Letters to the Editor for Jan. 1, 2012

Levies make quality Camas education possible

Thank you for letting me address the importance of the upcoming Feb. 12 ballot.

At this time, we will be able to voice our support of Camas schools by approving a replacement maintenance and operations (M&O) levy as well as a replacement technology levy. The M&O Levy represents about 20 percent of the Camas School District budget and bridges the gap between state funding and what it actually costs to operate our schools. The technology levy supports our hardware, software and network infrastructure. These funds help Camas teachers prepare our students with the skills necessary to be competitive in the 21st century and allow our schools to maintain efficiency.

I am proud of the quality of education my child receives in the Camas schools and know that our community’s commitment to education makes Camas a special place to live.

Please join me in showing your support of our schools.

Dawn Redmond, Camas

Gun control is not the issue

Since the recent shootings, I have heard conversations about gun control laws. It is not an issue about gun control, but about people. You cannot legislate love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness or self-control. For such, there is no law.

Many people are hurting because they are hopeless. Our schools teach that we were created by a cosmic accident. If this is true, what is so valuable about human life? People wonder, “Does it matter what I do with my life? The only important thing is my satisfaction right now.”

This shift in values has enormous repercussions. God warns us that the result of living apart from him is death. He did not say that to be mean, rather an absence of life is death, andhe is the author of life and hope.

Death is everywhere. The only way to stop this ugly cycle is to turn our hearts away from it and toward the one who created us. He loves each of us so desperately He sent his son, Jesus, to rescue us.

May God forgive us, and bless us, everyone.

Cherri Locke, Washougal

Support Camas school levy

Thomas Jefferson wrote to James Madison in 1787 “Above all things I hope the education of the common people will be attended to.” He knew how critical a good education was for the public good in our new nation at that time. This remains an issue that needs to be “attended to” more than 200 years later. The Jan. 24 Camas school levy vote is our opportunity to follow Jefferson’s prescient encouragement.

Specifically, it is our opportunity for attending to and paying for the continuing excellent education of students in Camas School District by supporting our January levy. I personally benefitted from taxpayer support of public schools and higher education up through graduate school. Most of our population has likewise enjoyed public education. Previous generations supported our educational opportunities. Now it is our turn to return the favor for the common good.

As a new resident of Camas and observer of the successes surrounding the local school district such as superior collective academic scores, excellent facilities and outstanding performance in myriad extracurricular endeavors including athletics at every level, it is obvious that the Camas School District is well managed, well staffed and an organization enriching the entire community. It needs and deserves taxpayer support to maintain the excellence already achieved.

The local school levy scheduled for Jan. 24 is a replacement levy which will continue Camas’ commitment to excellence for our current student enrollment. It deserves the community’s support. Please support our kids — our future, as Jefferson knew years ago, depends on it.

Patrick Lambert, Camas