Cartoon was off

I usually enjoy the political cartoons published in The Bulletin. For the most part, they are clever and insightful and often inject a bit of humor regarding political follies of Democrats and Republicans.

However, the cartoon in the March 23 edition was shamefully misleading. It showed Obama congratulating newly elected presidents of various regimes. The insinuation was that Trump’s congratulatory call to Putin was no different.

The big difference is that Obama’s security advisers did not advise against Obama’s congratulatory calls. At the time, there were no glaring strategic reasons for their advising against the calls. On the other hand, Trump’s advisers wisely had urged that Trump not extend personal congratulations to Putin.

Whatever Trump’s security advisers’ strategic reasons, any savvy public relations person would have made the same recommendation: Mr. President, now is not the time to be adding to the perception that you and the Russian president are best buds.

The very fact that an investigation is taking place regarding Russia’s likely interference in our 2016 elections would be reason enough — whether or not there was collusion with Trump’s people involved. Whatever the facts, it is public perception that counts. Any wise leader knows this.

Bad move, Mr. President.

There’s a reason you have advisers.

Suzanne Pepin

Sisters

Too big for neighborhood

Recently, a Bulletin business article detailed a Eugene developer’s plans to build mixed-use buildings on the site of the former Ray’s Market at 14th and Simpson. The buildings as proposed will be 75 feet tall. Putting that into perspective, it will dwarf most of the trees in the area; it will be over twice as tall as the tallest residential building in the area.

Does this make sense to anyone other than the developer? The builder was not forthcoming with information regarding rent prices, except to say the units will not be targeted to students. The builder indicates the number of automotive trips will be dramatically less than the market generated. Possibly, the other businesses in the center generated a large portion of the trips reported. If there are 209 units, and only one car per unit (unlikely), that would be at least 418 trips in one day. Traffic generated by the proposed restaurant and other businesses should be considered.

High-density and mixed-use developments are appropriate in an urban environment, but not seven-story buildings in an established residential neighborhood. The proposed redevelopment area east of U.S. Highway 97 is the perfect location for high-density, mixed-use, live/work projects. This area is close to downtown shopping, businesses and services. The redevelopment area will have access to the major Central Oregon corridor and employment areas.

The proposed development at 14th and Simpson will stick out like a sore thumb.

Monte Dammarell

Sunriver

Trumpism is a threat

Conservatives are abandoning ship. In the March issue of The Atlantic, two senior fellows at the Brookings Institute, Jonathan Rauch and Benjamin Wittes, known for their conservative views, urge conservatives to vote a straight Democratic Party ticket to save the nation and the Republican Party from Trumpism.

They offered a simple logical syllogism:

“(1) The GOP has become the party of Trumpism.

(2) Trumpism is a threat to democratic values and the rule of law.

(3) The Republican Party is a threat to democratic values and the rule of law.”

Their thesis, essentially, is that Trumpism poses such a severe threat to the Republican Party and the nation that it must be thwarted. And the only way to achieve this is to reject Republican candidates throughout the ticket.

Republican candidates are therefore on notice that they are not only running against Democrats, whether progressive, liberal or moderate, but are also running against conservatives. The implication is clear: any Republican candidate in 2018 is assumed to be running as a Trumpist and comes with the entire assembly of baggage that Trump presents — from racism through sexism, xenophobia, science denial and anti-environmentalism to exploitation of public lands and workers for the benefit of the wealthy. Please evaluate your voting decisions carefully this fall.

Trisha Vigil

Medford