Letters to the Editor 09/07/2016

To the Editor:

"Can't we all get along?"

- Rodney King

This was almost 25 years ago. We are a slow-moving people.

Stan Robson's Nugget letter to the editor about current racism last week caught my eye when he said this: "I always tried to instill in my folks that everyone was to be treated with respect and dignity." I'm assuming when you say "my folks" that you are not talking about your parents or "Americans" in general, but whatever race/ethnicity you identify with - which I feel drives the racism/division stake yet a little deeper.

I randomly came across a Rubin Report interview recently, with Larry Elder (radio talk show host) about racism (BLM) who said something that made complete sense to me. The interviewer referred to Mr. Elder as black. Mr. Elder went on to say that he also does not like the term African-American. He was born and raised in the U.S and has never been to Africa. The host mentioned that he once referred to a guest as an African-American, and the guest corrected him by saying she was actually from Jamaica (insert cricket noise here).

Let's face it, there are so few people that are 100 percent anything. I just learned you can mail in saliva to find out your legit heritage. Stay tuned - we might be related! I think if we all did this, we might have more understanding, empathy, grace, etc. for all humankind.

I guess in the end, if I were in charge we'd just all be called "American," or Pre-American in some cases. My husband is from the Nez Perce Tribe - so in the end "his folks" were here first anyhow ... so there's that.

Group hug from this American,

Becky Aylor

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To The Editor:

The Robert B. Reich opinion column in the August 31 Nugget was deplorable.

In his piece, he states that, "the best argument for a single-payer health care plan is the recent decision by giant health insurer Aetna to bail out next year from 11 of the 15 states where it sells Obamacare plans." He goes on to say that "the problem isn't Obamacare per se..."

Basically, he's saying "Partial socialism isn't working, so let's go full Venezuela!"

President Obama and his cronies in Congress snuck Obamacare through during late-night votes without having any public input. (Remember this line? "You have to pass the bill to read what's in the bill.") It was a government control boondoggle from the beginning. While a few million who couldn't previously afford healthcare now have it, many times more of us in the middle class couldn't either afford to buy private insurance or made too much to qualify for government subsidies. Great system!

And while the mainstream media always count up the millions of people that now have healthcare that didn't previously, they never talk about the many millions more who now don't have it because their employer dropped their plans, demoted them to part-time, or laid people off because of the new government regulations.

Does anyone, besides the people who don't pay taxes and get free healthcare, feel like the situation is better? It is not. The poor get free healthcare and the rich can afford anything they want, but the middle class is again getting the short end of the stick. Healthcare rates are skyrocketing, the middle class is getting fined at tax time for not having healthcare they cannot afford or qualify for. The paperwork is worse than ever, doctors are quitting because of the mess. Ask a doctor or nurse you know about it, they will tell you.

This was not a bug of Obamacare, this was the feature; and exactly what they planned from the beginning. Single-payer healthcare, so the masses can pay more taxes for substandard healthcare and most importantly, the government has us all under their thumb.

There is no good argument for a single-payer system, unless you want everyone to be poorer, sicker and have less freedom. The only cure for our sick healthcare system is to vote for somebody that will scrap Obamacare and replace it with something else that the free market can sustain.

The new system should value freedom of choice, not squeeze the middle class, and continue to assist our poorest get the healthcare they need.

Michael Preedin

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To the Editor:

Our family has only recently started to come to the Sisters Skatepark for our kids, but have found it to be one of the best in Central Oregon.

What an amazing back story to this park! Davidson is so inspiring in teaching others what can be accomplished by simply asking for help! Well done!

Chelsea Town

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To the Editor:

Last Monday night I attended an informal meeting at City Hall with about 45 other folks that are concerned about the unbridled expansion of commercial operations at the Sisters Airport. Most were there because they were upset with the noise and traffic problems caused by the parachute-jumping operation.

At this meeting we learned of something else to be concerned about. Evidently the airport owner has filed an application with the Oregon Department of Aviation to be added to a state maintained list of airports that are subject to ORS Chapter 836. To be added to this list requires the airport owner to identify the airport boundary. A map was circulated that shows the airport seeks to expand its footprint substantially, approximately a 300 percent increase in size of the airport boundary.

This map can be seen at a new website devoted to informing the public on airport issues. See the map at: http://www.save-our-skies.com/about.html.

We also learned that if this application and new footprint are approved by ODA then all aviation-related activity will be an outright permitted use within that expanded airport boundary. All land-use processes that have been applicable in the past to the land in the expanded area will no longer apply. This means no notice of a proposed new aviation activity, no public hearing, no right to appeal, and no oversight by city or county government.

In other words, the provisions of ORS Chapter 836 would trump local codes regarding land use. At this time it appears nobody really knows the long-term implications and possible consequences to being added to this state list with the expanded footprint. Concerned citizens should contact the Oregon Department of Aviation for more information at 503-378-2340.

Grady Brown

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To the Editor:

Thank you everyone for coming to my garage sale. We raised a lot of money to help me and my mom get to the Mayo Clinic and help us in Minysoda (sic).

I am nervous but excited to go.

Thank you!

Ryan Benson, age 11