Letters to the Editor

Experienced professionals

Editor, the Journal,

I urge Mason County citizens to join me in voting for Julie Anderson for secretary of state and Paddy McGuire for county auditor.

During this turbulent time in our nation’s history, it is imperative that we elect competent, experienced, knowledgeable people to oversee our elections system.

I have worked with both of these individuals over the years. I’m impressed with their dedication to free and fair elections with the utmost security and their integrity.

As a former elected official who served for 35 years as an election administrator, I speak with experience when I recommend Julie and Paddy to you.

Sam Reed, Secretary of State 2001-2013, Olympia

Bringing millions

Editor, the Journal,

Drew MacEwen has represented Mason County very well as a state representative for 10 years. He is the right choice for Senate. Drew has a track record of reaching across the aisle and working to improve both Washington and Mason County. He has worked hard to bring millions of dollars to our area for capital and transportation improvements. I appreciate MacEwen’s approach to fiscal responsibility – continually working on providing tax relief and challenging the Legislature’s direction of spending all of the new revenue by advocating for building our rainy day fund for the next economic downturn. 

Please join me in voting for Drew MacEwen for senator for the 35th District.

Melanie Bakala, Shelton

Retain clerk

Editor, the Journal,

I would like to take this opportunity to address a few of the concerns brought up by Mr. Byrd in the Oct. 6 edition of the Journal’s Letters to the Editor.

There seems to be a lot of discussion about the backlog of past due accounts receivables in the Clerk’s Office. Although it is the clerk’s responsibility to accept and disburse court-ordered criminal fees. fines and restitution, the process of collections is not a mandated function of the Clerk’s Office. Having said that, Ms. Fogo has stated multiple times that she has a collections deputy and for those cases past the court’s ability to enforce she enlists the services of a collection agency.

According to Sharon Fogo’s statement in the Oct. 13 Journal, her office is current on document scanning. Considering the thousands of document pages scanned (18,554 in the month of August alone) and the 33 potential court dockets held weekly for which a court clerk’s presence is mandated, I’d say that’s no small accomplishment. The archiving of older documents takes time and budget, both of which are in short supply. This has been an ongoing issue for many years for many offices in the county.

As far as the departure of several key employees, four of those retired. Others have left to accept higher-paying jobs in other offices. Since neither I, Mr. Byrd or Mr. Rhodes have worked under Ms. Fogo’s leadership, I think it is unfair and irresponsible to comment one way or the other. I can, however, speak to the 25 years Sharon was an employee of the Clerk’s Office. During that time, I found her to be a conscientious and dedicated employee. I see no reason Sharon Fogo wouldn’t bring those same qualities to her leadership as Clerk of Mason County.

Ginger Brooks, Mason County clerk (retired), Shelton

What about Congress?

Editor, the Journal,

We need a president of all of the United States — not a president of either or any party. The president should be railing against all of Congress for not doing their job. They seem to be quite capable of denigrating each other without the president’s help.

We need Congress to make better use of their time. They should be attending mandatory seminars on subjects held by experts and people who think “outside of the box.” They need to be presented with accurate, up-to-date statistics that are not formed by or aimed at a particular party, and they need to attend these presentations as a whole body — no more tossing info in the privacy of their office. They will know that all of their colleagues have seen the same information, and so will we.

We need judges that hold strictly to the law and any deviations (which should be minimal) should seriously reflect right vs. wrong. Other opinions should be kept to themselves. They adjudicate a thing — not invent it.

Joe Campbell, Shelton

Crime victim

Editor, the Journal,

Well, it finally happened. After 32 years living in Shelton, somebody finally ripped me off. Between having protective dogs, fenced enclosures, various lights and safety precautions, and a well-known surly attitude toward thieves, they’ve left me alone … up until now.

With the economy sliding quickly into the toilet, seemingly less law enforcement presence, a rise in crime across the board, the rapidly growing blatant disregard of legal boundaries by today’s youths and young adults, and the attitude that it’s one’s right to act out in whatever fashion one feels like regarding whatever one’s beef is with the world, we find ourselves stranded among a throng of criminals who no longer fear repercussions for their crimes and believe that stealing from others is their God-given right.

After the theft from my home, I filed a police report upon discovery of the crime. I then took immediate action installing motion lights, 24/7 recording cameras and a few other little treats for future unwanted trespassers. If somebody now walks anywhere near my home, they’re leaving their image on my cameras. After reviewing a couple night’s activities, I was somewhat surprised at how many “night owls” there are walking around in the wee hours who took a little “hoppity-skip” down the street as soon as my lights came on and they realized the cameras were rolling.

I also began the insurance process to get my damages restored. So far, we’ve topped $4,200 and we’re not done yet.

