Editor

In what appears to be a current Republican tactic, our two Republican commissioners have used their office to punish those constituents who dare to complain about the state of things in Island County. I love those jets and I understand why it is important for them to fly around and around practicing landings and take-offs. But there is no doubt in my mind that those who say they love the jet noise do not live in the flight paths. Complaints about the noise are legitimate. I’m not sure that there is a remedy for the noise nor do I know that such a remedy would be in our best interests but the jets are loud and obnoxious when they fly time and again over your home.

We have mistakenly believed that we elected commissioners who will represent the people of Island County. This apparently is not the case. It seems that our two Republican commissioners have been elected to represent the U.S. Navy and they are doing a fine job of it. It seems that these days you don’t want to try to oppose anything Navy for fear of retaliation. There is a sign near the Naval Air Station that claims that the noise is “the sound of freedom.” It’s not. Dissent is the sound of freedom and dissent should never be punished.

I hope the people of Island County will put a stop to such tactics as recently exercised by Jill Johnson and Richard Hannold’s withholding of funding for a Coupeville grant because they deemed the people of Coupeville to be unfriendly to the Navy. The simplest way to do that is in the next election simply get off your butts and vote. Before you vote, however, spend 15 minutes or so under the departure path of those jets practicing landings at OLF.

I do want to thank Commissioner Helen Price Johnson for her positive vote and her support of the people’s right to voice opinions.

GHERRY TAYLOR

Freeland