Letters to the Editor: July 19 to 25

The Editor: 

The Puppy Rescue Mission Fundraiser was held on June 23 at Peace Arch State Park; sincere thanks to everyone who attended and participated. Thank you volunteers! We couldn’t do this without you. Thank you to the amazing vendors who filled the park giving away samples and information.

Thank you to Mike Kent, our fabulous emcee. Thank you to all the veterans who attended, some of whom traveled great distance to tell their stories. Finally, thank you to our incredible auctioneer – you made the event fun!

Due to all your generosity, we have been able to pay off eight puppies. These puppies will be reunited with the military personnel they befriended. Four puppies will be departing from Afghanistan, two puppies from Turkey, one pup will be coming out of Kuwait and one pup from the Republic of Georgia. These animals make a difference in the lives of the deployed as well as their families. Great job, everyone.

Heather Campbell

Blaine

The Editor:

Having recently read a number of letters complaining about the USPS and how inefficient and rude the employees are, how crummy the service is and how we need something better than this organization, I must say a few words to defend the USPS.

First, we should all recognize that the Post and Post Roads is the only “business” mentioned in our Constitution and

supported by the Congress.

Secondly, having lived in a number of other countries, I believe our service operates on entirely reasonable fees. As a retired and slightly disabled U.S. veteran, I have worked for “The Post” and the Service was well respected until two ignorant people were elected to be president and others to the Congress of the U.S.

When the Congress cut off financial support for The Post it survived by contracting to deliver tons and tons of junk mail daily and by piling on more deliveries per carrier daily. Then the Congress and presidents began harping on those “dirty union people” who are robbing us. Yes, by charging the world’s lowest postal fees to get your mail to friends and relatives and to send mail to pay your fees for visa, mastercard etc.

I was only able to get the job back in the ’80s because I had a slight disability from my military service. By the way, my disability allowance is money deducted from my retired pay and then sent to me from the Department of Veterans Affairs as tax free. Saves me from paying taxes on about 30 percent of my full military retirement. Amounts to nickels and dimes per month.

The USPS and its employees are providing a valuable and very cost effective service for all of us.

I want to compliment a woman at the Custer branch who served me today and told me how to send a small package for a few dollars less than I had attempted before she looked at it. I hope some of you will have the chance to be served by her. She is a young and savvy postal employee who I have not seen there before. Her name is Tyniese and I wish her all the best for a long prosperous career if she chooses it with our United States Postal Service!

Rich McConchie

White Rock

The Editor:

Thank you to the city and people of Blaine for putting on an amazing Fourth of July celebration. My wife Tasha, my kids Elsa and Addi and I love participating in the Blaine Independence Day Parade.

The parade and the entire day is a great celebration of America and how lucky we are to be Americans. It is a day for families, picnics, parades, fireworks, celebrations and celebrating all of those who worked so hard to create this great nation.

During the parade, we were not aware that there would be a singing of our national anthem. I think that this is a great idea, particularly on the Fourth of July. Our float in the parade was playing the song ‘It’s America’ by Rodney Atkins during the first few seconds of the anthem. We were not aware the anthem was being sung at this point. As soon as a kind spectator let us know, we turned off the music and focused 100 percent on the singing of our national anthem.

We felt terrible that we did not know about the anthem being sung and had music playing during the first few seconds.

I know that this only impacted a small part of the parade viewers but I want to apologize to those who were impacted. Clearly, we would have turned the music off prior to the start of the anthem if we had known it was being sung.

Keep up the great work, Blaine. We are looking forward to next year’s Fourth of July celebration.

Senator Doug Ericksen

Ferndale

The Editor:

Is Doug Ericksen committed to public education?

In its wisdom, the Constitution of the State of Washington (Article IX) charges the State to provide ample funding for basic education for every child in the state.

In 2012, Washington State Supreme Court ruled that then current K-12 funding was inadequate and that the legislature must allocate more funds for public education. In their final judgment, the court wrote “Education plays a critical civil rights role in promoting equality in our democracy” and, “Education is the number one civil right of the 21st Century” (paragraphs 134 & 135).

In March 2018, after six years of hard negotiation and careful consideration, SB6362 successfully addresses the issues of funding within the mandated time frame, was passed by a majority of state senators. Unfortunately, the Republican senator representing our 42nd district, Doug Ericksen, was not among them.

Ericksen’s commitments apparently lie elsewhere. Let’s let him go elsewhere. Let’s elect one of the outstanding Democratic contenders, Tim Ballew or Pinky Vargas, to represent the 42nd district and every child’s right to basic education.

Holly Giffin

Lummi Island

Dear Editor:

Re: SSB 5975, Paid Family and Medical Leave Act, passed both houses of the Washington State Legislature on a bipartisan vote in 2017. Unfortunately, in my district 42, Republican senator Doug Erickson voted against this excellent bill.

Washington joined four other states and the District of Columbia to provide paid family leave to employees for the birth or placement of a child. The states are leading the way on this issue because the U.S. is the only developed nation in the world that does not provide universal paid family leave.

The Washington legislation recognizes and spells out that such paid leave results in decreased infant mortality and increased duration of breastfeeding which supports bonding, stimulates positive neurological and psychological development, strengthens a child’s immune system and reduces the risks of serious or costly health problems such as asthma, acute ear infections, obesity, type 2 diabetes, leukemia and sudden infant death syndrome.

This year, I will be voting for a District 42 Democratic state senate candidate who supports the health and well-being of children.

Judy Bush

Lummi Island