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A curse and death warrant
Why does 66 percent of the senior population vehemently oppose Obamacare?
Let’s put to the test Obama’s stated health care reform objectives. At the top of the list is reduced cost and improved quality.
Obama’s proposed Medicare cuts are targeted at $313 billion. These cuts on seniors are redistributed to those who elect not to insure and those who elect to use their resources for drugs, alcohol and unhealthy lifestyles.
To compensate for Medicare reductions, the cost of supplementary insurance will increase by $1,700-$4,000 per family annually. This is clearly a backhanded tax increase targeted at the most venerable senior population ? remember his pledge of no tax increase!
The quality of health care diminishes with increased patient volume and the restrictions on permissible procedures based on age criteria for seniors according to his czar recommendations.
So where are the cost reductions and quality improvement? That’s his principal lie for seniors to digest.
Obamacare is a curse for seniors and, in fact, a death warrant for many.
Don Albright
Sequim

June’s legacy

As stated recently in the PDN, “the current school board election is being held to replace the late June Robinson.” June’s position has already been filled. John Bridge now serves in June’s place. When you see John’s name on the ballot, it is because he is required to be approved by the voters to fill the remainder of June’s term.
Mr. Kirshbaum, who is challenging Virginia O‘Neil, has mentioned June’s encouragement to run for the school board in her absence. Despite June’s very serious illness, she never stopped wanting to improve our community and was concerned about the hole her absence would leave on the school board. Mr. Kirshbaum was not eligible to fill June’s position because he did not reside within June’s district.
I’m all in favor of folks who want to work to improve their communities, but let’s be clear. June wanted to leave a legacy, not replace Virginia O’Neil. 
Virginia knows our schools and spent time and energy working on issues long before choosing to run for office. For her, this is a job, not a hobby. She knows our schools and understands the needs of our students and the expectations of our community. As a parent, I value Virginia’s common sense approach. As a colleague, I could not ask for a more committed board member. 
Our community deserves to have the best, the brightest and the most committed serving on the school board. Virginia not only gets my vote, she’s earned it.
Sarah Bedinger
Sequim

Expansion alternative
is stagnation
I am astounded at some of the statements made by the two incumbents at the recent
Sequim Aquatic Recreation Center candidates’ forum.
SARC is no longer a taxpayer-funded facility and should not be referred to as such. The $2.4 million bond was retired several years ago, and no levy monies have been received since 2002.
I am perplexed that a sitting commissioner does not know how SARC board positions became elected offices and that, ”the county controls us ?.”
SARC is not controlled by either Clallam County or the city of Sequim. In accordance with the RCW Title 36, the county employed procedural guidance during SARC’s formation as a parks and recreation district. Thereafter, the county’s duty is to act as district treasurer paying all expenditures from revenues generated by SARC.
On the issue of Ms. Sorensen’s quoted comments regarding SARC’s $1 million in reserves and that it ”can go very quickly,” it would not go so quickly, if at all, were the board to implement a true business plan that enhances the facility, equipment and programs.
The SARC board and its management apparently refuse to recognize that they are engaged in a competitive business. During the past two years SARC has lost users and revenue and continues to do so while the two local commercial fitness facilities are thriving. Why?
SARC is definitely not living up to its potential as a viable, forward-looking entity. Expansion, equipment modernization and customer-related procedures must be implemented. The alternative is stagnation and eventual failure.
Bill Black
Sequim

Too many deer
I am again writing to you regarding the overpopulation of deer at Diamond Point. These deer not only are beginning to run in large herds (15 or more) but are now becoming aggressive.
While walking my small dog last weekend in the area, we passed a group of three lying off in a yard. We continued to walk by when the female got up and began walking toward us. This was a very uncomfortable feeling, as you can imagine, as we did not provoke or harass this animal.
Driving just from the airport on the hill to Discovery Way, we spotted four different groups of deer, each with between four to nine members. Our neighbors next door had 15 in their yard alone.
I have written two letters to the game department, yet have had no response. Judging from the other letters I see in your paper, we are not the only ones who are becoming more concerned about this infestation. Our yard is such a mess with droppings you can hardly walk around any more.
To think that I will have to carry some type of protection to stroll around the block is absurd. But I truly believe I need to protect myself.
I just hope something can be done before someone really gets hurt.
Jenece Brown
Sequim

