Vote Tomlin and Chadwick for Bend schools

 

I urge all voters in the Bend-La Pine School District to re-elect incumbents Ross Tomlin and Kina Chadwick to the School Board on May 20.

Tomlin and Chadwick are running on a slate that includes three other candidates who are running unopposed — incumbents Marcus LeGrand and Shirley Olson and Jennifer Lynch. 

Chadwick and Tomlin both face opponents who really offer nothing new to the school board. I’m reminded of the adage, “If it’s not broke, why fix it?” Chadwick and Tomlin have proven track records as hard-working board members dedicated to serving the students and staff in the district. Both challengers seem to be offering solutions looking for a problem.

Tomlin and Chadwick are both endorsed by the Bend Education Association and Tomlin has the Oregon School Employees Association endorsement. These two unions represent some 2,000 essential workers who are most impacted by the school board. I trust the judgement of the teachers and classified school employees in this election. Again, if it’s not broke, nothing needs to be fixed.

Tomlin and Chadwick have also been endorsed by the Oregon Democratic Party’s Stonewall Caucus, Stand for Children, the Working Families Party, the Central Oregon Labor Chapter and numerous city, county and state officials.

I urge voters in the Bend-La Pine School District to elect Ross Tomlin, Kina Chadwick, Marcus LeGrand, Shirley Olson and Jennifer Lynch to our school board on May 20.

 

— Michael Funke, Bend

 

We are being disconnected from institutions

 

Politics is about connection. Connecting with constituents is vital to a politician’s success.

Politics today treats party leadership as the constituency. For Rs it is vital to connect with Mr. Trump. No doubt Mr. T would agree. He makes no secret of his belief that Congress and the Courts are there to serve him. Connecting with voters is solely a means to an end. That end is serving Mr. T, a constituency of one.

Mr. T enslaves the voters. The enslaved make it possible to grant tax cuts to the aristocracy. These tax cuts are financed by service cuts to the enslaved middle and under classes. Those not in the aristocracy fund the wealthy lifestyles of Mr. T and his billionaire pals. Not being members of his aristocracy, we are grateful for Mr. T’s promise that our meager tip income may someday escape taxation.

Mr. T’s trade war will escalate unemployment and prices. When that happens perhaps the Rs will remember that politics is about connection to the voters. Connection to party leadership is secondary. Unfortunately, by then we may all be enslaved and disconnected from democratic institutions.

 

— Ken Brinich, Bend

 

Dental public health needs protection, too

 

As a dentist working with low-income and underserved populations in Bend, and the President-Elect of the Oregon Dental Association, I am deeply concerned by recent federal efforts to dismantle dental public health infrastructure, specifically community water fluoridation.

The 2000 Surgeon General’s report, Oral Health in America, found higher rates of dental disease, more missing teeth and greater barriers to accessing oral health services among low-income, unrepresented, and rural populations, in addition to those with special health care needs.

Oregon is not immune to oral health gaps, particularly given our extraordinarily low levels of community water fluoridation. Only two other states have fewer communities benefiting from fluoridated water, a sad statistic given fluoride is the single most effective public health measure to prevent tooth decay. Due to the role it has played in the reduction of tooth decay, the CDC in 2015 named community water fluoridation one of the 10 great public health achievements of the 20th century.

Unfortunately, recent efforts to dismantle this safe and effective public health tool has led to misinformation about the safety of low levels of community water fluoridation, despite over 70 years of research and scientific studies that overwhelmingly indicate that fluoridation of community water supplies is safe.

As a dentist who cares deeply about the populations I serve, I am disheartened by efforts to remove or create unfounded fear about this critical public health tool. I hope Oregon will prioritize the health of our underserved populations by supporting community water fluoridation going forward.

 

— Amberena Fairlee is president-elect of the Oregon Dental Association.