Our Mad Man
We have a mad man in the White House — mad on power, greed and grievance. He’s dismantling our federal government. He’s rebuilding Washington, D.C. in his image. He’s waging war without our consent. He’s ruining our economy and our financial system. He has the audacity to claim ownership of other countries and to rename international geographical entities. All this at our expense. That expense is currently $40 trillion of debt and growing: an amount which can destroy us.
A leader brings people together in common cause. But our mad man divides us, sets us against one another, denigrates religions, races, genders and nationalities; all while emptying our pockets and sullying the integrity (of the) United States of America.
Our mad man is a threat to our existence and our government. If the Congress and the Supreme Court fail to control him, which is their responsibility, that task will fall to the People as clearly stated in The Declaration of Independence.
—James Scott
Barbara Tate, Redmond City Council
Do you know what the great thing about Barb Tate is? She is a unifier. That’s why she will be so important to the Redmond City Council. She is seeking an open seat in the upcoming election in November.
As a former Meals-on-Wheels center manager from Portland, I understand what it takes to coordinate and feed a lot of people. I recognize those skills in Barb. She and her husband George have lived in Redmond for 32 years. During that time, they ran Tate and Tate Catering. A lot of you know Barb because of that. Perhaps Tate and Tate provided delicious food for a friend or family member’s celebration. While George was the chef and ran the kitchen, Barb managed the staff at three locations, organized logistics, planned the budget and supplies and she solved a myriad of daily problems. She made friends with people from all walks of life. That is how Barb became a unifier. These skills are imperative to be a successful city councilor.
Since retiring from her business, Barb has worked with several local non-profits and has become emersed in Redmond’s particular issues. Water conservation, fire preparedness and economic development are some of her immediate calls to action. She has remarkable energy and all those business skills to help Redmond through the challenges ahead. Barb is trustworthy and tenacious. She brings people together. Barb Tate will work diligently for us and with the other members of Redmond’s City Council.
—Mary E Marckx Creel
Morgan Schmidt
I encourage you to vote for Morgan Schmidt for Deschutes County Commissioner. She has a proven track record of making things happen here. From the time she came to Bend in 2015, she has shown her both practical and compassionate sides by mentoring teenagers, organizing cold weather shelters during snowstorms and cooling stations during heat waves for our houseless neighbors. During the first week of Covid-19 shutdowns, she founded the Facebook page “Pandemic Partners” to connect people in need with people who could help them; it was wildly successful, and other communities copied this model. She has worked on and chaired numerous boards that support the people of our county, including the Bend Neighborhood Leadership Alliance, the Central Oregon Homeless Leadership Coalition’s Community Engagement Committee and the Presbytery of the Cascades Wildfire Response Committee.
Morgan is currently the executive director of the Central and Eastern Oregon Red Cross where she manages people as well as the budget; she also goes to disaster sites across the country to serve as a chaplain to people in need.
Morgan has her finger on the pulse of Deschutes County. She has a very good grasp of the mechanics of county government. She knows the budget forwards and backwards, and has a grasp of all the different county departments overseen by the Deschutes County Commission. She is an excellent listener and will work with others in county government as well as citizens to help develop and/or maintain policies and programs that work for us.
—Lori Brizee
Wish I’d Given More
I saw her while going into the coffee shop. Homeless, head in a dumpster. When I came out, she was munching on a pizza crust. Dirty hands and face, red hair askew. She smiled… a sincere, grateful, tooth-gapped smile. (Should I smile back or turn my head?) I smiled back and wished her good morning. After lingering in my car going through em’s, I noticed Shilo hanging his head out as if he wanted a pet. Highly unusual behavior for this cautious dog. It was the homeless lady, with an enormous pack on her slight body. She slowly walked up to Shilo. Smiled, a “someone likes me” smile, but said nothing. I observed silently as she enjoyed the moments of a friendly dog greeting. Finally, I asked where she was headed? “Montana,” came a quick reply, as if that was home. After some small talk, in a timid, awkward, hesitant way she asked if I had an extra dollar? I don’t encourage homeless by forking over money, but reached for my wallet and found seven. Her request was so humble, reticent and small, plus Shilo saw a special spirit, that I gave her two. Later the thought occurred to me. Maybe only the slightest circumstances of birth, parents, church, education, depression, poverty, drugs.…separate me from her. She was special.
—Robert D Sandberg
Letter of the Week:
Thanks, Robert. Come on by for your Letter of the Week gift card!
—Nicole Vulcan
MAKE LOCAL JOURNALISM HAPPEN
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