Letters to the Editor – The Columbian

Letter: Scrap light rail plans on I-5 Bridge

Richard Leonetti, Vancouver — Wed, 03 Jun 2026 13:00:33 +0000

The Columbian’s view of fair tolls on the Interstate 5 Bridge shouts loudly to rethink light rail (“Tolls for new I-5 Bridge fair; how much is the key,” In Our View, May 27).

Letter: Vancouver is welcoming

Margaret Smith, Battle Ground — Wed, 03 Jun 2026 13:00:30 +0000

I am writing to express my admiration and appreciation to the Vancouver community. I am a refugee from Battle Ground. I no longer feel safe or comfortable in my own town since it was taken over by Christian nationalists (“Religion, power and business converge in Battle Ground,” The Columbian, May 23).

Letter: B.G. proclamation inappropriate

LaDonna Kirkpatrick, Vancouver — Wed, 03 Jun 2026 13:00:14 +0000

The proclamation that is set to pass the Battle Ground City Council is inappropriate, divisive, and contrary to the democratic principles that local government should uphold. The First Amendment protects the rights of Americans to speak, assemble, and protest. A city council should not use its authority to label broad political movements or protesters as terrorists simply because it disagrees with their views.

Letter: Get I-5 Bridge built

Pat Burt, Vancouver — Wed, 03 Jun 2026 13:00:05 +0000

Would people please stop whining about the cost of building a safe interstate bridge? The same group that is complaining now is the same group that managed to kill the bridge project years ago when it would have cost a fraction of the current cost. The bridge we have won’t withstand a big earthquake.

Letter: D.C. clown show continues

Dean Reynolds, Camas — Tue, 02 Jun 2026 13:00:46 +0000

The current administration is trying to erase vote by mail, a highly valued system that increases voter turnout. No widespread fraud has ever been found in vote by mail. Republicans tend to do better the lower the turnout, so no wonder. Strangely, claims of fraud only seem to occur when they lose.

Letter: Raise awareness, save lives

Sheila Weitzel, Vancouver — Tue, 02 Jun 2026 13:00:32 +0000

Friday, June 5, is National Gun Violence Awareness Day, and it kicks off Wear Orange Weekend, June 5-7. I’ll wear orange because we can and should do more to reduce death and injury by guns.

Letter: Focus on women’s rights

Ruth Macarena, Yakima — Tue, 02 Jun 2026 13:00:05 +0000

It is very important to talk about women’s rights and the issues being ignored right now. For example, the United Nations reports that 676 million women and girls live within 50 kilometers of deadly conflict, fueling massive spikes in conflict-related sexual violence and marginalization in peace-building efforts.

Letter: Habitat provides hope for housing

Heather Cochrun, Vancouver — Tue, 02 Jun 2026 13:00:02 +0000

I am writing on behalf of Evergreen Habitat for Humanity in response to the article “ ‘Nothing is ever enough’: Despite two incomes, Vancouver couple find homeownership out of reach” (The Columbian, May 27). We are grateful for the exploration of homeownership in our community and how the Curtis family is navigating the challenges of trying to buy a home.

Letter: Trump does not care

Stan Livingston, Vancouver — Tue, 02 Jun 2026 13:00:01 +0000

Well, it’s official. Donald Trump has clearly stated without any possibility of claiming “fake news” that he doesn’t care about you. He doesn’t care about the midterms in November, he doesn’t care about gas prices, he doesn’t care about killing innocent people, he doesn’t care about international law (or the laws of his own country which he swore to uphold), he doesn’t care about the fact that he has broken his promise about “no more forever wars.”

Letter: Trump tests our values

Judy Veazie, VANCOUVER — Mon, 01 Jun 2026 13:00:32 +0000

Donald Trump’s followers defend their trust in his actions based on his “business expertise.”

Letter: Battle Ground mayor on wrong track

Tim Probst, former state legislator, Ridgefield — Sat, 30 May 2026 13:00:59 +0000

My wife and I proudly sent our four children to Battle Ground Public Schools. Now, I’m deeply disappointed to see Battle Ground’s mayor shamefully embracing proclamations about ICE and promoting fear and division in our community. We’re struggling with real-world issues like affordable housing, good jobs, and healthcare coverage, and he’s importing national culture wars.

Letter: Thanks to community for donations

Don Young and Sandy Morales, Stamp Out Hunger coordinators, Vancouver — Sat, 30 May 2026 13:00:47 +0000

Today, our hearts are full. A huge thank you to our incredible community for showing up and supporting the Stamp Out Hunger Food Drive. We were able to collect 70,718 pounds in Vancouver, 2,127 pounds in Washougal and 1,520 pounds in Camas for a total of 74,365 pounds. We also received $11,854.25 from Vancouver Branch 1104 of the National Association of Letter Carriers and $160 from our community for a total of $12,014.25 in cash donations.

