Editor,
Regarding Northwest Youth Services (NWYS), I have a deep appreciation for its mission, having previously served as a housing case manager. However, I am both angered and disheartened by the actions of an individual who has leveraged his position to promote himself as a “Love Warrior” rather than supporting the dedicated staff, youth and stakeholders involved in the program (CDN, Oct. 3, 2024).
It is particularly troubling to witness someone who should champion Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Accessibility instead of fostering a culture of fear that undermines those committed to serving our homeless community. If the allegations are true, there is no justification for such behavior. Should Jason McGill be found guilty, this issue transcends matters of race and diversity; it reveals a misuse of privilege and the creation of a misleading narrative.
Our community deserves better leadership, someone genuinely committed to NWYS’s values. Moving forward, NWYS must seek individuals willing to facilitate healing and develop the tools necessary to transition from this trauma to a supportive environment for employees and stakeholders.
Matt Durkee
Ferndale
Editor,
Yet another excellent article supporting an informed public, this time on funding for public schools (CDN, Oct. 20, 2024).
As a retired elementary teacher and school counselor, I have thoughts on this matter. While I have my own criticisms of public education, it is important to remember that our schools are the great unifier. They provide access to education for all children without regard to their social status, family income or other superfluous considerations. This concept, a twinkle in the eyes of Thomas Jefferson and John Adams, grew in popularity throughout the 19th century until wholeheartedly adopted across the nation.
And, at least in Washington state, public schools are guided by constitutional guardrails: Staff hiring is based on qualifications not, for instance, sexual orientation or gender; church and state are to be kept separate such that matters of religion are left at the schoolhouse door, not inserted into curriculum (that’s a work in progress given the insidious efforts to install creationism into science curriculum); and staff are protected from the overreach of administration by union representation.
I suspect that advocates of “school choice” often seek to undermine these protections. Private schools are left free to hire less capable teachers, pay lower salaries, impose religious hiring criteria that cross the church-state line, overtly refuse to hire capable educators who happen to be LGBTQ+, avoid union representation, and generally lower the bar of educational standards.
There are approaches that I have much appreciated over the years including Montessori and, so many years ago, A.S. Neill’s Summerhill. However I fear that today’s efforts to impose “choice” more accurately reflect a troubling effort to isolate children from a healthy exposure to diversity of ideas and lifestyle. Until I have assurance otherwise, well, nope, thumbs down on “choice.”
Leaf Schumann
Deming
Editor,
Jaime Herrera Beutler continues to claim that “the science” tells us we need to log our last, naturally regenerated, lowland conifer forests, known as legacy forests, to keep them from becoming, in her words, “tinder boxes, just waiting for a spark.” This is a time-worn industry narrative that we saw used by the Trump administration, and is contended by science.
Ironically, there is a place for prescriptive thinning — in DNR’s own managed forests, which are often too densely planted. But for legacy forests, it’s the opposite. Since they regenerated naturally, they don’t have the same problem with overcrowding. They also hold and propagate the one thing that matters most when it comes to fire — water!
Those fallen, habitat-rich logs that Herrera Beutler wants to “clean up” are also sponges, holding water from winter into summer. The richly developed soils that will be torn up by logging trucks don’t just store carbon, they store water. The thick canopy and understory isn’t “falling into disrepair,” it’s slowing down desiccating winds, harvesting water from fog and growing moisture-holding mosses. All while providing habitat in the midst of an extinction crisis.
Dave Upthegrove, unlike Herrera Beutler, actually has a science background, and will incorporate scientific knowledge fairly, not for the benefit of logging interests, but for the forests themselves, the public, and future generations.
Rob Lewis
Bow, Skagit County
Editor,
The Seattle Times prides itself on journalism excellence, its masthead trumpeting 11 Pulitzer Prizes. But it chose assumption and inaccuracy over truth in endorsing Jaime Herrera Beutler (R) over Dave Upthegrove (D) for state lands commissioner. Here’s the truth.
Claim: Like predecessor Hilary Franz, Herrera Beutler will continue clearcutting and using “plantation” replants on DNR land. This will reduce wildfires, as proven by this summer’s “clear skies.”
Fact: Clear skies? Washington wildfires took nearly twice the acreage this year as last. Clear skies were owed to wind direction.
Claim: Herrera Beutler calls forests “crowded, diseased tinderboxes, just waiting for a spark.”
Fact: Science shows that complex, older forests with dense understories store more water and resist fire better than clearcut and replanted forests.
Claim: Upthegrove will remove 77,000 acres of older, “legacy” forests from trust lands.
