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Need substance in Congress

I was happy to learn that The Bulletin is printing information and interviews of our representatives in Salem and Washington, D.C. On Sunday, Feb. 12, The Bulletin published an interview of U.S. Rep. Lori Chavez-DeRemer of the 5th Congressional District by Gary A. Warner, and that article was the first I turned to.

I thought the reporter’s questions were thought provoking, but I was disappointed in the lack of substance in Rep. Chavez-DeRemer’s responses to his questions. Warner’s first queries concerned personal matters, such as what does she like or dislike about her new environment. Therefore, homey, personal answers were appropriate to those questions.

However, subsequent questions gave her the opportunity to give informative answers concerning bills in the Economic Development, Public Buildings, and Emergency Management Subcommittee where she is vice chair. All of her constituents in the 5th Congressional District, including Deschutes County, are affected by laws concerning these major topics, but she didn’t have anything to say about them.

She also had the opportunity to discuss agriculture, education, and employment since she is on the committee serving those issues but made no comments about these concerns.

Unfortunately, our representative in Washington, D.C., couldn’t get beyond answers like “common sense approach” “everyday people” “who want to get stuff done.” This is the fluff of campaigns, not the real work of deliberating or governing representatives.

I and others in the district want to know what issues are coming before Congress and what our representative’s thinking is on those issues. I truly hope there is more substance in our representation in Washington than this nearly full-page interview demonstrates.

— Evelyn Moser, Redmond

Teach Black history year-round

The article on Black history on the front page of The Bulletin on Feb.11 brought into a focus a number of important points. I fully agree that Black history should be taught year-round. And it should be taught fully and honestly. Any white person (like me) should be eager to learn about all communities of color. White people alone did not build this country. African Americans, as well as Latinos, Indigenous peoples, Asians — all have made significant contributions, despite the systemic racism to which they have been, and still are, subjected.

The quote from Marcus LeGrand in the story encapsulates the importance of teaching this history without fear or restraint: “Black people were not slaves; we were enslaved. We were kings and queens way before we were enslaved.”

— Eileen Harrington, Bend

Oregonians are going to need secure power at reasonable prices

The protests against new compression facilities for the existing GTN gas pipeline are misplaced. Notwithstanding the efforts to move to renewable energy sources, fossil fuels as a source of power generation will have a long tail of production into the future while the transition to renewables occurs. Natural gas produces much less greenhouse gas than oil or coal for electrical generation, and as the demand for electricity in Central Oregon increases consumers will want secure power at a reasonable price. Oregon energy consumers should support maintaining existing energy infrastructure.

— Dave Norton, Bend

No transportation fee

I am writing to be on record as being in opposition to the possible imposition of a Transportation Utility Fee (TUF), by the Bend City Council. From what I have read in The Bulletin, the ideas being floated for filling a transportation funding shortfall, fall quite short of solving the problem.

I have lived in Bend since 1977…there were some 18,000 people here when I arrived.

One thing we need to look at is getting more control over how many people move here. It currently appears there are no restrictions on how big Bend might become…500,000, 1,000,000? The pro-growth agenda of builders and Realtors is driving up our population. Get a handle on that and you gain more control over transportation issues.

Before you fleece local property owners, I hope the city researches grants and other sources of transportation funds from the federal government. That seems like the perfect place to start. The feds provide a lot of that kind of help for communities.

Bottom line: Don’t treat me like a slot machine and yank my handle every time you need more money. I’m tired of being expected to pay out over and over. I’m retired and on a fixed income.

— Dave Stalker, Bend

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