Letters for Feb. 18, 2024
A pipe dream for those on fixed incomes
So, the school tax bonds failed. Adam Swinyard was quoted as saying, “We knew, with assessed values exploding, this was going to be a really difficult hill to climb.”
Hello! At some point, our leaders are going to need to open their eyes. So many of us are on fixed or limited incomes. Many more live in apartments, evidenced by the ever-increasing massive complexes popping up in any open space.
Our new council president wants to raise property taxes 1% per year, and I’m sure justifies that by saying they legally could ask for 3%. My guess is our new mayor will endorse any increase proposed.
Why does it always seem that those in a position to control tax increases and other expenditures are already financially secure and are not concerned with what their constituents must deal with on a daily basis?
My mortgage payment has increased just short of double. There appears to be no logical end in sight, because of the shortsighted visions of others. At this rate, I may be forced into an overpriced apartment. I have come to despise living within the Spokane city limits.
We need clean, safe and modern schools to raise healthy, well-adjusted children. However, there has to be more control over how we achieve these goals.
Something must change, but I fear this is nothing more than a pipe dream, and when reality sets in, it will become a pipe nightmare.
William Foreman
Spokane
A win-win for U.S. and Gaza
While driving down the road to Interstate 90 from Cheney, I saw F-135 refueling planes circling around Fairchild Air Force Base. It occurred to me that there are many military airplanes waiting to be deployed. These airplanes could be used to avoid further starvation and death in Gaza by airlifting food, water and medicine in this war-torn region.
And, to help Americans fulfill our value for human life, we could send hospital ships like Mercy Corp., to the Mediterranean Sea to treat injured women and children, and of course men.
Involving the military in humanitarian endeavors instead of violence would likely result in less casualties – physical and mental – among our returning soldiers and veterans. So, these efforts would help Americans as well as the Palestinians. Plus, the U.S. would regain its place as admired leader in the world. Just thinkin’ – a win-win situation overall.
Nancy Street
Cheney
Bond failure saves us money
Fortunately, only two months’ rent will still be needed to pay property taxes, since the county’s biggest tax authority’s school bonds failed for falling enrollments statewide.
And earth to progressives hell bent on raising city taxes to 3% from 1% annual increase: How about getting a fair tax from the 10,000 property owners in Spokane County that get a 90%-plus tax break for seniors/disabled?! I pay $2,000/year in 99201 property taxes. A neighbor pays $71/year. That’s fair to you Andy Billig?!
Mike Reno
Spokane
Gun control after Kansas mass shooting
Yet again another mass shooting at what should have been nothing more than a celebration in Kansas City. And the brilliant Idahoan minds believe arming teachers is a much better idea than more enforced gun control that just may prevent another school shooting. Ya think?
Will someone please post how many lives have been saved protecting their homes using automatic weapons – or any guns for that matter – from intruders, opposed to how many lives have been lost due to mass shootings, let alone other gun-involved crimes. Just wondering how your Second Amendment justification for gun ownership lets you sleep at night while innocent children, women and men are being hunted at random by idiots.
BTW, are law enforcement not capable of shooting to disable?
Marcia Green
Spokane
The true legacy of CMR
Even in retirement, Cathy McMorris Rodgers will still carry this monkey on her shoulder – that she now owns all the fentanyl deaths within her district from now on. She demonstrated zero courage to stand up and demand a House vote and instead fell in line to play politics over what the Chief of the Border Patrol Union practically begged on Fox News to pass saying it was desperately needed. Saying parts of the bill would be immediately implemented and give them the tools necessary to stem the flow of fentanyl coming over the border and through ports of entry.
Another monkey she will carry into retirement – doing nothing to increase U.S. refining capacity to fix the bottleneck in the U.S. gasoline supply. Yes, in 2023 the U.S. broke the record in oil (and natural gas) production. We are the No. 1 oil producing country in the world. Fact-check it if you don’t believe me. There hasn’t been a new refinery built since 1977. Our current number of refineries don’t produce enough gasoline to make us independent of OPEC pricing of sweet and brent crude oil.
Lastly, CMR will ride off into the sunset watching her party become strong Putin supporters and never going on to the House floor to denounce her “comrades.” She now supports a dictator whom her own husband fought against back when he and I both served in the military during the Cold War.
Happy retirement, Cathy!
Jason Ernsting
Nine Mile Falls