Letters to the Editor

Thank you, Paddy

Editor, the Journal,

Now that midterm elections are over, and the results for Mason County are finalized, I would like to thank Mason County Auditor Paddy McGuire for all he has done to make local elections fair, and for keeping the process transparent and understandable. I have been a Mason County resident for over 40 years, and I cannot remember any previous auditor who has done as much to help keep citizens so informed about the intricacies of the voting process.

From numerous articles in the Journal to mailed pamphlets that provided information about the location and security of ballot drop boxes, how to get/replace a ballot or register to vote, details about how vote counting machines and signature checking works, and the connections to state voting procedures, I have become much better informed due to Paddy’s efforts. Paddy has been approachable, open and responsive to questions and concerns during a difficult time for election officials in our country.

And last, but certainly not least, he has been gracious in the narrowest of defeats, a role model for all candidates in our democracy and a testimony to the integrity of the office he has overseen.

Our new auditor, Steve Duenkel, has very large shoes to fill, and I wish him the best in maintaining transparency and respect for this very important position not only for his supporters but for those who supported his opponent as well.

I send heartfelt gratitude and very best wishes to Paddy for whatever new endeavors he undertakes. Thank you for all of your efforts and accomplishments, and for the positive example for civil, honest public servants that you have set.

Leslie Nuttman, Allyn

Tax questions

Editor, the Journal,

During this Thanksgiving season, I give thanks for the country I live in. But in addition to Thanksgiving, it’s also tax season; the second half of my property taxes are due. In looking over the details of my property taxes along with the monthly taxes on various bills brings questions to mind. My bill from the City of Shelton, PUD and garbage all have some obscure taxes that need explaining. I understand port, hospital, library, parks, and sewer taxes but there are unexplained taxes such as School PT1 and PT2 taxes. What are they? What’s a State Privilege Tax? Why does Shelton, Mason County, Mason County Garbage and PUD 3 all have a state utility or refuse tax in addition to the actual service costs? The leaders of PUD 3, Mason County Garbage, City of Shelton, Mason County, and Shelton and North Mason School Districts superintendents or their taxing authorities should explain these obscure charges and taxes.

■ City, county, PUD 3, waste disposal: what are utility/refuse taxes and school PT taxes?

For school superintendents for both the Shelton and North Mason school districts:

■ How are these State School PT1 and PT2 taxes used? Are these taxes different from regular school taxes? Where do school bond taxes pay for? Washington state provides tax money to local schools; where does this money go? Please explain your confusing accounting procedures and money-transfer conventions.

■ With the school shutdown, kids had more than a year of remote learning. School buses weren’t running; no gas or labor expenses. Water, sewage and electricity costs were less; fewer janitorial expenses; no office staff. Do we get a refund for unused taxes from these lost school days lasting well over a year? Please send a Letter to the Editor to educate us on the tax questions and spending priorities raised in this letter. Remember, this is taxpayer money, not government

money. Thank you.

Ardean Anvik, Shelton

Gratitude for honesty

Editor, the Journal,

To the Good Samaritan who found my credit card outside the Post Office on Monday the 14 — my heartfelt thanks.

I’m filled with gratitude and appreciation for your kindness and honesty.

May God’s blessings surround you.

Whickey Conway-Larson, Shelton

Election success

Editor, the Journal,

I mostly write to express my views on political issues. I am quite aware that just because I believe something, that does not make it true. So, really, the purpose of my letters is twofold.

For one, I hope to give my fellow Mason County neighbors my point of view and perhaps encourage them to think about what I believe and maybe bring them to my way of thinking. The second is to perhaps have some thoughtful intelligent person write and tell me where my thinking is faulty and convince me of their way of thinking. That is why I want to put out my thoughts regarding this current political climate.

It is so important that we dismiss the ideas of the radical right such as the COVID vaccine deniers, election deniers and QAnon adherents, et. al. (There were something like at least 36 QAnon believers running in the midterms). I couldn’t get a handle on how many actually won but they were few in number.

