‘Liberal’ means open-minded to new ideas and that’s a good thing

First, I would like to address a couple of things I have recently read in the Letters. First, the use of the word “liberal” as a pejorative. If one looks up the word, they will discover that it means: “Willing to respect or accept behavior or opinions different from one’s own; open to new ideas.” The word “conservative” means: “Averse to change or innovation and holding traditional values.” I hope my doctor is “liberal.”

I am proud to be open-minded and thank God for “liberal” thinkers like the Founding Fathers of our nation who created our Democracy with their Constitution, which separated the powers of government into three equal institutions, so one person could not become a king or dictator. At the time, they were called “Free Thinkers.”

The praise of Trump’s refusal to answer reporters’ questions is embarrassing. “Moran asked Trump ‘if he trusted Putin?’ Trump answered, ‘I don’t trust you.’” Trump’s reply is juvenile. It is the same behavior I heard repeatedly from elementary and junior high students. Remember what President Reagan said about Russia: “Trust but verify.” That is a thoughtful answer. Paraphrasing Mark Twain, “The problem with people who have all the answers is that they don’t allow any questions.”

The deportation of immigrants without due process is illegal and dictatorial, and it appears to be focused on “liberal” people who have spoken publicly about Trump – actually, anyone who opposes Trump seems to become a target! That is factual behavior of a dictator. Just look at Hitler and Putin. In fact, notice the Republican push to make Trump’s birthday a federal holiday, exactly like Hitler and Putin!

I admire Bill Gates’ description of Elon Musk as “the richest man in the world killing the poorest children in the world.” DOGE’s cuts and the GOP budget bill will also starve poor people of food and medical care in our own country. Whatever happened to the Christian notion, “Whoever is kind to the poor lends to the Lord and will be repaid in full.” Remember Christ was executed within a week after casting the money changers (the wealthy) from the temple.

So now Elon Musk (nicknamed “Muskrat”) is “discovering” that the GOP’s budget bill will cost the American taxpayers $2.4 TRILLION in debt during the next 10 years, without touching the tax breaks and subsidies for the wealthiest people in the country. (Don’t touch the “money changers.) Most exciting is the discovery of the videos of Trump at Jeffrey Epstein’s girlie parties. I can almost guarantee that Vladimir Putin has video of Trump’s hotel room when he hosted the 2013 Miss Universe pageant there.

Why haven’t the Republicans screamed about Trump’s pardons? My favorite is Paul Walczak, who was convicted of defrauding your government of $10 million. Walczak’s mom, Elizabeth Fago, a Trump supporter, attended a $1 million-a-plate fundraiser for Mr. Trump shortly before Walczak was pardoned. Gee, a coincidence? Look up Larry Hoover, who was serving multiple life sentences for dealing fentanyl. Trump pardoned him. Just look up the list of convicted Trump supporter fraudsters he has pardoned. Don’t touch the “money changers.” Quid pro quo?

It also appears that the tariffs are illegal and failing. Remember, you and I will pay the tariffs, NOT the country upon which they are imposed.

Walt Bolton

Prineville

Check out the facts about Trump for yourself

The latest tax bill passed by one vote. Our Rep. Cliff Bentz supported it. If it passes the Senate, $500 billion will be cut from Medicare/Medicaid. About 62% of Crook County is on Medicare/Medicaid, and the SNAP program will be mostly gone. About 8.2 million Americans will reap the consequences.

Buried in the bill is a section that will prevent judges from taking action against the administration. The Supreme Court just decided that Trump can fire heads of independent organizations. They are the Federal Election Commission, Federal Trade Commission, Federal Communications Commission and the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. They were created for your protection. It also authorizes Trump to delay/cancel elections, ignore SCOTUS rulings for up to a year, fire government workers for disloyalty, prevent judges from enforcing their orders, protests can be tracked and criminalized, LGBTQ+ rights, education, health care and the media gutted, your vote suppressed, speech flagged. If you have ever thought “it won’t be that bad” or “the courts will stop him,” think again. Ignore this and get ready to kneel before Trump and his “magnificent, beautiful bill.”

Trump has continually blasted foreign leaders with false claims, the latest being “white genocide” in South Africa. Leaders of the South African left and right parties/organizations have stated this is not so. The pictures/videos were from the Congo about 40 years ago. This is a quote from Trump to his former press secretary: “He used to tell me, ‘It doesn’t matter what you say, Stephanie – say it enough and people will believe you.’” There is a very appropriate saying regarding Trump and his lying, and the above statement confirms it.

Trump complained that 31% of the students at Harvard are foreign nationals. They are from all over the globe. It’s 27% and they contribute $44 billion to the U.S. economy as well as Harvard and created 378,000 jobs. The U.S. pays nothing towards their tuition, etc. I’ll leave it to your imagination as to why he said that.

According to the Washington Post, he told 30,573 lies his first term, and he’s on track to surpass that his second term. He is a racist and favors white supremacist groups. In 1973, he and his father lost a lawsuit for discrimination practices against African Americans. In a speech in Charlotte Virginia, he praised white supremacists. He told three Black congressmen to go back to Africa if they were so concerned with their problems. He is a convicted felon and rapist. He has been convicted of 34 felonies. He lost a lawsuit against E. Jean Carrol for rape. She was awarded $83 million. He called three Caribbean countries s – – – holes. He deported a legal immigrant who was in the U.S. without due process.

Wonder why Trump has such a stranglehold on Congress? Here’s one possibility: For the first time in history, the average worth of members of Congress was more than $1 million. The difference between the two parties is $0.04 million. Do you think they want to give up their seat? I’ll leave that up to you. Since the start of his re-election campaign, his family’s net worth has doubled to more than $5.4 billion. These are facts. Check them out yourself, please. Then, vote.

Mark Maboll

Prineville

Tell your House representative to vote against cuts to public broadcasting

Soon, the GOP-controlled House of Representatives will be voting on an element of Trump’s “Big, Beautiful Bill” that cuts more than $1 billion in funding from the Corporation for Public Broadcasting. If your children love Sesame Street or any of the many children’s programming options, or if you love Antiques Roadshow, or if you rely on PBS or NPR for your national and local news, then you should be writing your congressperson demanding they vote no on any attempt to cut funding for public broadcasting. Public broadcasting stations reach more than 98% of Americans, including some of the most isolated parts of rural America, like Crook County, Oregon.

It is not just beloved programming that would be hurt by these cuts. This nationwide network of stations offers local news, educational programming and critical support for the emergency alert system.

That means that any cuts to funding would impact the most vulnerable stations serving the most vulnerable people across rural parts of the United States. But make no mistake, the corporation for public broadcasting provides critical programs in every community, so no matter where you live in America, these cuts would be devastating.

In our part of Oregon, Congressman Cliff Bentz is our representative. I encourage you to call or send an email to Mr. Bentz urging him to not vote for cuts. Fully fund public broadcasting instead. His Medford office phone number is 541-776-4646. His Washington, D.C. office phone number is 202-225-6730.

Joel Komarek

Powell Butte