Letters to Editor for July 16, 2020

Trump, Herrera Beutler ‘totally disregard’ constituents’ welfare

President Trump has just asked the Supreme Court to entirely eliminate Obamacare during this deadly pandemic that has infected 3 million Americans, killed over 130,000 people, and filled hospital beds.

U.S. Representative Jaime Herrera Beutler (representing Washington’s 3rd Congressional District) has been hanging with Trump and voted dozens of times to eliminate healthcare without having a replacement. Both the president and Herrera Beutler are so obsessed with killing former President Obama’s accomplishments and filling their own party agenda, they have totally disregarded the welfare of their own constituents.

We desperately need Joe Biden and Carolyn Long as our lives currently don’t seem to have much value.

Don Howard,

Camas

Former legislator’s views on masks was ‘really helpful’

Liz Pike is really a helpful voice to have in the public debate on the best path forward to fully reopen our economy. Public health officials be damned. What do they know anyway?

Liz is right: mandating masks is an infringement on her rights. As long as we’re rejecting the advice of public health experts, let’s reject the need for seat belts in cars and helmets on the high school football field. What is the state telling us freedom loving citizens how we need to live? Clearly, sound public policy does not require any help from public health experts.

Liz can handle these questions all on her own. Thanks Liz. Keep it up. Really helpful.

Richard C. Locke,

Washougal

Councilwoman is incorrect on mask assumptions

In the July 2, 2020 edition of the Post-Record, Camas City Councilwoman Shannon Roberts is quoted as saying “Cloth masks don’t allow the carbon dioxide to escape the mask before you take another breath.”

That statement is incorrect. Carbon dioxide goes through a cloth mask just as easily as oxygen does.

An oxygen molecule has two atoms and a carbon dioxide molecule has three atoms. Both molecules are linear and both have oxygen atoms at each end; carbon dioxide has a carbon atom in the middle. The carbon atom is a tiny bit larger (77 picometers) than an oxygen atom (66 picometers).

Therefore, they are very similar molecules, both are exceedingly tiny, and have a very similar ability to go through cloth masks.

According to scientists at the University of Texas, the coronavirus has roughly 200 million atoms. A well-functioning mask will let the much smaller oxygen and carbon dioxide molecules through the gaps between its cloth fibers and capture the much larger coronavirus.

Bruce Stanton (retired chemistry teacher),

Washougal

Camas resident decries ‘lack of maintenance’ at Camas cemetery

I am writing to express my disgust with the lack of maintenance being provided by the city of Camas at our Camas cemetery.

I have visited numerous times this year and have found the grass not mowed, trees not trimmed, fountain not working and the entrance unkempt. The cemetery roadways are also in terrible condition with grass and weeds growing out of the cracks. Where is the accountability for care of our cemetery?

I reached out to each of the seven members of the Parks Commission asking for answers and didn’t hear back from a single one. I was contacted by Denis Ryan, Camas’ public works operations supervisor, stating that COVID-19 and seasonal worker reductions for budget reasons as well as a reduction in volunteer hours has resulted in the lack of care given to the cemetery.

The poor upkeep of the cemetery has been going on long before the COVID-19 pandemic. There is a full-time city employee assigned to the cemetery. Why can’t they at a minimum keep the grass mowed, prune the trees, spray weed killer and throw some fresh bark dust down at the entrance? Social distancing can certainly be maintained. The Parks Commission meets at 5 p.m. on the fourth Wednesday of the month, at Camas City Hall. They have not met since February due to COVID-19. Really? Seven people can’t figure out how to practice social distancing to have a monthly meeting? It’s time the citizens of Camas start holding them accountable for the shameful condition of our cemetery. I urge people to contact the following:

Camas Public Works Operations Supervisor Denis Ryan at dryan@cityofcamas.us

Parks Commission members:

Randy Curtis at curtisrm@comc ast.net

Katy Daane at katy.daane@gmail.com

Steve Lorenz at steve.lorenz@vansd.org

David Dewey at davewdewey@gmail.com

Jason Irving at jsnirving@gmail.com

Cassi Marshall at cassi.r.marshall@gmail.com

Phil Williams at pw54.city@gmail.com

Hopefully they will be meeting at 5 p.m., July 22 at Camas City Hall. I’m asking that those concerned will take the time to attend. Together we can make our cemetery beautiful again and a place to be proud of.

Laryn Little Arvidson,

Camas

Longtime Camas resident wonders why city council ignores pleas to ban fireworks

I appeared before the Camas City Council to speak about the damage of flying rockets, along with other Camas citizens protesting the noisy and dangerous fireworks. The Council ignored our pleas to end the types of damaging fireworks.

One year, the rockets caught my Alberta Spruce tree on fire. For each year, I have to remove the flying rocket pieces and stems from my roof. I had burned spots on my roof. I have a new roof and, each year, need to be ready with the hose to prevent fires.

A forest is nearby, and the rockets can possibly catch it on fire. One flying rocket landed on the hood of my neighbor’s pickup truck, doing damage.

Why does Camas allow flying rockets to go into other people’s property? What celebration is that for the Fourth of July for a couple of days? It happens, and the Council is obviously bent upon the notions of the people who make money off of selling fireworks.

The Council did not hear the cries of the citizens who protested the flying fireworks, only the persons selling the fireworks.

Dean Osterman,

Camas