AUGUST 20, 2021, KEIZERTIMES, PAGE A11
Letters
PUBLIC SQUARE welcomes all points of view. Published submissions do not necessarily reflect the views of the Keizertimes
Ego led to
Afghan disaster
$8 million to spend
At a work session on Monday, Aug. 23,
the Keizer City Council will discuss how to
spend more than $8 million, the city's share
of American Recovery Plan Act (ARPA)
funds authorized by Congress last spring.
That $8 million is approximately one
quarter of the city's annual general budget.
Depending on what is ultimately decided
by the council, that money can do a lot of
good for a lot of Keizer residents.
We think the council should be very
thoughtful in how to use that money. This
is a once-in-a-lifetime financial windfall.
There is no shortage of projects here in
Keizer. Mayor Cathy Clark is a champion
of regional collaboration, pooling Keizer's
ARPA funds with Marion County and
surrounding cities to leverage much more
than our $8 million can do alone.
If the council decides that the money
should be spent in Keizer, it should
consider all the options that would benefit
the greatest number of city residents. That
could include splitting the money between
various departments—upgrades in the
city's many parks, equipment for the police
department or sidewalks in neighboroods
where there are none.
Editorial
Interim City Manager Wes Hare
broached the idea recently that the money
could be used on the big projects such as
at the Willow Lake Waste Treatment plant
that would potentially give some fee relief.
Once the money is spent, it is gone. It
would be best if residents were to benefit
from the fruit of congressional largesse
for the forseeable future. The Keizer city
council has always been good stewards of
money, we are confident they will make the
best choices for the city, but they will not
make any decision without input from the
public.
How would you spend $8 million to
benefit the greatest number of people?
You will have your chance to voice your
opinion before any council vote is taken.
— LAZ
To the Editor:
Throughout
recorded
history,
humankind has often allowed itself too
much ego, along with its first cousin,
arrogance, in decision-making and
related action. That condition, a basic
in human nature, explains in part at
least why we spent more than 20 years,
trillions of dollars and 2,400 American
lives adding up to a failure caused by
allowing ego to drastically exceed
anything resembling the original
mission.
Yes, we know why we went into
Afghanistan. After 9-11, perpetrated by
a collection of Saudi Arabs terrorists
who decided that taking down U.S.
commercial and federal buildings with
Americans inside would somehow
even the score from the presence of U.S.
troops and American war machines
that desecrated their sacred Muslim
homeland. The facts revealed that these
Saudis were trained for their mission of
destruction in Afghanistan.
We could have assembled U.S. Armed
Forces in sufficient quantity to invade
Afghanistan and make certain thereby
that any and all further threat to our
land and people was totally eliminated.
Afterwards, our spy satellites, which
can see a grain of sand from high in the
sky, could have kept a close watch on
everything taking place in Afghanistan
and returned should a new threat
reappear.
Meanwhile, Afghanistan,
a land without natural resources,
sightseeing or outdoor attractions was
always unlikely to attract American
investors or curious travelers.
What we did instead was occupy that
downtrodden nation, using the egoistic
idea of making it into our image,
known as “nation-building.” Such a way
of conducting our business overseas
has not worked well anywhere, as it
has always presumed that our values,
beliefs and way of life would be readily
adopted in conquered lands. As before,
that mindset has proven a failure in
Afghanistan. Should American leaders
conclude it in our best interest to
invade another nation that attacked us,
please let a return of “fire” not evolve
again into nation building.
Gene H. McIntyre
Keizer
America’s face
vs. heart
To the Editor:
Hindsight with history is easy.
America’s facial transformation in a few
months is a radical turn around to the
left, often opposite of many American
values, history, beliefs, traditions, laws
and security. The real heart of what
makes America great has been subtlety
hijacked due to government, Big Tech
censorship, media disinformation —
all from within. Not exactly positive
“Remaking of America or Build Back
Better." Elections have consequences,
we get what we elect.
Many of these happenings are
often blamed on Trump, Republicans,
conservatives, white supremacists,
Sadly, much is without congressional
approval—just executive orders or
political push. Lord willing, “America’s
Heart” is grounded enough that this
is just a wake-up call to beat these
temporary agendas. Stay in touch, stay
tuned, stay aware, stay focused, stay
involved. America’s true character will
overcome. It’s up to each of us Amer-I
CANS.
Robert L. Beckner
Gervais
WHEATLAND PUBLISHING CORP.
142 Chemawa Road N, Keizer, Oregon 97303
Phone: 503.390.1051 • www.keizertimes.com
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