Document text
3 of 3 Premium Clicks used this month SUBSCRIBE Print + Online Subscriber Activation | Register x Forgot Password | Need an Account? e-edition | subscribe | newsletter | deals Classifieds Jobs Autos Real Estate FEATURED » NEWS NOW Governor tells grads about her former closeted life ... Lane County judge addresses concerns about 30-day sentence for dog-beater ... Unions submit signatures for Oregon corporate tax hike proposal ... Governor tells grads about her former closeted life ... Lane County judge addresses concerns about 30-day sentence for dog-beater ... Unions submit signatures for Oregon corporate tax hike proposal ... LETTERS TO THE EDITOR Letters to the Editor, March 21 MailTribune.com Writer Posted Mar. 21, 2016 @ 12:01 am Posted Mar. 21, 2016 @ 12:01 am » Social News p bs:newslist StartDate="20121121" EndDate="p bs:datecalc Months="3"" DateSort="1" UseObjects="1" ObjectClass="81" Taxonomywords="2325,665" ExactTaxonomyMatch="1" Image="1" Count="4" --> Wages too low for housing Your article by Vickie Aldous on the big gap between what housing in Jackson County costs and what working people can afford to pay at today’s wage levels did a valuable service. The state Legislature had a chance to help by allowing local governments to require that new developments of a certain size include a certain percentage of affordable units. As your recent editorial said, corporate lobbyists succeeded in watering down that bill to the point that it will be of no use in Southern Oregon. Anyone concerned about affordable housing should support groups like Oregon Action that will be trying again in the 2017 Legislature. In the same Sunday paper there was a column by Oregon Action’s Michelle Glass about how raising the minimum wage helps everyone. While one reason for our affordable housing crisis is lack of supply, another reason is lack of buying power for working households. As Glass said, the increase in the minimum wage the Legislature just passed was a small step forward, but for at least seven years it locked rural areas like ours into a sub-minimum wage far below what it takes to rent a basic apartment or buy a modest home. Matt Witt Talent Rein in guns and ammo Enough is enough is enough. A rookie police officer gunned down on her first day on the job in Virginia. A pastor is shot in his pulpit in Ohio. In Tennessee, a kid shoots his family for making him wake him up. And, of course, nine people killed at Umpqua Community College. Since the beginning of the year over 2,000 people have been killed by guns. All of these could likely have been prevented if universal background checks had been required for all gun and ammunition transfers or sales regardless of how long it takes. The "Charleston loophole" permitting a gun sale by default if the background check takes longer than three days must be closed. It's way past time to rein in people who have no business having guns in their hands. Oregon HB 4147 would have helped and eliminated the "Charleston loophole". Mostly Republican obstruction in the Senate resulted in the bill unconscionably being dropped. I am a gun owner and, in the past, a shooter. But I'm sure that I have more common sense than most "gun rights advocates" trumpeting paranoid Second Amendment rights. I firmly believe that nobody's Second Amendment rights trump mine or anyone else's right to life and safety. Don Stone Ashland Parker ignored past Kathleen Parker ended her column writing, ”With a Trump at the helm, … [he] has the power to rock markets and collapse nations.” She’s looking into the future without first looking to the past. President Obama has done just that, and it may be irreversible. Would Kathleen rather have a female president that gets paid, and is therefore owned by Wall Street? One is bought and paid for and the other paid for himself. One you know will fail and one has the chance of succeeding beyond your expectations. Clag Offutt Medford MailTribune.com Writer Posted Mar. 21, 2016 @ 12:01 am » Comment or view comments Terms of Service /* $( document ).ready(function() { // Jquery mobile is trying to style the button and leaving a blank gry button on top of a white button $("#viafouracoms .vf-comment-controls li.vf-right").html(' Submit '); });*/ » 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. calendar Connect with MailTribune.com Facebook Twitter RSS Back to top Reader Services Reader Services Home Subscriptions Subscriber controls Contact us Submissions Photos Events Letters to the editor Corrections Announcements Obituaries Story ideas Since you asked Alerts Email Alerts RSS Feeds Text Alerts Advertise Media Kit Home Products and services Ad rates Advertising contacts Propel Marketing Mail Tribune Daily Tidings The Nickel Shop Our Valley Blogs Mobile Site 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. Your privacy is important, read our privacy policy. © Copyright 2016 Local Media Group, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Privacy Policy | Terms of Service | Local Media Group Publications Original content available for non-commercial use under a Creative Commons license, except where noted. MailTribune.com | P.O. Box 1108, Medford, OR 97501