One important loser was Kari Lake running for governor of Arizona. Most of these QAnon followers shouted out their support for all sorts of conspiracies prior to the primaries, but denied their support of most, including QAnon prior to the general election because they knew those conspiracies were not popular with a majority of our citizens.

Folks, as incredible as it sounds, here is the dictionary definition of QAnon from the Encyclopedia Britannica:

“QAnon, conspiracy theory, originating in forum posts on the website 4chan in October 2017. Conspiracy adherents believed that U.S. Pres. Donald Trump was waging a secret war against a cabal of satanic cannibalistic pedophiles within Hollywood, the Democratic Party, and the so-called “deep state” within the United States government. With the aid of social media platforms, the theory expanded in content and geographic reach in subsequent years and resulted in legal protests as well as several violent criminal incidents.”

That was the original core belief, but these folks have endorsed, expanded and spread most all of the current outlandish conspiracies.

Everyone should google “CENET Oscar Gonzales QAnon,” which starts out “false QAnon conspiracies in politics.” Also Google Joshua Zitser and Sophia Ankel — the Insider June 27, 2021. Yes, that last one is over a year old but it is even more pertinent after this midterm election.

Back to my main point. This year for the first time ever, I voted for more Democrats than Republicans — which I opined about in my previous letter — hoping to get some thoughtful responses. Unfortunately, I only had one response and it was very sad. All the writer wanted to do was disparage me personally — because of my views. She was correct on one point — I mistakenly said Trump suggested we might try injecting Lysol to cure COVID — he actually said disinfectants (of which one is Lysol) and all are deadly poisons if injected.

I suppose I should have expected that because that is the Trump style — if they don’t agree with you, smack them down. Attacking me rather than my thoughts surely doesn’t sway me to a detractor’s point of view.

To address one question of the responder, no, I am not as well-off as I was when President Joe Biden took office. I’ve probably lost about 15% of my retirement resources. However, I do not, and never will, vote for my pocketbook — I vote for the good of the country.

As I stated in my previous letter, I voted for Trump in 2016 and he did some good things. However, it turns out that Donald Trump has loyalty to only Donald Trump. He will destroy any and all of his “followers” if they disagree with him on virtually anything.

Donald Trump is so narcissistic he is truly frightening. He and his followers have already begun the job of destroying our democracy with the Jan. 6 attack on our Capitol. Here is a statement from U.S. Rep. Andrew Clyde, R-Georgia, regarding the Jan. 6 insurrection that points out the mentality of Trump and his dedicated followers: “Watching the TV footage of those who entered the Capitol and walked through Statuary Hall showed people in an orderly fashion staying between the stanchions and ropes taking videos and pictures,” Clyde said. “You know, if you didn’t know the TV footage was a video from January the 6th, you would actually think it was a normal tourist visit.”

Folks, that is delusional. No, we cannot allow the radical right to take over both houses of Congress as well as the presidency. I’m sure most of the right-wing Trumpers who lose will be crying that the vote was fraudulent.

It is obvious that a majority — albeit small — of the voters in our nation felt similar to me in this election just concluded. Most of the Trump-picked candidates lost their bid to become lawmakers. The Democrats will control the Senate and the White House for another two years, while the Republicans will control the House — again by the tiniest of margins. This balance of power will prevent either party from passing outlandish legislation. Most importantly I am hopeful that the failure of Trump’s handpicked candidates will end the Republican Party’s fear and loyalty to Trump. I think that this failure of Trump will bring out much more stable and qualified candidates to oppose Trump and end his stranglehold on the GOP. Yes, as a lifelong Republican, during the next two years a number of liberal ideas that I oppose will probably be enacted into law — but I will live with it because we will still have our democracy when my grandchildren grow up — hopefully.

Rex Davis, Shelton