4A |
SATURDAY EDITION
| SEPTEMBER 1, 2018
Siuslaw News
P.O. Box 10
Florence, OR 97439
NED HICKSON , EDITOR
Opinion
| 541-902-3520 | NHICKSON @ THESIUSLAWNEWS . COM
C
The First Amendment
ongress shall make no law respecting an es-
tablishment of religion or prohibiting the
free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom
of speech, or of the press, or the right of the
people peaceably to assemble, and to petition
the Government for a redress of grievances.
“I never considered a difference of opinion in politics, in religion, in philosophy, as cause for withdrawing from a friend.” —Thomas Jefferson (1800)
USPS# 497-660
Copyright 2018 © Siuslaw News
“W e need a free press. We must have it. It’s vital. ... If you want to preserve democracy as
we know it, you have to have a free and many times adversarial press. And without it, I
am afraid that we would lose so much of our individual liberties over time. ”
Sen. John McCain
February 19, 2017
REMEMBERI NG JOH N MCCAI N
Published every Wednesday and Saturday at 148 Maple St. in Florence, Lane County, Oregon.
A member of the National Newspaper Association and Oregon Newspaper Publishers Association.
Periodicals postage paid at Florence, Ore. Postmaster, send address changes to: Siuslaw News, P.O.
Box 10, Florence, OR 97439; phone 541-997-3441; fax 541-997-7979. All press releases may be sent
to PressReleases@TheSiuslawNews.com.
Jenna Bar tlett
Ned H ickson
Erik Chalhoub
Publisher, ex t. 318
Editor, ex t. 313
Co n s u l t i n g E d i to r 8 3 1 -7 6 1 -7 3 5 3
echalhoub@register-pajaronian.com
M ar k e t i n g Di re c to r, e x t . 3 2 6
O ffice Super visor, ex t. 312
Pro d u c t i o n Su p e r v i s o r
Pre s s M a n a ge r
Su s a n G u t i e r re z
Cathy Dietz
Ron Annis
Je re my G e n t r y
DEADLINES:
Wednesday Issue—General news, Monday noon; Budgets, four days prior to publication; Regular
classified ads, Monday 1 p.m.; Display ads, Monday noon; Boxed and display classified ads, Friday 5 p.m.
LETTERS
The real accomplishments of
President Trump
Because letter writers Tom Jackson
and Mary DeCeault (“No Cherry Pick-
ing,” “Some of the ‘Accomplishments’
of Donald Trump,” Aug. 29) have al-
ready covered all the left-wing talking
points so eloquently, I would like to
provide my own truthful perspective.
First, after eight years of unques-
tioned far-left policies, it is a wonder
President Trump could achieve any-
thing with all the ridiculous policies
that had been put in place. But as for-
mer President Obama liked to do: If
you can’t get what you want through
Congress, just use a phone and a pen.
In doing so, he left the door open for
President Trump to void many of our
former president’s bad ideas — and for
that, I thank him.
As for the 500 (estimated) children
not reunited with their parents, it’s on
the parents for committing a crime by
coming to the U.S. illegally. They knew
what they were doing, just as people
who commit crimes here and get sent
to jail; they, too, get separated from
their kids. Unless we do something
worse by putting the kids in jail with
their parents.
Yes, Trump’s North Korea plan has
not panned out too well. But he did
get a couple of prisoner’s back home,
along with some of our MIAs’ remains
(we hope). And it didn’t cost us a dime.
The jury is out on the tax cuts cost.
But what we do know is that the econ-
omy is going gang busters. Unemploy-
ment among all categories is at its low-
est in a long, long time. And the GDP
is above four percent after being told,
for the previous eight years, that we
needed to accept a measly two percent
GDP or less as the new normal.
As for downsizing the National
Monuments and allowing companies
to explore for energy? No problem
there. In my opinion, they were getting
used for vote-getting and fundraising
from the eco-extremists like the Sier-
ra Club and other far-left eco groups.
And just where is the pollution and en-
vironmental damage from this? Take a
look at the EPA’s pollution of the Colo-
rado river. As of last year, it still hasn’t
paid the bill. (www.usatoday.com/sto-
ry/news/nation -now/2017/01/13/epa-
wont-pay-claims-mine-spill-released-
3m-gallons-toxic-water/96555846)
As for the president’s golfing…
Wow, I am amazed that anyone could
play golf more than President Obama.
When it comes to who golfed more, I
really don’t care either way.
I could give a longer list of things I
think matter, but then the editor would
have to give me a whole page — and
that is unlikely. So here is a link to the
not right-wing Washington Times
article (www.washingtontimes.com/
news/2018/may/6/giving-trumps-ac
complishments-their-due).
That all being said, I would like to
see a few less tweets. Personally, I don’t
tweet because I think it is silly.
—D avid Eckhardt
Florence
We should take a lesson from
John McCain’s playbook
Th is will be a short letter, witten in
response to Mary DeCeault’s Letter to
the Editor in the Aug. 29 issue of the
Siuslaw News (“Some of the ‘Accom-
plishments’ of Donald Trump”).
Th ank you for so eloquently writing
what I suspect is the opinion of more
than half of our fractured country.
Th at being said, I don’t care who you
are or what party you belong to:
Vote.
Tell your friends to register to vote.
You can register at the post offi ce.
Also, let’s be civil with each other.
