Sound Off: June 14, 2026
Sun Herald readers weigh in on local and national topics.
Iran
Iran hates the West, especially the USA, and is committed to our destruction. It may be bombs or secret cells to politically destroy our will to resist. There is a time to act, and eventually stabilize the Middle East and the world. Think about the sacrifices that the average citizens and soldiers gave up during World War 2 to contain Hitler and his ambitions for evil world control. There’s a time to stop bullies, and it’s now.
Roadwork
Does the state give open-ended contracts for repairs? The work on Highway 49 between Creosote Road and Airport Road has blocked traffic for many months while work seems to go at a snail’s pace even before all the rain. Are there penalties in the contract for delays or incentives for early completion? When will it be completed? This year?
Treatment plant
I have lived near the treatment plant on Atkinson Road for over 50 years. The only time that it starts smelling is when the plant has been neglected. The county needs its inspectors too start doing their job and check out the contractors work on a scheduled timeline.
Truth in news
At a local garden tour, the guide warned me to verify the sources of information for my plant investigations. AI is infusing the internet with books written by ghost authors and with incorrect information from AI sources. It is now more important than ever to verify what is fact in this world, where everyone has a gateway in their pocket to the internet’s mix of true and false information. One person’s fake news is not necessarily my fake news. I miss the believability of a Walter Cronkite available to all.
Not the same
I’m watching back-to-back commercials asking for money for starving babies and for starving animals. They were asking for $10 for the children and $16 for the animals.
Political donations
Along with extreme income disparity, there is extreme political donor disparity. Corporate big-money donations favor big business concerns vs. people’s concerns. The landmark judicial decision, “Citizens United,” allowed corporations to donate unlimited campaign funds vs. the limited amounts that individuals can afford to contribute. Calling this avalanche of money “free speech” is a misnomer, and it should be repealed.
Gerrymandering
Pete Buttigieg says the Supreme Court has gone “rogue” and is “eviscerating black votes” for voting against racist gerrymandering. Why do Democrats want to segregate voters by race?
Even they admit it
Democrat Senator Alex Padilla admits that President Trump has successfully closed the border: “The fact of the matter is, numbers are way down of people coming to the border.”
What Democrats want
Rep. Ro Khanna lays out Democrat’s radical vision if they take back power. “Supreme Court term limits and expanding the court from 9 to 13. We should be for abolishing ICE. We should be for a billionaire’s tax.”
Mr. Art of the Deal
Normally you wouldn’t increase the likelihood of U.S. casualties by announcing an attack ahead of time, unless you are bluffing to use it as a negotiating ploy, you are stupid, you don’t really care about the troops, or all three.
Profiteering in Iran
Republicans are going to spend hundreds of billions that we don’t have to fund President Trump’s endless war and line the pockets of the military industrial complex, which now includes members of Trump’s family.
Honestly hilarious
Kellyanne Conway, who worked for President Trump, about Graham Platner: “Is there any number of scandals that would make you stop? Putting on with women that are not your wife? Would it be the lying? Would it be insulting heroes? Is power really worth that to you?”
Send your Sound Offs to soundoff@sunherald.com.