Tuesday letters

Doubtful of the sincerity

Please explain to me the logic of the political TV ad of a private personal loss of a son named Carter to a fentanyl overdose and the mother, Molly, being consoled by Cathy McMorris Rodgers, who has historically voted multiple times against comprehensive and affordable health care including mental health coverage. What if the son had access to professional mental health care for anxiety and sleeplessness rather than resorting to online remedies that killed him?

Please explain to me how Cathy McMorris Rodgers historically voted multiple times against gun safety legislation which therefore allows people who are mentally compromised, people who embrace radical racial hatred (some read the alt-right propaganda news “Epoch Times Bulletin”) or who are suicidal to legally purchase assault weapons with massive ordnance to kill school children, teachers, people shopping in stores, people worshipping their beliefs, etc.

Is Cathy McMorris Rodgers saying that the killing of massive numbers of innocent people with legally acquired (more than 70%) assault weapons is OK in America (not Ethiopia)? But taking away the freedom of a 10-year-old girl who was brutally raped, becomes pregnant and can’t have a fetus aborted because it’s killing is not? Cathy, you make no sense!

Her skewed campaign ads lack logic!

Barf. My vote … A huge NO.

P.S. I hope the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives is reading some of these letters to the editor with suspicious radical remarks justifying massive ownership of assault weapons and ordnance. Please no more Jan. 6 government overthrows!

Janet Smith

Spokane

Support Natasha Hill

Natasha Hill wants to represent the 5th Congressional District, but it takes a lot of money, not just good policies.

Cathy McMorris Rodgers has been entrenched as the 5th District representative for 18 years, earning $174,000 a year and amassing a personal worth of $4,527,197. Cathy’s loaded with money, unlike most of her constituents.

Cathy has learned the game of getting re-elected, not representing the needs of her constituents. In her 11 campaigns, she has raised over $19,847,993 for re-election. Interestingly, 51% of her campaign money comes from outside her district. Her top donors are: pharmaceuticals, oil and gas, lobbyists, real estate, utilities, PACS, securities/investments, according to FollowTheMoney.org.

In 2022, her campaign and PAC fundraising groups amassed $4,527,197 for her re-election. Cathy’s voting record clearly shows us she dances to corporate desires. She has voted against all the top issues we face today. She voted yes to tax cuts for the rich, but no to helping vets with toxic exposure, no to women’s rights, no to gun control, no to infrastructure, no to climate change actions, no to healt care, no to lowering prescription drug costs, no to inflation reduction, etc. It’s time to look at what Cathy does to us, not what she says to us (Opensecrets.org.)

In November, we have the perfect opportunity to protect ourselves from Cathy and corporate greed by voting Natasha Hill to represent us in the house of representatives.

Pat Bates

Clarkston

Obvious gerrymandering

Council Member Zack Zappone is so obviously gerrymandering his own district to be easier for him to win.

I recently saw the Spokane City Council is in the process of redistricting. Since this only happens every 10 years, I figured it was important to see what the Redistricting Board was up to. I was shocked to see that Council Member Zappone proposed his own maps and even more surprised to see how odd his own district was drawn.

Why would Zappone have Spokane Falls Community College lumped in with the South Hill, while he also cuts Browne’s Addition into his district? Could it be that he wants to win his re-election by more than 270 votes?

I question the ethics of a person to use their position of influence to push a map that is self-serving.

Patty Shadden

Spokane

I’ll say it: ‘Go Eags!’

I have read many dumb things in Sue Lani Madsen’s columns over the years, but her comment regarding Eastern Washington University in the Sept. 29 issue ranks in the top five most ridiculous. For those of you who missed it, she said, “Let’s talk about Eags. It’s an obvious ripoff of Zags and it’s unworthy of Eastern Washington University. You sound a little desperate, Eagles. Just embrace your majestic bird and get over being jealous about how your cousin got a cool nickname. Psst … You still don’t have a cool nickname.”

Where to begin? The EWU mascot has been the Eagles since 1970 and has been affectionately known by fans and alumni as the Eags ever since. They were the Eags when not one in a thousand had ever heard of GU, could pronounce the name correctly, or had any idea where they called home. Eastern fans are not desperate/jealous of GU (well, maybe of their press coverage). The Eags have much to be proud of, they have twice the enrollment of GU and at 15% of the tuition, not to mention a Super Bowl MVP and a national championship.

Madsen’s comments are ill-informed at best, petty and small-minded at the worst. I suppose the Cougs are ripping off the Zags too. I doubt you could find any Zag who feels they are being ripped off by the Eags. They have way too much class for that. Madsen should find some too. Go Eags! (And Zags!)

Kent Richardson

Spokane

Please return Nelway border crossing to full hours

The past years, Washingtonians have had many COVID-19 related restrictions. All of these restrictions have been lifted and life is returning to normalcy. However, one COVID restriction remains: The Nelway (Metaline Falls) border crossing continues to have shortened hours. This makes traveling frustrating and forces many to travel to other ports of entry, thus negatively impacting the Northern Pend Oreille County economy.

Currently, all COVID-19 border requirements, like vaccination requirements and testing, are no longer required to enter Canada. Why then can our border not return to normal hours? Customs and Border Protection said that “CBP will continue to take measures to reduce the cross-border transmission of COVID-19.” While I understand that safety and the health of Americans must be a priority, I do not understand how if the Nelway border crossing being open from 8 a.m.-8 p.m. (pre-COVID times) is NOT safe for COVID, then how is the Frontier Crossing being open for 24 hours considered safe?

Currently, gone are the days of going to Nelson for dinner. Gone are the days of taking your kids night skiing at Salmo. More importantly, how much gas, snacks, groceries and other goods from our vendors go unpurchased because people are now driving through other ports? The pandemic is ending. So should these restrictive border times.

Please join me in respectfully contacting CBP and Congress, and asking them to return our hours back to pre-COVID times.

Matt Lukens

Metaline Falls

Vote for Idaho’s David Nelson

I am casting my vote for David Nelson. I believe he has been a superb advocate for District 6 in the Idaho Senate. David’s dedication to honesty, professionalism, his steadfast commitment to his constituents and being accessible to them, his positive voice and creative solutions have won my vote.

I urge District 6 residents to join me in voting to re-elect David Nelson.

Tina Baldwin

Moscow

Vestal good at complaining

Shawn Vestal reminds me of Donald Trump. He calls people derogatory names that he disagrees with and it is very childish. Perhaps I missed it, but perhaps you could reprint Shawn’s perfect solution to Camp Hope (if he has one) instead of him just whining about all of the people and organizations that are trying to do something, even if they disagree on the solution.

Hindsight is 20/20 and Shawn just has the luxury of sitting back and pontificating. Again, I may be wrong about him having the perfect solution. If he does have one, please reprint it.

Greg Schuster

Spokane