Neighbors show poor attitudes

Last Thursday (April 11) I attended the 101Independents United organization’s forum at the Sequim Prairie Grange. Although I was not familiar with this group, I saw a flier promoting the event and thought the meeting titled “Local Government Transparency in Decision Making” sounded interesting. So, I went to listen and learn.

The panel included the DCD Director, two county commissioners, three local residents and a representative from the Jamestown S’KlallamHealth Department.

All the panelists made opening statements that I thought were mostly objective and informative – primarily related to the Towne Road issue, the history and current status of the MAT Clinic and the salmon mitigation projects along U.S. Highway 101.

After the presentations, members of the audience (numbering maybe 60-80 people) were given an opportunity to ask questions.

This started out fine, as the questions provided a good opportunity to hear follow up responses. However, midway through the Q&A session, some members of the audience began booing and yelling and interrupting and angrily stomping out of the event when questions were being asked and answered. At that point, the event deteriorated into something less than an opportunity to learn anything……so I left.

Although I think the general premise of the event was good (I strongly believe in transparency in government) I was very disappointed that the audience became so disrespectful and adversarial. This changed the entire atmosphere of what the event was (I thought) intended to do — to provide a better understanding of how our government works.

I hope if an event like this is held again, the audience would be more civil toward the presenters and people asking questions. We are, after all, neighbors.

Stephanie Sherman

Sequim

A serious spending issue in America

“Houston, we have a problem” — and today we can say, “America, we have several major, potentially nation ending problems.”

One of those problems is the destruction of the U.S. dollar, which is being printed into oblivion on the current course of $34 trillion of national debt, with $1 trillion now being added every 100 days.

And this crazy spending is being done with no emergency in place such as a major war, pandemic, or any kind of emergency.

Being the world’s reserve currency, America has special benefits and special responsibilities. However, this is now being squandered, and the world’s countries are exiting the dollar in favor of other options such as the BRICS+ countries that are forming their own currency, and the smartest bankers in world purchasing gold at record levels for the past two years.

There is no way that a dime of the national debt will ever be paid off other than with hyper inflated, near worthless dollars. Then our corrupt government will come in to “save” us with a CBDC (Central Bank Digital Currency).

If this nightmare is ever instituted it will give big brother the ability to know every transaction you make, control what and how much of any item you buy, and give them the power to totally cut you off from the financial system. If Big Brother doesn’t like what you do, what you say, your politics, etc, they can simply cut you off; “1984” will be here in full force, freedom will be ended.

Trump has said no to any CBDC; Biden, not so much. Today’s Democrat party is evil to the core and is an existential threat to this country, along with China and the illegal mass invasion. Any accurately informed person today knows this.

Greg Carroll

Sequim

Our world standing depends on choices

America has always been a great nation, not because of our wealth, but because of our resolve to be a champion for truth and moral principle. We are a great nation in the eyes of the world because we are there to defend and aid those who are in need.

Whether it be protection from oppressive regimes or to provide humanitarian assistance, the United States has been, and will continue to be a defender of liberty. We stepped in to defend our allies in two world wars and countless other battles across the globe. With our military might we defeated many nations, yet never once did we claim those defeated territories as our own.

It’s not what we have that makes us great, it’s who we are. We are part of the global community. Free nations count on each other to keep the world a safe place for all peoples.

The only thing that can take away America’s greatness, is Americans. If we elect a pseudo dictator who openly praises tyrants that rule their countries by fear and intimidation, our great nation will lose its greatness. We cannot abandon our allies with whom we’ve fought side by side for generations.

We cannot bully other nations into submission. We need leaders who can lead with respect and integrity.

Don’t be naive enough to believe that the United States cannot fail. If we elect leaders who scoff at the constitution and openly defend those who would ignorantly and arrogantly attack our nation’s capital, then we do so at our own peril.

Let us continue to keep America the great nation it’s always been!

Steve Brown

Sequim

A nation of immigrants

Here are questions for all i readers to ponder and evaluate for themselves: Why do immigrants in large numbers from around the world, inventing dangerous ways to travel, come to the USA almost every day?

The U.S. is a nation of immigrants, which began circa 1600, and continues to this day. Why? Autocratic nations like Russia, North Korea, Iran, China, et al, do not have similar “immigration problems.” Why not? Because the USA’s democracy offers its people a history of freedoms of speech, religious choice, peaceful protest, a rule of law, police protection and paid work necessary to support a family’s food acquisition and necessary shelter (not government or state suppression).

All should read the inscription on the Statue of Liberty (a gift from France) that reads: “Give me your tired, your poor, your huddled masses yearning to breathe free, the wretched refuse of your teeming shore. Send these, the homeless, tempest-tossed to me, I lift my lamp beside the golden door.”

The GOP has complained about immigration problems on the U.S.’s southern border for many years. Yet, when U.S. Senator James Lankford negotiated a Senate bipartisan immigration bill covering all the GOP complaints, which was presented to the GOP-controlled House, House speaker Johnson refused to have the House vote on the bill because of a phone call objection from Trump.

Trump wanted our immigration problems to continue so he could fix them when he is re-elected.

Trump also describes immigrants as “poisoning the blood of the USA population,” while knowing we are a nation of immigrants.

Richard Hahn

Sequim

Bidenomics and Bidenflation

As I see it, under “Bidenomics,” prices seem to be going up a heck of a lot faster than our take-home pay. Studies reflect that average hourly pay increased by 13.6% since January 2021 but, also, inflation increased by 17% — this means that, on average, one had to make an additional $11,434 annually just to keep from going backwards. (cbsnews.com)

But apparently, President Biden has not noticed this because he says that “We’re better situated than we were when we took office, where inflation was skyrocketing”.

Not sure if he was mis-speaking, mis-remembering or mis-leading, but, regardless, it was another example of mis-informing for which he is famed. To set the record straight, when he took office, inflation was a lowly 1.4% and, under his administration, “Bidenflation” kicked in, pushing it to a 41-year-high of 9% in 2022 before dropping back to 3.4%, over twice what it was when he entered office. (blackburn.senate.gov)

To put a finer point on it, prices across the board soared by 17% to include clothing prices (+7%), rent (+ 19%), food (+20%), energy (+ 31%), gas (+ 34%) and mortgage rates are at two-decade highs and, placing this in historical perspective, between January 2010 and January 2021, the price index for food increased less than 18% but since Biden’s election, it rose by 21%.

Bidennomics and Bidenflation are just two different names for the same thing. Rising prices and less money in your pocket. The better term would be Bidendisaster.

Dick Pilling

Port Angeles