I decided to have a street barbecue with my neighbors and talk about watching out for each other. I also called the Police Department and invited them, and they said they’d be happy to show up and support a neighborhood watch effort. Of the 10 homes on my block, all of which were given a hand-delivered invitation, four showed up, ate some food and returned home. The police were a no-show. I had much higher hopes of a better turnout resulting perhaps some plans to band together to better protect our properties. However, I effectively got the impression that the level of concern over my losses amounted to “it sucks to be you” and “I’m glad it wasn’t me.” To the few who did show, thanks for coming and hopefully we’re a little more unified now. To those who didn’t participate, when it’s your turn in the theft barrel, please understand that any help you might request will undoubtedly fall on the day I’m reserving to backflush my Water Pic. Unfortunately, society has taken a serious nosedive in the last couple of years and we’re living out what used to be the things of Hollywood fright movies. Somehow, many in government and law enforcement have decided that the criminals are now victims and victims will be criminals if they take action to protect themselves, their property or their loved ones. To that notion, I stand firm in my belief and say nuts to that. Until enough people stand up and do something about it, our community will continue to be overrun by thugs, thieves and lowlifes that prey upon all that you, as contributing members of society, have worked for. My advice to the honest people who live here is to put into place whatever security devices you deem appropriate and harden yourselves to the fact that you’re going to have to defend yourself and all that is rightfully yours in order to hang on to those that you care about and what you’ve worked for.

In the end, I’ve come to the conclusion that we’re unquestionably on our own now regarding protecting ourselves, our loved ones and our properties. I’ve taken steps to ensure the next guy who rips me off has a really bad day. Have you? You should.

Bruce Chunn, Shelton

Carbon facts

Editor, the Journal,

There has been confusion about what kind of forests are best for the sequestration of carbon. Candidate for the 35th District state senator in the 2022 General Election, Drew MacEwen, was quoted in the Oct. 6 edition of the Shelton-Mason County Journal as follows: “Proper forest management (which is practiced by our district’s timber companies) are great tools for carbon sequestration. Younger trees will sequester more carbon on an annual basis than older ones. By utilizing proven forest management with scheduled harvesting and replanting we can sequester far more carbon than many other methods.” Candidate MacEwen’s answer is not supported by science. MacEwen’s position, in this instance, could be one that, put into practice, would damage our state’s ability to counter catastrophic climate change.Climate change poses a significant threat to Washington’s environment and economy.

“It is estimated it could cost the state $10 billion per year by 2020, and $16 billion per year by 2040 from increased health care costs, storm damage, coastal destruction, rising energy costs, increased wildfires, drought, and other impacts” (State Department of Ecology, 2012). Predictions now are even more dire. Forest carbon sequestration via forest preservation is a viable climate change mitigation strategy and high-carbon-priority, intact, forests are primarily along the Pacific coast and the Cascade Mountains. These forests are in our backyard. And keeping forests intact is not just about carbon sequestration.

“High-carbon-priority forests contain the highest proportional area of terrestrial vertebrate habitat for species listed as threatened or endangered by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, as well as the highest proportion of habitat designated as critical for threatened or endangered species survival.” High-carbon-priority forests in the Western United States exhibit features of older, intact forests with high structural diversity including carbon density and tree species richness. A recent Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change report on impacts, mitigation and adaptation found, and member countries agreed, that maintaining the resilience of biodiversity and ecosystem services at a global scale is “fundamental” for climate mitigation and adaptation, and requires “effective and equitable conservation of approximately 30% to 50% of Earth’s land, freshwater and ocean areas, including current near-natural ecosystems. In addition, studies have found that “intact forests are particularly important for watershed protection by regulating soil permeability, overland flow, and erosion.” A 2017 study found that “In the Pacific Northwest, conversion of old-growth forests to plantations reduced summer stream flow by an average of 50%. Preserving intact forests would provide the greatest benefit to watershed protection and clean water supply,” even more critical benefit with the very real reduction of glaciers in our mountains. I walk in our forests. I marvel at the biodiversity. I marvel at the significant difference between an old-growth stand on the Olympic Peninsula and the forest around my own Mason County home which was cut within the past 100 years. It is still a struggling, far less diverse patch. I urge you to go walk the forests and to read the research and to understand that we need to take measures to protect our forests and understand that the conservation of intact old-growth and older forests is critical to our health, not just the health of the forests themselves. Sequestration of carbon is one of many benefits.

Llyn De Danaan, Shelton

We need telehealth

Editor, the Journal,

Employer-provided coverage could be an essential tool in building the success of Lake Nahwatzel Resort and our community. Health insurance benefits helped so many small businesses survive the COVID-19 pandemic and ensure that the community is still providing jobs, hospitality and all-around good times.

