Letters to the Editor

250th Proclamation The Deschutes County Commission recently passed a resolution that proports to celebrate America’s 250th anniversary, when in fact it is right out of the MAGA playbook, implying support for President Trump’s policies and actions, and filled with hypocrisy. The piece was written by a right-wing group called the Taxpayers Association of Oregon. It passed […]

Critique of Land Use Planning in Bend The term “crisis” is often used to describe the current housing situation in Deschutes County. By definition, a crisis is an unstable period that threatens to result in highly undesirable outcomes. While there is a current imbalance between housing supply and demand, it doesn’t rise to the level […]

Amy Sabbadini for County Commissioner I am asking readers to vote for Amy Sabbadini in the upcoming County Commissioner election. Now more than ever, it is imperative to have logical, science-minded leaders who will embrace evidence-based practices. We need leaders to support the behavioral and public health programs that are critical resources for our community. […]

ODOT Funding Regarding the Opinion in March 5, 2026, that brought forth the political issues of raising taxes on fuel to pay ODOT services, I wish to highlight the statement: “Due to real progress on the climate front, through electric vehicles and efficiency, the state now has fewer dollars for road maintenance.” First, it should […]

Privacy belongs in Bend’s public conversation I recently attended my first Deschutes Democrats meeting and came away with a simple conclusion: Bend needs to start talking a lot more seriously about privacy. At the meeting, I asked U.S. Rep. Janelle Bynum what national privacy bills are worth tracking and who constituents should contact to better […]

Why I didn’t use the VA to pay for my root canal A broken molar, and the resulting $2,000 repair, led to someone asking the question, why didn’t I go through the VA? As an eight-year veteran of the armed forces, I should be entitled. I would like to answer that question publicly, as it is […]

Support the Wildlife Bill I value living in Oregon for the breathtaking array of wildlife –from whales, puffins and oystercatchers on the coast to the elusive Sierra Nevada red foxes of the Cascades, and the great gray owls I’ve witnessed in forests near Sunriver. HB 4134–the 1.25% for wildlife bill — is critical to pass […]

Kids Need Quality Education As a longtime classroom teacher and former union leader for educators, I want to unpack the Source’s Feb. 5 piece, “Oregon’s Education Workforce Climbed While Student Enrollment Slid.” Unfortunately, the headline is misleading, implying that schools are overstaffed. They are not. The numbers presented don’t account for the decades of prior […]

Let’s not spring ahead It’s time to change clocks again. Is there anything more idiotic, more wasteful, more unnecessary? The Sun and the Earth could care less how we define time. Leave the clocks alone! —James Scott History repeats itself Seeing the same comments on social media about the attack last night as I heard 25 […]

New ‘Prosperity Officer’ Thank you for your Opinion piece of 22 January 2026, highlighting the new Oregon “Prosperity Officer” and the current economic challenges faced by the Oregon economy. However, discussing the “falling economic outlook” fails to discuss other, more important aspects of measuring the success of a society and its economy. According to the […]