Herrera lets airlines profit from service personnel

    U.S. Rep. Jaime Herrera Beutler once again proves that drinking too much tea can cause a split personality.  Schizophrenia is running rampant within the Republican Party. Rep. Herrera Beutler recently voted to allow commercial airlines freedom to add baggage fees to active duty military personnel. Thanks to Herrera Beutlers vote, the airlines now can enhance profits on the backs of our troops when catching flights back home to visit family members.

    On one hand Rep. Herrera Beutler would have us believe her partys crass claims that Republicans are more reliably American, particularly in matters of defense. Her vote sticks it to our military men and women, and once again proves how truly tarnished is her red, white and blue lapel pin. Republicans like Rep. Herrera Beutler are cheap patriots asking our military personnel and their families, which constitute less than one percent of this nations population, to shoulder all the sacrifices while refusing to raise taxes even temporarily to pay for the two wars their beloved Texas gunslinger started on cooked intelligence. Rep. Herrera Beutlers vote adds insult to injury.   

Dave Gauger

Raymond

Put a stop to LNG exports before they begin

    For years LNG energy speculators promised us, If we import foreign LNG it will diversify the supply and stabilize natural gas prices. Now they claim, If we export our generous supplies of domestic natural gas in the form of LNG it will stabilize prices. Thanks to Ted Sickenger (Oregonian, July 17) for exposing this ultimate bait and switch scheme.

     If we allow these energy speculators to export away Americas energy future, you can kiss any form of economic recovery goodbye. In addition, LNG terminals will destroy critical salmon habitat and use eminent domain to take peoples farmland, orchards and vineyards for pipelines. We urge the governor and the state agencies to deny the two LNG export terminals and associated pipelines.

Ted Messing

Astoria

Socialist label is poor excuse for not helping people

    It is sad when a vibrant and young representative chosen by the people for her promise and energy turns her back on the very constituents that voted for her. Jaime Herrera Beutler has recently voted against a measure to provide grants to repair flood-damaged homes and relief from flood insurance premium increases for the flood victims whose residences were damaged by flooding for which the president declared a major disaster or emergency in 2011. In many ways this is a betrayal of the faith we placed in our representative.

    Herrera Beutler offers rote excuses such as holding the line on federal spending and barring the doors of socialism as reasons for her refusal to support people in need. Each of these ideological defenses for withholding a helping hand appear vacuous when examined in the light of compassion.

    Pacific County recently experienced major disasters (including the flooding of 2010 and the December storm of 2007), for which federal assistance was essential to our recovery. In addition, other parts of Washington state have been declared disaster areas by FEMA (Federal Emergency Management Agency). Could it be that our representative has turned her back on all people asking for help?

    Federal assistance for disaster-struck communities is no different than public money for a crumbling city infrastructure (such as unsafe roads or bridges), FDIC insurance for account holders of a failing bank, or United States foreign aid to tsunami victims in Japan. What Herrera Beutler may characterize as socialism seems to be an excuse du jour for political convenience rather than thinking through the moral and practical fundamentals of why we collectively help those in need.

    With her vote against federal relief money for flood victims, has Ms. Herrera Beutler essentially turned her back on all of us? Perhaps the floods in Iowa or the tornadoes in Alabama with their collateral damage of homes, property, and lives, have little impact on her re-election hopes in the state of Washington, however Herrera Beutler must understand that were all in this together. By helping flood victims today, we are protecting ourselves when the storms of December return to Pacific County.

JOHN CIMINELLO

Naselle

Adopted hometown dog wins gold medal

    Four years ago we adopted Lacey, a black lab, from the South Pacific County Humane Society. This year we entered her in the Doggie Olympics in June. What an event for dogs and their owners, and in our case, Lacey was a gold-medal winner in the What, No Ducks? event.

    I would like to thank the organizers and merchants for having such a fun-filled event. And special thanks to Diane at the Humane Society for all she did in helping us to bring home such a wonderful dog.

Carol Ellis

Gig Harbor

Too many put party ahead of good of nation

    Much has been said about our national debt lately. I think we can all agree that it is much higher than it should be. Oddly enough it has become a talking point for Republicans as they try to twist and rewrite history. Listen to any GOP representative from the leadership on down and you will be told how President Obama and the Democrats have recklessly spent this country to the edge of financial ruin. The truth of course tells a different tale.

    If we look back to 1980 we can see where it all began to go wrong for the national debt. When Jimmy Carter left office the national debt was 32.6 percent of GDP (gross domestic product). That was a 3.2 percent reduction from what he inherited from Ford. The three ensuing Republican presidents; Reagan, Bush 1 and Bush 2 raised the national debt to over 70 percent of GDP. Clinton, the only Democratic president in that time span, was also the only one to lower the national debt as a percent of GDP.

    When G.W. Bush took office we as a country had run on budget surpluses for a few years under President Clinton and the national debt was at $5.73 trillion. At the end of Bushs reign, the national debt had grown by about $5 trillion. Thats right; the Bush administration increased the national debt by about 87 percent in eight years. And the really sad part is we as a country received very little for this tremendous increase. Think of all the things that could have been done with $5 trillion. Instead of waging two wars, giving unnecessary tax breaks to millionaires and giving billions of dollars to big Pharma with Medicare part D implementation, we could have made major strides towards education reform and invested in job building infrastructure repair. We would have been in a much better position to absorb the worst financial meltdown since the Great Depression. We would not now be in the midst of a politically contrived debt crisis brought about by the very ones responsible for putting us in this hole.

    Our political system has devolved to the point of gridlock. The Republican Party has sought to obstruct, delay and demagogue since they lost in 2008. At a time when their country needed them most to help pick up the pieces after the financial meltdown, they chose to serve a minority of ideologists instead of the majority of the American people. They so fear the monster they have created with their lies and misinformation that they refuse to do what is right for the country. They have, on more than one occasion, held this country hostage to achieve their wish. Democracy means nothing to these folks; its their way or the highway. Compromise, the very soul of democracy, is a dirty word. Most polls put Tea Party support at about 33 percent and still the GOP is willing to put this country into default to appease this minority. They seem to forget that when elected to public office politicians become public servants. They take an oath to represent all of their constituents. Democracy is what holds this country together; it is what makes us great. When one faction of politicians chooses to do what is best for their short-term politics at the expense and against the will of the majority, they have in essence chosen to spit in the face of democracy. Just imagine how much better our economy would be today if our elected officials had worked together for all of the American people.

    It is a good thing to have discussion and debate about issues that affect us all. This newspaper offers us a valuable forum to express concerns, exchange ideas and offer solutions. And, while everyone certainly has a right to participate, it should be noted that the best interest of the community as a whole is not well served by the posting of inaccurate information. While many may do so without intent, there are a few repeat offenders out there who purposefully post lies, half-truths and other misinformation in an attempt to sway public opinion. You know who you are. It is a shame they cannot effectively express their opinion without resorting to propaganda. It does disservice to the community as a part and the nation as a whole when these people purposefully foster ignorance. You wind up with a group of angry people spurred on by arrogance and ignorance known as the Tea Party. If as much energy was put into useful dialog we would all be better off. Sadly, there seems to be far too many who put party and politics before the good of the country.

Scot Calhoun

Peninsula resident