Camp Murray’s planned gate relocation to a residential area of Lakewood-Tillicum disregards criteria for gate location of U.S. military establishments as published in a 2005 Department of Defense document.

It specifically states: Locate ECFs (Entry Control Facilities) away from housing, school, and commercial areas, both on and off installation, to avoid interference with pedestrians, parked cars and driveways.

A paramount reason for this rule is to avoid undue injury and fatalities from terrorist bomb attacks. Terrorists are likely to attempt to bring bombs through military gates in vehicles. If a bomb ever detonates in the entry area, nearby life on …

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As a retired school counselor, I spent a career working with schoolchildren and families in Puyallup. However, I met Therese Pasquier as a board member at St. Francis House, a compassionate organization that provides clothing, meals and adult English instruction to families in our area. She understands the broad economic, social and educational needs existing in our area.

School district financial issues will become more tenuous as rainy day funds are tapped for maintaining basic school programs. Schools need experienced and knowledgeable leaders. Pasquier is such a leader.

Her sons’ schools benefited when as a parent she volunteered on various …

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The Puyallup Police Association strongly endorses the following candidates for Puyallup City Council: Steve Vermillion, Robin Ordonez, John Palmer and Tom Smillie.

Representing police officers, police sergeants, corrections staff and other support services, the PPA supports those candidates who will best defend the quality of life in Puyallup while funding public safety in a responsible manner. After an in-depth screening and interview process, we feel our selected candidates will bring Puyallup citizens and public safety personnel a fair and responsible council.

PPA members are not just city employees. We live, work and raise our families in this community. We want …

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Re: “We all can be environmentalists” (letter, 9-30).

The reason that the the Department of Corrections doesn’t have inmates pick up litter isn’t that “it is beneath the dignity of the inmates.” The reason nonprofits are no longer able to obtain inmates to do so many jobs that were done in the past outside the walls of the prison is because of budget cuts in the prison system. There is no longer the number of corrections officers and vans that can take the women outside the prison to do this work.

I now volunteer within the prison with these …

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The costs of obesity-related illnesses are well known to insurance companies, contrary to what some weight-loss surgery providers seem to think (Viewpoint, 9-23).

Insurance companies want to make sure that the services they cover will be the most effective and have the greatest chance of a successful, long-term outcome. Otherwise, the service will simply add to the high cost of health care with nothing to show for it. That is why insurance companies use guidelines when deciding to cover weight loss surgery: Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn’t.

There are a number of logical reasons why a conventional, medically …

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I encourage Puyallup voters to support Nicole Martineau for the City Council at-large position.

She has singularly impressed me with her energy, her easy grasp of complex issues and her attention to the main job of any politician – problem-solving, or the art of the possible.

Based on her background and education, we can fully expect Martineau to maintain fiscal responsibility in these difficult times. Puyallup can benefit from a focus on the kind of sustainable economic development effort to which she is committed. Clearly, her close association with law enforcement issues also makes her ideal for promoting public safety …

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The Constitution’s preamble clearly states that one of the nation’s goals is to “promote the general welfare.”

The U.S. Postal Service, for example, pays for itself. What more could you ask? It even delivers to rural areas for the other companies because it’s cost-effective. Prices would go up with privatization because private owners would require profits.

Members of Congress have wonderful single-payer health care. As patients, I wonder if they think it is dangerously socialist. I doubt it. Medicare is less generous but is also run by the government, and should not be privatized.

There must be good people in …

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I wish that I could personally thank the voters who supported me in the primary for Sumner City Council Position 4. Although I didn’t make the “cut,” I don’t feel that I lost. I was able to talk to many citizens, and express my views for the betterment of Sumner. I will be back.

Since the city needs qualified and dedicated people to guide the city through these rough economic times, I am giving my full support to Jon Swanson for the position.

I have known him since he moved to Sumner; he is motivated to make Sumner a better …

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