Letters to the Editor

Published 1:41 pm Tuesday, January 6, 2026

Trump’s ‘latest escapade boggles my mind’

I have to be honest, I have not liked Donald Trump for several decades prior to his becoming president.
His latest escapade boggles my mind. Without consulting with Congress, as required by law, he invaded a foreign country and kidnapped its leader and his wife. They are now in New York, pending trial in federal court. There’s no information on how many locals were killed by this action.
Our national Congress has been locked up by the Republican Party for a year. This time, I’m hoping that they will take this as final proof that Mr. Trump has to be impeached and tried for this crime.
By the way, on all of those “drug” boats blown up and people killed, as far as I have seen, they have not provided one iota of evidence that there were any drugs on these boats? I remember images of the Coast Guard and Navy showing tons of such drugs on aids that they conducted over the years.
CHUCK MEYER

Astoria

Protestors should stick to the facts on Venezuela

“As President, I will stand with the Venezuelan people and for democracy.” — Joe Biden, June 21, 2020
What amazes me most about the capture of Nicholas Maduro is the reaction by protestors here in America. Within hours of the announcement of the operation’s success, professionally made signs like, “No War For Oil” and “No War In Venezuela” popped up across the nation. My favorite was one in Portland that stated, “US Hands off Venezuela No Blood for Oil.” Below this was, “Party for Socialism and Liberation.”
It seems that the former socialist leader of Venezuela has friends here in Oregon who openly support the demise of democracy. President Biden raised a bounty of $25 million on Maduro. I wonder if these socialists understand that if a president authorizes an amount that large, the subject of the reward must be a real bad guy. Do they not get that in every “election” Maduro won there were irregularities? That’s not democracy.
I suggest that people interested in condemning Operation Absolute Resolve might research what was going on in Venezuela the past decade. Nearly eight million citizens of that country left due to the conditions Maduro created. At the base level, one out of every three people who go to a Venezuelan hospital die. And then there are the tons of drugs leaving that country for the U.S. and other nations. I hope most Americans call this unacceptable.
In a democracy, protesting is acceptable. Uninformed protesting, however, makes the picketer look foolish.
MATT JANES
Jeffers Gardens

Leaning on AI to spread falsehoods in Gearhart

At the Nov. 25 work session, the Gearhart city administrator told the council that an AI analysis of public safety building survey comments found “a lot” of frustration with Facebook and social media spreading bad information, and that this was a notable theme in the responses.
That claim is demonstrably false.
We reviewed all 494 written public comments contained in the publicly released survey results. Not a single respondent complained about social media misinformation. Not one used the acronym “CM” (City Manager). Only one comment mentioned Facebook at all — and it advised council to ignore Facebook critics, not that misinformation was circulating there.
What respondents actually criticized — repeatedly — were errors, bias, and missing information in the city’s own survey, along with a profound lack of trust in city leadership. Dozens of comments raised concerns about inaccurate cost figures, geological errors, manipulative ranking questions, lack of transparency and the credibility of the city administrator and the council themselves.
This matters. When officials summarize public input inaccurately — especially while claiming AI validation — they distort the record and further erode public trust. The written comments are available for anyone to verify. Residents deserve decisions based on what people actually said, not on themes that do not exist.
Public engagement in this survey was strong and thoughtful. Respecting that engagement requires honest representation of the results.
JACK ZIMMERMAN
Friends of Gearhart

Time to rebuild Oregon Department of Education

Independent national rankings consistently place Oregon near the bottom of U.S. education performance, 47th overall, with one of the highest dropout rates, ranking seventh in the country. These are not marginal differences, they place Oregon firmly among the lowest-performing states.
The human cost of this failure is enormous. Students graduate needing remediation, while employers struggle to find workers with basic skills. The damage falls hardest on low-income students and students of color, despite constant rhetoric about diversity, equity and inclusion. There is nothing equitable about presiding over one of the lowest-performing education systems in America.
Oregon’s public schools are not failing because teachers do not work hard. They are failing because the system lacks clear goals, accountability and an unwavering focus on student achievement.
As governor, my No. 1 priority, above all other things, will be to dismantle and rebuild the Oregon Department of Education, with a focus on education, not indoctrination.
As governor, my obligation will be to the 545,000 students in Oregon’s public schools, especially those who are low-income, homeless or struggling to read and do math at grade level. Partnership with labor organizations must be grounded in shared responsibility for outcomes, not deference to the status quo.
I am willing to work with any organization, including the Oregon Education Association, that is prepared to put student achievement first, measure success honestly, and accept accountability for results. That is the standard Oregon families deserve.
MATTHEW PIATT
Candidate for the Office of Governor of Oregon
Beaverton