Letters for Oct. 11, 2022

Contingency

Regarding the push for solar and wind to power to meet the major energy demands, take this into consideration: Hurricane Ian showed that it may take months to restore the grid to full capacity to much of Florida and other parts of the Southeast, however, once power is restored to gas stations which have reserves under ground safe form damage caused by winds. Above ground transmission lines, windmills, and roofs that need replacement of solar panels, may take months to restore. Natural gas pipelines are almost immune to the catasrophic events like ice storms, hurricanes and tornadoes, while above ground sources of power are highly vulnerable to these events.

What will you do with your electric vehicle when it may take months to get an unreliable grid able to charge your vehicle? I happen to be grateful during the ice storm of 1996 when my natural gas insert kept out living area at a temperature of 60 degrees , and my gas powered vehicle allowed us to drive to buy food and go to work where a EV 19 days later would be have been a terrible hardship.

Until we as a nation have solid contingency plans in place, fossil fuels are a critical need in the event of events like hurricanes, ice storms, tornadoes, severe heat and cold weather events.

Steve Hintyesz

Spokane

Consider judges’ verdict when voting

Kudos to retired Superior Court Judges James Murphy and Vance Peterson and retired Magistrate Judge John Rodgers for calling out current Spokane County Prosecutor Larry Haskell and current Spokane County Sheriff Ozzie Knezovich ( “Sheriff, prosecutor claims about bail unsubstantiated,” Sept. 29).

As noted by Murphy, Peterson and Rodgers, Haskell clearly has little to no idea how to run a prosecutor’s office and the citizens of Spokane County would be best served if Haskell is sent packing following the November elections.

Fortuitously Knezovich has already announced he is taking himself and his cowboy hat to Wyoming where his brand of politics and grandstanding are a better fit.

If you are not looking for a carbon copy of the current sheriff you would be wise to cast your upcoming vote for Wade Nelson rather than John Nowels.

Clearly the aforementioned Murphy, Peterson and Rodgers, with their vast experience in the legal system, know of what they speak. Keep that in mind when you mark your November ballots!

Terry Hontz

Spokane

Hunting villainized unfairly

Trophy hunting is an easy target for anti-hunters. Every activity, including politics and even academics, has a small percentage of controversial showboats who attract the spotlight.

Paul Lindholdt’s passive aggressive assault on trophy hunting (“Trophy hunting drives away would-be hunters,” Sept. 25) is off target by a mile.

Big game hunting is one of the most regulated activities in the outdoors, with rules pamphlets that lay out in numbing detail what can be harvested, when and by whom for the protection of the species. Washington issues only a small number of trophy big game permits in a lottery each year. A hunter might apply for 20 years or more before scoring a special permit to hunt moose, elk or bighorn sheep with “trophy” racks or horns.

Meanwhile, most hunters pursue the non-trophy animals for outdoor recreation and the chance to put prized protein on their dinner tables while supporting conservation with their fees and special taxes. Overall success rates are in the range of 15-20 percent.

Hunting decline owes mostly to the ever more daunting challenge of finding a productive place to hunt. The loss of wildlife habitat should be shocking and on the conservation agenda of every state resident, not just the hunters who pay to maintain a home on the range for critters.

If anti-hunters want to serve the future of wildlife populations, they should quit taking pot shots at the so called trophy hunters who support wildlife management and put their sights on, say, the developers putting trophy homes in prized wildlife habitat.

Rich Landers

Spokane

Spokane Valley planning

Is there no end to the myopic decisions made by Spokane Valley government?

First, they allow thousands of apartment units to be built in the area near Pines Road. which has one major arterial, Pines and that’s it. They have allowed a large retirement living center and a hotel in addition to Center Place.

Now, they are letting their favorite builder build 300 more apartments which will generate as many vehicle trips as a Walmart and funnel them all onto Pines Road. Plus, if I’m understanding correctly, a large theater will soon be built.

Presently, sitting through five or six traffic light rotations at rush hour is normal on Pines. Yet, no plans to work with WSDOT to widen Pines.

How long will it take to figure out it’s faster on the back residential streets? Then we’ll have more accidents of fast cars speeding by apartment houses full of children.

This area also has two railroad tracks one each on the north and south on which trains pulling tanker cars of liquified anhydrous ammonia travel several times a day. If these tankers were ruptured in a derailment, it could cause tens of thousands of deaths because there would be no way out even on a calm day. Still no additional arterials or major access roads are being built.

A week ago or so, they decided to shrink Sprague down to three lanes from five! Are our roads going to become any less congested in the future?

Think, people, think!

Wilma Koski

Spokane Valley

Time for a change in our form of government?

