Stories by Gazette-Tribune Staff

I have always considered myself a philosophical and constitutional purist. Thus I have always opposed political term limits. After all, democratic principles should guarantee my right to reelect a superb representative until death, mine or his.

However, it has now become apparent that politicians are solely self-interested equivocators (the term “liars” being too coarse). I always thought that their words held meaning. That I could, at least infrequently, rely on their promises. That they are employed by me to pursue the general welfare of their constituency and of our nation. Ideally, their positions could be equated with that of a housekeeper, landscaper, or plumber. They are hired to do a job and the job gets done.

It has become increasingly apparent that, in reality, all our politicians share two bipartisan goals: financial success and reelection for additional financial success.

The GOP leadership and Pres. Bush have proven that Republican fiscal responsibility is a myth. The Senate had to pass a version of AMT relief that is not paid for because Bush threatened to veto and the GOP filibustered the “Pay-Go” version.

I really enjoyed reading Ryan Frazier’s opinion piece “An apple a day keeps the condos away.” In his article Ryan brings up issues facing many communities all across America. From the domestic furniture industry in the Carolinas, to auto manufacturers in Detroit, to food producers out west, the story is the same; America is changing rapidly and many millions are facing radical alterations to their way of life.

After all Mason Hess’ recent protests, despite his laughable earlier declaration of American life as indistinguishable from ‘martial law,’ he still can’t name a single thing — out of all those ‘rights and liberties’ he claims the Bushies have decimated — that he could do pre-Bush that he can’t do now as a result of a Bush policy.

Not one?

We often don’t have time to attend public meetings, so we are relying on what the Gazette-Tribune reported took place at the Tonasket City Council’s Nov. 27 meeting concerning public comment on the new addition planned for North Valley Hospital. It sounds that we need to keep all options open, keep an open mind and use some common sense to resolve this problem.