Letters to the Editor - 11/4/2020

To the Editor:

Like many of you, I am more than ready for this presidential election season to end, but I’m trying to prepare myself for the likelihood that on November 4 we still may not have validated results in many races, including perhaps for the highest office in the land. This election is unprecedented. Because of COVID-19, many more people than usual are voting absentee or with mail-in ballots. We’re lucky in Oregon to have a great system for this, but in other states counting all those ballots will take time, especially in regions where the clerks aren’t allowed to start counting until Election Day.

It is absolutely critical that we have the patience to wait until all votes are counted to make calls on close races. Just this spring, journalists called the Democratic primary race for Secretary of State for Mark Hass, but by the time all votes were counted Shemia Fagan was the nominee. We can’t make this mistake now.

Every vote cast must be counted, and this shouldn’t be a partisan issue. If we don’t protect the results of this election by counting every vote, then we are betraying our American democracy.

Amber Keyser

I must make this correction to my commentary last week The Nugget, page 2): The statement, “There has never been a vaccine for a respiratory virus” should have read, “There has never been a vaccine for a coronavirus.”

Monica Tomosy

To the Editor:

I agree somewhat with C. Kearney on clearing fire hazards in Sisters City Limits if done with minimal cost to business and home owners.

I drove back from Salem on Highway 22 and it made me sick to see the devastation from the fires. I also drove nine miles west of Sisters into the woods a month ago; it’s in dire need of cleanup to help prevent fires.

Part of the millions of dollars of fire fighting should go for prevention. Prisoners would like to leave their cells and do this; also a great job for summer high schoolers and college attendants with professional leadership.

In the past the environmentalists and unions have fought this idea. It’s time for them to help, not obstruct.

Chet Davis