We are in a rural part of Washington, one that is as naturally beautiful as the communities formed here. However, as many of us know, it is hard sometimes to get to a doctor’s office for minor consultations or checkups. Because of this, through telehealth, our care can be provided safely and effectively no matter where we are located.

That is why I am now advocating for telehealth to remain a permanent offering of employer-provided coverage. I have seen how telehealth has expanded the number of doctors and specialists the residents here have access to.

For the continued success of the Grays Harbor community, we need to ensure that our leaders in Congress make telehealth permanent.

Tanya Emery, Shelton

Forests matter

Editor, the Journal,

Vote Julianne Gale for Legislative District 35. Ms. Gale has plans, ideas and proposals for working on climate change, homeless, education, and many more issues. The old way of forestry products taxation supporting state schools has been shown to be outdated. New technologies and ideas have been proselytized by this publication in many articles. We have a candidate in Julianne Gale espousing new ideas and technology. Julianne’s pathway to a healthy community includes cooperation, communication, and hard work … a much preferred and successful methodology for resolution of any problem.

My pathway is democracy and the U.S. Constitution, which is why I am voting for Julianne. Please, join me. The future is hers and her peers. It is past time we voters give them a voice and platform that is refreshingly honest.

John M Flory, DVM, Olympia

One standout

Editor, the Journal,

The upcoming Nov. 8 General Election is very important, especially this election with women’s rights and democracy on the line plus the election of the candidates that are on your just-received ballot.

One candidate that stands out to me is Congressman Derek Kilmer.

Derek has served us for several terms representing the people of the 6th Congressional district and we need to send Derek back to Congress.

Congressman Kilmer is an exceptional leader for what it takes to represent all citizens of the 6th District.

Derek isn’t one of those “armchair campaigners.” Derek has been very active in all the communities of the 6th Congressional District all the time, not just at election time but every day when he is back home in the 6th District.

Our congressman has seen the need to bring back Congress to the people by introducing legislation that would improve the process of governing in Congress with both political parties.

Rural senior citizens can appreciate Derek’s dedication by having Congress expand Social Security, plus helping veterans overcome the obstacles that they face too.

Derek has been instrumental in bringing home the bacon to the 6th Congressional District. He helped introduced the RECOMPETE ACT which provides flexible federal grant funds to our 6th Congressional District.

I could go on and on about our Congressman Derek Kilmer, but this is the time for you to select Derek Kilmer to continue serving us as our true congressman of the people for the 6th Congressional District.

Ross Gallagher, Shelton

Trust, experience

Editor, the Journal,

Here’s why I’m voting for Paddy McGuire for Mason County auditor:

Experience. There is no substitute for experience. It is earned over time through dedicated work. Paddy McGuire has more than two decades of experience working in the election process. He has a proven track record in administering elections. He is one of only three people in the U.S. to have worked in elections at the local, state and federal levels.

His opponent has no experience in the elections field.

Trustworthy, I believe that Paddy McGuire will do everything he can to preserve and protect our vital elections apparatus, a pillar of our democracy.

During my 45 years in Mason County, there has never been a scandal regarding elections here, and McGuire will continue that tradition just as he has done during his first term as county auditor.

Since 1977, when I moved to Shelton, we have enjoyed a string of strong, honest and experienced county auditors from Ruth Boysen to Al Brotche to Karen Herr and to Paddy McGuire.

I do not trust Steve Duenkel to be our auditor. I suspect he is an election denier who believes in Trump’s Big Lie. I do not know that for sure as Duenkel has ducked multiple requests for interviews by mainstream media organizations, including The Seattle Times and KING 5 News. That makes me very suspicious. He is a Republican. As far as I know, he has not renounced Trump, which raises my suspicions further.

The last thing we need is a novice ideologue getting his hands on the machinery of our elections. Who knows what havoc could be wreaked.

I ask Mason County voters to join me in voting for Paddy McGuire for Mason County auditor. He has the necessary experience and has earned our trust. Let’s keep that streak of strong, honest county auditors going. Vote for McGuire.

Jeff Green, Shelton

We need change

Editor, the Journal,

Julianne Gale is a candidate I can get behind and your readers will too if they look closely at what she stands for and who she is. Now, more than ever it’s time to vote for people who are going to work to truly listen to different voices at the table and work for finding common ground. Julianne’s background as a member of many Mason County groups, both as a volunteer and professional/paid to work, perfectly poses her to be a peacemaker among the people.Julianne promotes shared ideals and values of growing communities from the ground up. She empowers people and businesses to help each other. She has a clear and practical vision for how we can raise up in the face of challenges if we work together to lift each other up rather than to tear each other down. Julianne listens deeply to the community she serves and takes into consideration long-term plans for environmental and social responsibilities. Julianne is truly for the people. She can and will work for you and your community, too. Vote for Julianne Gale. We need change.

