To the editor — Responding to the Nov. 1 opinion article by the editorial board, which promotes “alarm and outrage” against our law enforcement agencies (federal, state and local). Instead of a deeper reflection on the unfortunate plight of immigrants or the impossible challenge for our nation to accommodate all that want to come here, the board simply echoes the UW report findings and amplifies the political rhetoric.
You could have pointed out how silly it is, and an inefficient use of public funds, when state laws are used to subvert federal laws. You don’t serve your community well by promoting fear and mistrust in law enforcement.
More concerning is the recent reduction in public defender caseloads, which goes into effect Jan. 1, 2026. The editorial board might find this topic more worthy of public “alarm and outrage.” We are being asked to support a tax levy, in part to fund local law enforcement. But it will be poorly spent if criminals are released and not kept behind bars.
If we want safer a community, we need a greater deterrence to crime. And that requires us to follow through on even the smaller crimes. We must find new efficiencies in processing these cases.
DON BAUMBACH
Yakima
