Moving to Eastern Oregon

I should warn citizens of Eastern Oregon that many of us liberals are moving to Oregon’s 2nd Congressional District.

The reason: Our Republican Congress is prepared to destroy several of the programs that provide security to our older citizens. Obamacare will soon be repealed. Social Security will be reformed into a microprogram covering only the abjectly poor. Don’t worry, if you are paying into Social Security, you will still pay but you won’t collect on it. Medicare and Medicaid are on the chopping block. Soon they will be a massively underfunded voucher programs.

So, why a migration to East Oregon? Well, your congressman, Greg Walden, will vote for this destruction. Since you all feel he is a good representative, I can only presume that citizens on the east side are protected from the poverty, ill health and early death that will result from pulling the rug out from under them.

Hence, there must be a secret health care program there. Also, some form of retirement program that will help all those folks who worked at low-paying jobs, paid Social Security but now will get nothing back. Hence, they will live in poverty as in the 1920s. So, what I am saying is that all this destruction of the American social safety net will result in no harm to East Oregonians because they have lots of backup systems that we have not heard about, thanks to Walden. See you in the spring, folks.

Fred Brown

Dallas

Bike lanes help everybody

Traffic in Bend is likely to get worse (“Short commutes still the norm in Bend,” Jan. 6) and parking downtown is so bad that the city is paying $555,250 to study the problem (“Study: In Bend, parking is tight on the street, but not in lots,” Nov. 24, 2016).

Fortunately, neither of these trends is set in stone. Traffic dynamics are complex and nonlinear, but empirical evidence suggests that building protected bicycle lanes on appropriate streets can maintain or even decrease car commute times, even as traffic and bicycle volume on those same streets increases (for example, see, “Protected Bike Lanes in NYC,” New York City Department of Transportation, Sept. 2014).

Residents of Bend are at a metaphorical crossroads: We can let traffic and parking conditions continue to deteriorate, or we can proactively implement evidence-based solutions that pay off in terms of safety, congestion and quality of life. My vote is for the latter, which is why I joined the board of Bend Bikes, a local grass-roots advocacy organization dedicated to the prospect of improving bicycle infrastructure in Bend. To be sure, protected bike lanes are not a silver bullet, but by improving traffic flow and reducing demand for car parking spots, they are certain to help even those drivers who don’t make trips by bicycle.

Ariel Mendez

Bend

Don’t abuse 
handicapped parking

A recent post in the Nextdoor southwest Bend website alerted me to a problem I didn’t even know existed: people abusing handicapped parking spaces at Bend schools. A father with a daughter in a wheelchair relies on availability of these spaces to get his daughter into school each morning. Many people thoughtlessly use these spaces for their drop-off convenience, thereby inconveniencing a person with a legitimate need. When the father attempted to talk with some of the abusers, he was treated less than kindly.

What’s up with that, people? We live in Bend, Oregon, a place known for our positive attitude, respect for one another and the phrase “Be nice. You’re in Bend.” Please heed this little reminder that handicapped parking spaces are reserved for those with a true and verified need and the appropriate parking permit displayed in their car.

It is equally thoughtless (and illegal) to “borrow” a person’s handicapped parking permit for your own use if you are not disabled. Walking is healthy. If you’re able to walk, park far away and enjoy the journey!

Robert Thomason

Bend