Sarah Heartsong, Shelton

We need Paddy

Editor, the Journal,

We need Paddy McGuire to stay right where he is as our super-efficient, brilliant, auditor for Mason County.

When he was first running for the job I wondered how we were able to get such an experienced, knowledgeable person for this critical position. Well, he is here because he was returning home, here to his family, to his roots. How lucky for us.

“Integrity.” “Transparency.” “Professionalism.” That is what Paddy is all about.

Why would we ever want a person in that critical job that has no election experience?

I have noticed over my long life that people who know exactly what they are doing tend to get their jobs done more quickly. Efficient, knowledgeable professionals like Paddy actually save the county money because there is no waste of time or resources. He knows how the system should work most efficiently. 20 years of experience in running elections versus a guy who has none.

Why would we want someone as auditor who has to be paid to learn on the job?

That’s not efficient.

We need Paddy on the job as auditor for Mason County. We are so lucky to have him.

Rhoda Henkels, Grapeview

Willing to listen

Editor, the Journal,

I have met Julianne Gale several times through this current campaign for state senator. I am impressed with her values and ability to listen. Her need to connect with all voters of the 35th District demonstrates a leadership quality lacking in past candidates. She is willing to listen and find common interests and focus on those, regardless of party affiliation.

As an independent Democrat, the qualities and values she holds are in line with how our community should exemplify good statesmanship and stateswomen ship. I urge 35th District voters to cast their ballot for Julianne Gale.

Terry O. Hogan, Harstine Island

For all the people

Editor, the Journal,

Thank you, Bob Dick, for your Oct. 13 letter referencing plans the Department of Natural Resources uses to manage trust forest lands. You emphasized that these long-range plans operate within a “strict, court-tested trust mandate” to provide revenue to named trust beneficiaries.

As a career public servant with a land use and transportation planning agency, here’s what I know about long range plans — while written to anticipate a scenario years into the future, they must also be responsive to critical issues requiring urgent action today.

In July of this year, the state Supreme Court in Conservation Northwest v. Commissioner of Public Lands ruled the DNR is not obligated to only manage forests for profit and instead, can use other forest management strategies that deliver benefits to all the people.

This means that for the people of Mason County and Washington living in the reality of wildfires, drought, higher summer temperatures and other disturbances related to a changing climate, we have options for addressing impacts on our health, safety, and reliable supplies of food, fresh water and clean air.

For our trust lands and their legacy forests, it means management strategies that recognize the older the tree, the greater its potential to store carbon and slow climate change for benefits that serve generations to come.

Peggy Morell, Union

Women’s health care

Editor, the Journal,

As a woman, and mother to a young girl I am deeply concerned about the future of our reproductive health care. Right now, we have a state representative in the 35th Legislative District who has voted multiple times to restrict reproductive health care.

He is now running for the state Senate seat in the 35th District. Thankfully, we have another candidate for state Senate, Julianne Gale, who is committed to honoring our right to make our own health care decisions in the Legislature. We are at a crossroads and although we live in a state where abortion is currently legal it can easily be overturned with a conservative majority in the Legislature. We cannot let that happen. Julianne Gale’s opponent voted/co-sponsored legislation to restrict reproductive health care in 2013, 2014, 2015, 2017, 2018 and 2022.

That’s nearly every year he has been in office. I do not trust him to protect my or my daughter’s right to reproductive health care.

Marisa Kaneshiro, Shelton

The value of small

Editor, the Journal,

When my wife and I moved to Mason County in 2019, we were excited for the change of pace and an opportunity to experience a tighter-knit community. We have been fortunate to have made some wonderful friends out here and even were able to get our small business off the ground — COVID certainly didn’t help, but all business ventures have their risks with the unknown — though we are still new to the area, we have forged a strong connection to the area and more importantly our neighbors.

This brings me to why I am writing this letter, one of the things I looked forward to the most of life in a smaller community was to be able to actually know our politicians as people. Living in Hoodsport has meant I’ve gotten to know Tim Sheldon, though I may disagree with him on policies, he has always been a mainstay of the community and most importantly accessible. In the short time that Julianne Gale has run for Senate in the 35th Legislative District, she has put that same community-focused effort in her campaign. It’s been truly inspiring to cast a vote for a person whom I’ve spoken to in person on numerous occasions while she is visiting Hoodsport.

