Letters to the Editor 01/19/2011

To the Editor:

Response to editorial "Sisters should elect its mayor" (The Nugget, January 12, page 2): The residents of the City of Sisters do elect their mayor. They elect the members of the city council, who in turn decide who should be the mayor.

The mayor is voted on by the members of the city council who are elected by the members of the community. By charter, the city council selects the mayor after each election. The idea is that the mayor is merely "first among equals" rather than a separately elected chief. What is wrong with this process?

City council actions are decided by a majority vote by the members of the city council and not by the mayor. If some of the city councilors cannot work together because of "infighting and gamesmanship" then perhaps they should not be councilors!

It's interesting that this comes right behind a comment in Bend about the city of Bend electing its mayor. I don't think we should compare the City of Sisters to the City of Bend.

The city council also has a "council president" position who actually presides over the monthly council meetings. Should this president position also be an elected position by the public in general or by the members of the council? The "it's an idea whose time has come." It's an ill-conceived idea that has not been thought out in careful detail and only serves to further complicate the election process.

Perhaps the city council representation should be expanded to include Crossroads, Tollgate, Indian Ford, Cloverdale, etc. After all, they are part of "Sisters Country" and part of the Sisters School District, and also contribute to the Sisters community. It's an idea whose time has come.

Sandy Marlow

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To the Editor:

Americans are shocked and outraged at the national debt and particularly the amount owed to China. While our current deficit is $1.4 trillion, the total debt is $14 trillion, which equals our total annual income or gross nation product. Essentially, for every dollar in revenue, America has a dollar of debt. However, the average individual makes $45,000 in income and has debt, including a mortgage, of around $180,000, resulting in $4.5 dollars of debt for every $1 in income. Essentially, Americans have 4.50 times greater debt-to-income than the nation.

The U.S. debt is owed to investors, including foreign governments such as China, which holds $600 billion of our $14 trillion debt. This represents 4 percent of our debt. Some are concerned that China could foreclose on America for this debt. Not so fast. First of all this debt is unsecured; there is no collateral, such as a mortgage on Yellowstone Park. Second, China can not foreclose on a sovereign country. Third, this would not be in China's best interest because America is China's best customer for its exports.

William A. MacPhee, Ph.D.-Finance

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To the Editor:

I wish to express my sincere thanksgiving of being a member of such a caring, actively compassionate community as Sisters.

I moved here in the summer of 2003, but it wasn't until recently that I was fortunate enough to experience first-hand the many ways we take care of each other here. The Kiwanis Food Bank provided food this past month that I would not have had, having arrived back into town recently with nothing. I received graciously the very generous Christmas food basket and had Christmas dinner with many others of the community at the fire hall.

Although I don't currently have pets, I saw how all the animals of the community that normally would have gone without were provided for with the same generosity as all of us "two-leggeds."

I have enjoyed working at several of the local businesses and volunteered with Habitat, the SMART program and library; I have witnessed on a daily basis those "random" acts of kindness, that don't seem to be so random here in Sisters.

As my time comes to a close this month here in Sisters, thanks to everyone that makes this place the unique village that it is; I am thankful to have found a home here during the last 6-1/2 years. I look forward to future visits over the years. Thank you.

Nathaniel DenHartog