LETTER OF THE WEEK
CDN is no Washington Post — thank God!
Editor,
Our regional newspaper, The Cascadia Daily News, is as of today more of a serious newspaper by orders of magnitude than The Washington Post.
David Shipley, opinion editor of the Post, has resigned. Jeff Bezos, its owner, was quoted as saying, among other things, about this turn of events, that “… a big part of America’s success has been freedom in the economic realm and everywhere else.”
But there is also this: “Jeff Bezos … announced a major shift to the newspaper’s opinion section on Wednesday, saying that it would now advocate for “personal liberties and free markets and not publish opposing viewpoints on those topics” (italics mine).
No opposing viewpoints? What happened to “freedom in the economic realm and everywhere else,” Jeff? What are you afraid of? Or should I say, who are you afraid of?
Unbelievable.
“Democracy dies in darkness” has been the motto of the Washington Post since 2017. Democracy is on shaky legs, but Jeff Bezos’ newspaper has already died, and in broad daylight.
Somewhere, Katharine Graham and Ben Bradlee are weeping at what their illustrious Post, the paper that helped to bring down Nixon, has now become.
Lauren St.Pierre
Fairhaven
Editor’s note: Unapologetically pro-democracy CDN has canceled its opinion syndication contract with The Washington Post.
Editor,
For well over three decades I worked for the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) — the so-called “soft foreign policy arm” of the State Department. I served our country all over Africa, the Middle East and Asia — often in dangerous and isolated places where, for safety reasons, my family had to stay back in the U.S.
My colleagues and I worked for a mission greater than ourselves. We worked long hours crafting and implementing policies and projects that fed the hungry, improved health, provided education, stabilized fragile democracies, and protected communities from conflict and despair. We helped create jobs for impoverished youth, gave farmers the training and skills to put food on the table, and worked alongside communities to safeguard their environments for future generations. We made investments in peace and security that prevented war before it started.
International development assistance (“foreign aid”) has accounted for less than 1% of the federal budget. Since its inception 64 years ago, USAID’s Inspector General has prevented “waste, fraud and abuse.” Yet, in a matter of minutes, employees were told to erase the years we spent helping shape a better world. USAID was gleefully “fed into the woodchipper” by an unelected billionaire working for an ignorant and cruel administration.
They eliminated the agency but they cannot destroy that impact of what we accomplished. No political maneuvering can undo that.
Curt Wolters, U.S. Air Force veteran
Bellingham
Editor,
The Heart of the Deal:
With the collapse of the Soviet Union, Ukraine came into possession of the third-largest nuclear arsenal on planet Earth. Ukraine gave up these weapons with our encouragement and the assurance of our support.
George Dyson
Bellingham
Editor,
I have written to U.S. Sens. [Patty] Murray and [Maria] Cantwell urging them to introduce a Senate resolution condemning the hostile treatment of visiting Ukraine President Zelensky at the White House Friday by President Trump and Vice President JD Vance. Ukraine is our ally whom we have supported for three years now in its defense against unprovoked Russian military invasion of its territory, the first such incursion in Europe since World War II, which the Greatest Generation of Americans sacrificed their own lives to repel.
Ukrainians have been and are dying and shedding blood to defend their homeland, and in doing so are also protecting U.S. vital interests in Europe. To redirect a quote from Vance, “you (Trump) should be thanking this president (Zelensky)” for his and his countrymen’s willingness to put their lives in harm’s way. Ukraine is the tip of the spear in the fight of the West to resist Putin’s imperialistic goals of redrawing the map of Europe to reflect the former Soviet Union, referred to by Ronald Reagan as “the evil empire.”
A resolution should reaffirm that 1) Russia illegally invaded Ukraine, 2) Volodymyr Zelensky is the democratically elected and legitimate leader of Ukraine, 3) Vladimir Putin is an autocratic despot and war criminal, 4) the U.S. is firmly committed to aid and protecting our European allies under Article 5 of the NATO treaty, and 5) any U.S. negotiation for peace between Russia and Ukraine must include Ukraine and its European allies, absolute support for Ukraine’s sovereignty, and guarantees of freedom and security for the Ukrainian people. Congress cannot silently allow President Trump to abandon bedrock U.S. principles of aiding our allies when their sovereignty is attacked, and in so doing sacrifice U.S. national interests.