Cover it as it is
I just saw the story on your Web site covering the four activists who are opposing I-1033, complete with photos. No doubt there will be a story in the newspaper this week as well.
In the past, you have also run cover stories about small groups of antiwar protestors from as far away as Forks who came to Sequim to wave their signs.
In contrast, when more than 50 local people protested in downtown Sequim on Sept. 12 against the Obama administration’s dreadful tax-and-spend policies, you made no note of it. There were no photos and no story, despite the fact that it was linked to a nationwide event and took place a block from your offices.
The only sign that any protest took place was the political cartoon you ran in which Tim Quinn mocked the protestors. You should be embarrassed at having dropped the ball — the PDN even scooped you.
The Gazette promotes itself as a community newspaper. Do conservative viewpoints have no place in your paper? It seems that you only cover political events if they’re from a liberal viewpoint. I hope you’ll reconsider your policy and start covering the community as it is, not as you wish it were.
M.C. Clark
Sequim

Two clubs in same sand trap
I read with great interest the article about SunLand seeking financial help in the Oct. 7 issue. I resided in Sequim for 25 years until August of 2004. The last three years I was there, I lived in SunLand.
Presently I live in Branson, Mo., in a development called Pointe Royale Golf Resort. There are similarities between the two communities. SunLand has approximately 700-plus homes and condos; Pointe Royale approximately 900 homes and condos.
As in SunLand, the vast majority of the residents in Pointe Royale are not golfers. They are here because of strict CC&Rs that protect their home values and the enjoyment of being in a well-kept community headed by the presence of the golf course.
Pointe Royale just faced what SunLand is now going through. After two property owners’ meetings discussing the issues, we voted to assess each property owner $359 to support the golf course. Although I have no stake in the outcome of what happens in SunLand, it is my suggestion that the owners seriously consider going for the assessment of $300. The suggestion of a park is not realistic. A public park among all those residents? If I still lived there, I know what my answer would be.
These problems that SunLand and Pointe Royale are going through are not unique.
They are widespread throughout the country and likely will continue for some time.
Carroll French
Branson, Mo.

Exceptional candidate
We are pleased to support Virginia O’Neil for re-election to the Sequim school board. Virginia is a skilled financial manager, an involved community volunteer and a gifted leader. In this time of unprecedented economic challenges, her experience and financial acumen are exceptionally valuable. Virginia will continue to lead the district in the direction that will best serve students, their families and our community.
Virginia has served as a classroom volunteer, as a member of numerous school district advisory committees and as the district’s legislative representative. She has a keen understanding of the district’s operations, financial needs and challenges. While she is a consensus builder, she does not hesitate to take positions that will best serve students.
Virginia graduated with honors from Stanford University. Quality education is her passion. She is committed to providing meaningful opportunities for all students within the district. Students, parents, teachers and taxpayers are well-served with her leadership.
This is a time of great challenge and opportunity for the Sequim school district, and Virginia O’Neil is an exceptional candidate. Please join us in voting to re-elect her to the Sequim school board.
Mike and Kristin Glenn
Sequim

What kind of community
do we want?
Commissioner (Steve) Tharinger’s Guest Opinion of Oct. 14 is a misleading interpretation of I-1033. Published data and facts are twisted to confuse voters who have not studied the details in the Voters’ Pamphlet.
If we truly want to retain the community that we now enjoy, we need I-1033.
The highlight of Steve’s attack is the chart to be found on Page 9 of the pamphlet, in which the Office of Financial Management projects future state revenues applying the 4.8-percent annual trend of the past decade. There seems no question that the Legislature would spend every penny.
Do we wish to continue this “inevitable” growth of state budgets, 4.8 percent or more?
I-1033 starts with the “status quo” (the community that we now have) and provides  for specific contingencies with voter-approved budget increases. Do not overlook that the state spending must balance to the state revenue.
Steve points to the promise of additional billions of dollars for education and basic services. Are they essential to preserving “the kind of community that we want”? The taxpayers seem to have completely lost control. I-1033 focuses on a strict matching of revenues to expenditures. It we want to increase expenditures, after voter approval, taxes and fees must rise accordingly.
I-1033 is not “Tim Eyman’s initiative.” Hundreds of thousand of Washington voters signed for it, a serious attempt to control taxes, mine and yours.
Rolland K. Griffith
Sequim