In a time where our politics have gotten more abstracted by social media and partisan media, knowing a candidate is just another neighbor that you can relate to, share frustrations and more importantly hopes, is a welcome change and something that makes a place like Mason County truly special.

We are very likely heading into uncertain economic times, having a person who is on the same ground as the majority of us in Olympia is vitally important. Due to her diligence in connecting with people, I trust she will not abandon the most vulnerable of us.

Cody Morris, Hoodsport

Editor’s note: Steve Duenkel is a candidate for Mason County auditor. This letter is being published as a rebuttal to a previous letter. Letters by candidates for public office in Mason County will generally not be published except in response to previous letters.

Vulnerabilities

Editor, the Journal,

In her letter to the editor, Karen Herr implies that I deny elections. For the record, I know we have elections. Election laws passed over the years in our state made the system more accessible and convenient, yet more vulnerable.

Given the power, money and influence at stake in an election, it’s naive to think that “bad actors” won’t take advantage of vulnerabilities to undermine the will of the people. I am doing what a public official with integrity should do: inform the public through transparency, so voters can decide what’s acceptable and what’s not for our election system. This is in stark contrast with my opponent who wants everyone to believe without question that our election system is the “most secure ever” and the “envy of the world.” From errors in voter rolls, to breaks in ballot chain of custody introduced through vote-by-mail and ballot drop boxes, to documented vulnerabilities in voting system machines, to flawed audits that fail to discern illegal votes, the system is profoundly susceptible. The vulnerabilities I have highlighted through this campaign are backed by facts and data readily available to the public. For those who want to learn more about election system vulnerabilities in Washington state, I refer you to a comprehensive report posted on my website, steveforauditor.com. This report includes analysis of the Mason County 2022 primary that may surprise you. Make no mistake. I love the convenience of our election system and want to work with informed citizens toward common-sense solutions that improve its fidelity, treat every legal vote as sacred, prevent illegal votes, and return it to “We The People.”

Steve Duenkel, Republican candidate for Mason County auditor, Shelton

A world of ills

Editor, the Journal,

You need to decide who you want to vote for. Let me ask you a few questions that you should consider before deciding.

How secure are you from violent crime or crime in general? Do you support defund-the-police? Is your government supporting the police and prosecuting crimes? How did this work out? Let’s see — the police quit, retired or moved to other cities and states that support police and prosecute criminals. Do you support the criminal is the victim? How are no bails, catch-and-release, weakening of sentences working? We have repeat/violent defenders released and put back on the street. How about letting those three strikes violent criminals out of prison. Police restrictions gone too far (ex. Can’t pursue a stolen car, can’t prevent a suicide).

How about bringing justice to the rioters (criminals) breaking windows, setting fires, looting? How about the smash-and-grab thieves? Had your identity stolen? Had your car or catalytic converter stolen? How is it going with homeless in your neighborhood (ex., crime, fires, drugs, shoplifting, harassment, garbage, parking, business access, etc.)?

What was the impact on our education system from COVID lockdown? It cost our kids’ education to fall behind by one to two years. Second year of remote learning, mask requirements, 6-foot separations, COVID vaccinations, etc., not effective or needed.

Don’t get me started on gender identification, parents are terrorists, woke culture, critical race theory, education boards and unions not working toward best interest of our kids’ education including recent illegal strikes only in Washington state.

How happy are you with the clear and concise information, communication, messaging, and policies coming out of our president, vice president, press secretary, Cabinet members and Congress? Do they answer a question? Do they provide solutions to the different crises facing us? Do they say anything? How often do they make gaffes? Are they all there? Do they not study or really understand what they are talking about? How many corrections or clarifications are generated (and by whom) after saying something? Examples: inflation is transitory; borders are secure; the economy is improving; Inflation Reduction Act will reduce inflation; the economy is strong as hell; Florida needs illegal immigrants for their farms; border horse patrol whipped (not and no apology); Republicans are ….; credit for lower gas prices; Representative Jackie are you here; USA alliance with republic of North Korea; not in a recession; illegal student loan forgiveness; etc. Do they spin things, try to distract us, think we have short memory or focus? What happened to common sense? All in the effort to get reelected, keep their party (and their party leaders) in power, and push their climate agenda and other bad policies on us. Too bad most of media supports their efforts. Social media decides what information or who to edit, block or support.

Do you want to improve your quality of life? Do you want a change in direction? Do you want to hold those responsible for the economy, inflation, border, crime, education, etc., accountable?

In summary, do you want things to get better or worse? Educate yourself on what is really going on. Provide feedback to your government. Hold them accountable. Careful who you vote for. It matters.

