letter to the editor, opinion, politics

Letter to the Editor: Let voters decide on cap and trade

A log truck parks in front of Oregon’s capitol in June 2019 at a Timber Unity protest. Photo: Kevin Magwood

By Adam Lardy, Buxton resident, Vice President and founding board member of Timber Unity

I never thought my voice mattered in politics and so I wasn’t involved much. It seemed the politicians didn’t understand through the years, and so I complained about it, but didn’t do much about it. 

Over the past few years though, the laws coming out of Salem got worse and worse. I’m a 3rd generation logger, and people like me started paying more attention and finally showed up in Salem because we thought maybe they just didn’t understand. 

It was much worse. I learned that its more than they don’t understand, they also just don’t care. The majority party put their politics and their liberal agenda ahead of my livelihood, my community and my family. That’s not okay.

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 I’m concerned about people like my retired parents on a fixed income. How are they going to pay for increased costs from the Gross Receipts Tax and if Cap and Trade passes? How will they choose between medicine and paying to heat their homes?

 I’ve come to see the system is rigged, and Kate Brown’s Cap and Trade would devastate my community.

 That first time I went to Salem with others that wanted to learn why Salem didn’t care about them turned into tens of thousands of Oregonians that said “enough is enough!”

 Thankfully the Republicans stood up and made the right decision to deny quorum to prevent passing this boondoggle. 

Twenty-eight counties have signed proclamations against Cap and Trade. It’s time to let the voters decide. 

Send a letter to the editor at [email protected] with your name, address, and phone number (will not be published) on issues, news, and items of concern in the community. Please keep it between 100-350 words. We reserve the right to edit letters for clarity, spelling, and punctuation errors.

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