To the editor,

Change is often times considered a scary thing, particularly in our small, humble community. However, I have learned through experiences in my professional and personal life that change is something that should be accepted and embraced. Life in Pomeroy is considered by many to be boring…we like our ‘status quo.’ We get used to the way things are and that equates to one less thing to worry about in our generally all-too-busy lives. But I offer this challenge to you–Does it feel comfortable to you when you are suddenly thrust into emergency mode? It seems like no matter how much I plan ahead, my career shoves me straight off the edge of cliff 17 times a day. Someone recently asked me, “How do you juggle so many different things at the same time and still work them all out?” My response was quick and easy. “I make a plan each day during my commute to work, and I revise and update that plan as often as I have to based on the emergencies that pop up.”

So that brings us to the topic at hand: The future of emergency care in Garfield County. I am a strong supporter of health care in our community, and I have been for a long time. While it isn’t as extended of a career as others, I have spent 13 years of my life studying, supporting, participating, guiding, and educating members of this and other communities about local and regional health care. I have learned that we have to be open to change…ready to embrace it because the science and needs of the community both indicate that we must in order to survive…literally! When I earned my First Responder license in 2006, the CPR standards were significantly different from what they are today. Since that time, I have advanced through multiple levels of licensed emergency health care provider, and now I have settled back into health care education as a part-time instructor with LCSC. While times have changed, our diligence to support our community should not.

The future of Garfield County Hospital District has been questionable for many years, and while I don’t know what the voters of Garfield County will decide to support in the future, I do know this much… it is extremely important that we have strong, sound leadership within our emergency services in Garfield County. That includes both fire and EMS in the city and county. In recent years we have increased the GCFD No.1 budget by roughly $450,000 annually in windmill tax dollars alone. My question to the community is this: What changes have you seen in our Fire/EMS world? Permanent, professional, 24-hour staffed personnel? Modern and technologically-advanced fire and EMS equipment? Innovative training and knowledge demonstrated by our paid and volunteer personnel? Above-and-beyond community involvement and education?

The time for change has arrived. We must stand tall for the future of our great community. I challenge you to be proactive and supportive to the future of the emergency services in Garfield County. We must stand together and accept the fact that the previous status quo may not be getting the job done. Change is a good thing when approached with a positive attitude and the time for change is now.

This community demands strong, knowledgeable leadership. Thirty years of volunteer participation is no substitute for professional leadership, business knowledge, budget experience, and the passion and drive to guide the constituents of Garfield County into a long-lasting, sustainable EMS future. The members of our community deserve the best service that can possibly be offered, and I for one, will not continue down the path of normality just because it feels comfortable.

Fire Commissioners are elected on a six-year term, a time in which a lot can happen in a small town, so I encourage you to use your vote wisely in the upcoming November election. The future of EMS in Garfield County depends on your support. I want to ensure that my parents, siblings, children, and grandchildren have the same opportunity that I was given…an amazing life in Pomeroy.

Aaron Stallcop

Pomeroy, Wash.

To the editor,

I have come to the conclusion that we are a species of stupid robots. Our programming, commonly called English, is corrupted with a virus. The degree says engineering so spelling and composition doesn’t come naturally to me. In this new world order the virus isn’t P.C words, it’s “persuasion”. It’s a politically correct word for propaganda, and brain washing. It’s a word of deceit studied by science and exploited by politicians and I am fascinated by it even when I persuaded myself. It’s become pure evil.

For those of you who have never spent a day in a psychology course or have never read a single self-help (sic) book, or been approached to listen to an Amway salesman, or been forced to go to a seminar on Steven Covey’s, “Seven Habits of Highly Effective People”, count yourself(sic) lucky (and give me the coordinates of that cave so I can move in.) This word “persuasion” is what’s being used on the voting public now.

This normally wouldn’t be a big deal as most Americans are used to politics every two to four years. But thanks to 24-hour(sic) news and the internet, the methods of commercial television have gotten more intense. Worse yet, science has stepped in and made the act available to the common folk.

Psychologists have studied and copied some very powerful methods of persuading (that is brain washing) large groups of people. Many of the studied subjects are from test groups that include; Reverend Jim Jones, Sun Myung Moon, David Koresh, and yes, even Lenin, Hitler, Mao, and Marx. All, great persuaders in their own right.

Scientist(sic) tried to use the results for the good of everyone. No one can deny the Norman Vincent Peals book, “The Power of Positive Thinking” did more good(sic) than harm with his insights. His only crime is that he preached it in his church in Queens, New York, to, among others, a very young Donald Trump.

Business had the money to pay these psychologists, psychiatrists and scientists, so of course the subject became more business oriented. What psychologists(sic) found in this new method was that most people are so predictably conditioned that one author referred to us as “moist robots”. So much for the illusion of freedom of choice. This was OK when we were buying deodorants or Toyotas but now the politicians are taking it up.

The “art” of persuasion hit its(sic) peak with Donald Trump, who, is without question the “Master Persuader”. His thirty percent(sic) base are NOT stupid racist hillbillies, they are reasoning good people and people make good robots. As do we all. He learned the methods before he hit puberty and, along with the effects of his post puberty celebrity life, has wreaked havoc on America ever since. He is as good or better persuader than David Koresh of Waco, Texas (only without(sic) the cool guitar collection.)

The democrats have been playing catch up ever since 2016. Hillary Clinton hired Robert Cialdini in the latter stage(sic) of 2016 election. He is the author of “Influence: The Psychology of Persuasion” the number one book on methods of persuasion today. Also, the Democrats found their voice when in January 2017, I was one of probably 36 people in Garfield County (as in all the registered democrats in this county) to receive the “how to pamphlet” written by former democratic staffers, “Indivisible; A Practice Guide for Resisting the Trump Agenda” They learned from the “Tea Party” (So, what could go wrong with that?) Both sides are getting better, more organized, and meaner at it.

I try to keep score by watching both sides but when it gets confusing I bring up Scott Adams on his blog or re-read his book on the subject “Winning Bigly; Persuasion in a World Where Facts Don’t Matter” For those of you who don’t know him, he draws the comic character “Dilbert”. Scott has the subject pretty well defined and was one of only a few people that predicted a Trump win in 2015 from watching his technique. Scott is more liberal than I am but, he has the liberal populists so angry at him that his blog is being de-funded on YouTube. He’s my best resource on the subject at the moment. His books probably should be required reading for all voters. Though most robot voters don’t read, so probably not.

I have some ethical standards, so I don’t use these methods in his book, which means I will never be a rich businessman or successful politician (just a poor engineer.) But(sic) I find it fascinating how mass persuasion works. It’s like watching rats in a maze and how they react to different stimuli. Listening to Trump supporters and liberal populists has become cheap entertainment for me. It’s kind of fun watching how the King Rat is determined. Almost fun enough to forget that it’s our democracy that suffers.

Jim Mahaffey

Pomeroy, Wash.