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Letters, June 27 By Mail Tribune readers Jun 27, 2019 12:00 AM A A Shame on the shamers House Bill 2020 is a coercive tax measure. It is nothing but a progressive Democratic money and power grab using “climate change” as a ploy to bypass the three-fifths majority required by the Oregon Constitution for a tax increase. The Mail Tribune and the Democrats try to shame the Republican senators to come back to the Capitol to “do their job” to represent their constituents. The Republican senators are doing their job representing their constituents by walking out. Asking them to come back to the Capitol means asking them to violate their conscience, principles and duty to their constituents. And is Gov. Kate Brown going to have the Oregon State Police bring the senators back to the Capitol in handcuffs? That should be interesting. The Republican senators should be commended for their courage to stand up against this bad and immoral bill. Gordon W. Dickerson Medford Longing for Dennis Richardson Some people seem to think that there is something illegitimate about the super-majorities held by Democrats in the Oregon Legislature. Why? Were they not democratically elected? They also appear to believe that because of this “illegitimate” super-majority it is OK for Republicans to abandon their jobs and block all legislative process rather than let the majority rule. I realize that we live in Trump country down here and in Trump country it’s considered just fine to attack democracy itself if you don’t get your way. You say that you are going to hold politicians responsible when smoke returns to the Rogue Valley this summer, yet every single Republican opposes House Bill 2020, a very modest beginning toward reducing the global warming that is ultimately responsible for the fires. Jumping up and down and screaming “No” while covering your eyes and ears as Republicans are doing is not going to address our problems. Do we have to elect a quorum of Democrats to get sensible things done? By the way, Kate Brown is not responsible for the smoke in the Rogue Valley. All of us are. Michael Sanford Medford Which is easiest? Reference is made to your Wednesday, June 26 editorial. Question: Which is easiest for the power company: Adequately maintaining the power lines, or shutting off the electrical power? Of course, we all know the answer to that question. And, in reality, to hell with the customers. Fred Fleetwood Trail Webletters Graphic.jpg