Letters to the Editor

A town hall?

Editor, the Journal,

A Journal front page article, “35th District reps hold town hall,” on March 27 I found absolutely both fascinating and astounding … and not in the positive sense of either of those two adjectives.

Reps. Travis Couture and Dan Griffey, and state Sen. Drew MacEwan “... took questions from constituents …” As this “town hall” via phone was never announced in the Journal, I began to wonder just who are the “constituents” of the 35th District that these three men represent and just what is a “town hall phone call.”

According to the online dictionaries I consulted, “A constituent is an individual represented by an elected official in a specific electoral district”; “As the name implies, it [a town hall] is a meeting attended by everyone in an organization, regardless of their level or hierarchy in the organization.”

Since participation in this “town hall” was announced only on the Reps./Sen. home pages and not in the Journal, one would have to have been actively looking for such an announcement. So, “constituents” really means only interested Republican constituents. The “news” article goes on to quote the bashing of “Democrats” in the state government without any proof or chance at rebuttal. To report as a news article a “town hall” that was meant for only a selected number of the voters in the 35th District is, in my humble opinion, a gross distortion of nonpartisanship, but then maybe the Journal has an unspoken bias and agenda.

One wonders why although Mason County, according to voting registrants, is nearly evenly divided between the two parties, Republicans are repeatedly elected. Judge for yourself. I have.

Bill Pfender, Shelton

Wasting tax dollars

Editor, the Journal,

No matter what blame you try and justify with finger pointing at China, Canada or Mexico, the government’s drug problem exists because of the United States market of thrill-seeking citizen drug heads who worship the chance to escape reality and cozy up with the most wretched of our irresponsible citizens.

But I abhor that they capture so much of my tax dollars that could be used for far better and more useful citizen enhancements. Sorry, but I just had to say it in my own words.

G. Owen Ray, Allyn