Letters, week of Feb. 12, 2025: Affordability, PeaceHealth, trade and human rights

Editor,

I just wanted to say how much I enjoy the many beautiful photos your staff provides to CDN. For example, the striking and elegant photo of a red-wing blackbird taken by Isaac Stone Simonelli (CDN, March 21, 2024). I have often heard the red-wing blackbird sing in Cordata Park and know that they nest there in the cattails, but rarely see more than a flash of red shoulders as they dart past.

Another beautiful photo is the aerial view of farmland along the Nooksack River (CDN, Jan. 24, 2025) taken by Hailey Hoffman. It has excellent composition and beautiful subtle colors that remind me of Scottish moors. The photo reminds me of the recent Color and Line exhibition at Cordata Art Gallery — because the photo has excellent color and line elements. It would make a beautiful abstract painting.

I understand the need to economize to ensure that CDN will be sustainable, but hope you continue to include beautiful color photos. I am so sorry that Hailey Hoffman is leaving, but understand her family plans are more achievable in Chicago. Her photojournalism has greatly enriched the visual storytelling at CDN. Best of luck to her! 

Michèle Menzies

Bellingham

Editor,

Once upon a time, the hospital was run by a matron who worked alongside the nuns. No one had an income, but they all had the comfort of a bed and regular meals. Nowadays a huge corporate facility has replaced nuns. PeaceHealth’s CEO scored a $3.6 million salary, plus fringe and works from the other end of the state.

PeaceHealth’s business plan prioritizes profit over service. Like any other patient, I want all my health care workers at every level to have financial stability and secure work conditions with appropriate health insurance. Why is PeaceHealth making negotiating such a hostile process that a mediator is required? 

Three unions are negotiating contracts: Union of American Physicians and Dentists (UAPD) representing nurse practitioners, physician assistants and midwives; Washington State Nurses Association (WNSA), registered nurses; and Services Employees International Union (SEIU 1199), all service workers. The hospitalists of UAPD are waiting to be recognized by PeaceHealth.

SEIU low-wage workers need a living wage. Many now have no choice but to live in their car or couch-surf and depend on colleagues for food. There is a drive for efficiency to service more patients in less time. In all union units, there is staff shortage. 

The WSNA workers currently have a 34-year pay scale resulting in very small pay raises. The medical insurance offered is in flux with proposed limited service provided in-house.

This is a request from a community member: PeaceHealth, haven’t your employees earned good faith bargaining?

Elaine Hornal

Bellingham

Editor,

Donald Trump may fear appearing impotent by not unilaterally intimidating and/or exploiting via absurdly unjust 25% across-the-board tariffs against the relatively weak(er) nation, notably Canada, that resists his skewed concept of equality, the one typically giving him the lion’s share.

Meanwhile, in a survey discussed on CBC radio in mid-January, most of the Americans polled who said they support Trump’s tariffs on Canadian goods (albeit a minority opinion) suddenly change their minds if that tariff ends up costing them that much more for Canadian exports. The Only If It’s In My Own Back Yard mindset is depressingly alive and well, even between supposedly good neighbors.

The school bully analogy once again is warranted and befitting. Such a bully is especially angered by the relative weakling who in the least stands up to him. 

And, for Canada at least, this unfortunately goes beyond the U.S.

There’s been a particular irritation noticeably expressed by China’s government and, lately, even India’s, when our government — unlike with, say, mighty American assertiveness — dared to anger/embarrass them, even when on reasonable and/or just grounds.

Frank Sterle Jr.

White Rock, British Columbia

Editor,

I see that a recent guest writer bemoans the dire financial straits of the Mount Baker School District in their quest to keep good teachers (CDN, Feb. 5, 2025). Way back in the ’70s, when Mount Baker was one of the richest school districts around, of the school districts I attended, it was my favorite. It was one of the largest districts in terms of area. The forest land helped fund the schools. Then along comes the Clinton presidency and NAFTA. By then, I was working at a sawmill in Pend Oreille County. Yes, that’s in Washington.

The day NAFTA went into effect, we stood on the back deck of the mill watching the Canadian lumber trucks, one after another, heading south past our mill. We knew our days were numbered. This is a great example of where tariffs are needed. While our loggers were paying $70 per thousand board feet stumpage to the Forest Service, Canadians paid a token 50 cents stumpage to the Crown. The free trade was completely unfair.

Our timber industry suffered and so did our schools. There were teachers at Friday Harbor, Fairhaven, Birchwood, Lynden, Ferndale, Nooksack and Mount Baker schools that I will always be grateful to (plus Salmon, Idaho and Colville) They truly do make a difference. Perhaps a fair tariff could help fund our schools.

Mark A. White

Port Angeles

Editor,

CDN’s coverage of the water adjudication process is helpful but, I, being well-dependent, seek answers to these questions.

You referenced water storage in your commentary. A WRIA 1 “Water Storage Alternatives Report “ was prepared by Anchor QEA last July. Can CDN do a story on this, please?

Why is a suit before a judge an appropriate mechanism for resolving an allocation of a scarce resource? We know Ecology’s records of who owns what rights, how many illegitimate users are out there and what we all use, are inadequate. Is a suit required to resolve that issue? On what legal or experiential basis is a judge to make a decision on the distribution of any shortfall of future supply over future demand? The allocation of resources is the province of executive government, legislators and us, the voters, so is a resort to the third estate an appropriate solution?

The tribes say water is life and how could anyone disagree? But the right to harvest salmon (was the responsibility to raise salmon included?) was perhaps inserted in the treaties when the harvesting and consumption of salmon were more critical to the livelihood and diet of tribal members than today. How many people are engaged in the salmon cycle in the basin, how many are tribal members, how many tribal members are there, what is the qualification, does salmon consumption in that population feature differently from the rest of us? Shouldn’t the state of the Nooksack River be a broader environmental question than a rentier question resolved at law? Should treaties be revised to reflect changes in circumstances?  

Roger Griffin

Ferndale

Editor,

As community members, we are deeply concerned with the disregard of human rights norms and laws by our government, in foreign policy, as well as regarding treatment of people in the U.S. The erosion of fundamental due process, dismantling of programs and federal funding freeze impacting critical services, and threats and the start of mass deportations amount to unimaginable harm and suffering.

Meanwhile, unconstrained flow of arms to Israel is equally irresponsible, given how notable human rights organizations conclude that Israel’s devastation in Gaza is a clear violation of the obligation to prevent genocide. In light of the vast loss of life, injuries and devastation in Gaza, along with escalation of catastrophic attacks on communities, increase in detentions, home demolitions and seizure of land in the West Bank, we call for an immediate suspension of direct and indirect supply, sale, and transfer of weapons, military equipment and other security assistance.

Only by prioritizing respect for human rights at home as well as abroad, will the United States be respected by the rest of the world, and be effective also in imploring other governments to do the same. To that end, we urge everyone to become familiar with the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the Geneva Conventions and International Human Rights Instruments. (Editor’s note: All available online).

Colleen Curtis, Susan Witter, James Loucky, Bruce Radtke, Jan Dietzgen, Martina Boyd, Shirley Osterhaus, Amy Mower, Barbara Rofkar, Ann Stevenson

Bellingham and Maple Falls

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).