Letters for March 21

Jackson works against solutions

I read with interest the Sunday article about the Sheldon Jackson saga and his evolution from developer to keyboard activist. I served our city for eight years as a council member and council president. I worked closely with the Downtown Partnership, the Woodward administration and business community members who were willing to solve our homeless situation instead of degrading the efforts of those who were working on solutions.

I and my fellow council members worked with the administration at the time and passed meaningful legislation, such as the anti-camping ordinance, aimed at alleviating homelessness in our community. Jackson and his email followers had nothing positive to say except to criticize our efforts. I was the liaison to the Downtown Partnership and took my role seriously. They are an organization dedicated to promoting downtown. Many of the members at the time were more interested in relating how bad the downtown core was and urging people not to come downtown. A self-fulfilling prophecy.

The energy Jackson expended in tearing apart our efforts could have been put to better use had he helped advocate for the legislation we passed. These were laws vetted by the city’s legal department with the intent of getting people into services and off the streets. The current administration along with the city of Spokane Valley and Spokane County are continuing to make progress. Now is the time for all of us to recognize, join in and applaud their efforts.

Lori Kinnear

Spokane

Baumgartner ignores concerns

I attended Michael Baumgartner’s town hall at Whitworth Monday evening. I appreciate Baumgartner holding the in-person town hall when so many of his colleagues in other districts have followed the advice of the House Republican leadership and canceled these important events. These town halls provide a critical opportunity for representatives to hear directly from their constituents.

The attendees, college students to people decades into their retirement, had much to share.

On several occasions throughout the town hall Baumgartner stated that he won 61% of the vote in the 5th District (in November) and Trump won 55%. As the meeting became more heated, he asked those gathered to raise their hands if they’d voted for Trump.

This was disappointing, at best. It seemed Baumgartner was attempting to paint the attendees at this Spokane town hall as a slim margin of his constituents, which is not accurate. Case in point, someone I know who attended the town hall in Ritzville earlier Monday reported that at that gathering attendees’ concerns were similar to those at the Spokane town hall.

I am concerned Baumgartner has sticky thinking and is not understanding or listening to where his constituents are in March 2025. The 5th District and the feeling of the country as a whole has shifted. There is great, understandable and immediate concern about the direction our country is headed. Holding the party line is decidedly not representing your constituents.

Julia Goltz

Spokane

Teacher’s posters inspire

Be inspired by a middle school teacher’s example of standing firmly to post the sign: “Everyone Is Welcome Here” in her classroom. West Ada School District Administrators tried to pressure Sarah Inama, teaching a world civilizations class in Meridian, Idaho, to take down welcome signs in her classroom. They believed her poster, illustrated by hands with different skin tones, violated Idaho’s Dignity and Nondiscrimination in Public Education Act. Really?

Sara Imana’s other poster, stating: “In this room, everyone is welcome, important, accepted, respected, encouraged and valued,” was considered an offensive message violating school district policy. As a retired teacher, I am appalled when school officials interfere with teachers doing their job to promote respect for world civilizations.

May Sarah Imana’s courage and tenacity encourage us to speak out and post additional signs welcoming everyone and embracing diversity.

Susie Leonard Weller

Liberty Lake

Red means stop

It sits dormant for days; and then I have to get in the car and drive.

It’s not like I can take the Metro – this isn’t Paris. There’s no subway or BART – we’re not in New York or San Francisco either. And our bus system isn’t convenient for where I need to go.

And so, I must drive. I grit my teeth, clench the steering wheel for dear life, and hope that the other drivers are paying attention. And that they will obey the stop signs and traffic signals. I am hypervigilant.

Are you late for work or an appointment? Running a red light could result in another definition of “late.” For you or other drivers, and/or pedestrians. Oh, and of course there’s the concept of courtesy for other drivers. Reckless driving could result in them being late as well.

The other day I witnessed two drivers running a red light. Thank God the driver at the front of our line didn’t go as soon as our light turned green. Do these law-breaking drivers think they’re privileged people? That they deserve to run the light? Well, they’re wrong. Stop compromising other drivers and do what is right – stop at the light!

Leslie Anne Smith

Greenacres