Have you ever watched a weather report on TV where the person says it’s warm and sunny, yet as you look outside, it’s cold and raining? It’s as if the person hasn’t looked out the window lately.
The same thing could be said about The Chronicle’s editors who wrote the paragraphs endorsing Jaime Herrera Beutler for the 3rd District. Perhaps the editors need to leave the newsroom and observe the real world outside the four walls of their office. People in Lewis County are excited about Carolyn Long and her positive views and her accountability to voters.
On Sunday, I sat with dozens of other interested residents of Lewis County in a full room, and listened to Long, who is running for the 3rd District’s congressional seat. Long had inspiring, reasoned and reasonable answers to hard questions, and spoke eloquently about her positions. She has been available to voters throughout the race, and has had numerous in-person town halls, in contrast to Herrera Beutler, who is almost a phantom candidate.
The Chronicle wrote about Herrera Beutler’s support of the Trump agenda as a positive. Toddlers in cages? I’m not so sure about that part of Trump’s agenda. The editors also mentioned the values of densely populated Vancouver versus rural Lewis County as a reason to endorse Herrera Beutler.
I find that Lewis County values include maintaining Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid and health care, which Mitch McConnell has said will need to be reduced to pay for the tax cuts for the wealthy and large corporations.
I doubt seniors here or in Vancouver have a difference of opinion about a decrease in their benefits, whether rural or in the big city, and the viewpoint of seniors is mostly likely “no way.”
Seniors have paid into Social Security, and should get that money back. They aren’t getting “free stuff” from the government. It was theirs to begin with. However, cutting benefits is what Herrera Beutler’s party is proposing, but Carolyn Long said reducing Social Security, Medicare or Medicaid is non-negotiable. Period.
The Chronicle’s writers had a few reservations about Herrera Beutler, and need to take a second look at her views, and compare them to those of Carolyn Long’s. Long is easily available and accessible at town halls, parades, civic events and other public places.
For the editors, it’s not too hard to find Long. Just look out the window. She walked by the newsroom on the Fourth of July.
Paul Crowner
Centralia
