The Editor:
Once again, the Blaine Food Bank (BFB) has been humbled.
With great pride and gratitude to local residents and businesses, BFB volunteers announce that we successfully raised over $30,000 during our recent fundraising which was the original goal set by a generous benefactor. Our hearts are filled with gratitude for the generous outpouring of love and support from our community during this year’s matching funds campaign, and to our benefactor who has matched the donations. Because of you, we did it!
Our goal was not only matched, but with a flurry of last minute donations, it was exceeded, as we ended the challenge with well over $30,000 in cash donations. BFB volunteers were especially gratified because when the challenge was announced to the community, our local residents, churches, schools and businesses listened. From the smallest donation to the largest, our community responded overwhelmingly to the plea.
Thank you for supporting our mission, and for your faith in our commitment.
Jerry Bladies and all the BFB volunteers
Blaine
The Editor:
As a resident of Washington state’s 42nd legislative district, I am waiting for state representative Luanne Van Werven to denounce her fellow Republican representative Matt Shea. Not for his incendiary rhetoric, but for his hateful and treasonous actions.
A recently released report states: “Representative Shea planned, engaged in, and promoted a total of three armed conflicts of political violence against the U.S. government.” (From the executive summary of Rampart Group’s Report of Investigation Regarding Representative Matt Shea, Washington State House of Representatives, December 1, 2019.) These armed conflicts resulted in public property damage, trauma to a community and actual loss of life.
Shea has now been suspended from his caucus by his party’s leadership – and must be expelled from the legislature once it reconvenes. But representative Van Werven has so far failed to call him out.
Representative Van Werven, I urge you to vote in January to expel your extremist Republican colleague Matt Shea from our state legislature – the people’s house. In the meantime, it is incumbent on you to condemn his criminal actions. We’re waiting.
Myra Ramos
Lummi Island
The Editor:
As a new year – a new decade – dawns, it is a great time to set a goal to improve our health and well-being. For many of us, that pledge may include better management of our weight as well as a commitment to exercise and mindfulness. Yet, we know that to embark on any major life change is exceedingly difficult. But with the help and support of groups like Weight Watchers (now called just WW), hundreds of thousands of people have met with success. But where can one go for a meeting when you live in a rural area like Blaine or Birch Bay?
Much to my delight, I’m pleased to let everyone know that there is a WW workshop in Blaine every Thursday evening at the Northwood Alliance Church, 580 C Street. Registration/sign-in is from 5 to 5:30 p.m., and the half-hour meeting begins promptly at 5:30 p.m. We’re a great bunch of men and women, determined to support each other in this journey. Hope to see you there!
Patricia Bloom
Blaine
The Editor:
Loss of scientific reasoning and research in nearly everything during this administration means the replacement of scientists with lobbyists and evangelistic control denying the separation of church and state. How incongruous that the Christmas celebration is about hope, humanity, the “be attitudes” and Jesus’ decision to not become a ruler!
A Gen X-decried lack of progress under boomers. While they dominate Congress, the U.S. will suffer from medical, educational, immigration-related, environmental and economic stagnation with continued control of everything by the privileged. Stock market success is misrepresented as major holders manipulate fund value. Employment statistics count jobs filled, not the fact that many people have two or three jobs nor the fact that, though some wages are up, most value is down because of inflation. Consumer debt is high!
Stability of our government has worldwide consequences; pardoning rogue behaviors has undercut the morale of our military and degraded our national security. Withdrawal from Syria has hurt our military and questions our alliances.
In the Program for International Student Assessment (PISA), which measures 15-year-olds’ ability to use reading, mathematics and science, the U.S. scored about 14 percent in recognizing the difference between fact and opinion!
We have work to do!
Donna Starr
Blaine
The Editor:
The Republican party certainly has a political antichrist in Donald Trump. The problem is that there is no political “Christ.” The party has become a core-less shell without a basic moral or ethical compass to guide it. It is captured by the fear of a proven huckster selling political snake oil. The MAGA oath chant obscures the sins that will degrade our economic and physical future and undermine our Constitution. It seems to only take a tweet or two to rally Trump’s blind, evangelical and fascist base.
Future generations will definitely inherit an environmental wasteland and a dysfunctional governmental array. If Trump was so innocent, cooperation with the House inquiry would have exonerated him. There is an old principle that silence denotes acquiescence.
I believe that instead of being the world’s best “deal maker,” he has proved himself to be so inept that he cannot even execute a simple devious request. Enough evidence has been documented about the existence of disarray and chaos in the White House and in his thought and actions to create serious concern for the direction of our nation. Trump may complain of a “coup” but he must have been asleep when the nefarious Senate leader Mitch McConnell declared to make Obama a one-term president on the first day of his presidency.
Of course there will be no resolution as the Senate Republicans have no regard for our nation, only a primal thirst for power and fear of our infantile president.
Don Starr
Blaine
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