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May 12. 2015 12:01AM Letters to the Editor, May 12 Get involved I'm very disappointed in the May election. If I don't do a thing, everyone on my ballot will get in just because there is no opposition. Neighbors tell me, why should I put a stamp on this when no participation is needed? I'm afraid the voter participation will be in the single digits. I hope people will realize now how important it is to get involved so that people can have choices to make sure the best person is elected. Phyllis Joy Phoenix TPA is not new For years, the economy of Jackson County has featured a prosperous logging and timber industry that provided products to customers around the world, but in recent years that industry has seen a decline. Now Congress is stalling legislation that will create American jobs, threatening our economy in Jackson County. The legislation, Trade Promotion Authority (TPA), gives the president the necessary tools to create trade opportunities abroad. TPA is not new; for over 30 years it has allowed for trade agreements to be created that promote economic growth and create jobs. It also has a very real impact here at home. International trade supports almost half a million jobs in Oregon and we ship goods made here to over two hundred countries around the world. Congress needs to act and pass TPA to support our economy. Jim Lewis, City Council member Jacksonville Another job killer Allowing people to fill their own gas tanks will cause jobs to be lost. Once again corporations like Safeway, Kroger and Shell win, because they can hire less people. Just like they won when corporations like Safeway, Kroger and Home Depot became partially self-service within their stores. Think it's expedient to fill your own tank or to check out your groceries? Think instead about the person whose job was eliminated. Please do not use self-serve; instead, check out with a person and feel good about helping to support their job security. Robin E. Sparks Medford Control the smoke I was personally upset by the little to no concern shown for asthmatics when smoke from the recent Ashland Watershed controlled burn invaded the valley. While I’ve long been a controlled-burn advocate, I don’t support burns that leave smoke in their wakes for us to breathe. I was personally offended by the “Oh well, we just have to live with it" attitude of Jay Lininger (letters, May 7). If the Weather Service wasn’t involved in the recent burn, it should have been. If it was involved, someone screwed up. “Controlled” burns should include controlling their smoke. Kurt Austermann Medford Abandoned is better In Medford, you are concerned about abandoned houses. Where I live, I worried about the licensed medical marijuana providers that live down the street from me. When folks voted to legalize marijuana, did they visualize a situation in their neighborhood like we have at the corner of Cady and Sterling Creek roads? Give me a boarded-up abandoned property any day!  Ella Cross Jacksonville   http://www.mailtribune.com/article/20150512/opinion/150519974 © 2016 Copyright © 1995-2011 Crain Communications Inc. All Rights Reserved. Terms of Use Privacy Statement -->