Letters for Oct. 26, 2022

CMR, not leadership nor representation

Just remember, when you mark your ballot, that anti-democracy Cathy McMorris Rodgers was a part of the seditious “Green Bay Sweep” procedural strategy to overturn the 2020 United States presidential election. She changed her mind only after the Jan. 6 violent insurrection happened.

Also, anti-states rights Cathy was a signer in Dec. 2020 on a motion to support the Paxton Lawsuit Texas v. Pennsylvania, 592 U.S., (2020) of which Pennsylvania’s brief called it a “seditious abuse of the judicial process.” The Supreme Court declined to hear the case on the basis that Texas lacked standing to challenge the results of the election held by another state.

I definitely will not vote for Cathy because I definitely do not want Kevin McCarthy as speaker of the House and his sidekick, “Space Laser” Marjorie Taylor Greene. Some things actually need to get done. The Republicans as a group continuously vote uncompromisingly against almost every bill and then claim credit for that which turned out good even when they voted against it. That is not leadership nor is it representation.

Nan Weaver

Spokane

Support Jenny Zappone for judge

I support Jenny Zappone for District Court judge, position 3. During my time as a Superior Court judge, Ms. Zappone appeared in front of me on a number of cases. As a deputy prosecuting attorney she was well prepared on the facts and the law. She also knows there are many factors to consider when resolving a case whether by trial or a plea negotiation. These qualities make her an excellent candidate for district court judge.

A judge should hold defendants accountable, protect community safety and consider whether there are services available to rehabilitate the offender. Jenny has the ability to balance these factors and apply them to each defendant. This is especially important at the district court level which is often a defendant’s first exposure to the criminal justice system.

I urge you to vote for Jenny Zappone for District Court judge, position 3.

Kathleen O’Connor

Retired superior court judge

Spokane

Gresback will make freedom count

I agree with Brandon Mitchell’s campaign sign that “Freedom Counts!” Unfortunately, his votes in the Idaho House don’t match that slogan. Mitchell has frequently voted to subtract from the freedom of Idaho citizens.

Initiative rights: In 2021, the Idaho Legislature voted to make it more difficult for Idaho citizens to get an initiative on the ballot. Ultimately, the Idaho Supreme Court said the law “violated the people’s right to legislate directly.” Defending the lawsuit wasted taxpayer dollars. Mitchell supported this subtraction from your freedom.

Voting rights: In the last session, Idaho legislators introduced many bills to restrict your right to vote, a fundamental freedom. In these bills, Mitchell voted to subtract from your freedom to vote.

Women’s autonomy: Mitchell voted to subtract from the freedom of Idaho women and doctors to make health decisions (SB1309).

Intellectual freedom: In HB666, Mitchell voted to subtract from the freedom of parents to make decisions about what their children read. Librarians, who strive to collect books for a diversity of users and leave reading choice to individuals or parents, could have been jailed under this bill for handing a book to a child that may be deemed inappropriate by some.

I will vote for a candidate who will truly work for freedom. Tim Gresback will support the rights of women, voting and initiative rights and intellectual freedom. He also supports public education.

To make your vote count for freedom, vote for Tim Gresback, District 6, Seat B.

Diane Prorak

Moscow

Record high inflation and Democrat control

It’s time to speak up – record-high inflation, increased gas prices, I’m paying more for rent, and ever increasing prices for food at the grocery store are hitting my pocketbook incredibly hard. President Biden and Democrats in Congress have done nothing to address these issues. Their spending is out of control and their response is to spend more money. We need real results from our leaders at the national level and they have abandoned us. They are out of touch with the average American. That’s why we need a fighter like Cathy McMorris Rodgers in Congress to stand up for our priorities. She continues to advocate on our behalf and is on the right side of the issues. She supports energy independence, our dams, and moving our economy forward. She has my vote this November because I literally can’t afford for Democrats to be in control.

Nick Harris

Spokane Valley

Vote candidates not party

Elections are near and the decisions we make will have huge consequences. Looking over the ballot we have choices that will decide what direction the future will take. Will the pendulum continue its swing to the right or will it slow?

