Cutting down mature trees

Regarding The Bulletin’s May 19 article on the controversy over tree cutting in the Phil’s Trail area. I am not writing to give my opinion on who is right or wrong in the debate over cutting older larger trees. But I do want to raise this question: where was the City Council’s outrage or concern when a local developer clear cut 6-plus acres of mature ponderosa pines along McClain Drive and Shevlin Park Road? Targeting the Forest Service is easy and unproductive. Perhaps if the City Council showed the same concern for trees within the city limits we would all have a better to city to live in.

— Larry Katz, Bend

Mayor Russell’s resignation

Mayor Sally Russell’s early resignation should not come as a big surprise, for her downfall began in her very first “poor” decision in January, 2019 to support a candidate for her vacant council seat from the recommendations of the local chamber of commerce, builders, developers and real estate agents.

The voters had clearly demonstrated that they desired more diverse, and more open- and broad-minded council members.

The problems with governance in the city of Bend, go back about 100 years, when a council form of government was established with a mayor and councilors that had no real power which was then and remains today. One hundred years later Bend has grown too large and has too many issues and problems for this antiquated form of governance.

It is way past its “Pull” date. With two short-term open seats we have the opportunity to change from a council form of governance to a commission form of governance.

Commissioners would be assigned to geographical districts for four-year terms in which they would be required to reside. They would also be assigned specific bureaus such as water, police, fire, planning, public works etc. The mayor would be independently elected.

All these positions would be full time with commensurate compensation. This system would provide direct accountability, and citizens would know clearly who was responsible for which city function.

Let’s all get in the 21st century, and get on with it and make Bend a place, where we all can participate and be proud of.

— Brian M. Douglass, Bend

Would open primaries be better?

I read with interest Lynne Connelly’s May 19th letter claiming that independent voters have been disenfranchised. Others have also said so. I understand their argument, but there’s another side to this story.

Before I moved to Bend I lived in Washington state for 30 years. For much of that time Washington had the kind of open primary Ms. Connelly and others seem to want. As a registered Democrat I often voted on the Republican side of Washington’s primary ballots. Sometimes I would choose the worst Republican candidate on the theory that it would reduce the chances the party could win the general election. At other times I would choose the candidate I thought was least bad on the theory that if the Democratic candidate lost at least the result might not be the worst possible.

I’m certainly not the only Washington voter who did this. I knew many voters from both parties who routinely crossed over hoping to damage the party to which they did not belong. It is worth asking the question whether this is really a good thing. Political parties are formed by people who share common goals. Should their members’ choices of candidates be diluted by people who oppose those goals? Don’t political parties have a right to select their candidates free from saboteurs?

Moreover, Oregon law lets voters register with any recognized political party before every election. So independent voters are, in fact, not disenfranchised: All they have to do is sign up before the deadline and they can vote in any primary. They can even switch back and forth among parties between elections. So, in effect, Oregon already has a kind of open primary. Is this a good thing? I don’t know, but I have developed nagging doubts about any election system that allows us to interfere with other people’s political organizing.

— John Cushing, Bend

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