Consider county commissioners motivations on petition drive

Been following the local news lately? You’ve no doubt heard of the Jackson County for All petition drive that seeks to modernize our County Commission.

In a recent TV news interview, Commissioner Rick Dyer asserted that he and fellow Commissioners Roberts and Dotterer see no reason to make any changes to the composition (or compensation) of the three-member body.

But consider this. A quick Google search turns up a couple relevant definitions for the term self-preservation: “A behavior or set of behaviors that ensures the survival of an organism.” And even better yet: “The action of keeping yourself safe or alive in a dangerous situation, often without thinking about what you are doing.”

Of course the sitting commissioners want their applecart to stay upright. But, like the thousands of citizens who have eagerly signed the petitions, they know change is likely coming when voters have their say later this year.

Marilyn Hawkins / Ashland

Urge Wyden to join calls for clamping down on aid to Israel

The war will continue throughout 2024, an Israeli Defense Forces spokesperson announced on January 1. Israel’s PM Netanyahu says the war will continue for many months.

Israel’s three month War on Gaza has killed 22,000 with unknown thousands more lying under rubble. Nearly 2 million displaced civilians, their homes destroyed, live in a war zone on one meal or less daily, without sanitation facilities, many now dehydrated and succumbing to disease.

Most health facilities are nonfunctioning and surgeries — including thousands of amputations — are performed without anesthesia. Relief trucks trickle in, just dozens a day compared with the 500 daily trucks before the war, which was never enough during the 16 years of the siege on Gaza.

In December, Biden criticized Israel’s “indiscriminate bombing” but nonetheless slipped hundreds of millions in weaponry to Israel, bypassing congressional approval. Additionally, Biden has asked Congress for $14.3 billion in military aid for Israel.

Call Senator Wyden. Urge him to join Senator Merkley in supporting (Maryland Sen. Chris) Van Hollen’s Gaza Amendment requiring military aid to Israel to comply with the same U.S. laws which apply to military aid we give other nations.

The IDF could no longer spend U.S. taxpayer money to indiscriminately bomb civilians (a violation of international law).

Urge Senator Wyden to join Senator Merkley’s ceasefire demand to stop the killing and open the Gazan gates for the safe return of Israeli hostages and the entry of meaningful amounts of the food, water and medicine Palestinians in Gazadesperately need.

Brenda B. Gould / Ashland

Perhaps Medford council should consider weather plan

As the Medford City Council responds to demands for a climate change action plan, they would do well to develop, instead, a weather emergency action plan.

That could prevent some expensive and ineffective measures, and include the likely worst emergency that might happen. That would be extreme cold.

After years of climate change consisting mostly of less cold, we could be badly unprepared for an unexpected extreme.

To say, “That won’t happen” could be famous last words.

Ira Edwards / Medford