The late comic and observer of the social-political scene George Carlin said, “If you have selfish, ignorant citizens, you’re going to have selfish, ignorant leaders.” Recent history reveals the truth of this statement.

For over 30 years GOP leadership has sought more and more control of over our freedoms. They want to control every aspect of our daily lives from what women can do with their own bodies to what we read. They want to keep Americans ignorant of the true history of our country with restrictions as to what can be taught in our schools.

They’ve tried to make curiosity, thinking and forming one’s own opinions a pejorative by sneering at the word “woke.” We should all be “woke.” Woke to the political reality that we are controlled by a small group of extremists that show up and vote in the primaries.

Every voter should be “woke” on Nov. 8. Vote candidates not party. That can restore our freedoms.

Gil Beyer

Sandpoint

A star is born

With the election coming up, I was pondering what Cathy McMorris Rodgers has done in her years in office. Then one of her ads came on TV and I realized that her major achievement is becoming an accomplished actress. The smiling frontal shot, the concerned pose with a veteran or mother, the facile handling of props (like a letter with no envelope from a mailbox) are performed like a pro. What more could we ask for in a congressional representative?

And if she doesn’t earn re-election, don’t worry, she should be fabulously successful in those “ask your doctor about …” commercials.

Mike Perrin

Spokane Valley

Biviano for judge

Finding quality candidates for District Court judge has been historically difficult for voters in our area. Thankfully, we have a tremendously qualified person running in the upcoming election. That person is Andrew Biviano. Andrew is a Spokane native that has experience as a prosecutor and defense attorney and most importantly, understands how victims and their families should be treated in a courtroom.

While Washington has a Crime Victim Bill of Rights there is no oversight on how judges run their courtrooms and how victims are treated. Andrew is a candidate that can be counted on to make sure those rights are offered and followed. Imagine being a victim of domestic violence and having your beating by your significant other treated like a minor infraction, because the judge has only been a defense attorney. This happens frequently and sometimes victim advocates are treated poorly as well.

In this era of living with a strained criminal justice system, we need really smart, thoughtful judges to help us out of this situation. In other words, we need people on the bench who can actually dispense justice. Andrew is that person.

Chuck Teegarden

Spokane

Upcoming elections

During elections, I give thanks for my well-rounded, foundational public school education. Due to rich class experiences in history and civics, I engage in our democratic processes with critical thought and discernment. I read the candidate viewpoints presented, listen and/or observe their ads and follow debates in order to make an informed decision. I note the consistencies of each election cycle including mis- and disinformation, candidates highlighting “achievements” having little to do with the actual elected office. Folks will express support for a candidate that has nothing to do with qualifications or accomplishments, the candidate is just a “space holder” for whichever party they represent. Exemplary work matters little, change is needed for changes’ sake.

My education exposed me to party “planks,” how to determine incumbent accomplishments, and ultimately make choices for my community and country. There is rarely a “perfect candidate,” usually my vote is for the better alternative. I implore my fellow voters to not fall prey to the “I don’t like either candidate” excuse. I hope each voter spends time to get beyond the fearmongering, misinformation, rhetoric, etc. and actually determine which candidates have been and will best represent them. Understand no candidate is perfect, however understand the imperfections for which you will be voting. Do take into consideration how well each party has best supported and represented ALL of the constitutional freedoms we’ve espoused for centuries as the foundation of our great “American experiment.” Freedom isn’t free, each vote does count.

Heidi Peterson

Spokane

Crapo’s ad about the IRS is faulty

Misrepresentations abound in Mike Crapo’s ad claiming Biden and Pelosi “supersized” the IRS. The IRS has been starved of funds for years.

Do you realize that there used to be regional IRS offices with auditors in Idaho? Did you know they used to train front desk persons to help taxpayers? Have you ever tried to get help or even just clarification on the meaning of a cryptic notice from the IRS recently? We have. It took months to resolve and travel to Washington state. It was due to an IRS failure in data entry. Crapo apparently wants to keep this new inefficiency. Adding more funds to the IRS is not adding fat, it’s restoring the agency.

Cheryl Halverson

Tensed, Idaho