Howard Ringoen, Shelton

Commission conflict

Editor, the Journal,

As the past Position 7 City Council member, I am very concerned that a sitting Shelton City Council member believes that remaining on the City Council and becoming a county commissioner is compatible. The candidate’s answer at the recent chamber forum did nothing to reduce my concern and only added to it.

The candidate explained he would consult with the city manager and county administrator regarding navigating conflicts and determining proper behavior. These positions are direct reports to the council/commission and should not be the arbitrator of what may or may not be appropriate. The candidate failed to understand that residents in each jurisdiction are the arbitrators of what is appropriate, through legal actions challenging whether a city council and county commissioner positions are compatible under Washington state law and attorney general determinations. Whether actions are appropriate could also result in a lawsuit against the city or county for conflict of interest in the council/commission many decisions. Recusals from these votes could be done but that only eliminates the value and effectiveness of the candidate on both the county commission and city council in what may be critical votes.

Beyond the potential legal risk of conflict of interest, there is the perception of conflict of interest. I believe most elected officials go out of their way to avoid even the perception of a conflict of interest; I did, as a City Council member, by not participating as an officer in several organizations I had long belonged to. At the chamber forum, the candidate seems to concentrate on the compatibility of being on the City Council and a District 3 county commissioner. I did not get the sense that he understood, once elected, county commissioners represent the entire county, not just their home district. To create a perceived, if not actual, conflict of interest, seems a disservice to our county and city residents.

Sharon Trask has been, and will continue to be, an independent voice as county commissioner. I worked with her while I was on the City Council and as mayor; I found her dedicated to Shelton, her commissioner district, and all of Mason County. She is willing to make hard decisions with no actual or perceived conflicts of interest. That is the type of elected official we need in all our positions.

Robert Gay Rogers, Shelton

Authentic Couture

Editor, the Journal,

It’s time for our candidates to be clear on what they stand for, be honest on who they are, and lead boldly if elected. The last thing we need is a candidate who blurs who they are and couch their positions for best political gain.

We have legislative candidates in the 35th District, Position 2, that are very different in that regard.

The Democratic candidate consistently tries to muddle her narrative in cliches, couched language and outright avoidance. She is the one who failed to disclose that she was a declared candidate earlier this year while doing a presentation covered by the Journal. She constantly talks about living in a rural area (waterfront home on Steamboat Island) and her ancestral line of farmers and loggers. In the recent chamber forum, she was asked directly about sales or gas tax relief from the enormous state surplus last year. After many words, there was no answer to be found. Cliches such as most regressive tax system, tax reform, fair share, etc., but no answer. The candidate talks about being at the table with the current ruling party to represent the district without acknowledging the ruling party ignored input from both from Democrats and Republicans on recent public safety and other bills, to the detriment of Washington residents. Adding to the ruling majority in the Legislature will only make their decisions worse.

We need a representative that, in many ways, is the exact opposite of this candidate. A candidate that has present-day experiences with our schools as a parent, commuting to work, and providing for the needs of his family in our current challenging environment, not a candidate campaigning on family history. A candidate who is honest and straightforward, who lives in the real world not in a world of memes, cliches and political posturing. A candidate who will represent us and be bold in providing alternatives to the ruling party dogma.

That candidate is Travis Couture. Join me in voting for change in Olympia, not more of the same.

Lorilyn Rogers, Shelton

Good luck with that

Editor, the Journal,

Here is the problem with our voting system. You must read between the lines from the secretary of state to see the problem. No one will tell us this, you must go find this information. It has been hidden in the confusion about voting machines, their accuracy, and the chance of being hacked. But the problem lies with the registration process itself. To register to vote you do not need to verify with official documents that you are a U.S. citizen. You can illegally register and vote if you are a noncitizen. I emailed the secretary of state and WAVote.org with this question: If a noncitizen can get a Washington state driver’s license and then use this as your ID to register to vote, then, how do you prevent noncitizens from registering and voting? Both organizations sent me the same canned response. Within their response was this, “Unfortunately, there is no available U.S. citizen database that election officials can use to verify citizenship for voting purposes. If the required information for voter registration is included – name; address; date of birth; a signature attesting to the truth of the information provided on the application; and an indication in the box confirming the individual is a United States citizen — our office must add them onto the voter registration file per federal and state law (RCW 29A.08.107).” So, in the age of all our high-tech security measures that we have in place, there is none to vote. Did you hear me, none. It is left up to the person telling the “truth.” And we know how truthful people are these days, especially those that are not following the laws of coming into our country. What a useless antiquated system for verifying a person to vote in our flagship American process. Voting, the hallmark of our democratic country and system. The only solution that they recommend to catch illegal voters is for other citizens who know of someone voting illegally to report it to the appropriate authorities. With hundreds of thousands of illegal aliens and noncitizens in our country, and this is our only security system to verify the process. Good luck with that. All citizens should expect more. I wonder how many illegal noncitizens have been caught and prosecuted in our state? Good question. Waiting for the answer. Good luck with that one also.