In response to “Voters could change way city attorney is picked” (Oct. 3):

In 2001, Spokane’s form of government, by vote of the people, was changed from council-manager to mayor-council or “strong mayor.” I don’t know why the current City Council does not make their lives easier by proposing another change to council-mayor or “strong council.”

Gordon Budke

Spokane

Climate change

It is so sad that our Rep. McMorris Rodgers got a D in science when it comes to recognizing the causes of climate change. The fact that greenhouse gases trap heat near the earth’s surface seems to be a concept beyond her understanding even as she celebrates all the U.S.’s technological advances developed by “American ingenuity.”

These advances are developed in part through application of the same law of science which is causing drought and warming in the Southwest U.S. at an unnaturally fast pace, the conservation of energy. Our Rep. McMorris Rodgers thinks that states like California are “rushing to green” in their drive to lower CO2 emissions 50% by 2030, to do their part in limiting global temp rise to 1.5°C, while she is proposing legislation to maintain or increase CO2 emissions with her Securing Cleaner American Energy Agenda. Our Rep. McMorris Rodgers could consult with NASA and NOAA scientists on the causes of climate change, but she continues to double down on her unfounded beliefs, even though she promised to “consult” with climate scientists on climate change causes and solutions at her 2018 debate in Walla Walla. Rep. McMorris Rodgers, it is 30 years since NASA’s Dr. Hansen first presented data to Congress that our planet was warming and decades past time for legislative action to reduce CO2 emissions. Thankfully your constituents have a chance in November to change course from your anti science position, Rep. McMorris Rodgers.

Bruce Bailey

Colville

An opportunity with legs

Tim Gresback came by the house the other day and we sat talking on the front porch. He’s running for Idaho House Seat B in District 6. I saw pretty quickly that he is a careful thinker who cares deeply for people. We talked about the education needs of Idaho and he had the numbers. He said Idaho particularly needs more vocational, technical education opportunities. Tim’s understanding is that the skills needed by the majority of workers in Idaho are changing with fast moving technologies, markets and a growing population. This includes family-owned businesses in forest products, transportation, construction, retail, agriculture and more. Our state also needs more opportunities for affordable higher education. It’s a lot harder to get through the doors to all types of educational opportunities because those in elected positions do not value education enough.

Tim talked about the expensive and unnecessary lawsuits brought by Idaho lawmakers that waste a lot of our tax money defending unconstitutional laws. How there are so many better uses for those public funds, like schools and infrastructure.

He also talked about how he would work to bring back a balance to Idaho’s legislature. That many of today’s politicians vote against the most basic programs of public safety and affordable childcare.

Tim Gresback is a careful and ethical person with a lot of capability. He’s an opportunity that doesn’t come along very often, one that we should vote for.

Michael Jennings

Moscow

Lack of trust

I was totally disgusted with the article written by Washington Post journalist Glenn Kessler (“The false claim Senate GOP plans to end Social Security and Medicare,” Sept. 29). Kessler states that Patty Murray is making false claims about her opponent, Tiffany Smiley, the same Tiffany Smiley who has a picture showing her smiling next to Donald Trump, the ultimate liar. Kessler’s “proof” reminds me of the story of the emperor who wears no clothes. In this case, the emperor is the Republican Party (which looks like the former president) and Kessler is trying to hold up the GOP’s imaginary robe to keep it from falling in the (very real) mud.

Unfortunately, Mrs. Smiley is a member of the Republican Party or “the party of Trump.” Trump has repeatedly stated that he intends to defund both Social Security and Medicare if he is reelected. Various Republican senators (Ron Johnson and Rick Scott, among others) have openly stated that they would like to “sunset” both great programs, or at the very least, consider whether to reauthorize them. The last time I looked up the definition of sunset, it means to terminate and guess what would happen to Social Security and Medicare if there is a Republican (party of Trump) majority in the senate? How is it that Republicans in Congress never talk about “sunsetting” or “reauthorizing” their retirement? So … Sorry Glenn, sorry Tiffany, sorry GOP, but I really don’t trust you.

Rosemarie Schmidt

Mead

More safety cameras

It was wonderful to read in the Oct. 4 S-R, that new traffic enforcement cameras have been installed near three additional schools to reduce speeding and keep our children safe.

Once the city’s schools have been adequately protected, it would be a great public service to install traffic cameras on thoroughfares and cut through streets throughout the city. Those of us living in and near the Great Northwest Spokane Street Raceway (Division-Ruby/Wellesley-Francis-Magnesium/Maple-Ash-Monroe-Post/Boone-Mission-Indiana) constantly cope with the danger, pollution and nerve wracking noise of souped up, speeding vehicles. At recent traffic calming workshops held by the city, every single attendee has complained about street racing.

While recent police raids have helped, the constant vigilance of traffic cameras would provide continuous help.

Linda Carroll

Spokane