Letters to the Editor

Bad news

Editor, the Journal,

Such bad news that the City Council rejected a tiny tax increase to allow at least a small degree of meaningful action to address the homeless problem in Shelton. The Journal article didn’t offer analysis of possible areas of agreement between the seven who voted that might enable them to move forward toward another plan.

The problem isn’t going away, so the council needs to stay engaged. A more important reporting oversight was — with the exception of Schirman and Sapp — no reason was given for the other two “no” votes. I suppose all these folks simply avoided mentioning what they would propose and support in future discussions during the delivery of their dissent but we’ll hope for the best.

To the citizen who felt compelled to point out the nonprofits — the ones who actually deliver meaningful assistance to the homeless — “don’t have to face the same issues as a business,” maybe take the time to quantify how much this tax would actually cost your business if you have one. Would .01% really cripple anyone’s ability to profit adequately from their business in return for beginning to get something concrete done? What’s happened in those 70 Washington cities that have “faced the issue” and incorporated this tax?

The most confounding item in this story was the citizen who did his personal best to channel the Founding Fathers in saying this proposed tax was “taxation without representation” as he stood in front of his duly elected representatives serving their community by doing their job. Nobody said this would be easy!

David Ellis, Union

Good luck

Editor, the Journal,

Good luck to writer Mr. Pfender on getting a cogent response from Mason County Republican voters on where they stand. They seemed to be confused. Voting solidly Republican for candidates but even more solidly Democratic for ballot issues.

The Grand Old Party of law-and-order voting for a convicted felon who incited a riot to overturn an election.

The party of family values voting for a thrice-married philanderer convicted of sexually abusing a woman by grabbing her exactly like he bragged years earlier.

The party that courted the working class but caters to billionaires.

The party with overwhelming Christian support that promises to arrest, intern and deport the poor only guilty of coming here for a better life. Is that what Jesus would do?

Makes no sense to me.

J. Anderson, Shelton

Local discourse

Editor, the Journal,

Mr. Pfender, your letter has a valid question, however it is difficult to respond to without referring to national issues, and this editor has put a gag order on any such references. That you mentioned president-elect Trump in your letter is a rule breaker, even though the Journal article you mention refers to said person. Limiting to only local discourse is like writing your personal history with no 12 of any parents or lineage.

Washington state is not an island unto itself. Everything local, national and international are interconnected and influential one with another. That can affect the mindset of local regions.

Mason County is a rural county, and while hinting Republican-leaning people being uneducated and recessive as a cause for this political majority is a bit offensive, rural people tend to focus more on common sense issues, like how to buy food, gas in their car, and the surge of illegal migrants stressing resources. Mason County could have as many Dems as GOP, but this election has been an anomaly; many Democrats have seen their party morph into something unrecognizable, so avoided lying media, researched, and voted for a platform that made sense to them.

The people have spoken loudly and clearly by an undisputed election they wanted change. They chose country over party affiliation. Is the definition of stupid acting on the same decision, election after election, and expecting a different consequence? If the consequence a disaster once, why would you make that choice again just for party loyalty?

I personally dislike the party system. Governing should be based on ideas and platforms that will serve the people and the country we love, not a party affiliation. Wouldn’t it be nice to be able to vote for the most qualified person for the job, not the party they hold, their race, religion, color, gender or even personality?

Katie Groves, Shelton