Stewart’s vote was deceitful

As the City Council representative to the C-Tran board, Jeanne Stewart was expected to represent the City Council with her votes. She did not when instead she voted to support two votes for the ballot on transportation funding for C-Tran and light rail. She claims she voted her conscience for the people.

In doing so, she showed a lack of conscience. She could have abstained or taken herself off the C-Tran board.

Having a moral conscience means standing up to the first truth. You cannot pretend to represent what you ultimately will not do. That is deceitful.

Genevieve Kortes

VANCOUVER

Build new bridge upriver

If everyone agrees that we need a new bridge, will everyone agree with us that we must relocate our present bridge to create another crossing? My call to action: insist on transferring our I-5 bridge upriver and placing it between Camas-Washougal and Gresham-Troutdale. This isn’t a new idea. It is shovel ready, with little initial investment. Much would be accomplished toward expanding our local economies into the future with just one action.

David Beecher

VANCOUVER

Many causes for Tucson shooting

I am appalled at the way some politicians, talk-show hosts and online bloggers are trying to explain the horrific act of Jared Loughner in the Tucson shooting as simply the result of a deranged criminal mind, devoid of any connection to the anti-government rhetoric of our current political climate.

I would suggest Loughner’s act is the result of a toxic combination of (a) too easy availability of guns in our society; (b) lack of adequate health care for the 10 percent of our population that is said to suffer from some form of mental illness; and, importantly, (c) a vitriolic political climate where some folks describe our government and its leadership as though it is the “enemy” that wants to take away our freedoms, an enemy that needs to be “taken out.”

I pray we can work on all three of these issues simultaneously, demanding better gun control laws, better systems of referral and help for disturbed individuals, and a more sane political discourse in which we can differ on issues but not create hate for those with whom we differ.

Marilynn Gordon

VANCOUVER

Goals worth pursuing this year

My wish list for 2011:

Working-class Americans elected public officials to implement policies that benefit the majority, and to safeguard Constitutional government and the rule of law. Americans desperately need for our public officials to immediately:

1. End all wars and military occupations.
2. Cease funding Israeli expansion and military dictatorships worldwide.
3. Cease secret military operations in the more than 60 nations where secret operations have been expanded.
4. Cease the drone-missile assassination acts of state-sponsored terrorism in the five or more states where these acts of murder are being committed.
5. Fund infrastructure maintenance, health care and manufacturing jobs creation.
6. Enact legislation that legalizes hemp and cannabis. It’s time to allow much safer alternatives to alcohol, tobacco and prescription drugs.

Don Jacobson

VANCOUVER

Massive debt burdens grandchildren

Okay, Mr. America, your loving spouse (let’s call her “Mother Nature”) isn’t too pleased about how you’re keeping the family finances. You see, Mother Nature has certain rules: like if you continue to spend more than you earn, eventually, very bad things will happen to your family.

This is the bottom line: income tax receipts are roughly $900 billion a year. Corporate taxes are roughly $200 billion annually. That’s $1.1 trillion in annual tax revenue. America’s current government expenditure is $3.5 trillion per year. Even if you doubled the tax for every taxpayer and every business, we’d still be faced with a $1.3 trillion annual deficit. And that trend is set to continue. The January revised upward increase for the cost of medical reform over the next decade, cited by the Congressional Budget Office, is now recalculated at $1.053 trillion. No matter how well the intentions are, can we afford this trend?

So, Mr. America, you’ve now created the first generation in your family history to spend your grandchildren into poverty before they’re even born. Either we stop this madness at the local, state and federal levels, or Mother Nature is going to make us all feel like Humpty Dumpty after his fall.

Michael B. Lumbard

WASHOUGAL

How the wolves operate among us

America has forgotten its heritage because Marxists know that people without a past are easily manipulated. Just plant a false history to control them.

Communists know free people will never knowingly adopt socialism, but under the pretext of liberalism, they will unwittingly adopt every aspect. Now we have a liberal administration falsely representing that America is not a Christian nation. The wolves take away our past, implant a false secular history, then under the guise of liberalism change us into a socialist state. If you have not noticed yet, this is what is driving our economy into the ground. I am encouraged by seeing a renewed interest in learning America’s Godly heritage (not found in public schools), the true anchor and vision for our land of liberty.

Keith Mathison

BATTLE GROUND

Observe teachings of the Bible

Several things need to be said in regard to the Jan. l4 story, “Online magazine ranks Vancouver 6th on ‘gayest city’ list,” especially in view of statements made by several members of the local clergy.

All people are to be genuinely welcome in biblically oriented churches, be they alcoholics, those engaged in homosexual activities, bisexuals, child abusers or gossips. However, in a biblically based church, the attendees learn from the Bible that the above mentioned activities are wrong and sinful.

The good news is that these people and all other people, though sinners, have available a Savior, Jesus Christ, who not only gladly gives forgiveness to all who are repentant, but who also enables them to overcome temptations and sinful habits that are found in each of us. This enablement holds true, recognizing that our temptations and hurtful habits will vary greatly from person to person.

A Christian church must welcome all while at the same time not accepting behavior and attitudes that the Bible forbids. The end goal is to aid all to find a new life and a positive way of living as set forth in the teachings of the Bible.

Ralph H. Isensee

VANCOUVER