Letters to the Editor

Maintain levy

Editor, the Journal,

As a former student of Shelton Schools and as a supporter of a vibrant community, I encourage you to continue your support of Shelton students by voting "yes" on the upcoming Valentine's Day election.

Your vote not only maintains the current levy amount (set to expire in December 2023), but also ensures additional funds are received from the state of Washington - approximately $3 million annually. By voting against this replacement levy or by not voting at all, you are saying no to $3 million of state funding, no to student academic support, no to after-school programs, no to operations, no to safety and no to building maintenance.

A good school district can greatly increase a child's chances of future success. Let's continue our support - vote "yes" on Feb. 14.

Heidi McCutcheon, Shelton

Vote 'yes'

Editor, the Journal,

Please support the Shelton School District levy.

I encourage you to vote "yes" on the school replacement levy when you receive your ballot in mid-January. Shelton residents have always been supportive of the schools by passing past levies. It is so appreciated and needs to continue.

Isn't it awful that we have to beg for money every few years? It's unfortunate that state funding doesn't meet the needs of our students, but it is the reality. Without levy funds we would have fewer staff (resulting in higher class sizes and less support for students); there would be no after-school programs or sports; and our facilities would not be maintained to the level needed to assure that the community investment in our incredible buildings is protected.

I retired as a SSD principal three years ago, but I currently work in substituting for building administrators as needed. I am proud of the work that the district continues to do. There is no way that work could happen without the additional funds the levy provides. It is devastating to a district when a levy fails and takes years and years to recover. Don't let that happen.

Remember, this is not a request for new money. It's simply to continue what is already being collected. I cannot express how crucial it is that this funding be maintained. Shelton children deserve your support!

Carey Lee (Murray), Olympia

Pleasant writing style

Editor, the Journal,

I'd like to treat Mr. Bob Clark to a cup of professionally barista-brewed coffee soon. His letter to the Shelton-Mason County Journal was one of the most pleasant and his writing style is simple and direct – not given to puerility, outrage, nor vindictiveness - while being totally wrong - at least from my libertarian perspective: That government which governs least governs best.

And by former President Ronald Reagan:

"Government is not the solution to our problems, government is the problem." Mr. Clark writes "this [current] inflation was not caused by Joe Biden or by Democratic policies. It is a global phenomenon brought on by war and a major pandemic which choked major supply chains."

Au contraire, mon freire! On the first day of his presidency, Mr. Joe Biden put a hard stop to the approximately 10-year permitting process to construct the Trans Alaskan Pipeline - stopping this project stone-cold dead and signaling his opposition to cheap and abundant energy. Fossil fuels are the lifeblood of First World countries which, on a per person cost and benefit analysis, provide more energy for less pollution than say, wood, coal and perhaps sheep dung. Many people believe we can immediately switch from fossil fuels to zero carbon sources of energy, but we ain't there yet.

A resident of Shelton once quipped that he'd like to return to the simplicity of the Stone Age, huddled around a smoldering campfire, to which I adduced that toilet paper hadn't been invented back then. My comment was met with silent meditation.

It is our great fortune to live in a First World country. It behooves us to count our blessings. The Shelton Yacht Club couple who commutes yearly between Durban, South Africa, and Shelton every year requests that we gift the ladies living outside Durban's city limits recyclable feminine sanitary products. Some people might find this gross.

A song by Joni Mitchell expresses the wistfulness of times past: "Don't it always seem to go that you don't know what you've got 'til it's gone. They paved paradise, put up a parking lot."

I'll accept a parking lot for other advances afforded by technology such as the simple things: potable water, flush toilets and, obviously, coffee shops. It's the epitome of arrogant foolishness to aggressively force a politically inspired hard stop to civilization by curtailing the use of cheap and abundant energy – but let's keep the science and technology moving toward this ideal world. We continue to make progress in this direction.

James Poirson, Shelton