Consider the source

Here’s George Clooney opening his mouth about an “entertainment industry inflection point” in his support for the SAG and Writers Guild strike. But did he hire our American actors to play our U.S. Olympians for his upcoming movie, “The Boys In The Boat”?

Did he hire one U.S. film crew, one transportation company here? One waste disposal company, one construction company here, one catering company? One gaffer, one painter, one production assistant, one makeup artist? Is he paying any taxes that would benefit our film industry? This for a movie being filmed entirely in England and whose subject surrounds our medal from our university?

The actors are even learning North American idiom and accents to best fake it. Why not use our SAG actors from our country for our film written by our Pacific Northwest author about our region, then they don’t need to fake a Northwest accent?

Sure, wherever it is filmed it shines a light on us, and I am jazzed to watch it, but this comment, by such an influencer — especially considering current national efforts to discontinue offshoring U.S. jobs — is not only hypocritical, it is being made by a person waving a SAG union flag but waiving what it stands for.

Mac Macdonald

Sequim

Kudos for ridge efforts

A big thank you to the group that was raising awareness about winter access to Hurricane Ridge! (Peninsula Daily News, July 18)

We need to let the park administration know how important this is to our community.

Winter users of the ridge include those who use the downhill ski area, backcountry skiers, and also many out-of-town visitors who go snowshoeing. All of these contribute to the economy during the otherwise slow season of the year.

The ridge provides soul-fulfilling beauty and respite when Port Angeles is rainy and gray. Write to the park superintendent and let her know that winter access is important.

Erran Sharpe

Port Angeles

Commissioner may have conflict of interest

County Commissioner Mark Ozias recently attended a meeting of Happy Valley residents that voiced concerns about a proposed mining site and said, “I shared all of the same concerns” (“Proposed mining operation worries neighbors,” Sequim Gazette, Aug. 9, page A-1, and in Peninsula Daily News).

According to Ozias’ own documentation, “There is no apparent immediate need for the supply of this material.”

Ozias serves this area of Clallam County in his commissioner capacity, but the article neglected to mention that he also lives just a few doors down from the proposed gravel pit.

I appreciate community members uniting for a common cause, but I think Ozias should have attended the meeting as a concerned neighbor, not as a biased commissioner of the county that will be reviewing the proposed site. This seems to be a conflict of interest.

I’d also be interested to see documentation proving crushed rock is unneeded in this area.

Jeff Tozzer

Sequim

Consider spending habits in 2024 election

Everyone loves Jeopardy, right? Let’s play! Answer: Joe Biden and the Democrats.

Question: Why did Fitch Ratings recently downgrade the U.S. long-term credit rating?

Democrats are spending money like proverbial drunken sailors: $1 trillion for infrastructure, $278 billion for computer chips, $499 billion for “green energy” projects. (Wall Street Journal)

The Congressional Budget Office estimates the federal government will add $1.5 trillion to the deficit this year, cascading total federal debt to more than $33 trillion. (cbo.gov/topics/budget)

Is the country at war? Facing an economic depression? Coping with a national emergency? Nope. In fact, the recent unemployment rate of 3.4 percent is the lowest in 54 years. (cnbc.com)

Fitch Ratings knows the U.S. should decrease debt in peacetime, and they are worried about our ability to pay it back.

Fitch also knows Biden’s family has received millions in bribes and extortion payments from Ukraine and communist China, crippling the President’s ability to deal with national problems.

Furthermore, they see out-of-control crime, drug use and filth in Democrat-run big cities. (dailysignal.com)

Lastly, the Medicare and Social Security “trust funds” will run dry in the not-too-distant future, but Democrats browbeat anyone who suggests we need actuarial sanity. (kiplinger.com)

Ernest Hemingway writes in The Sun Also Rises, “How did you go bankrupt?” Bill asked.“Two ways,” Mike said. “Gradually and then suddenly.” Like Mike, America’s fiscal time bomb is ticking, and Fitch has taken notice. Maybe we should, too, especially when we cast our ballots in 2024.

Jerry Ludke

Port Angeles