Letters for Aug. 20, 2023

Insurrection supporters should face consequences

We have been privileged to know from the news media that Trump, along with his allies, was planning to overthrow the government as we know it on Jan. 6, 2021. Would that be a seditious conspiracy of an insurrection or treason?

Legislators that are sworn to uphold the integrity of our democratic system were meeting with Trump to keep the presidential powers that he had lost in the election.

Will his chief of staff Mark Meadows, who assisted Trump to undermine the legitimacy of the election, be convicted? Are the legislators, like Green, Gohmert, Gosar, Gaetz, Gibbs, Brooks, Boebert or Jim Jordan on a short list to be indicted for their actions to create a coup to overthrow the government? What about those on the fringes, like Ginni Thomas, or Clarence Thomas, do they all get get-out-of-jail-free cards?

We all watched as Trump directed his followers to go up there and “fight like hell” or you’ll never see our country again. It started with his lies of a stolen election, then picked up by his followers that somehow believed it to be true, or knew it was a lie and went along. They even went as far as to have false electors for the states he lost. Trump’s favorite saying, “lock them up.”

As for the classified documents, I just want to know who was at Mar-a-Lago when documents were there, and whom he may have sold classified information to.

David Salcido

Spokane Valley

Drug costs are shameful and outrageous

A friend of mine just had a coronary incident and is now forced to take blood thinners. As we age, this is common in today’s world. These medications can help to prevent a devastating stroke.

The doctor prescribed Eliquis for this purpose. This is a common drug, similar to Xarelto. Senior citizens discover that these necessary drugs are very expensive for those on fixed incomes. Often, with insurance they can run over $800 per month!

Eliquis is patented by Bristol Meyers Corp. and is very effective with little or no side effects or dietary restrictions.

Since my friend is French by birth and speaks fluent French, he did some research on the drug in France. The exact same medicine with the same dosage, produced by Bristol Meyers in France, costs $64.90 there.

We have been hearing the administration talk about this scenario in recent months. Insulin was a major topic of discussion recently and the government has moved to limit the cost of insulin to seniors. It’s understandable that drug companies spend a fortune to develop, test and certify drugs for consumption before they are approved for the public. However, the differential of $65 to $800 is absolutely absurd and shameful.

Barry Bauchwitz

Spokane Valley

Information is knowledge

A properly functioning press facilitates accountability through politics and shared truths.

Constantly showcasing negative coverage of one of our political parties while ignoring potentially the biggest scandal in U.S. history of the other party does not show equal accountability.

I think Spokane’s residents can handle the truth and decide for themselves how to apply it.

Final thought: Why does The Spokesman-Review push us to other news sources to find out what’s actually happening in our country?

Jerry Pisarcik

Spokane

Demand disaster tax on fossil fuels

Disasters caused or intensified by the climate crisis generated largely by the burning of fossil fuels strike again this year (Vermont flooding, Maui wildfires, etc.). The public response to the damage requires hundreds of millions of taxpayer dollars. It is time for a disaster tax to be levied on the sale of fossil fuels, to be remitted to the Federal Emergency Management Agency.

You broke it, you bought it.

Linda Carroll

Spokane

GOP in self-destruct mode

Republicans used to be fiscally conservative and the rule of law party. Even before Trump, that paradigm has been flipped on its head.

It appears that Democrats are now the sensible ones. The GOP has lost its credibility. The GOP clearly is the party of no: no taxes for the rich, no environmental safeguards, no to any kind of gun control, no to freedom of choice, no to human rights for anybody different from them.

Perhaps the Republican Party might do better if they would reject their current front runner and work for the best interests of their constituents, not their supreme leader and rich donors.

The GOP doesn’t believe in democracy or the rule of law. It doesn’t care that Trump is a disgrace. Power is what it craves, and the GOP will do anything to take it.

It’s time to say no to all Republicans.

Christina Smith

Spokane

Moms for Liberty isn’t as nefarious as it seems

Regarding a recent letter (“Misled by moms,” Aug. 13) about the top vote-getter for Spokane Valley City Council, who is the president of the local chapter of Moms for Liberty, a well-funded nationwide organization which advocates for parental rights is somehow a nefarious organization as branded by the Southern Poverty Law Center: The SPLC has many issues of its own. Its credibility has even been questioned in the past by such sources as NPR, the New York Times and Politico, concerning discrimination and corruption within its own ranks – not exactly right-wing media outlets. Its go-to is to smear individuals and organizations as hate groups, sometimes leading to harassment and job losses without any evidence but having a different viewpoint on issues they disagree with for financial gain.

The letter author wrote, “Parental rights have always been about deciding what’s best for your own child, not about someone else’s parent taking away the parental rights of parents who don’t agree with them,” concerning banning books. I happen to agree that banning books is wrong, but I also agree that appropriate guard rails should be in place to make sure that age-appropriate rules are in place to accommodate parents’ concerns based on religious values the parents are teaching their children with the curriculum and books involved.

I also believe the author then would agree that schools should always inform parents about issues concerning their child’s gender, and not have a teacher or administrator hide that information based on the author’s quote.

Steve Hintyesz

Spokane

Criminals or fools?

If Donald Trump knew he lost the election and engineered tactics to overturn the results, he is a criminal. He says he legally exercised his First Amendment rights. His alibi is that he believes in his lawyers’ hogwash and conspiracy theories. If he really believes the latter, he is a fool.

If Joe Biden used his influence as senator and vice president to enrich his family’s business deals, he is a criminal. His alibi is that he believes his participation in scores of conference calls with his son’s business associates was only to talk about the weather and other nonbusiness trifles. If he really believes the latter, he is a fool.

Something is terribly wrong if our political parties deliver two presidential nominees who are either criminals or fools.

We deserve better.

Current elected leaders from both parties should read George Washington’s farewell address to Congress. Washington warns of the danger when partisan politics outstrips doing what is best for constituents … all of us. Washington feared for our republic … so should we.

Steve Blaska

Sagle, Idaho

Electing a progressive mayor won’t help our city

In light of the upcoming mayoral race in Spokane, I felt compelled to write.

Four years ago, after living and working in Seattle, my wife and I made the choice to retire and move to Spokane. Some of you may have seen and read about a few of the tragedies that befell Seattle in recent years, in part due to incompetent and “progressive” city mayors and administrations for at least a decade. What you saw on TV or read was only a peek at the truly horrible happenings.

I’m sure what some of us have seen and read about similar situations in Portland are really only the tip of the iceberg. After a recent drive through downtown Portland, it is quite obvious that the city is still struggling with the aftermath of the chaos that has resulted from poor leadership of the city and the state of Oregon.

The same is true for San Francisco. Many, if not most, big name companies have left the city and many parts of it today are considered unsafe. The same is true for Chicago, New York City and others all managed by “progressive” administrations.

Spokane does not have to follow this path. I urge you, before you vote, to investigate first and avoid those candidates with the term “progressive” attached to their history.

Thomas Sampson

Spokane

Squirming at the parks

Are you planning to go to one of our 87 parks soon? Better bring some Pampers because it is a rare park that has any bathrooms open of any sort. Good luck finding an open one. Your kids will thank you.

Cathy Gunderson

Spokane