Letters to the Editor for April 19, 2018

Long would make 'great replacement' for 3rd Congressional District Attended a nice house party for Carolyn Long this past weekend. The meeting was great! Discussed jobs creation, the environment, gun rights and limitations and election funding, among other things. Carolyn will make a great replacement to our current congressional representative for District 3 and the surrounding area. I urge people to look at her and listen to her if they have a chance. Eugene Krebsbach Jr., Washougal Thanks for edits on April 12 letter Thank you so much for correcting the accuracy of my closing statement on the Second Amendment you published April 12. I do appreciate it. It is good to be reminded that one should thoroughly check one's "well-known" facts, especially if one doesn't quite remember where one learned them. Lee Howard, Washougal Legislators' gun safety responses frustrate town hall participant For the first time, I attended a town hall last Saturday in Camas, in which elected officials -- Sen. Ann Rivers and Rep. Brandon Vick -- answered questions posed by constituents. As with many other people, since the last school shooting in Parkland, Florida, I have become active in promoting common-sense gun restrictions, especially given the wide availability of semi-automatic guns and high capacity ammunition magazines in this state, not to mention the absence of licensing or testing requirements applicable to gun owners, conflicting age requirements for long guns and handguns, and no limits on the amount of guns purchased over time. I came to the town hall primarily because of my dissatisfaction with recent emails I received from these two representatives. For example, Sen. Rivers wrote to me that "sadly, more (gun) laws do not equal more safety." I believe that reliable data shows otherwise. Vick wrote me that he "philosophically" opposes prohibiting the purchase/sale or transfer of a semi-automatic weapon, and stated he has "no opinion" on lawful uses "if an individual has legally obtained a firearm." I do not agree with Mr. Vick's logic since part of the role of a legislator is to evaluate the benefits and risks of any object that the Legislature is considering restricting. Without that initial assessment, how could a member of the Legislature ever assess the wisdom of a proposed restriction on semi-automatic guns or on anything else for that matter? While I applaud both Sen. Rivers and Rep. Vick for holding in-person town halls, I remain frustrated that neither representative at this forum (or any other forum) seem ready to endorse a single policy proposal to curtail the availability of semi-automatic guns or high capacity ammunition magazines or to otherwise strengthen our gun laws by any means whatsoever. Indeed, both representatives addressed gun violence at the town hall almost exclusively in terms of mental health and school safety improvements and only when pressed did they reference gun laws. Ellen Sward, J.D., Camas Before you dig, remember to call 811 Residents of the Pacific Northwest are eager for sunshine and yard and garden projects. Unfortunately, more outdoor work can also mean damage to underground utility lines. April is National Safe Digging Month, and NW Natural reminds anyone who plans to dig to call 811 to have underground utilities located first. Reaching utility notification centers in Oregon and Washington is simple and free. Two days before the start of a project, call 811, register online or use NW Natural's new safety app to have underground lines marked. Read more at www.nwnatural.com or digsafelyoregon.com. Always report line damages -- no matter how small -- even a nick or gouge could affect a pipeline. If a natural gas line is accidentally hit and there's a smell of rotten eggs, or the sound of gas escaping, be sure to leave the area immediately and then call NW Natural's 24-hour emergency line at 800-882-3377. Enjoy the sunshine and spring flowers, and remember to call 811. Nina Carlson, Portland, Oregon

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