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Letters: Expansion is an important step I am writing in support of the Mt. Ashland expansion project. I've been a ski patroller for thirteen years, and have seen first hand how effectively the sport of skiing and snowboarding, teaches the public of the benefits of our natural environment. And it does so with minimal impact to the natural resource itself. With the growth of southern Oregon, both in the past few years, and more importantly, in the years to come, it is incumbent on our communities to provide for this growth with planned expansion in its infrastructure. That is the reason for the expansion of the Oregon Shakespeare Festival, the new Lithia Amphitheater, the expansion of area YMCAs, Rogue Valley Medical Center expansion, the redesigned Medford South and North Interchanges, the new libraries. Mt. Ashland is no different than any of these. It also needs to be expanded in order to continue providing a safe and appropriate place for our growing community to play in the snow so we can teach all our new neighbors to love and care for the natural environment that makes this such a special place to call home. Deborah Ameen Medford *** Open letter to Congressman Walden: Can you please tell me the status of HR5631 (formerly HR57), the bill which will establish a commission to study and make recommendations with respect to the Federal electoral process. Instant Runoff Voting, an electoral system that allows people to vote for their hopes rather than their fears, yet guarantees that the winning candidate always has the support of a majority of voters, seems a worthy place to put your efforts as a representative of the people. It is a system that encourages third parties but ensures that no minor candidate will ever spoil an election for a popular major party candidate. In any race where three or more candidates are competing for the same office, voters rank the candidates in order of preference. When the ballots are tabulated, if one candidate doesn't win an outright majority, the candidate with the least votes is eliminated. Then the second-choice votes of that candidate's supporters are added to the remaining candidates' totals, and the ballots are tabulated again. The process repeats until one candidate wins a majority. Seems like a win/win situation to me and a just and fair way to run a Democracy. I look forward to hearing from you. Jill A. Iles Talent *** LINKS: DAILY TIDINGS: Main | News | Sports | Obituaries | Opinion | Columnists | AP News | Subscribe | Archives | Weather | Classifieds | Contact Us | Privacy REVELS: Main | Calendar | Dining | Movies | T.V. OTHER: Road Cams Copyright 2003 Ashland Daily Tidings 541.482.3456. 1661 Siskiyou Blvd., Ashland, OR 97520. Ottaway Newspapers, Inc. - Advertisers -