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Signature gatherers for ballot measures were not paid

In regards to the Letter to the Editor titled “Look beyond the promises of commissioners measures” by Kevin Christman, I respectfully request a retraction of the letter for inaccuracies and questionable motive.

The letter states (Jackson County for All) circulators were paid. They were not. All circulators, from the very beginning, have been unpaid volunteers. That fact is clearly stated on each of the initiative signature sheets for all signers to see at the time of signing.

The letter states “because of quorum rules our three members must convene in public to ensure that citizens have unfettered access to deliberations. Five members would allow secret meetings.”

Question: If five members can have secret meetings what prevents three members from having secret meetings?

John Littleton / Medford

Editor’s note: This letter is a example of others received expressing similar points. The letter referred to above has been corrected online to remove the reference to signature gatherers being paid for their efforts. For more on this topic, see the boxed announcement.

Clarifications needed on points in Safe Zone article

We read with interest your article about The Safe Zone‘s efforts to make our schools safer against the threat of school shootings. We appreciate the attention brought to our efforts.

However, there are some important points of clarification that need to be made to better understand our program. First, we are referred to as a “product” in the article. We are better described as a nonprofit organization that has developed a design to make doors and windows bullet-resistant. While there are certain vendors we propose working with, our only interest is in partnering with school districts to see the implementation of our design.

Secondly, the article doesn’t make clear the central point: We do not ask the school district to pay for the installation of our design. Rather, we will secure grants to provide the funding mechanism.

Thirdly, the article raises the possibility of a “reverse safety issue,” the concern being that responding police would be unable to free a victim by shooting out the glass. But, as a point of fact, it has never happened that a police officer has freed a potential victim by shooting through glass. Not a single instance in the 40-year history of school shooting epidemics.

We believe that our design provides effective protection against school shootings, and we provide the money for the installation. We look forward to working with Phoenix-Talent and other school districts across our state to help end the deadly scourge of school shootings.

Alex Sol / Ashland

Ashland water treatment plant plans lack rationale

I am writing in regards to the new water treatment plant the city of Ashland wants to build. To date, I have not seen the rationale for building a $50-70 million treatment plant which would increase water rates 77% over 10 years.

The city is already tied into the TAP waterline serving Talent, Ashland and Phoenix. This seems like a less costly solution especially considering the new plant will have less capacity than the current plant which will still mean using the TAP.

The city can raise our water rates to pay for this without letting us, the residents of Ashland, having a say in this expensive project. It seems like a sneaky tax increase.

Doug Shipley / Ashland

Commissioners measures letters no longer accepted The Rogue Valley Times has published multiple Letters to the Editor and Guest Opinions on the ballot measures proposing structural changes to the Jackson County Board of Commissioners, discussing multiple factors on this complicated and controversial subject from various and opposing angles. Despite our attempt to set guidelines for election letters, it has become clear that we do not have the resources available to track down the validity of every claim and counter-argument made in what has become such a divisive and volatile issue. Therefore, while we will continue to cover the ballot measures on our news pages, we no longer will publish letters related to the topic.

The Rogue Valley Times has published multiple Letters to the Editor and Guest Opinions on the ballot measures proposing structural changes to the Jackson County Board of Commissioners, discussing multiple factors on this complicated and controversial subject from various and opposing angles.

Despite our attempt to set guidelines for election letters, it has become clear that we do not have the resources available to track down the validity of every claim and counter-argument made in what has become such a divisive and volatile issue.

Therefore, while we will continue to cover the ballot measures on our news pages, we no longer will publish letters related to the topic.