Let’s be honest with each other.
Let’s be kind to each other.
Lively conversation is good; arguing
Saturday Issue—General news, Thursday noon; Budgets, two days prior to publication; Regular
classifiedad,sThursday 1 p.m.; Display ads, Thursday noon; Boxed and display classified ads, Wednes-
day 5 p.m. Soundings, Tuesday 5 p.m.
isn’t.
I didn’t necessarily agree with John
McCain, but I loved him and his
bi-partisan ways.
We could all take a lesson from his
playbook.
—Gail Katz Hanson
Florence
America is on the right track
Wow.
Double wow.
Two responses to my letter regard-
ing liberal Democrats overlooking the
good this administration has done for
the country since President Trump
came into office (“Overlooking the
Good President Trump Has Done,”
Aug. 25).
As for Tom Jackson asking in his
Letter to the Editor for a list of the
good things (“No Cherry Picking,”
Aug. 29), it exemplifies the majority of
Democrats’ lack of accepting facts, or
their blindness due to their hatred of
this non-conventional president.
Because of this, I’m sure a list of his
accomplishments would do no good;
they are out there for those who are
willing to look.
The same would apply to Mary De-
Ceault’s letter regarding the same sub-
ject (“Some of the ‘Accomplishments’
of Donald Trump,” Aug. 29).
In my opinion, they must see these
positive accomplishments but simply
fail to register them as such. Certainly
this president isn’t perfect, any more
than any previous presidents have
been.
Do I agree with 100 percent of the
things President Trump has said or
done? No. But he has America on
the right track — and to not think of
America first and put party politics
second is truly sad.
—Tony Cavarno
Florence
NEWSPAPER SUBSCRIPTION RATES:
In Lane County — 1-year subscription, $76; 6-month in-county, $52; 10-weeks subscription, $23;
Out of Lane County — 1-year subscription,$99; 6-month out-of-county, $65; 10-weeks subscrip-
tion, $29; Out of State — 1-year subscription, $125; E-Edition Online Only (Anywhere) — 1-year
subscription, $71.
Mail subscription includes E-Edition.
Website and E-Edition: TheSiuslawNews.com
Letters to the Editor policy
The Siuslaw News welcomes letters to the editor as
part of a community discussion of issues on the local,
state and national level.
Emailed letters are preferred. Handwritten or typed
letters must be signed. All letters need to include full
name, address and phone number; only name and city
will be printed. Letters should be limited to about 300
words. Letters are subject to editing for length, gram-
mar and clarity. Publication of any letter is not guaran-
teed and depends on space available and the volume of
letters received.
Letters that are anonymous, libelous, argumentative,
sarcastic or contain accusations that are unsourced or
documented will not be published.
Letters containing poetry or from outside the Siuslaw
News readership area will only be published at the dis-
cretion of the editor.
Political/Election Letters:
Election-related letters must address pertinent or
timely issues of interest to our readers at-large.
Letters must 1) Not be a part of letter-writing cam-
paigns on behalf of (or by) candidates; 2) Ensure any
information about a candidate is accurate, fair and not
from second-hand knowledge or hearsay; and 3) ex-
plain the reasons to support candidates based on per-
sonal experience and perspective rather than partisan-
ship and campaign-style rhetoric.
Candidates themselves may not use the letters to the
editor column to outline their views and platforms or to
ask for votes; this constitutes paid political advertising.
As with all letters and advertising content, the news-
paper, at the sole discretion of the publisher, general
manager and editor, reserves the right to reject any let-
ter that doesn’t follow the above criteria.
Emal letters to:
nhickson@thesiuslawnews.com
WHERE TO WRITE
Pres. Donald Trump
The White House
1600 Pennsylvania Ave. NW
Washington, D.C. 20500
Comments: 202-456-1111
Switchboard: 202-456-1414
FAX: 202-456-2461
TTY/TDD Comments:
202-456-6213
www.whitehouse.gov
Oregon Gov. Kate Brown
160 State Capitol
900 Court St.
Salem, Ore. 97301-4047
Governor’s Citizens’ Rep.
Message Line:
503-378-4582
www.oregon.gov/gov
U.S. Sen. Ron Wyden
221 Dirksen Senate Office Bldg
Washington, DC 20510
202-224-5244
541-431-0229
www.wyden.senate.gov
U.S. Sen. Jeff Merkley
313 Hart Senate Office Bldg
Washington, DC 20510
202-224-3753
FAX: 202-228-3997
541-465-6750
www.merkley.senate.gov
U.S. Rep. Peter DeFazio
(4th Dist.)
2134 Rayburn HOB
Washington, DC 20515
202-225-6416
541-269-2609
541-465-6732
www.defazio.house.gov
State Sen. Arnie Roblan
(Dist. 5)
900 Court St. NE - S-417
Salem, OR 97301
503-986-1705
FAX: 503-986-1080
Email: Sen.ArnieRoblan@
oregonlegislature.gov
State Rep. Caddy McKeown
(Dist. 9)
900 Court St. NE
Salem, OR 97301
503-986-1409
Email: rep.caddymckeown
@state.or.us
West Lane County
Commissioner
Jay Bozievich
125 E. Eighth St.
Eugene, OR 97401
541-682-4203
FAX: 541-682-4616
Email: Jay.Bozievich@
co.lane.or.us
