Letters to the editor

Published 5:00 am Tuesday, July 29, 2025

What we have learned from the Trump presidency

In the past five months, the Trump Administration has consolidated power to himself to the point similar to what Hitler did in Germany. He is increasing the deficit by over $3 trillion with his budget, yet he claimed that he was reducing the deficit by creating DOGE.

DOGE created many problems. Everyone is for getting rid of waste and abuse, but DOGE went at it without any forward thinking, with a chainsaw and not a magnifying glass. They cut departments all across the government agencies without any research or thought. Important workers were lost in vital services including CDC, The Atomic Energy Agency, FEMA, Department of Education, Social Security Administration, the Veterans Administration, U.S. Post Office, EPA, Public Health Department and USAID.

The Trump Administration is guilty of waste and abuse, too. They rejected FEMA aid to California fires, North Carolina floods and Oregon floods but funded Texas floods to a county that has more millionaires than many cities in Oregon have population. The Trump Administration is about to destroy 500 tons of food from the former USAID agency, rather than feed school children and people here in the U.S. They have removed funding for school lunches. This funding was originally created by President Roosevelt because so many military draftees were unfit for duty in World War II because of malnutrition. Hunger has not left the U.S.

Trump has also cut funding for USDA food stocks. Most of that food would go to school lunches, nonprofits and the thousands of food banks across the country. PBS and NPR have lost funding. Bert, Ernie and Kermit the Frog will soon be in the unemployed line. Once again, he has placed people in charge of the agencies with almost no qualifications other than they support Trump’s policy. Medicare, Medicaid and SNAP funding has been cut.

My question is why the administration is cutting programs that feed and help children and the poor as well as the lower middle class. He has also cut programs for education to those same people. Yet, it’s a crime to vandalize a Tesla car but not to kill, injure and destroy the Capitol building during the Jan. 6 insurrection.

Trump has also decided to denounce ALL Democrats. He wants to remove citizenship from Americans that he doesn’t like. He also has used U.S. military troops against Americans. American democracy is under attack along with the American people. Most Republican representatives refuse to meet in town halls with the voters. What is next?

Brent Bunch

Prineville

Biomass signs in town are offensive and should be removed

This letter is to request immediate removal of the signs placed that reads, “Sit on your ass, get biomass. Sign the petition today.”

Three reasons: The language of the signs is very offensive and embarrassing to our city of Prineville population and the surrounding community. It is degrading to our citizens. How do parents explain this verbiage to their children who are taught not to use this language?

The placement of one sign is at the foot of Combs Flat Road at Seventh Street, which is the entrance road to one of our grade schools. The wordage of the sign is not allowed or taught in our schools. There is also a sign at the foot of the grade (currently buried in weeds in front of the attractive gray building that is for sale or for rent), which welcomes visitors to our area. Surely, this language is not what we want to represent our citizens of the city of Prineville and of Crook County.

I grew up in Central Oregon and moved back here in 1985 to run my business and retire in a community that I love.  Before that, I was chosen to be on the first Board of Economic Development for the City of Vancouver, Washington, for five years. I learned a lot at their state and national meetings. One of the things we learned at the national economic development meetings was that coercive language like these signs were used by companies to test the tolerances of the community, ordinances and permits before settling in a community.

I again ask that these and any further signs of offensive language not be allowed in our community.

Pamela Claflin

Prineville

Despite rebuttal letter, I stand by my views of Trump

The vitriol in Laquita Stec’s criticism of me in the July 8 op-ed page was annoying. Disagreeing is one thing, but her claim, without evidence, that my opinions are mostly fact free and then stooping to criticize my writing style more indicates a desperate search for self-validation.

Laquita still appears not to fathom why Trump got elected. However, there are people in her party who do: An article published July 11 by The Hill and authored by Amie Parnes read: “New poll delivers troubling signs for Democrats.” That poll, conducted between May and June by Unite the Country, revealed voters perceived the Democratic Party as “out of touch,” “woke” and “weak.”

Unite the Country is a Democratic Super Pac whose senior advisor, Democratic strategist Rodell Mollineau, commented: “This is the reality of the perception of us as a party and until we accept that, it’s going to be hard to move forward. There’s a perception out there, outside the Democratic elites, and it’s taken hold in not just the MAGA crowd but people that should be with us.” Mollinaeu concluded: “The party has some serious rethinking to do when it comes to their priorities and messaging.”

I stand by the conviction that our republic, as outlined by the Constitution, cannot survive without two strong parties. It’s not clear if folks who believe as Laquita does will recognize that reality; after all they supported an administration that had a goal of continuously maintaining power, clearly believing that their way is the only correct way.

Donald Trump’s agenda is moving along. Objective observers marvel at his activities and the Supreme Court more and more supports his actions. The level of transparency and media access is unprecedented. He has curtailed Iran’s ambitions to destroy Israel. Doing the same with Putin is a much more sensitive and delicate chore, but he has taken the chore head on. Not all leaders have the capability Trump possesses. His chances of finding some sort of Russia/Ukraine war ending agreement are fairly high. His selling military armament to NATO, which feeds it directly to Ukraine, is a start.

We all can see that he is also imperfect. Opinions differ as to the effects of his “big bill,” but one thing is certain: had the policies initiated in Trump’s first term not been extended, major tax hikes would have occurred, and you and I would not be exempt.

Al Phillips

Prineville