TNT letters to the editor, 6/17/2021

Pierce County elections

Re: “Electing a Pierce County auditor favors extremists, not pros. So let’s stop doing it,” ( TNT, 6/5).

Auditor Julie Anderson’s opinion piece gave me pause because it raises an issue that’s essential to living in a democratic republic like ours.

In essence, she’s asking if people are smart enough to elect the right person for a government position. “An election isn’t the best way to get the top-notch candidate for this important administrative job,” she wrote.

How far do we want to push this line of reasoning? Sure, running elections and overseeing licenses is a very important job. What about running a country? What about making laws?

Maybe voters aren’t sophisticated enough to elect a president, senator or member of the House of Representatives, either. After all, those jobs are far more complicated than being an auditor.

I’m concerned for our way of life when political leaders want to move us in the direction of thinking that says “others” are smarter than the voters. It’s not far from advocating for an autocracy or dictatorship, in the name of efficiency.

Living in a democracy is hard work. It should be.

Ron Powers, Gig Harbor

Racial discrimination

Re: “Biden honors forgotten victims of Tulsa massacre,” (TNT, 6/2).

Tulsa is a sad part of our long history of discrimination. Lynching and shooting Black men after Reconstruction was common.

Many Black World War II veterans suffered the same fate. Their families, living in fear, were forced give up their land.

President Wilson was an avowed racist who did all he could to maintain segregation. FHA and VA loans had specific language precluding Black families. Diverse neighborhoods were uprooted for urban renewal.

Black-owned property was typically undervalued. Loans for Black families required more money down with higher interest rates than a white family with the same or less income.

Public housing was a disaster of a remedy. Housing that only whites seemed to qualify for was well built and maintained close to services, transportation, parks and amenities. Black housing was near freeways and heavy industrial areas.

Court intervention has only provided incremental change. Redlining remains standard practice in many communities, as does undervaluing homes and farms.

We say the playing field is level and we are past discrimination. But the path for black upward mobility remains out of reach for many.

Kathy Lorimer, Sumner

Tacoma hospital

I was so pleased to see the TNT”s “Looking Back” feature on June 9, about the laying of the cornerstone for Mary Bridge Children’s Hospital on that date in 1954.

I was disappointed, however, that there was no mention of this year being the 100th anniversary of the Tacoma Orthopedic (guild) Association (TOA), now named Mary Bridge Brigade.

It was in 1921 that 15 visionary women formed an organization committed to the health of children in our area. The TOA was born on Feb. 10 of that year, and the reality of their dream became Mary Bridge Children’s Hospital.

As the organization grew, more than $50 million and countless thousands of volunteer hours were donated to provide state-of-the-art healthcare to children from all over the South Sound and neighboring states, as well as Alaska.

Our commitment continues with support for the expanded Mary Bridge Children’s Hospital to be built at Division Avenue and Martin Luther King, Jr. Way. Congratulations and happy anniversary, TOA/MBB.

Jenny Pasco Smith, Tacoma

(Smith is a past president of TOA)

This story was originally published June 17, 2021 at 7:47 AM with the headline "TNT letters to the editor, 6/17/2021."