Jerald L. Sparks, Shelton

Who to vote for

Editor, the Journal,

Speak now or forever hold your peace.

Well that is a very familiar phrase at weddings, but have you ever considered it should apply to elections as well? You most likely have gotten your ballot by now and it is time to speak up with your vote. If you think the Democrats have been doing a wonderful job for the decades that they have had all the political reins in this state; then by all means you should vote for them.

But if you think they are not doing a good job at protecting your rights, or at limiting the size of government, or that they spend and waste too much of your money, or that they do not trust you to make decisions about your own life, well then maybe it is time for us to remove them from office with our votes.

This is the answer to term-limit demands, we have them. It’s called our vote. If you vote for a Democrat at any level, you are affirming that you like what they are doing, not as individuals, but as a group, because they will continue to support the party leadership over you, even when they say they won’t. You should know this, they are lying to you.

The Tim Sheldon and Scoop Jackson type of Democrats are long gone from the party, the left has taken over the Democrats and the left that wants fewer police and to handcuff those in law enforcement but not the criminals; they want more taxes and more control that comes with bigger and bigger government with fewer checks on their power; they want less money in your pocket and more in theirs. Isn’t it time for something new?

There can be no more “vote for the person, not the party,” because the Democratic leadership will not let that nice person you think you are electing, represent you. Just look at how U.S. Rep. Derek Kilmer votes for a perfect example, 100% with Nancy Pelosi. Do you think she really represents you?

Pat Tarzwell, Shelton

Dual language

Editor, the Journal,

We would like to bring your attention to a long-standing program at Shelton School District, the Dual Language (established in 1996). This is an opt-in program that instructs students in English and Spanish with the long-term intention of developing bilingualism and biliteracy. Shelton School District has allowed this program to falter for several years now.

On the evening of Oct. 20, 97 community members attended an open meeting regarding Dual Language Learning hosted by the Shelton School District at Evergreen Elementary. This meeting came after multiple exchanges between district leadership and Multilingual Shelton, a community advocacy group made up of Shelton community members as well as a representative from OneAmerica, a nonprofit immigrant advocacy organization. In attendance were current and former parents of students enrolled in Evergreen’s Dual Language program – English speakers, Spanish speakers, Mam speakers and Q’anjobal speakers.

The meeting was supposed to inform the public of the current and future standing of Dual Language Learning at Evergreen Elementary as well as be an opportunity for community members to ask the district questions. Things did not go as they should have. The first 35 minutes were dominated by a convoluted PowerPoint presentation that many attendants could not follow. The language interpretation supports were unacceptable. The Mam interpreter was instructed to stand near Mam-speaking families and interpret simultaneously but due to the sheer number of people that showed up and the background noise in the gymnasium, most could not hear her. Spanish interpretation was conducted by the multilingual director who attempted to interpret while presenting. This often resulted in her summarizing sentiments rather than conducting direct interpretation. When it came time for audience members to ask questions, the superintendent gave vague answers and often did not answer the questions that were asked. Instead, he largely spoke about how disappointed he is that very few English Language Learners in Shelton School District are scoring proficient on standardized testing, the importance of ensuring children are reading every night (without acknowledging that students need to have developed the ability to read before they will benefit from independent daily reading), and the need for the community to hold District Leadership accountable to support ELL students. Yet this meeting was the community’s attempt to hold him accountable. He attempted to end the meeting even though many people still had questions to ask, and Multilingual Shelton had previously negotiated that the meeting be extended by 30 minutes.

People left this meeting confused and frustrated. The fact that the superintendent is calling for the community to hold SSD accountable to offer English Language Development services, even though this is a requirement written into law, is laughable. It is inequitable that SSD has capped Kindergarten Dual Language enrollment at 40 slots in the 2022-23 school year even though ELL student enrollment at Shelton schools has steadily increased in the past five years while test scores among this population has remained extremely low.

At the end of the meeting, over 50 community members signed up to receive more information from Multilingual Shelton about next steps for Dual Language advocacy. We continue to advocate for Dual Language Learning because, when done right, it produces biliterate graduates, benefiting both immigrant students and American-born students.

Socorro Villeda, Shelton

Unanswered questions

Editor, the Journal,

I am a parent of a first-grader currently enrolled in Evergreen Elementary’s Dual language program. I recently attended the school district’s community meeting on the program and was deeply saddened by how the district failed the community. Although the state superintendent is working to expand dual-language programs throughout the state, our own district has made decisions that have reduced access to our only dual-language program. There were almost 100 community members present at last Thursday’s meeting and there were many left with unanswered questions about the district’s actions.

