Letters to the Editor 08/17/2016

To the Editor:

Cultures in contrast.

Recently, we traveled to the Scandinavian and Nordic countries. Beautiful landscape, lovely people and a vastly different social economy. It was not hard to distinguish socialism from a capitalistic market. All of the countries had high tax rates, up to 70 percent.

Those we spoke to said they had the benefits of health care coverage, free education, liberal maternity time away from work, and a 28-hour work week. But they acknowledged doctor appointments were difficult to schedule and serious treatments could be a year or more out.

The post-50-year-old crowd complained about the free education and free housing for students. Students lived better than seniors on a pension. And that they had to accept students from across the EU and pay for them as well. In Denmark, it was reported that the millennials had the lowest personal savings rate. They spent their money on near-term choices and personal credit was at an all-time high. The reason stated was that because nearly all their costs were covered by the government, they had no reason to save. A lament that personal accountability was being lost.

In the American system, personal accountability still counts, though it is being eroded. Our history is about a personal work ethic that rewards greater effort. The individual is responsible for their 401Ks and saving options. Personal accountability means "plan and take care of yourself. Don't rely on the government."

Ever notice that those who complain about a cost want someone else to pay? To those who promote increased entitlements, whose funds are you tapping? We might question, is personal responsibility in the American system alive and well?

As an addendum, Denmark recently announced the termination of their wind-generation fleet. It is currently subsidized nearly 70 percent and the citizens are tired of the cost. The off-shore wind farms are being feathered. Maybe they are waking up.

As we elect new leaders, we should remember the old adage, "follow the money." In this context, find out who pays and who benefits. They are likely not the same people. The taxpayer is under increasing attacks to fund the entitlement of others. Choose wisely, choose those who believe in personal responsibility.

Bruce Carpenter

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To the Editor:

(Re: John Kass op-ed column, The Nugget, August 10, page 2):

Drivel.

I understand a need to provide "fair and balanced" coverage of current affairs, but given the recent John Kass "article," I am amazed that The Nugget allows such biased, misstated, misleading monologue as valid and informative - suited for public dissemination.

U.S. economy is growing slowly, yes, but no mention of how it has also recovered from an historic bottom with continuously improving factors impacting our future. To add to this, Mr. Kass' trivial claim is that food-stamp recipients have increased, yet real facts indicate just the opposite.

On Trump:

•â¯A tendency to brag? Tendency?

•â¯Stylistically yells and sighs and makes idiotic faces? Style?

And Clinton:

•â¯A person nobody listens to? What about half of the current voters listening and many GOP donors switching their bets?

•â¯Watching Clinton's nose grow?

•â¯Timid Romney? A billionaire is rarely timid BTW.

•â¯And to attempt such a lame metaphor, gladiators indeed?

I assume the staff at The Nugget has a standard for truth regardless of where it is found in factual reporting or words and phrases published as "editorial" or "opinion." As I recall from my limited introduction to journalism over the past 60 years, opinion is useful when applied to or from producible facts and without this baggage, opinions becomes hearsay and propaganda.

Following along on the national debate regarding our two viable presidential candidates, it is amazing that someone is trying to vaguely legitimize Mr. Trump irrespective of who he is challenging. Mr. Kass' attempted sarcasm, metaphor or humor comes to me as an impassioned but vacuous rambling that is more appropriate when left to the sophomoric creative writer of a past generation.

It is quite clear that Mr. Kass has missed at least one half of the national debate. Is this a political apology for Mr. Trump?

Michael Richards

•••

To the Editor:

The comments of local law enforcement regarding actions by police officers who have shot and killed a tremendous number of unarmed people of color in this nation were tremendously offensive ("Top cops respond to violence," The Nugget, August 10, page 1).

It is not the media that is "fertilizing" and making "theater" of unjustified killing of people of color, it is the ability of social media to make the public aware of some not-so-well-trained police or police who have been tagged by their own departments with overly aggressive behavior and assault against minorities. You can't watch these videos and not see unjust killing, no matter how you wish to stretch reality.

I am very grateful for the ability of citizens to record the overt aggression by officers that have resulted in so many deaths of productive and good people of all ages for being guilty of being black or Hispanic or Native Americans. Black Lives Matter (inclusive of all minorities) is a just cause in light of the reality that sometimes black lives are irrelevant to some people who are supposed to be protecting us all from the very kind of violence they themselves perpetrate on regular people.

We have been able to pretend for decades that there were "probably" complicating factors in the shooting of so many people possibly guilty of minor infractions. Not any more. Other professions sanction or remove those who may pose a threat to the public by peer review. Blanketed defense of all officers by police, no matter what their actions on the job, is not in the public interest, nor is it safe for minorities in this country. Cell phones have changed the landscape of "justification." Maybe because of them, the many faces of oppression will begin to end.

Bonnie Malone

•••

To the Editor:

I, as well as many others, have a real concern with Skydive Awesome and I voiced these concerns at the Sisters City Council meeting July 14.

I have not heard of another business in Sisters that has caused people to decide not to move here, as stated by many letters in The Nugget. Also, people are deciding to move from Sisters as a result of the noise and hazard issues created by Skydive Awesome.

More importantly, because this issue has not been remedied by the City Council, many people no longer feel part of the community and no longer feel compelled to shop and take guests to Sisters.

Is this company really that much of a benefit to Sisters? What will happen to Sisters' businesses when the snow falls and skydivers stop, the tourists stop coming and people are shopping and dining in Bend or Redmond?

What will come next? The airport owner has plans for helicopter tours over Sisters and jets flying into Sisters. Talk about noise! The existing airport was a small private airport in the country when people chose to move here. It was zoned Rural Residential and severely limited in its expansion and use. The annexation was a huge rezoning which was done with a limited worded ballot measure that didn't address any adverse issues and the surrounding residents had no say.

The City of Sisters can't support its businesses solely with its residents, and needs the support of the outlying community. It is wise to attract new businesses, but to attract businesses that adversely affect the lifestyle that drew people to move here is detrimental to the local economy.

Pat Norman