March 1, 2018 Shelton Mason County Journal | ![]() |
©
Shelton Mason County Journal. All rights reserved. Upgrade to access Premium Tools
PAGE 6 (6 of 48 available) PREVIOUS NEXT Jumbo Image Save To Scrapbook Set Notifiers PDF JPG
March 1, 2018 |
|
Website © 2025. All content copyrighted. Copyright Information Terms Of Use | Privacy Policy | Request Content Removal | About / FAQ | Get Acrobat Reader ![]() |
Page A-6 - Shelton-Mason County Journal - Thursday, March 1, 2018
m
m
HIGH-ELEVATION.COllll
LETTERS continued from page A-5
List of questions
continues to grow
Editor, the Journal
One answer, more questions:
Thanks for the clear refresher on
the Electoral College and our rep-
resentative government. I really do
know how it works, my question was
just my way of pointing out what I
perceive as a failure of the system.
Amending the Constitution takes a
great will; it is neither simple nor
easy, nor should it be.
1. Washington, D.C lobbyists
spent $3.4 billion trying to influence
Congress in 2017. Do you think Con-
gress is representing you? Or do they
represent those with money to spend
on them?
2. When the Affordable Care Act
(also known as Obamacare) was being
debated in Congress, the health insur-
ance companies spent over $1 million
a day lobbying Congress. Whose in-
terests do you think were best repre-
sented in the final bill?
3. Assuming we have a represen-
tative government, and assuming
the polls that show over 85 percent
of the population supports legal
protections for the "Dreamers" are
correct, why hasn't Congress repre-
sented us and passed some legisla-
tion doing so?
4. The agency that helped unravel
the Wells Fargo & Co. scandal (among
other things), the Consumer Finan-
cial Protection Bureau, is facing a 25
percent budget cut proposed by the
administration. Who is the admin-
istration representing by cutting its
budget?
Brian Brehmeyer
Matlock
Where can we find
middle ground?
Editor, the Journal
If we are ever to become united
again, I feel it is important that the
left and right political sides under-
stand one another. I learned a bit
from reading recent opposing letters
to the editor (i.e P. Vandehey, Feb.
8; A. Anvik, Feb. 22; and K. Groves,
Feb. 22). However, I think it is also
imperative that we find common
ground. As the mid-term elections
are coming up I'd like to try and
summarize, for our future political
candidates, what I heard in these
three letters to the editor. I'd also like
to provide some suggested common
ground.
Letters' views from the left were:
Trump has serious character flaws
and is divisive; the tax cut will
mostly benefit the rich; free press
is under attack; risk of nuclear war
with Korea; the right promotes
hate.
Letters' views from the right were:
The tax cut stimulates the economy,
which will benefit the middle class;
Trump donated his salary; the liberal
press warps the truth; the left has
links to terrorists and their leaders
also have sex scandals; liberals are
anti-Christian, encourage divisiveness
and are hateful.
Some common ground: From what
I've read in several articles, the left
and right both appear to be:
Against crony capitalism.
Against corporate welfare.
Against the rich spending as
much as they want to corrupt our de-
mocracy.
Against another Wall Street bail-
out.
For stopping subsidization of big
agriculture, big oil and the pharma-
ceutical industry.
For closing tax loopholes for
hedge fund partners.
For banning insider trading on
Wall Street.
For stopping CEOs from pumping
up share prices with stock buy-backs
-- and then cashing in their stock op-
tions.
For getting big money out of poli-
tics, reversing Citizens United, and
restoring our democracy.
For eliminating the Electoral Col-
lege.
Wanting the best for our country.
Infrastructure.
So, I propose that we work to un-
derstand the concerns of others, but
focus on areas we both agree on.
Dave Daggett
Shelton
Thank you to this
great community
Editor, the Journal
Ron and I both grew up in the
Sumner/Puyallup area, but considered
Shelton our hometown.
During Ron's recent illness and
passing, I have been overwhelmed by
the caring and compassion from folks
in this hometown.
I would especially like to thank the
Journal, Cooper Studio and McComb
& Wagner. You have made a difficult
time much better and I will always
remember your love for my husband.
Small Town America, in spite of its
problems, economic challenges and is-
sues, is alive and well in Shelton.
Dawn Pannell
Shelton