Election

Sign stealing

To the person(s) who removed every Harris/Walz sign in our several-block area this morning, you simply confirmed the suspicions that so many have about you — you’re morally bankrupt, a thief, and a coward. But fear not, there will be no retaliation. There isn’t a Trump sign within miles of here.

— Rob Brazeau, Bend

A resource to help with your ballot

These days it can be a challenge to find information about the local candidates and measures that appear on your ballot. Luckily, there’s Vote411.org — a one-stop resource for everything on your ballot.

Vote411 is a trusted public service project of the League of Women Voters. It is used by millions of voters each year who are looking for objective, nonpartisan information so they can decide how they want to vote. In addition to candidates’ answers to questions there are neutral analyses of ballot measures and info about registering, voting deadlines, and more. Voters simply enter their street address to get a personalized list of every race, candidate, and measure that will appear on their ballot, enriched with the kind of information that helps voters make their own choices.

Every candidate in the state is invited to post on Vote411, which is free to both candidates and users. Candidates can speak in their own words about what matters to them and the voters in their district. If a candidate in your area hasn’t posted there, contact them to ask why.

The League of Women Voters of Oregon never endorses or opposes any candidate or party. It is dedicated to promoting civic engagement and a well-informed citizenry.

We urge candidates and voters alike to make use of Vote411.org before the November 5, 2024 election.

— Joyce Durban, Deschutes County League of Women Voters

Sheriff Nelson endorsement is a bad sign

I don’t know much about how to run a law enforcement agency. But I have strong feelings about my vote for Deschutes County Sheriff.

The biggest factor is that candidate William Bailey is endorsed by the current sheriff, who:

Spent $18,000 to hire “homelessness consultant” Kevin Dahlgren, failing to discover (or not caring) that Dahlgren was under criminal investigation (tinyurl.com/Wilsonsheriff1); Dahlgren was later indicted on 19 charges related to his homelessness “work” (tinyurl.com/Wilsonsheriff2).

Spent $2 million to give every deputy a take-home car, despite doubts as to the fiscal wisdom of this move (tinyurl.com/Wilsonsheriff3)

Accepted a $7,710 no-bid proposal that would have had a friend conduct training (the friend backed out when light was shed on offensive social media posts) (tinyurl.com/Wilsonsheriff4)

Modeled a workplace culture that has resulted in numerous lawsuits against his office and cost the county who knows how much

Worked with organizers of a rodeo held in defiance of “stay at home” orders during the pandemic (tinyurl.com/Wilsonsheriff5)

We know Bailey’s opponent, Kent Vander Kamp, was “fired” from a volunteer law enforcement position more than 20 years ago. We know this because the current sheriff has paid $14,000 of our money to find out that Vander Kamp was determined to have had missteps in his career more than 25 years ago.

Bailey’s candidacy is toxically contaminated by the current sheriff’s endorsement. I’d vote for anyone, including Barney Fife, over anyone supported by the current officeholder.

— Mike Wilson, Bellingham, Wash., formerly of Bend

The power of Beethoven

Is the upcoming presidential election causing you to stress out? Are you tired of the belittling and degrading political ads? Are you fed up with the lies and debasing rhetoric from commentators? Here’s my recommendation…tune out and turn off. Let’s be honest, you already know who you’re voting for. Right? So, relax and switch to listening to the music of your choice. You’ll feel better straight away. Ahhh…Beethoven.

— Joe Kosanovic, Redmond

Editor’s Note

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