Fact: Per a Times article just last week: “legacy” forests comprise only 16,000–25,000 acres, just 3–8% of state forests available to log. The Times endorsement itself claims about 1.5 million total acres available to log.
Claim: Upthegrove’s plan to replace older forest trust lands by buying other logging sites would cost hundreds of millions of dollars and jeopardize schools’ budgets.
Fact: As already noted, many acres of trust lands are currently available to log that are not older forests.
Claim: Franz’s refusal to endorse Upthegrove is telling.
Fact: Yes, perhaps it tells us she favors the timber industry, like Herrera Beutler, who accepts industry money. Upthegrove doesn’t.
Vote Dave Upthegrove. Preserve “legacy” forests and protect schools.
Rick Eggerth
Bellingham
Editor,
Voters have a clear choice in the election for commissioner of public lands. Dave Upthegrove (D), who has a science background and experience working effectively on complex environmental issues versus Jaime Herrera Beutler (R) who, when in Congress, voted repeatedly to weaken Clean Air and Clean Water laws, and opposed the Paris Climate Accords.
She talks about caring about schools, but the Washington Education Association backs Upthegrove. She talks about the state’s fire challenges but, when in Congress, was the only member of the NW delegation to vote against a major appropriation for fighting forest fires. Washington Firefighters now support Upthegrove. Herrera Beutler talks about valuing biodiversity, but Upthegrove was the one endorsed by the Sierra Club and the Center for Biological Diversity. Herrera Beutler was named one of the National League of Conservation Voter’s “Dirty Dozen” — candidates for statewide election in the U.S. that must NOT get into office because their environmental voting records are so bad.
Herrera Beutler gets funding from the timber industry whereas Upthegrove is not accepting their money believing that public land must be managed in the public’s interest. In addition to Herrera Beutler’s poor environmental voting record, she supports I-2117, which would repeal the landmark Climate Commitment Act. This job is arguably the most important environmental position in state government. The choice is quite clear — for Washington’s future — vote Upthegrove by Nov. 5.
Jillian Froebe
Deming
Editor,
“A republic if you can keep it” were the words of Benjamin Franklin in 1787. This is the challenge at the core of the upcoming presidential election. One option is a dictator-want-to-be ex-president. He claimed to have a mandate even though his MAGA platforms failed to win the popular vote in two elections and the presidency in one election. The actual mandate is the same for all presidents, just as it is now and has been for all persons in elected positions: govern responsibly and respectfully for the good of our country and all persons therein. President Lincoln referred to these as “the better angels of our nature.”
Instead, the MAGA man is addicted to name calling, lying about rigged elections and the mainstream media, childlike retaliation and insults, admiration of autocrats, racist and sexist belittlement, tax cuts for the richest among us, criminal indictments and convictions, disrespect of POWs and other military persons from generals on down the ranks, denial of women’s right to determine their health care, ad infinitum, ad nauseam.
Each time I think that his behavior won’t get worse, it gets worse. His words and actions — his deep-seated beliefs — belie the trust that is so desperately needed by “we the people.”
We have had a republic for 247 years. Can we keep it?
Jerry Hunter
Bellingham
Editor,
Every election time, opinionated one-liners are born again. “Government should be run like a business” is one such free-speech opinion. A business’s function is to make a profit. A government’s function is to provide services to we the people. The services offered by businesses are ordained by profit margins. A major cost to businesses is the employee paycheck. Major retailers have addressed this impediment to their profit by replacing cashiers with self-checkout machines. On the floor help? A treasure hunt.
Government services: infrastructure, fire and police services, cost of medicine, social security, clean air and water, even our wonderful libraries, which offer much more than free books. The road I drive from my house into Bellingham is in good shape. Government has maintained that road. I paid for it with a couple of bucks out of the taxes I paid. A government service rendered, which has cost me a pittance compared to the capital expenditure and fees I pay for internet services, cell phone services, and some TV services. Fees demanded at the end of each month.
We could dive deep into this analogy with the other services, but that would be too much fun. A recent news item reported of a young employed man who declared his vote for the guy who would run the country like a business. He said things cost too much. The article didn’t mention his salary. Maybe he needs a raise. Of course that would have to come from a business.
Jerry Dale McDonnell
Everson
Editor,
Sigh. Right idea, but wrong place and wrong time. I’ve seen Rick Steves’ program on the rise of European fascism (CDN, Oct. 18. 2024) and it is intelligent, non-threatening stuff. But to put it in front of a friendly audience, with a sympathetic host, three weeks before a polarized election is a plain old waste of time. Wait a year, for a non-election period in which we are not all mainlining partisan drama, and take it to places like Rotary clubs, senior centers, and high school classrooms, and you might have something that would influence some minds. Tougher to do, of course, but democracy has to do the harder work.
