Record of harm
Dear Editor:
I received an email today from the office of Bob Ferguson, our Washington state attorney general. His mission is to “provide independent, and ethical legal services to the state of Washington and protect the rights of its people” — all people, regardless of which political party they belong to.
Keep that in mind. The letter from Ferguson’s office indicates that as of last week he has filed his 39th legal challenge against the Trump administration. Of those 39, 22 have gone to court so far and he has won every case. Let that sink in — 22 times the current administration has attempted to do something that our Washington state courts have ruled illegal.
Washington isn’t the only state filing suits. According to the Jan. 29 issue of US News and World Report, “More multistate lawsuits have been filed against the federal government during Donald Trump’s presidency than under any previous administration. According to Paul Nolette, a political scientist at Marquette University who studies the office of Attorney General, the Obama administration previously held the record for most multistate lawsuits under one administration, with 62 lawsuits over eight years. But the current administration has been named in 64 in the two years since Trump took office — 39 of them in his first year alone.”
And following the Mueller report, more than 800 former federal prosecutors (Republicans and Democrats alike) signed a letter that makes the extraordinary assertion that it is only the office of the president itself that prevents Trump from being charged with felony obstruction of justice.
Trump’s administration has caused harm to every person in this country through the repeal of environmental standards and food safety standards, harmed rural Americans like us with proposed budget cuts that would harm jobs, housing, infrastructure and health care. And don’t forget the tax breaks that benefit only the wealthy, Trump included.
Maybe you voted for Trump because you thought he would bring a breath of fresh air to the other Washington. Maybe you voted for him because he wasn’t a career politician like all the other candidates. Okay, I can see that. But what I can’t understand is if you intend to vote for him again.
Patti Nordby, Winthrop
Grateful for support of trades
Dear Editor:
We, the Scholarship Committee at our local Eagles #2584, want to express our gratitude to the anonymous donor for the funds given to help graduating high school students in their quest for “the trades.” We raise money all year long and give between three and five scholarships each year. As members of our committee, we have often given first looks at students who have these goals.
The Methow Valley has many, many outstanding young people planning to attend four-year universities, many of whom will make amazing contributions to our lives. We honor all of them, but many educators have recognized for years that the demand exists for qualified, trained people who choose not to earn a four-year college diploma. It is so encouraging to see someone acknowledge that with such a generous donation.
Since we do not know who that person is, we decided to write to you in the hopes that you will pass on our appreciation.
Joann Hartle, Colleen Henry, Chris Holm, Eagles Scholarship Committee
