Thursday letters to the editor
Washington State problem comes into focus
In response to John Canzano’s Dec. 24 column: I think WSU President Kirk Schultz is the only adult in the room when he meets with his board. To spend money for short-term possibilities when the long-term reality is at the end of their noses. If the $125 million athletic department deficit didn’t do any good for team performance, wasting $2 million more is a lover’s bet. How is the public to know how its taxes and fees are being wasted on the fantasy of beating Alabama or Ohio State without the work of sports writers like Canzano? The writers should not be encouraging silly thinking by adults.
Paul Kennedy
Spokane
Write better contracts
I am appalled by what has happened at WSU football.
Not only was their star quarterback being highjacked before the Cougars’ bowl game, but now their coach is gone also, along with more than two dozen of their fellow players. This is not right. What needs to happen is the university lawyers need to start writing better contracts for coaches with some teeth in them, so participants cannot just walk away like this whenever someone waves money under their noses. As a contractor myself, I know this is possible. The universities just need to write better contracts, and this problem will go away.
As a former college athlete, I think it’s a shame what the NCAA has done to college sports. I officially no longer give a damn about college football and will not be watching until this is fixed.
Maxim Johnston
Spokane Valley
More tax increases coming our way
In response to “Missent email reveals tax plans of state Senate Democrats”: A recent confidential email from a Democrat senator was missent, revealing their tentative plans for a number of tax increases.
Some are aimed at the ultrawealthy, but one in particular will cost all homeowners. The current 1% cap on annual property tax increases passed years ago by initiative will be increased to 3%. Using the 2022 median home price sale of $650,000 and an estimated property tax of $6,000, 1% annual increases for five years would increase the tax to a little over $6,300; 3% increases would up the tax to close to $7,000. Adding to it for likely continued increases in the value of housing the property tax could easily reach $8,000-10,000 by 2030. This pours cold water on the Democrats’ continued claim to favor reducing housing costs.
California and New York have raised taxes on wealthier constituents to the point that many have fled the state to more tax-friendly environments. This has succeeded in costing those states billions rather than bringing in the billions that were intended. This shows that people who are smart enough to become wealthy are also smart enough to figure out how to keep that wealth. Washington state legislators haven’t figured that out. This could explain why few wealthy (aka smart) people enter politics. Strangely, it does not explain why so many who retire from politics have become quite wealthy.
Hal Dixon
Spokane
Secret email reveals hard truth
Our favorite newspaper published a Democratic email that was supposed to be confidential but sent out to all. It lays out the true agenda of the Democrats wish list for a long list of wants and how to cover them up. Well, that strategy went out the window. With all the junk tax increases contained in this memo, if passed, you can bet you will see $20 Big Macs before long, the expedited departure of a lot of people and businesses from this state, and a gross increase in property taxes just like California.
The state of Washington is broke, just like Oregon and California. Nobody is to blame except the State Legislature and leaders like Inslee. Period. And maybe the people who voted for them.
After this debut, I would suggest there are plans being made to move business and people to other more friendly states. There is nobody to blame but the overwhelming West Side mentality. It would be cool to see Boeing pick up and leave. It did so with its headquarters. It can move the whole shebang if it wants to and maybe be more successful in the long run.
Steve Vance
Spokane