Technology ensures transparency

Giving police “teeth in order to take bad actors out of a particular area” (“Exclusion Zone gets a Tougher Makeover”, Oct. 2, 2024) has led to unconscionable violence throughout human history. Fortunately, technology has provided a way to ensure justice through transparency.

Police body cameras go a long way toward protecting peace officers from false accusation and the public from abuse. The article didn’t mention body cameras, but surely we can trust the Medford police to make sure that their cameras are on and functioning before approaching bad actors.

Another gesture of goodwill would be to make all body camera video available for public viewing to assure the public that justice is being done, that no one is hiding anything, and to demonstrate our officers’ fine behavior — privacy can be assured with face-blurring software that is cheap and easy to use.

Ransom Stephens / Ashland

Leftover paint doesn’t have to be scary

One of the spookiest things haunting communities can be careless dumping, especially of hazardous materials like paint.

When unwanted paint is dumped on sides of roads or in our natural areas, it can creep into our watershed and become a real nightmare for us all. If you have leftover paint you need to dispose of, consider dropping it off at a PaintCare drop-off location. PaintCare has locations across Southern Oregon, including at Miller Paint, Rodda Paint and Sherwin-Williams locations.

Leftover paint doesn’t have to be scary. PaintCare makes it easy to turn this common waste product into a beneficial resource. Learn more about PaintCare and find drop off locations at paintcare.org/states/oregon.

Lauren Scher / Portland

Josephine County public forest auction

Josephine County commissioners, without public input of the community, rolled out nine forested lands in Williams for sale to private individuals and logging corporations, a total of 1,800 acres with a minimum bid price of $10.4 million to be auctioned to the highest bidders.

These lands contain rare and mature forests with crucial free-flowing water sources. Included in the sale is Pipe Fork, valuable land that the county recently refused to sell for an offer of $2.3 million. Pipe Fork contains rare forests and plants and supplies water to our community year-round. Pipe Fork and other forest lands in Williams to be auctioned are vital and important to the community for their beneficial water uses, economy, salmon habitat and recreation values.

These forest properties, if purchased and logged by private logging corporations, will most likely be clear-cut of all native forest values, leading to increased fire danger, decreased wildlife and fish habitat and diminished water supply.

Contact Josephine County commissioners to state your objection to the sell-off of our public lands. Check the records of our elected officials to understand what they are doing to our public lands and vote for those that are truly working for the people of Josephine County. We need to retain some of these special places for all people to enjoy and our children to see and experience in the future.

An open community meeting will be held on Oct. 24.

Cheryl Bruner / Williams

We can’t log our way out of wildfires

Wildfires are the most common disaster faced by Southern Oregonians. Their effective management requires a thorough understanding of what drives them. Understanding leads to solutions. Refusing to understand cannot possibly lead to solutions.

Republicans refuse to understand. They argue, without evidence, that reduced logging is the sole cause of wildfires. So, they say, cut all the trees. No trees, no wildfires. Is that not delusional?

For example, over 60% of the two million acres burned in Oregon this record year were grasslands and shrublands, without a tree in sight, on which thousands of cattle grazed. The Republican “solution”” means nothing to Eastern Oregon ranchers now facing the catastrophic loss of that rangeland, threatening the very existence of Oregon’s beef industry.

Any reasonable person will recognize that the management of wildfires needs comprehensive solutions that address, yes, fire suppression and the buildup of fuels, but also the geographies and ecosystems across which they burn, climate change, people who build houses in fire-prone areas. We can’t just log our way out of wildfires.

Wildfires should not be a partisan issue. Engaging in willful ignorance unnecessarily makes them so. Elect Democrats. We seek clear-eyed understanding and remedies free of delusion.

Jeffrey Pike / Talent

Seniors and property taxes

I’m pretty sure many seniors, but also everyone else who recently received their county property tax bill statewide, are reaching for a source of heartburn relief. Again, this year our tax bill went up like-clockwork another 3.16%.

In 30 years and with home values ever increasing, our property taxes have more than doubled over that period. We have gone from initially having to put aside $150/month to now having to put aside $321/month to cover our tax bill. Basic economics would indicate yearly property tax increases are not financially sustainable for many senior homeowners.

Particularly, for seniors living on fixed incomes (Social Security), this has proven to be a significant financial burden. In the last state short legislative session, republican State Sen. Daniel Bonham of the Dalles introduced Senate Joint Resolution 202; however, it never made it out of committee. It was planned to be a ballot measure for Oregon voters to potentially approve a property tax relief program for seniors 65 or older living on fixed incomes.

I encourage you to reach out to your respective state representative and senator prior to the next legislative session. Explain your situation and encourage them to enact a new tax law for qualifying senior homeowners whereby their property tax liability is reduced enough to be affordable and not an ever-increasing financial burden. I’m in the process of reaching out to our State Sen. Jeff Golden; 503-986-1703. This is clearly a nonpartisan issue.

Gary Sumrak /Medford