Outrageous
Dear Editor:
You’ve got to be kidding! First I got a flyer from CenturyLink saying that 10-digit dialing will be mandatory effective Oct. 24 of this year. This is justified by the FCC so that three-digit dialing for the National Suicide Prevention and Mental Health Crisis Hotline will be available nationwide. Personally, I find this outrageous — millions upon millions of people nationwide are to be required to dial 10 digits instead of seven for local calls so that the hotline number can go from 11 digits to three.
To top this outrage, the Methow Valley News headlines the story “10-digit dialing available in April” — as if this is an advantage! Then the story starts with the inaccurate claim that 10-digit dialing will be required next year. The notice from CenturyLink says that will happen in October of this year.
In addition, all this inconvenience to me and millions of other phone users will happen at least a full six months before the three-digit dialing for the hotline will be available. Outrageous.
William Karro
Winthrop
Supporting argument
Dear Editor:
Rarely do you see an article, meant to discredit an opposing party in a debate, actually rebuild the argument in refute.
It is indeed a last-ditch effort to warn and inform of a meteor coming, the only question is the size of the hole a loan will leave in the budget. Thanks for making the point.
Now we know — a $4,700 one.
Seems like another botched delivery by the same misguided Stork bringing us big, cute, but super-hungry babies that perhaps belong in the next village?
You still have to look past Tom and his cousin Sheila (Foolery and Subterfuge) to see it, but last week’s article put forth via an interview with town officials says exactly what the opposing residents have said all along.
The article is peppered with trap door/escape hatch statements — “overall desire,” “prefer,” “don’t expect” — regarding the now-confirmed loan.
The easy translation will be handy in a few years when they are needed to refer back on, explaining why the money was used to its fullest.
The town will have 40 years to get creative about how the budget will absorb and at some point “who pays” will no longer be a question.
In all reality, every penny will be exhausted and the time capsule will show that the town gave a disclaimer in saying they “didn’t expect” to spend it all.
The petition originator reached out to Methow Valley News to transparently show how his numbers were arrived at (all derived from town documents). At this writing it appears he was not given that same latitude of a “blunt assessment” our mayor was given.
Let’s not confuse “characteristically diplomatic” as a euphemism for “dismissive,” as many residents have found at public meetings in their commentary.
Basic journalistic standards dictate a rebuttal interview be given when an article calls an individual a liar. If there isn’t one in today’s paper, logic dictates it is not really a community paper.
Dara M. Perez
Twisp