Too important
to fail?
I have lived on the SunLand golf course for many years, been a golfer and served on the SunLand Golf and Country Club board of directors.
The financial problems at the golf club are not new nor are they unique.
SunLand G&CC is a private business, with no connection to the SunLand Owners Association. In fact, SLOA has reminded homeowners that the golf course is private property and that they are not allowed access.
The golf club has begun to publicize its financial difficulties and the likelihood of its inability to continue to operate. They have suggested that if the club fails, homeowners will lose as much as one-third of their property value. They feel that it is only fair that homeowners bail them out by subsidizing their dues by about $300 per year.
They have not given any proposal on how the money will be spent or what they are doing to help themselves. Their sole argument is that if the homeowners do not collectively contribute about $250,000 a year, the club will be forced to cease operation and the course will not be maintained to golf course standards.
While ignoring alternatives such as opening the course to outside play or converting it to a greenbelt or park, they contend that $300 per year is reasonable to protect the homeowners against losing tens of thousands of dollars in property value.
In their opinion, they are too important for homeowners to let them fail. Haven’t we heard this argument before? We probably should wait until we see the club’s plan before we get too excited.
Charles Lamb
Sequim

Who gets
which rights?
I’d like to know how some of the citizens of Washington state could not want all of our citizens to be treated impartially under the law. Shouldn’t we all have the same rights and privileges? What group ought to determine who has a right to be treated equally?
Should we say that blond-haired, blue-eyed folks be deprived of the same rights as all citizens?
Then, how could we say that our gay community not be entitled to participate in all the same rights as the rest of our state? How do we choose those special groups that we don’t want to give the same rights to? They pay all the same taxes that we do, they abide by all the same laws that we do. Then why should we single them out when it comes to their rights, the same rights that we all take for granted?
One of the reasons our country was involved in World War II was that Hitler decided that the Jews should not be treated the same as their fellow countrymen and he killed them by the millions for that. Our country today still sends our troops to places across the world that persecute and oppress people so unfairly.
How then can we do the same thing here to our own citizens and rationalize it, thinking that it’s OK? The Bible says, “You, You without sin, You, cast the first stone.”
And our own Declaration of Independence says that, “All men (and women) are created equal, and that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights and that among these are Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness.”
Patricia Marshall
Sequim

Cold and sweaty
Attention, all SARC weight room users.
If you are as uncomfortable as I am with cold (refrigerated) air blowing directly on persons using the exercise equipment along the east wall, I have a suggestion. Please consider voting for Jan Richardson and Noelle Levesque for SARC commissioners positions 1 and 2. 
Both have personally
assured me that one of the first things they will do upon being seated is to find a way to divert this frigid air away from the sweating person using said equipment. ’Nuff said.
Harvey L. Martin,
Sequim

Scoring
with food
The Sequim High School football team is a winner both on the field and off.
Thanks to Christine Paulson, the varsity football team and cheerleaders, a lot of the less fortunate in our community will have food to put on their table.
After beating North Mason on a cold and rainy night and having to attend practice the following morning at 8 a.m., some of the football team and cheerleaders stood out in front of Safeway from noon-
6 p.m. Under the guidance of Christine, they collected 16 shopping carts full of food and almost $400.
Wow! And God bless them, is all I can say. These outstanding young Americans give us so much hope that our future is truly bright.
Also, a big thank you to Safeway and all the shoppers who gave so generously.
God bless Sequim.
Stephen T. Rosales,
president
Sequim Food Bank

Grossly unfair
Well, here I go again. With elections on the horizon, of course I’d like to make a statement. Crime and punishment are not Republican or Democratic issues. They have nothing to do with ethnicity and should not be rich or poor issues. Justice should belong to all of us.
Unfortunately, we have a serious ongoing injustice in our three-strikes law that needs fixing. While those convicted of heinous crimes are sentenced to life without the possibility of parole, we have nonviolent people convicted of low-level offenses serving the very same sentence. A sentence of life without parole is forever;  it is second only to the death sentence.
The three-strikes law was meant to lock up the “most vicious criminals” for life. The majority of those now incarcerated have committed relatively minor offenses. These people have lost their free lives to a grossly unjust law. Please give this a little thought ? with elections on the horizon.
Shirley White
Port Townsend

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