Letters to the Editor: July 7, 2023

Local papers vital

Thank you for printing the op-ed from Brier Dudley in the News-Register of June 30. I believe preserving local newspapers is an issue that deserves more attention.

Large news outlets are consolidating local news organizations and, in many cases, turning their publications into vehicles that merely collect others’ stories and reprint them. Even that content is being managed by an editor who is not local.

When a local newspaper is dissolved, we not only lose a voice that follows events in the area in which it is published. We also lose a training ground for young journalists to develop and hone their craft.

Andrew Velebir

McMinnville

Danger ahead

This letter is in support of the 30 June letter, “Just say no,” which warned, “The restrictions, mandates and so forth we endured during COVID are just a sample of what we could expect if we let ourselves be governed by this treaty.”

The World Health Organization is pursuing two tracks — the pandemic treaty referenced in the letter, which should be dead on arrival in the Senate, and a set of amendments to WHO’s international health regulations, which President Biden should throw into the trash.

Unfortunately, these are set to become law. And Article VI, Paragraph 2, of the Constitution says: This Constitution, and the Laws of the United Sates which shall be made in Pursuance thereof, and all Treaties made, or which shall be made, under the Authority of the United States, shall be the supreme Law of the Land; and the Judges in every State shall be bound thereby, any Thing in the Constitution or Laws of any State to the Contrary notwithstanding.”

Daniel Katz

McMinnville

Boycott greed

There’s been plenty of news lately about people boycotting products and businesses that they have political differences with.

I have no problem with that, having engaged in it myself over the years. What I don’t understand is why hard-pressed consumers don’t use this tool to express their displeasure with being price-gouged.

It’s easy to find ads for pickup trucks ranging from $50,000 to $80,000. Really? That’s a fourth to a third the price of a fixer-upper starter house.

Recent studies have found that as much as 30 percent of the higher prices we pay due to “inflation” are in fact due to opportunistic corporate greed. If all the people that changed beer brands recently were to turn their attention to fair-priced consumer goods, we’d all benefit.

Knock 20% off that pickup sticker price. Having proved the concept, then move on to the next deserving product.

Fred Fawcett

Lafayette