Ted Maloney
Mount Vernon
Editor,
It’s almost time again for a steaming plate of muskrat!
As most (but not all) Catholic faithful approach Lent, preparations abound for that time of austerity, including a 40-day hiatus on red meat. Return to the year 1780 and imagine life in upper Michigan, where fishing during the brutal winters was next to impossible. Catholic priests were in a conundrum. Their flock had a severe shortage of food to begin with; eliminating red meat would most definitely invite sin, risking whatever salvation might await in the hereafter. What to do?
Enter the humble muskrat. It lives in the water, swims like a fish and, most importantly, can be harvested during the winter freeze. Eureka! Local priests blessed the bounty for consumption and thus the water rodent became an acceptable Lenten cuisine. Another sacred workaround, similar to “Thou shalt not kill,” but different. To this day, men’s clubs in that region serve muskrat dinners on or about Ash Wednesday. Club members comment that wives cannot get past the plate’s rat-like tail, thus the quite voluntary gender segregation.
So, as Lent approaches, it’s time to place your order. Muskrat meat is available frozen from a number of vendors today! It makes a great gift for your Catholic friends. Bon appetite!
George Hartnell
Bellingham
Editor,
I am a retired federal employee who proudly served 31 years with five agencies. Federal employees are public servants who serve and protect us every day. They work with our military at home and abroad to defend our country and provide care to our veterans. They protect our communities from violence, teach our children, deliver our mail, and safeguard the safety of our food and medicines. They help protect our air and water and National Forests, National Parks, and other public lands. They ensure essential functions are financed, that Social Security checks arrive on time, and that our borders and airports are secure. When disasters occur, they come to our rescue and help us recover.
The federal government employed about 2 million civilians (December 2024, Congressional Research Service). Since 1968, the federal workforce has decreased 2.88%, while private sector employment increased over 140%. A significant portion of the federal budget goes out to private contractors like Musk’s Space X, military contractors. Musk alone, has more than $2.4 billion in contracts awarded in the past two years with the Air Force and his Space X rocket company, and competes directly with Boeing’s aerospace division.
We need to find ways to improve our federal agencies and reduce our deficit. However, mean-spirited, drastic cuts to federal employees, with no effort to look at the consequences, is no way to operate our government and puts our country’s security at risk. The American public and our democracy deserve better.
D. Brady Green
Blaine
Editor’s note: Local resident Dane Jensen shares the following letter from a close friend in Denmark, used with permission:
Editor,
It is so sad, my friend.
All my life the U.S. has been considered Denmark’s best friend, part of our family, like a big brother that we looked up to, and who would lead the way for us to follow. Our friend, our ally and our protector. We were grateful for your rescue in WW2, your economic assistance in the afterwar years. We were inspired by the Kennedys, Johnson and Carter, and even accepted the bumpy roads with Nixon and Reagan.
But with the reelection of Donald Trump, all that is changing. Trump’s behaviour, his statements and his actions have to such a large extent antagonized the Danes that I fear the U.S.-Danish relationship has suffered irrevocable damage.
It is so sad.
Growing up, my generation, the Boomers, believed in peace and love and supported disarmament and a reduced military. With Putin’s attacks on Europe, Trump’s reaching out to Putin, Trump’s turning his back on NATO and increasing confrontation with China, Denmark with other European nations are now arming up more than ever before. Huge percentages of our BNP are now invested in the military, in purchases and production of weapons.
It is so sad.
I am glad that I am familiar with the U.S. and have American friends, you included, and therefore know that Trump only represents one part of the U.S. When I meet Danes who equate Trump with the U.S., I refer them to Bernie Sanders’ website and his recent speech on fighting the Trump administration and the American oligarchy. It’s mindblowing that the two leaders of Russia and the U.S. today are almost identical. Bloody scary.
