Letter to the Editor -

I am writing to say THANK YOU to the two Columbia County Commissioners, Marty Hall, and Ryan Rundell, who stood up for their community now and for the future, by voting yes to provide money for the broadband project in our county. The launch of this project is critical to our community. Commissioners Hall and Rundell understand that. They see the importance of the project, and they see the future that so many in the community can see. So, again, thank you for resolving this prior to the year’s end. I am disappointed but not surprised by Commissioner Amerein’s no vote. My guess is he will continue to place his personal politics and his ideologies above his community as we move into 2022. And isn’t that a shame. His allegiance to the Columbia County Conservatives, which is NOT a Republican affiliate, drives his decision-making, not what is best for his constituents. His unwillingness to listen to local business owners, our Chamber of Commerce, our health providers, and others, regarding broadband in our area, is alarming, to say the least. And his fear of our county becoming a ‘zoomtown’ borders on the ridiculous. We aren’t talking about installing a high-tech campus in our county. We are talking about installing up-to-date technology for ALL to access. And installing broadband won’t ‘Californication’ us. Fear isn’t what moves people ahead. Fear is a restraint, one that I am glad to see our other two Commissioners unwilling to wear. In my mind I can see Commissioner Amerein standing next to Henry Ford as he cranks his ‘horseless carriage’ into life. And I in my mind I can hear Commissioner Amerein saying, “NO BODY is going to use one of those things! We have horses, we don’t need that confounded thing. If people want to go faster, they can just hitch another horse to their wagon.”

So, THANKS AGAIN, to two County Commissioners that have the vision and the voice that is needed for our county and who are not driven by fear or political ideologies. We appreciate you both for this vote.

Vicki Zoller

Dayton, Wash.