Letter: No constraints on corruption

Jack Uhey, Ridgefield — Sat, 30 May 2026 13:00:38 +0000

Zack Beauchamp’s opinion piece in The Columbian on the once-a-year commemoration of those who gave their lives for the betterment of the nation they loved (Memorial Day), provides a clear picture of the corruption rampant in the second Trump administration (“Corruption taken to a new level,” Opinion, May 25).

Letter: Trump is costly for Americans

Steve Engard, Vancouver — Sat, 30 May 2026 13:00:28 +0000

It used to be that Republicans were for fiscal responsibility. But since Donald Trump took over the Republican Party, that no longer applies.

Letter: Expand battery storage

Don Steinke, Vancouver — Sat, 30 May 2026 13:00:18 +0000

Approximately half of our electric bill is for power production and half for transmission and distribution. However, our transmission and distribution system is underutilized 99 percent of the time. If we increased the utilization of our wires, our utility could increase revenue without increasing cost.

Letter: Dam spillage does not pose threat

Marjorie Millner, Vancouver — Fri, 29 May 2026 13:00:57 +0000

A recent article addressed court-ordered water spillage over Columbia Basin dams (“Eastern WA dam spill for salmon could increase NW blackout risk this summer,” Tri-City Herald, April 22). The article reads like an op-ed that was dictated to the reporter by the Public Power Council, a group that represents utilities and opposes any reductions in hydropower.

Letter: Writer stands by numbers

Rick Hauser, Battle Ground — Fri, 29 May 2026 13:00:50 +0000

In his recent letter, Bill Kelley defamed me by saying “It is Hauser who repeatedly lies” (“Wealthy pay little in taxes,” Our Readers’ Views, May 14). He was obviously referring to my comments about how much the upper 10 percent pay in income taxes. I don’t know what else he could be referring to.

Letter: Light rail is not necessary

Joe Blatner Sr., Vancouver — Fri, 29 May 2026 13:00:08 +0000

Why do citizens vote if it means nothing? Now I see they’re talking about light rail on Sixth and Broadway streets. Imagine what that will do to property values. They should be on the hook to compensate those affected by the light rail terminals, since they breed crime. Light rail is not necessary.

Letter: Letter is not sane, rational

Steve Friebel, Vancouver — Fri, 29 May 2026 13:00:00 +0000

Mr. Schimelpfenig submits yet another letter of irrational statements and charges, absent a flyspeck of evidence nor any respected sources of citations (“Democrats sow hatred,” Our Readers’ Views, May 20).

Letter: Return to glory will arrive

Byron Sims, VANCOUVER — Thu, 28 May 2026 13:49:56 +0000

As dusk approaches, I ease into my porch rocker with a lengthy sigh to end another day. Nearby, my American flag unwraps itself with help from a transient breeze. What is that which the breeze, o’er the towering steep, as it fitfully blows, half conceals, half discloses?

Letter: Speak up, make voice heard

Willie Dickerson, SNOHOMISH — Thu, 28 May 2026 13:00:39 +0000

If our system is rigged, why bother? (“‘It’s all rigged’ mantra is toxic,” Opinion, May 23). Those in power definitely want this idea spread to keep them in power because change is hopeless.

Letter: Trump evades the law

Joe Kooijman, VANCOUVER — Thu, 28 May 2026 13:00:36 +0000

Legal settlements between parties to a lawsuit are generally enforceable under contract law. Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche’s “innovation” in using such a settlement in the lawsuit Donald Trump filed and withdrew against the IRS as the vehicle for instituting an “anti-weaponization fund” and giving Trump and his family (as private citizens) a shield against future prosecutions for tax fraud, therefore seems neatly to evade the problem that future attorneys general may abrogate these privileges conferred on Trump.

Letter: WSUV needs support from state

Erik Robinson, VANCOUVER — Thu, 28 May 2026 13:00:22 +0000

Washington State University Vancouver has been without a leader since longtime Chancellor Mel Netzhammer retired a year ago and it shows.

Letter: CBS kisses Trump ring

Homer Greer, Yacolt — Wed, 27 May 2026 13:00:33 +0000

I will not watch another CBS program of any kind. After canceling “The Late Show with Stephen Colbert” for the weak reason that it was not popular and ratings were dropping is complete nonsense. CBS kissed the Trump ring and cowardly canceled this show because they have no backbone at all.

Letter: Put moratorium on apartments

Ron Rushford, Vancouver — Wed, 27 May 2026 13:00:26 +0000

Uncontrolled development for roadway capacity is affecting east Vancouver, Camas and Washougal and has led to gridlock on Highway 14 and Interstate 205.