Peter Tjaller
Denmark
Editor,
By now every property owner has received their annual tax statement. There are two takeaways from ours; first, though the “market value” has decreased, the amount of tax has in fact increased over last year. Why is that?
A call to the office says that voter levies have driven the increase in rate. The issue of so-called market value, which has grown astronomically these past years, depends upon an artificial increase in sales, and while it may be a boon to house flippers, real estate agents, and those needing to sell, for many who have lived here and owned homes purchased in some cases decades ago, these continual increases provide no comfort or remedy.
The “senior” citizen exemptions were recently increased to $52,000, but for those living on Social Security who have paid off their mortgages, this is hardly adequate. A senior in this boat who makes $53,000 per year is ineligible, and thus, say, the new taxation level is $9,000, which leaves them $44,000 to live on in high-cost Bellingham.
Add to this further reductions for income taxes (now about to go up for this category, if Congress has its way), spiraling costs for utilities, garbage collection, etc. then a reasonable amount for a senior who has owned their home for a long period of time is close to the federal poverty level. Perhaps it is about time for us to consider a Prop. 13 style initiative to help those in need and stop this annual increase.
Bertil van Boer
Bellingham
Editor,
I listen to all the wailing and gnashing of teeth about federal layoffs. I’m reminded of 2019 when President-elect Biden said of coal workers that were going to lose their jobs because of the war on coal, they can learn to code. When our government takes a stand against private citizens and their jobs, their attitude is less than compassionate.
But when our bloated government gets trimmed, OMG! It’s the end of life as we know it! I’m a retired federal worker. I can tell you that in our main office for my little branch of the government, 1,500 people each have about two hours worth of work to do each day. The rest of the time they try to look busy. Staying home for COVID-19 was a godsend.
Well, if you’re on the gravy train long enough, someone may figure it out. I was in the field where we worked for a living doing important work. I feel for the individuals losing their livelihoods, but DOGE has been a long time coming. We’re $36 trillion in debt. A billion is a thousand million. A trillion is a thousand billion.
A trillion dollars could probably fix the budgets of every state in the union with money left over. Yah, we’re 36 of those in debt. The gravy train is coming to an end. It’s time to tighten our belts. But hey, if you get laid off, you can always learn to code.
Mark A. White
Port Angeles
Editor,
2001 — after meeting with Putin, George W. Bush said “I looked into Putin’s eyes and “got a sense of his soul.”
In his 2008 presidential run, John McCain said “when he looked into Putin’s eyes, all he could see were the letters K-G-B.”
In his 2014 book “Duty,” former Secretary of Defense Robert Gates wrote “I’d looked into Putin’s eyes and, just as I expected, had seen a stone-cold killer.”
In Helsinki (2018), Trump said he “believed Putin over the United States intelligence agencies.”
Fast forward to 2024 — Trump joins aggressor Russia (Putin) to vote against a U.N. Security Council Resolution condemning Russia’s war against Ukraine. The United Nations General Assembly then approved a resolution that did not cite Russia as the aggressor against Ukraine and did not acknowledge Ukraine’s territorial integrity. The United States voted to approve the resolution.
Secretary of State [Marco] Rubio and National Security Advisor [Michael] Waltz talk with Russian officials about a Ukrainian peace deal. Ukrainian officials were not involved.
I cannot say with certainty that anecdotes are proof that Trump is Putin’s political pal. However, I suspect that Trump longs to have the power that Putin and other dictators cling to with little fear of losing it.
Since Trump’s first term, one of my good friends has pointed out that we need to educate ourselves about would-be autocrats. His advice is to remember Trump’s first term and what is happening thus far in his second term and compare it to what happened in Europe leading up to World War II.
