Letters for July 14, 2024

Ask more of the unlawful, not the lawful

It seems so simple. Is it too simple?

Yes, there are thousands of vehicles being driven illegally on Spokane and Spokane County roads. But let’s go a little further. Consider the increases in speeding, reckless driving, road rage, passing on residential streets. Then there are the nonmoving or nontraffic violations, illegal fireworks, abandoned vehicles on the side of the road or in front of residential properties.

Enforcing existing laws is absolutely necessary. Please don’t plead lack of manpower. That’s a tired old excuse.

The decrease in traffic patrols was an unfortunate decision by the former administration. Now, not only are we getting less for our money, but we are being asked for more money for that same less!

Find the manpower! Think outside the box. Ask ordinary people for ideas then listen and respond to them when they answer the call. Just don’t ask for more money as if that is the only solution. It’s most unfair to ask for the lawful to pay more because the unlawful are running wild in the streets.

Jenny Payne

Spokane

Conroy best choice for Congress

It’s curious that The S-R devoted an entire article (June 7) to multimillionaire Brian Heywood’s endorsement of Mike Baumgartner – a “MAGA lite” candidate among 11 contenders for Rep. Cathy McMorris Rodgers’ seat.

Heywood, a former Californian, is throwing his weight around with Initiative 2109, an effort to repeal our capital gains tax on high-income people like him; Initiative 2117, a pushback on efforts to fight climate change by decarbonizing heating systems; and Initiative 2124, a fiscal threat to long-term care insurance.

At a recent campaign rally attended by Heywood, Baumgartner said he backs all three initiatives. We cannot afford to elect a Republican who prioritizes wealthy elites and fights climate change mitigation.

I urge a vote for Democrat Carmela Conroy, a highly qualified contender for CMR’s seat who opposes the three initiatives. She calls I-2109 fiscally irresponsible. She says I-2117 will harm children in Eastern Washington who will pay a heavier future price for overreliance on fossil fuels. She says I-2124 would increase poverty because the long-term care system will fail if people can opt out.

Conroy, a former Spokane County deputy prosecutor, worked with former House Speaker Tom Foley at the U.S. Embassy in Japan. In her 25-year diplomatic career, she won seven Department of State Meritorious Service Awards.

The S-R hasn’t touted her endorsements like Baumgartner’s, but they include the National Women’s Political Caucus for her support of women’s reproductive rights, and Spokane attorney Rich Kuhling, the anti-MAGA former chair of Spokane ‘s Republican Party.

Karen Dorn Steele

Spokane

Vote Baumgartner to fix the fentanyl problem

I have lived in downtown Spokane for 24 years, and recently I’ve seen living conditions for the unhoused devolving because of the increase in access to fentanyl.

A huge root cause is the fentanyl flooding our streets. Crime and homelessness have increased. It seems every day there are overdoses, many fatal. It’s causing huge human suffering: I’ve seen people banging their heads on the sidewalks and recently a man just bent over, weeping.

Meanwhile I have tremendous sympathy for our local businesses struggling to stay open despite the crime, vandalism and chaos.

Much of the fentanyl is being brought over our southern border. The failure to secure our border is allowing drug gangs to bring their deadly products into America and into our communities. The exploitation of children by traffickers is horrendous and heartbreaking.

I’m supporting Michael Baumgartner for Congress because I know he understands the problem and will bring leadership to this huge challenge that we are facing. I heard him speak recently about the issue and he has taken the time to listen to our local law enforcement and our business community. He has traveled south to visit the border in Arizona and spoke in depth with many key stakeholders about how we can fix this situation.

I watched Michael Baumgartner when he was our state senator and I know he will listen carefully, work collaboratively and come up with real solutions to this challenge and the many other problems we are facing as a nation.

Patricia Kienholz

Spokane