Letters to the Editor

Blatant usurpation

Editor, the Journal,

The Shelton-Mason County Journal front-page headlines for Nov. 3 explained Sen. Maria Cantwell's and Congressman 6th District Rep. Derek Kilmer's meeting with city, county, and economic leaders for a roundtable discussion on local economic development opportunities. I was appalled at the blatant usurpation of taxpayer funds for efforts best left to the private sector - until I recognized the unintended humor of the bill's title: RECOMPETE (Rebuilding Economies and Creating Opportunities for More People Everywhere to Excel) Act.  One expects an acronym of this nature in a Monty Python movie. 

If not humor, this article alarmingly exposes the dystopian efforts of incumbent bipartisan congressmen (and congresswomen's) desperate and leveraged attempt to retain their political office; creating a $1,000,000,000 federal grant program which will ostensibly "invests in communities that have faced long-term economic challenges"; essentially bribing their constituents in a zero-sum game using public funds. Unfortunately, this boondoggle was signed into law as part of the Chips & Science Act. 

Decades ago, Ayn Rand, whose youth was spent in Communist Russia, wrote the novels "The Fountainhead" and "Atlas Shrugged" about efforts of this nature as fiction. They serve as a warning of a future of economic slavery by the well-connected and political elite. Her vision of this future economic slavery appears, through this act, closer than we think.

James Poirson, Shelton

Forever grateful

Editor, the Journal,

I would like to take a moment to thank the Central Mason Fire & EMS (Lake Limerick crew) for all they do.

On Oct. 22 we had to call upon them for help. What started out as strange pains and feelings, turned out to be a heart attack. As they were monitoring him, he had a seizure and his heart stopped. 

This is where their help was really needed. They started CPR ... chest compressions, oxygen, and shocking him-back to life. They know their job, and they know it well! They weren't giving up on my loved one and we couldn't be more thankful.

Thank you CMFE (Station 54), we are forever grateful for you.

Teresa Peterson, Grapeview