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Letters to the Editor, Jan. 6 Friday Jan 6, 2017 at 12:01 AM County is not a villain Losing Sheriff Falls was tough, but Jackson County is not a villain. He wanted a bigger salary because he deserved it. But county rules are restrictive. He then began to view regulatory information as efforts to stymie his desired changes, and in the end, raised the question of race. He blamed a lot of people, including Administrator Danny Jordan. As a past president of the Jackson County Employees Union and chief steward, I faced Danny Jordan many times in serious employee grievances. I came to deeply respect his and the county's commitment to fairness and digging to get to the truth of the matter, no matter where it leads. When there were cases involving the question of prejudice, Jordan pursued them with diligence and compassion. While I wish him the best in his new endeavor, I must say Corey has some growing to do too. Many of us have learned the hard way that trying to do something good is often fraught with barriers, but we shouldn't portray those who must remind us of the rules as enemies. They are our lighthouses, illuminating the hazards we must avoid. Corey needs to develop understanding as much as to be understood. Buck Eichler Medford Campaign on facts Tonia Moro made an excellent point in her recent guest opinion when she discussed what negative campaigning is and what is not. In short, campaigns should focus on the issues important to voters and the candidate’s plans to fulfill their campaign promises through good legislation. To me, “going negative” is when a candidate makes inaccurate, overblown, or disparaging remarks about their opponent’s positions or personal life. I’m turned off by personal attacks. However, I am not turned off when a candidate points out factually that they are for a certain reform and their opponent is not. Clarity about each candidate’s position on the issues is essential to the democratic process. I also appreciate it when a candidate provides facts showing that their opponent’s record and policy positions are different than that opponent’s campaign rhetoric. That’s called accountability, and we need more of it. If Alan DeBoer runs for state Senate again in 2018, his opponent will have the right — in fact, a responsibility — to discuss his record in office, as long as they keep it factual and give voters a comparison of what they would do differently and what they themselves stand for. Mark S. Kellenbeck Phoenix Republican pillars An Oregon native, I grew up in a state shaped by some admirable Republican statesmen. I’m thinking of Tom McCall. I’m thinking of Mark Hatfield. I’m thinking of John Dellenback. I believe that each one of these leaders would have spoken out clearly against the racism, misogyny and religious persecution promoted by the president-elect. Although I have contacted Congressman Greg Walden several times and respectfully asked him to clarify his position on these issues, he ignores my email requests. Because he and the other establishment Republicans remain silent about their positions on these specific hateful stances promoted by Trump, I can only assume that these positions are now pillars of the national Republican platform. I think that Gov. Tom McCall, Sen. Mark Hatfield and Congressman John Dellenback would be deeply grieved to see what has become of their beloved Republican Party. Anne Batzer White City Ugly Americans? Through the years people of different countries have said some American visitors are rude, crude and demanding; they called them the ugly Americans. When young families aboard an airplane flight are bad-mouthed, when protesters become rioters and destroy private property, burn and plunder, when police officers are taunted and murdered, when people burn the flag of our country, when people have brawls in malls at Christmas — are people in this great nation of ours becoming uncivilized, or just ugly Americans? Donna Lehnhardt Medford