Typewriter

In the Bulletin’s My Nickel’s Worth on Feb. 24th, John Sabo criticizes President Biden for traveling to Ukraine but not to the train derailment site at East Palestine, Ohio. Really? Are the issues comparable? I think not. For one thing, a Presidential visit requires security that in the case of East Palestine would interfere with the on-going mitigation efforts. In addition, at least two members of Biden’s cabinet have been on-site, along with the governors of both Ohio and Pennsylvania and numerous lower level politicians. A presidential visit would not help matters, even if the writer considers the travel to Ukraine a lower priority (which it most certainly is not). What the Administration can be doing, along with Congress, is to accelerate the requirements for safer tank cars, requirements that the railway freight companies have successfully lobbied to delay. But, you know that government regulation is an anathema to the Right, so we can’t do that!

— Vernon Threlkeld, Bend

Managed camps are no solution

A recent editorial headline in the Bulletin states that managed camps need to be considered as part of a “solution” to homelessness. Although clearly well-intentioned, the editorial should have been a little more careful with language. If Bend manages to shunt ever increasing numbers of unhoused people into “camps,” which the headline accurately implies as differing from neighborhoods, would that “solve” the problem of homelessness in our area? Camps would address a symptom but not the root cause of our national disease. There are readily available cures to homelessness in America, which may mostly have to do with taxing corporations and the rich and starving down our insatiable military-industrial complex. In other words, the money is there to help the unhoused, but it is being squandered on inequality and empire. This situation will not change under the so-called mainstream leadership of either of our national political parties. To be precise, “mitigation” would be a more accurate term for homeless camps because it implies that camps, although better than nothing, are not good enough. True solutions can only come if enough people scrutinize a faltering national political and economic system and choose leaders, or entirely different political parties, dedicated to genuine change.

— Matt Orr, Bend

Not a crisis

A crisis is defined as a time of intense difficulty, trouble, or danger. City Council persons have described the homeless situation in Bend as a crisis. Well, let’s look at the numbers. Occurring to the City of Bend, about 1,000 people experience houselessness in Central Oregon on any given night. Occurring to the U.S. Census Bureau, as of 2021, the population of Bend is just over 102,000. Considering those two statistics, less than 1% of the population is houseless. In other words, 99% of the population of this great city find it in themselves to battle their own demons and do whatever they have to do to put a roof over their head, keep the lights on, and feed their family. Does a situation that affects less than 1% of the population sound like a crisis or sensationalizing an issue? Further, consider the millions of taxpayers’ dollars being used for studies that ultimately tell us we have a huge crisis on our hands and should divert millions more towards the issue. Great cities are built and maintained by repeated collective contributions of its citizens. These contributions come in the form of working, building, running businesses, volunteering, and paying taxes, just to name a few. If a city is not constantly nurtured by the contributions of its citizens, it will deteriorate and everyone will suffer. The squatting or unlawful occupation and settling on the open spaces along the route 97 corridor and other areas are a public health hazard and drain on public safety, emergency medical, and transportation services.

— Joey Moore, Bend

Let us pump our own

If real self-service gas existed in Oregon then Oregonians would probably see an immediate 25 cents/gallon decrease in the price of fuel. Spills are a red herring — the current pumpers spill gas. Employment is a red herring — there are plenty of businesses looking for workers. Do the right thing and let us save time and money.

—David Jankowski, Bend

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