Letters to the Editor

Published 1:30 am Saturday, May 2, 2026

SHERIFF

Vote for Sheriff Johnson in the primary

I am ecstatic to hear that Sheriff Susanna Johnson has announced a reelection campaign for Snohomish County Sheriff.

Since Johnson took office, I have noticed a significant reduction in anxiety when I see a Sheriff cruiser. Under Dave Fortney the behavior of the Sheriff and how he ran the department was a serious concern. His support of armed vigilantes in Snohomish during COVID, his choices to ignore COVID rules during the pandemic, his reinstatement of officers who had violated their code of conduct and whitewashing of clear abuses of power all contributed to distrust in the Sheriff department.

Under Fortney, the data provided to the public regarding Sheriff department activities were curtailed. Transparency was reduced.

Fortney believes he is the arbiter of what is constitutional (the tell-tale sign of the “Constitutional Sheriff”). He is not. The legislature defines the law, not the Sheriff. The courts decide what is constitutional, not the Sheriff.

Fortney seems to believe that the Sheriff’s office should be in the news as often as possible. I absolutely disagree. The Sheriff’s office should do its job competently and with as little fanfare as possible.

Join me in retaining Sheriff Susanna Johnson in the primary and in November.

Kent Dietz

Lake Stevens

Trump has tarnished US contributions

The US has had its problems, but on the whole it has contributed greatly to democratic principles, to the arts, and to the sciences. And all this has been blackened by the crudeness, vulgarity, and ugliness of the Trump administration.

Len St.Clare

Mukilteo

Calling out Herald’s editorial board

I must call out the Heralds editorial board, it is their decision, to put every single day, 24/7, 7 days a week, 365 days a year an “editorial” cartoon depicting the president always as this evil person. You may not like trump as a person, you may not like his policies, ok, fine but to only portray him as this evil buffoon every single day is an editorial decision by the Herald. Where are the cartoons showing Nancy Pelosi and her botox face? Chuck shumer looking stupid as he glances down through his glasses threatening the supreme court judges? The AOC looking stupid? Jasmine crockett swearing up a storm looking dumb? (which is not difficult) Not a one. Then today, right after the nut job liberal who tried to kill half the cabinet including trump they publish a cartoon suggesting that this was staged, in order to get his ballroom done. These cartoons push ridiculous conspiracy theories. I’m sure the no kings old ladies eat it up. Trump is loosing the war in Iran cartoons. All hail hating trump, no matter what. If trump cured cancer, I’m pretty sure the Herald would choose to publish cartoons saying it was fake, with his big orange hair flowing. I don’t object to political cartoons, this is what they are there for but the sheer amount of vitriol cartoons every single day, day after day after day is a bit ridiculous.

Brian Gillow

Everett

Oppose Harvey Airfield Expansion

As a second-generation family living south of Harvey Airfield, we firmly oppose the expansion into Hanson Slough.

This is not a minor upgrade—it is a significant expansion into a critical floodplain. The plan would relocate Airport Way into the slough, add fill, remove trees, and increase flood risk to nearby homes and farms. Hanson Slough is essential flood storage and wildlife habitat that helps protect our community.

We are being asked to trust out-of-state consultants who claim flooding will not worsen, despite serious concerns from local authorities. Those of us who live here have experienced major floods in 1990, 2006, 2010, and the record-breaking floods of 2025—we understand these risks firsthand.

The public process is also concerning. At a recent Harvey Airfield meeting, residents attempting to speak were silenced and denied the opportunity to share their concerns. That is not transparency.

Taxpayer dollars are already being used—and more will be spent—to relocate a public road into a floodplain for the benefit of a private airfield. Why should the public bear the cost and risk for a project that benefits so few? This does nothing to improve daily life for local residents and instead opens the door to larger aircraft.

This proposal threatens our homes, farmland, historic Snohomish, and our way of life. Once a floodplain is altered, the damage cannot be undone.

Snohomish County should deny this proposal before it shifts real and lasting risk onto the very community it is meant to protect.

Don Satko

Snohomish