorance never works out well in the long run.

And yes, social spending does help the lower classes be solvent. Providing child care, health care and other services to workers is not utopia. In fact, it is the predominant model of capitalist societies. We are the outliers.

Now, there is nothing here that prevents you from being free or being an individual. Every society has rules. And the folks telling you that they will end regulation are lying. Just remember that as GOP governments in the nation pass laws to regulate activity and books they don't like. So, they really don't believe in small government either. They will simply transfer regulation from government, which you have a part in, to their corporate buddies, who you have no meaningful input into. I am thinking that too many voters simply do not understand the program the right is offering.

Andy Makar, Hoodsport

Family planning

Editor, the Journal,

In her 12 column-inch letter in the April 14 Journal, Donna Holliday provides us with her list of grievances against the Republican Party under the headline "Family values."

Her list, which only a credulous few could possibly believe, is so packed with dubious claims that any attempt to respond would insult a reader's intelligence and/or waste space in the Journal.

Ms. Holliday begins her tale of an expectant young woman by asking of Republican Party members, "How can they deny a woman the right to plan her family?" I would ask here, "Plan what family?"

Does this mean, Ms. Holliday, that this unfortunate young woman is going to soon visit the nearest abortion "clinic," which probably would be the ironically and stupidly misnamed franchise Planned Parenthood and "plan" her new family? The only way these people plan a family is by exterminating the infant. With the baby dead, though, our current concept of "parenting" a child is rendered moot. Our hearts will always go out to parents who have suffered the awful pain of a natural and unwanted abortion.

The Democratic Party (your party, Ms. Holliday) vigorously supports Planned Parenthood, which is just one of many reasons it will be handed its lunch come November.

Robert E. Graham, Union

State of the state

Editor, the Journal,

I just want to thank Gov. Jay Inslee and his cabinet for what they have done for the homeless in our state and having this state be a sanctuary state and protecting the drug cartels. Wow, Jay, you have made Olympia so beautiful. I hope everyone can go to Seattle and see what a beautiful city that Jay Inslee and his cabinet have created.

Thank you Jay for all the drugs and giving out free supplies to go with those drugs and defunding the police. Wow. How did you come up with that one?

I am writing my son's obit today for drug overdose. Heroin, meth and the best of all, Fentanyl.

Thank you, Jay Inslee.

Karel Gerber, Shelton