Letters to the Editor 4/05/2022

Water demand is unsustainable

To the Editor:

The Western United States is being populated beyond what its resources and water availability can handle — let’s face it!

It’s unsustainable and state and city officials need to assess our environmental needs more responsibly instead of caving to all the incessant building programs going on and pretending tourism is the answer to everything.

Jeanne Brooks

Power greater than ourselves

To the Editor:

Jeff Mackey (Letters to the Editor, March 29) references Genesis 2:1 as he resurrects an old idea: Because Earth appears to be a rare coming together of coincidence, we are unique and must be the creation of God.

Because the world is like a delicate clock, there must be a Clockmaker.

No. It is not proven there was “grand design.” Cause to effect is vastly different than means to an end. Having eyes does not prove we were “meant” to see, only that having eyes was power where light exists.

Of course there are patterns in the universe, extrapolations from the laws of physics. The nautilus’ shell and spiral galaxy are each a logarithmic spiral. As life emerged from soup here on earth, the ability to respond to patterns — day/night, winter/summer — and to pass

that ability along could not be denied.

Ultimately, the brain is a pattern-creating organ, giving those most able to fit pieces together an advantage.

With increasing complexity, we became us.

At the same time, we each know there is power greater than ourselves: wisdom of elders, strength of nation united in cause, harmony of a couple making decisions together. These connections create greater beings of each of us, and prove there is “more” despite

our feelings of terminal uniqueness.

Is Earth intelligent? Of course, if for no other reason than we are of the earth and for all our faults, we are intelligent and ever greater when connected through webs of even flawed communication.

Still, that God is not necessary to explain the universe does not mean that God does not exist. We don’t know. We may never know. And, according to the Bible, we may not be able to know. Job 38:1.

Erik Dolson

Voter registration

To the Editor:

In looking at state voter data, as of last month there were roughly 969,000 registered Democrats, 701,000 registered Republicans, and 952,000 unaffiliated or Independent voters, which is 36 percent of the total.

It could be assumed that many voters who choose to sideline themselves by remaining unaffiliated are moderates or that they do not choose to be Democrats or Republicans due to apathy, disgust, or revulsion. But unfortunately the self-removal of that 36 percent from May primary elections might set the stage for more extreme candidates or more polarized candidates to survive the May primary elections and become November candidates. In other words those voters, who are eligible to vote for party candidates in November elections but not in May, take a bye or a pass on choosing who in their opinion might be the “least worst” primary candidates for the November election.

It seems important that the public be reminded that greater participation in May primary elections from more voters choosing to register for a major party in theory might make for “better government” or “less worse” government.

(Note: In 16 years of being involved in Ashland’s government I learned to never use the words “better” or “best” to describe how we accommodated the growth we were forced to accept or how we did things. Instead it was preferable to use the phrase “least worst” in describing our performance.)

The result of the large quantity of voters electing to take a “pass” in the primary is low voter turnout because ballots might only include choices for County positions, bond issues, cemetery boards, and/ or water district boards. In the Oregon November election in 2020 there was an 82 percent turnout, but sadly participation was only 47 percent in the May primary election. Minor party candidates are chosen by a party meeting or convention prior to the November election. They are not selected in the May primary election.

Thus, editorials urging voters to choose one of the two major parties so more moderate candidates might possibly emerge from the primary elections might be a public service. Voters can choose a major party by filling out a simple form found at County Elections Offices, public libraries, U.S. Post Offices and Oregon Department of Motor Vehicle offices.

For the May 17, 2022 primary election voters have until April 26 to choose to be a Republican or Democrat, to vote for, again, who they believe might be the “least worst” “major party” candidates.

Thank you for considering an editorial regarding this issue.

Brent Thompson

Republicans reach out

To the Editor:

It was an exciting night for Republicans in Sisters! There were close to 70 residents and five candidates running for office; two for congress (John De Paola, Jimmy Crumpacker), one for state rep (Michael Sipe), and two for county commissioner (incumbent Patty Adair, Scott Stuart).

The top issues brought up were homelessness, inflation, and what the candidates believed is the overstepping of government in regards to COVID protocols. Republicans attending are hoping more people from the community attend the meet-ups on Wednesday, April 13 and Thursday, April 28 at Aspen Lakes ($20 at the door if you would like dinner).

These Republicans hope people bring their questions and concerns and challenge the candidates about their views. Sisters Republicans are excited and believe that voters who haven’t been open to voting for conservative policies in the past can be persuaded in 2022.

Eric Bilderback