The letters the Bulletin prints in My Nickel’s Worth provide a window into the thinking of my neighbors, often a different perspective from my own. Thank you for that.

In your May 31 My Nickel’s Worth, you included three letters on ongoing inquiries regarding Benghazi, press freedom and IRS treatment of applicants for tax exempt status. Oddly, one even connects IRS targeting to Sen. Jeff Merkley’s request that only legitimate social welfare organizations be given such status. The tone of all three letters is similar, that it is becoming clear that these are, in truth, scandals.

I see a different picture emerging. First, while death of innocents is tragic, congressional inquiries seem to be proving that interdepartmental politics decided the phrasing of administration announcements on Benghazi. This is sad, but normal and no scandal, as anyone who has ever worked in government or a large company knows. Second, we should be very careful to protect freedom of the press, but the administration seems to have acted legally and has proposed changes to the law that would further limit executive action. Third, the IRS “scandal” seems to be limited to a Cleveland office that made very poor choices in its database search criteria. The administration should ensure this doesn’t happen again, but it is hardly a threat to our way of life.

Inquiries are ongoing and new facts may come to light. We might all want to avoid leaping to conclusions.

Steve Phillips

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