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2 of 3 Premium Clicks used this month SUBSCRIBE Print + Online Subscriber Activation | Register x Forgot Password | Need an Account? subscribe | newsletter | deals Classifieds Jobs Autos Real Estate FEATURED » NEWS NOW 'It's about living' ... North Mountain Park Preschool Puppet Theatre ... Inner Peace: The power of affirmation ... 'It's about living' ... North Mountain Park Preschool Puppet Theatre ... Inner Peace: The power of affirmation ... LETTERS TO THE EDITOR Letters to the Editor, Jan. 6 Comment DailyTidings.com Writer Posted Jan. 6, 2016 at 12:01 AM Posted Jan. 6, 2016 at 12:01 AM » Social News Transparency is best Ouch. The "Other Views" editorial “’Mad Men’ Government” was an uncharacteristic gratuitous slam at government. Interestingly, the complaint that the federal government spends too much on what the writer calls public relations was sparked by an outfit that says it is advocating transparency in government. I won’t address the specifics in the editorial (because I wasn’t involved in any of them) except to say that they were assuredly cherry-picked and presented for maximum impact (if not accuracy). Let’s go to the real world, one that affected Ashland directly in the past. I worked for a federal utility that supplies electricity to a large swath of the West. Rational people will acknowledge that a city, county or state can outgrow infrastructure built decades early when demand was lower and in different locations. When that happens, as it did in Ashland’s case, a new power line or substation needs to be built. Some will deny the need (BANANA — build absolutely nothing anywhere near anything) while some will see the need but deny the location (NIMBY). The two can make quite a formidable presence. The quick, efficient, inexpensive way of dealing with the need is to turn some engineers loose to design the project, hire some contractors to build it, and do it all in the dark without telling anyone. No one knows of the project until it goes through their backyard. This would be the antithesis of transparency. The inefficient, wasteful way is to tell the affected people of the need, work with the community to develop alternative locations or routes, hold meetings to discuss those alternatives, and make a public decision. Not everyone will agree with the decision, but it was made in full view of the communities affected. This is transparency in government. It takes people to do the public involvement required to make important decisions transparent to the public. We can argue forever about whether a project needs to be built and over how many people need to be involved in explaining the project and whether explaining is selling, but which approach would you pick — make decisions in the dark or in the light? Hidden or transparent? Ian Templeton Ashland A hateful column Rebecca Vilkomerson, executive director of Jewish Voices for Peace, had a very hateful column about Israel in the Tidings Dec. 21. The headline read "Support for Israel is sinking." That's only true among radical leftist organizations like Jewish Voices for Peace. Sadly, there are a number of organizations with the word "peace" in their title that try to hide their hatred for Israel and often Jews, too, behind that word. The fact that Vilkomerson may be Jewish is irrelevant. Her religion is leftism, not Judaism. Her column was a sick castigation of Israel. It consisted of lies, distortions, half-truths and outrageous assertions. Israel is the most successful and productive small country on earth and in terms of its contribution to the world of science, medicine and economics, it ranks above the big powers, except possibly for America. It's the only country in the Middle East where Christians are safe. It's the only country in the Middle East where all people, including Arabs, have absolute freedom of speech. In Israel, Arabs can be openly gay or lesbian without fear of being persecuted or murdered. Yet, there is more hate directed against Israel than any other country. Could that have anything to do with the fact that Israel, with its remarkable success, is the only Jewish country on earth? Maynard Telpner Talent DailyTidings.com Writer Posted Jan. 6, 2016 at 12:01 AM » Comment or view comments Reader Reaction » STAY INFORMED Email NewsLetter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. 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