Letters to the editor for Nov. 22

Election deniers are spitting on democracy

Enough is enough.

Truth decay is alive and well in this country and most of it has been peddled by the Trump administration. People are marching across the country claiming that the election was stolen from Trump although as of this writing over 20 lawsuits of election fraud have been dropped.

The tactics used by Trump to brainwash our electorate is taken out of the playbook of Mussolini. He stole “Make America Great Again” from Mussolini as well as his tactics of repeating false information over and over again and causing distrust of the mainstream media. And it has worked. Over 70 million people voted for him, and his fervent base is willing to buy in to his repeated lies that he won the election and not Joe Biden.

Although Trump did prepare us for it, didn’t he? Months before the election, he claimed that if he on the outside chance didn’t win, then the election was “rigged.”

I ask of all of the election deniers and most of the Republican leaders who have yet to find their spine, “What is the end game?” Have you no shame or common sense left after dealing with the Liar in Chief Emperor for the last four years? Or are you really willing to support his rallying cry that spits on our democracy and take off your clothes, too?

Joan Dorian, Olympia

Proposed zoning changes hurt neighborhoods

Low-density neighborhoods, also known as single-family neighborhoods, cover most of Olympia. Compatible housing types such as townhouses, cottages, accessory dwelling units (ADUs), and manufactured homes also are allowed in these neighborhoods.

The Olympia Planning Commission recently recommended drastic changes to zoning regulations for these neighborhoods. The recommendations usher in larger multifamily housing units including duplexes, triplexes, fourplexes, two-story ADUs, and in some areas sixplexes and courtyard apartments. These units will be allowed on small narrow lots with a space of only about 10 feet between buildings.

The revisions could virtually eliminate single-family neighborhoods. The recommendations contain no provisions to make these new units affordable. In fact, these buildings are geared to be market rate for the middle class. New housing is expensive to build. We’ve seen what’s happened in Seattle as houses are torn down and replaced with upscale units: gentrification. Lower income people are forced out as housing prices rise.

The biggest changes are likely to occur in close-in neighborhoods with smaller, cheaper housing, not in Olympia’s newer, fancier neighborhoods.

Most Olympians have no idea that it’s their neighborhoods these big changes are being proposed for. The Housing Options proposal will be going to the City Council in December. If you have questions or concerns, now is the time to contact your council members.

Judy Bardin, Olympia

Let’s pardon all turkeys

Next week, President Trump will take a break from brooding over his election loss to pardon two turkeys. Every one of us has that same awesome power: to pardon an innocent, sentient bird by choosing a plant-based roast for our Thanksgiving dinner.

The 222 million turkeys killed in the U.S. this year are raised in crowded sheds. Their beaks and toes are clipped to prevent stress-induced aggression. At the age of 16 weeks, workers cut their throats and dump them into boiling water to remove their feathers.

Consumers pay a price too. Turkey flesh is laced with cholesterol and saturated fats that elevate risk of chronic killer diseases. Prolonged cooking is required to destroy deadly pathogens lurking inside.

Now, for the good news. With the growing popularity of Tofurky and other plant-based holiday roasts, U.S. turkey production has dropped a whopping 25 percent from its 1995 high of 293 million.

This Thanksgiving, let’s give thanks for our good fortune, health, and happiness with a cruelty-free plant-based holiday roast available in convenient sizes. An internet search on “vegetarian Thanksgiving” offers more options and recipes than we could possibly use.

Andrew Petuchov, Olympia