Jerry Hunter
Bellingham
Editor,
What will it take for a more adamant and demanding response to Trump and the GOP’s project 2025? Will the next civil war be called the War of 2025? Is there any sense of patriotism, other than the distorted sense espoused by various misogynistic militias who still needed more jail time to ponder their ignorance, but got a free pass from their supreme leader?
The women’s march of 2017, certainly turned out a lot of folks. I marched in the larger Seattle parade with tens of thousands. We all felt so clever and righteous in our pussycat hats, making a statement against an ignorant fool none of us could imagine would ever get elected again. And yet, here we are, more divided and more outraged by the ignorance and colossal ineptitude we are once again confronting … but seemingly less equipped to deal it the less civil response it has so rightfully earned. God help America.
Michael Waite
Sedro-Woolley
Editor,
For your information and learning, the inscription on the top of the Peace Arch between Canada and the U.S. comes from God’s word in Psalms. Psalms 133:1, “How good and pleasant it is when brothers live together in unity.” I learned this verse in Nihongo while building churches in Nippon (Japan).
Rich Berry
Bellingham
Editor,
For the second time, this newspaper reprinted an assertion from a Western Washington University press release as fact. The original release from WWU blamed “insufficient state funding” as one of the reasons the University has to cut jobs or not fill open ones. The CDN coverage then used that phrase as fact in its original story and it did so again in the coverage of the evolving story March 3. I have to ask: insufficient funding according to WWU or is it a fact? Because if that’s a fact, I’d love to know how it’s insufficient. I think the state insufficiently funds my family, but that’s not a fact. That’s an opinion.
Lincoln Vander Veen
Bellingham
Editor,
I don’t think I could be more embarrassed about the actions of this administration in regard to President Zelensky and Ukraine. Friday’s meeting in the Oval Office was truly appalling.
The fact that our president has become a mouthpiece for Putin is almost beyond belief. Almost. Ukraine started the war? Zelensky is a dictator? Trump said that Zelensky hates Putin. Well, how would he feel if Putin was murdering our people on a daily basis? Or kidnapping our children?
Trump wants Zelensky to “trust” Putin without security guarantees? Are you kidding? And then our president goes on a ramble about Hunter Biden’s laptop. How can anyone listen to this and not think that this is insane or at the least, some kind of skit on SNL? It would be impossible to attempt to dispute all Trump’s distortions in less than 250 words.
But it’s clear Trump wants to bully Ukraine into a surrender. That’s his idea of a “deal.” As though we would ever want to do that in a similar situation. This is appeasement and the consequences will be tragic.
We are not supporting Ukraine as a “favor,” we are supporting it to uphold an ally and prevent greater carnage if Putin is not stopped now. See history. Specifically, Neville Chamberlain and Hitler. That worked out well, didn’t it?
Gary C. Snyder
Bellingham
Editor,
In Washington solar power not only provides clean, local energy but also stimulates job creation and economic development. As a solar professional here in Washington, I’ve witnessed firsthand the positive impact of this industry.
Solar power is an American innovation success story and is becoming an integral part of a resilient and affordable local electric grid. In Washington, we have 742 megawatts (MW) of solar, enough to power 77,528 homes. This growth has also translated into employment, with the solar industry providing jobs for 4,149 individuals across 154 companies statewide. Seattle is now home to a strong clean tech startup hub of local entrepreneurs.
A significant driver of this progress has been the federal Solar Investment Tax Credit (ITC), which offers a 30% tax credit for residential and commercial solar and battery installations. However, our president is considering eliminating this crucial tax credit.
The solar industry is a significant contributor to the U.S. economy, employing more than 270,000 workers nationwide, with a growth rate above 20% for three consecutive years. In Washington, the continuation of the ITC is vital to sustain the momentum of our growing solar industry and the families that those jobs support.
By maintaining the federal solar tax credit, we can continue to harness the power of the sun, enhance our energy independence, retain energy investments within our local economy, and create jobs within our communities. Maintaining this incentive is crucial for the future of both Washington’s and America’s energy and economic landscape.
Anders Alexander
Blaine
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).
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