Tom Horton
Sudden Valley
Editor,
The article about the Historic Bellingham Home Move (CDN, Sept. 18, 2024) was very interesting. A great idea! My great-uncle bought a well-built, solid two-story wooden house for a song from a friend in Sechelt, British Columbia (on the Sunshine Coast). It was built circa 1900. He then floated it on a barge over to Pender Island, B.C. Friends helped him move the house from the barge onto his Pender Island lot. My great-uncle and great-aunt lived happily in the house for many years until they died. Maybe some people here could float historic old houses to local islands or waterfront lots.
Michelle Menzies
Bellingham
Editor,
I appreciate the city’s attempt to fix the bike lane issue on Holly Street as it passes through downtown. The city made adjustments at the intersection of Holly and Bay streets, which gives an appearance of addressing the fundamental problem. Thank you for that, BUT a less expensive and less confusing option was available. All you need to do is look around at all the other intersections with bike lanes to see the obvious answer.
Put cars next to the curb and bike lanes between parked cars and traffic. Simple. Less expensive. SAFER.
Only the Holly and Bay intersection was reconfigured. The intersections at Railroad, at Cornwall, and at Commercial were not. Each of them is as dangerous as was the Holly and Bay intersection. And don’t forget the alleyways!
I am not against bike lanes, I think they’re great. I just want to avoid making a right turn into the path of a bicyclist who was not visible in my rearview mirror.
Robin Mullins
Bellingham
Editor,
I-2066 wants to eliminate the energy efficiency standards from the state’s building codes and take away local governments’ ability to modify energy building codes for their location. Over the last 20 years building energy codes have resulted in a 30-40% decrease in building energy use across the U.S. Building energy efficiency would stagnate in Washington state if I-2066 passes.
Paid signature gatherers mislead the public with the slogan “Energy Choice” and “Stop the Natural Gas Ban.” We already have energy choice and there are no bans on natural gas in any laws in the state, nor are there any plans to do so.
The organizations supporting 2066 are misleading the public by parroting erroneous statements by fossil fuel interests who, of course, want to continue to sell you “fossil” gas regardless of its impacts on our climate. After all, fossil fuel corporations are not paying for the billions of dollars in damage caused by climate-driven extreme weather events; taxpayers and individuals are footing this bill.
Our energy codes for new construction, retrofits and remodels allow both gas and electric appliances as long as the building as a whole meets the clean energy standards. Builders have many choices in the energy code to meet these energy standards, such as installing more efficient windows or insulation, and still using gas appliances. Unfortunately, some builders will cut corners on energy efficiency if I-2066 passes, sticking homeowners with a lifetime of higher utility bills. Please vote NO on I-2066.
Varya Fish
Bellingham
Editor,
I have heard many misleading statements likely propagated by fossil fuel corporations who are behind I-2066. For example, “I-2066 will eliminate a gas ban and enable ‘energy choice.’” There is no gas ban — nor are any proposed! We already have energy choice for buildings.
Some claim natural gas is itself a clean energy solution. In truth, natural gas is mostly methane which traps about 100 times as much heat as carbon dioxide. Methane is shorter-lived, but even after 20 years, it would still trap about 80 times as much heat. Many scientists attribute the recent acceleration of global warming to rapidly increasing methane levels in the atmosphere.
A downside of cooking with “clean” natural gas in homes is that it releases nitrogen oxides and fine particles. Nitrogen dioxide is much more of a health risk to people than previously thought. Natural gas leaks contain benzene, a known carcinogen.
Another misleading statement is that electrification will stress the region’s electrical grid. Demand for electricity in the Northwest is rising, but mainly from data centers. Less than 10% of the Northwest’s growth in electricity over the next 30 years will come from converting buildings from gas to electricity.
There are many false narratives associated with I-2066, that if passed, will cause harm to consumers across the state for decades to come. We elected our legislators to make policy. This misleading initiative will impact many carefully considered laws.
Don’t be fooled — vote no on I-2066.
Judy Hopkinson
Bellingham
Letters to the Editor are published online Wednesdays; a selection is published in print Fridays. Send to letters@cascadiadaily.com by 10 a.m. Tuesdays. Rules: Maximum 250 words, be civil, have a point and make it clearly. Preference is given to letters about local subjects. CDN reserves the right to reject letters or edit for length, clarity, grammar and style, or removal of personal attacks or offensive content. Letters must include an address/phone number to verify the writer's identity (not for publication).
No country still uses an electoral college — except the US