Letters to the Editor for Oct. 20, 2016

Holt is the best choice Northbrook, Illinois, Fort Worth, Texas, New York, St. Louis, Missouri and Philadelphia. What do all of these cities (and more) have in common as it relates to us locally? Answer: Ann Rivers has received top tier campaign contributions for donors in these cities that account for tens of thousands of dollars. Are they legal? Yes. But ask yourself why are donors from across the country paying for influence in Southwest Washington? Shouldn't our representatives be working on things that are in our best interest, instead of those from thousands of miles away? That's where Eric Holt comes in. His truly grass roots approach, by its very fundamentals, reaches out directly to those within his district to hear, understand and work to address issues that face people that actually live here. Holt's humble, personable approach and willingness to collaborate and work together with everyone to actually get things accomplished is exactly what we need with the gridlock we, as voters, should be working to eliminate with our ballots. Now, who do you want to represent you? The candidate with massive contributions from Pittsburg, Kansas, and Sunrise, Florida, or the candidate who believes Washington voters' voices are the most important? If you said Washington voters, then Holt should be your choice on Nov. 8. Chris Prothero, Vancouver Keep Wyman in office In the midst of the angry world of politics, which seems uglier by the day, we should all be grateful that Washington's elections are trustworthy, accurate, and run by Secretary of State Kim Wyman. She is a leader who has kept Washington's edge in voter registration, turnout and ballot security. Washington is consistently ranked at or near the top of the nation in voter turnout, number of voters registered and election innovations. On top of that, Washington has made strides to keep our voting secure, ensuring that while it is easy for eligible voters to vote, we maintain the integrity of elections. Wyman led us to these accomplishments. Unfortunately, Wyman's opponent has not shown such concern for our elections. Her partisan and misleading attacks betray her lack of understanding of the office and her inexperience. Her call to unlawfully cancel our May presidential primary after voting had already begun would have suppressed the voices of over 1.4 million voters. We cannot afford to hand this office off to a hyper-partisan and grossly unqualified politician. It is clear that Wyman is the best person for this job. The vast majority of current county election directors and county auditors have endorsed her, including elections leaders like Clark County Auditor Greg Kimsey, Cowlitz County Auditor Kristina Swanson and Lewis County Auditor Larry Grove. Democrat, Republican, and non-partisan officials all endorse Wyman because she is the only candidate in the race with the qualifications and commitment to run our elections in a non-partisan and trustworthy manner. It is essential for all election administrators to be committed to the ideal of impartial and non-partisan administration of elections. We urge all voters to re-elect Wyman, and keep Washington a national leader in voting. Sam Reed, Ralph Munro, and Bruce Chapman, all former Washington Secretaries of State, Olympia Quiring values 'self-rule' Campaign promises are easy to make and easier to break. This is why having a candidate with integrity, experience, and commitment is critical. Eileen Quiring is such a candidate and we are fortunate to have her running for Clark County Councilor District 4. Quiring has served citizens as a state senator and state representative. She is budget-wise and community-focused. The grass-roots level is where we truly have a voice with our vote. It is imperative that we support representatives who support us and our way of life. We need a councilor in our District 4 who values self-rule and not the expansion of government control. There will be increasing demands for every cent of our taxes -- and yet more taxes trying to be imposed. We need conservative Eileen. Shannon Roberts, Camas Just say 'no' to Pike Do we need to carry on this madness? If Liz Pike wins, we will have succeeded. Olympia wants to go ahead and work with Oregon on fixing the Interstate 5 corridor and bridge. What happened when Pike contacted Oregon, trying to undo the damage done? They don't want to work with her. It is easy to understand why, as she was involved in shutting down the billions of dollars of work already completed by both Oregon and Washington. Why would we want her involved again? Kathy Gillespie will build trust, partnerships and alliances, focusing on the big issues to deliver results. She has what it takes and she is a proven leader. It is time to say yes to a change, and Gillespie will be that change. Jane Wageman, Camas A message to the Good Samaritan who stepped forward to help In September, you saved my friend's 20-something son who had a head bleed that could have killed him. He was fishing alone with no cell phone coverage. You stopped and then got someone to go to where there was cell phone coverage and call 911. You stayed with the young man till the EMT's arrived and then you locked his fishing pole and equipment in his truck. I was talking with the dad and he said how much he appreciated what you did, but he doesn't know who you are. It's inspiring when you hear real hero stories where no thanks is expected. Thank you. John McHugh, Camas Washougal mayor supports Curtis King This letter is being written with wholehearted support for State Sen. Curtis King (R-14th) in his reelection bid to the State Senate. I have had the pleasure and honor of knowing King since 2009 when I was first elected. A portion of King's district comes to the northeast side of Washougal and also includes portions of the Washougal School District. I have always found the senator to be open and willing to discuss issues that impact our community. While he has only a small percentage of his constituents here in Washougal, he always makes them feel like they are the most important ones in his district. I think that speaks well of the type of senator that he is, genuinely concerned and helpful. I particularly recall a Washougal School District facilities planning meeting on an evening in 2014. I arrived at the community-wide meeting to find King already in attendance. He was not up for re-election, he was simply interested in the happenings within these schools in his district and he made the three-hour drive to attend and stayed and actively participated during the whole meeting. On a personal note, I have had many opportunities to interact with King on both city and personal business industry topics. He has always been very gracious with his time and he takes the time to follow-up and be sure that our needs are being addressed. I urge you to cast your vote for Sen. Curtis King. Sean Guard, Washougal A trip to Disneyland is a must My name is Brian Andrade. I am typing to tell you about Disneyland. Next year they're going to update the Paint the Night parade. They're building the good dinosaur float and Moana float. They also have a Zootopia meet-and-greet at California Adventure. I got to meet Judy and Nick and all the princesses in Fantasy Faire at Disneyland. They are also building Star Wars Land at Disneyland. I got to go on Tower of Terror for the final time before it closed. Next year it will open as Guardians of the Galaxy ride. So if you didn't go to Disneyland before, you should go in 2017 because it will be awesome. Thank you for your time. Brian Andrade, Camas Respect political signs I will absolutely be voting Richard Mahar for County Commissioner District 1. I have proudly displayed his sign in my yard for months. When it was stolen, I quickly got another one. I even saved a sign from being used as a garage sale sign holder. I have noticed it is not just one candidate having his or her sign knocked down or physically stolen, used for other purposes, even when the other candidates around them are left standing. Signs are private property and it is a crime to tamper with or steal them. Our candidates non partisan, Republican and Democrat work hard on their campaigns and spend money to do so. I think we should respect this. I have gotten to know Richard the past couple years at county meetings. He is a solid, responsible, well rounded, candidate for commissioner. He has been talking with people from Washougal River all the way to Underwood during this election season. Richard is welcomed and supported everywhere he goes. Vote for Richard Mahar - Skamania County Commissioner. Dena Thorp, Washougal

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