The Shelton superintendent ended the meeting with a call to families to question the district and advocate for their children’s education, and then he abruptly switched the microphone off and refused to answer any more questions publicly.

I expect better from district leadership. I understand there may be challenges affecting the district, but this does not justify the lack of respect and transparency. If the Shelton School District cares about parents’ concerns and truly wants to educate the community on their reductions to the dual language program— I suggest they do so.

Telissa Wilson, Evergreen Elementary parent and PTSO member, Shelton

Gasoline taxes

Editor, the Journal,

The Democratic Party has controlled both the House and Senate for the last couple of years.

During this time, police reform bills have contributed to a 47% increase in murders, vehicle thefts have increased 88%, and per capita, Washington has the highest incident of catalytic converter thefts. While other states have lowered their gas taxes during this period of high fuel prices the Legislature is increasing the price of gasoline by 46 cents and diesel by 60 cents in January. Rural residents of the state travel farther to work and for needed supplies but more urban left-leaning counties seem to control the agenda of the Legislature.

Phil Wolff, Allyn

Vote MacEwen

Editor, the Journal,

As a parent, small business owner and 35th legislative district voter, I have watched Drew go above and beyond for families and kids. He was a relentless advocate to get our kids back in school — and businesses back open — after the COVID pandemic shut everything down. Before that, he and his wife stepped up personally to support the effort to bring a YMCA to Shelton. (This was in addition to all the work Drew did to make sure the Shelton Y secured state grants and other funding.) The Y simply wouldn’t have happened without people like him.

Drew has spent the time and effort to understand what our small school districts need. The 35th Legislative District is unique in that it has so many K-8 school districts. This is not the case in other parts of the state. Drew knows Gov. Inslee’s ideas don’t work for rural Washington.

Please join me in voting for Drew MacEwen for Senate.

Julie Nichols, Shelton

2022 midterms

Editor, the Journal,

I have been a staunch Republican since my first presidential vote for Barry Goldwater in 1964. I have on occasion voted for a Democrat who espouses a moderate position on most issues — Tim Sheldon for one. There is an old statement from Ronald Reagan. He was famously asked “why did you leave the Democratic party?? His answer was “I didn’t leave it — it left me”. Today, I must parrot the same — I have not left the Republican Party — it has left me. I have never been a one-issue voter. There are so many important issues at hand that we must find a candidate with whom we agree with more than 50% of the time and go with them.

However, at this time I, as well as my wife, have become one-issue voters. We will vote against any and all candidates who are endorsed by Donald Trump – or any who kowtow to Donald Trump. I have been excited at the prospect of taking back the House and Senate ever since Biden began putting our country on a downhill slide.

However, now my biggest fear — yes fear — is that in 2026 we will end up with a Republican Senate and a Republican House in Donald Trump’s hands. Our government functioned quite well with Bill Clinton as president and both the House and Senate as Republican after the 1994 midterms, I do not agree with hardly any of the liberals ( I refuse to call then progressives) ideas or policies. However if we want to protect our democracy we Republicans must vote out any one who will follow Donald Trump’s directions.

He is a nasty, vile man who cares only for Donald Trump. He lies every time he opens his mouth — even about things that don’t matter. He would throw his children under the bus if it would benefit Donald Trump. I voted for Donald Trump in 2016 — and he did a number of good things for our country. However, it is pretty obvious that he is truly mentally deranged — what the hell does he want with all of the secret papers he took from the White House upon leaving?? Imagining his finger on the nuclear button is absolutely terrifying. In the election of 2020, I did not vote for president for the first time ever. I absolutely believe in our system of government. I am a believer that there was a lot of corruption in our last election. Whether or not there was enough to change the results — I don’t know.

However, I’m not about to overthrow our entire government and democratic system. We need to work harder to insure that fraud is kept to a minimum — and I also do not believe that only democrats engage in fraud.

Please, please, folks search your heart and your brain this election period. Even if you love Trump, you really do know that he is a dangerous, self-indulgent man who is actually quite ignorant regarding world and local politics and current affairs. “Maybe we could inject Lysol into humans to cure COVID?”

Please, folks, hold your nose and do not vote for anyone who supports Donald Trump starting with Tiffany Smiley. I never, never thought I’d cast a vote for Patty Murray because I dislike most things she stands for — however, as I said I’ll hold my nose, vote for Patty Murray and hopefully our democracy will live on another 200+ years.

Rex Davis, Shelton