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Letters for Jan. 23. 2024

Why bonds and levies are so important

As a third -generation Spokane resident, I am proud to raise my children here.

The COVID-19 pandemic allowed everyone to re-evaluate priorities in 2020. It highlighted the impact of planning for the future, and most importantly, how to fund and maintain it. Spokane is growing.

It’s imperative to vote with the facts on Feb. 13. This levy is a three-year replacement levy, for 2025-27. Levy dollars help fund nurses, counselors, specialists, arts, music and support staff, like custodians and paraeducators. The levy and the state of Washington’s levy assistance only provides 14% of Spokane Public Schools annual operating budget.

Equally paramount is the 2024 bond, which helps maintain three new middle schools, modernize a 30-year-old North Central High School and help fund replacement elementary schools for Madison and Adams.

It’s time to vote in favor of the 2024 replacement levy and 2024 bond. Avoiding higher class sizes, maintaining valuable enrichment programs and allowing students the opportunity for a safe and well-rounded education during this post pandemic era are just three reasons to vote yes on the replacement levy and 2024 Bond. All parties are getting the most return on their investment, moving Spokane into the future with one vision.

Rob Dennie

Spokane

Energy crisis

“Avista Asks Customers to Conserve Power” was the headline in this paper on Jan. 14 due to a “shortage” of natural gas during the recent cold spell in the 0 to minus 7 range. Electricity supplies are evidently squeezed also as they report numerous “outages” across our region due to the stresses (shortages) in the systems.

What would the call be if it was in the minus 10 to minus 20 range? Massive outages? Folks freezing in their homes? Countless costs to repair water systems and peripheral water damage?

Now let’s apply the Democrats’ and liberals’ philosophy and agenda to the mix and remove natural gas and all fossil fuels from society. While we’re at it, let’s breach the electricity producing dams on the Snake River. Now apply that mentality to our current cold spell, the cold spells across the nation and all that will occur forever moving forward. Is it just me or is there a definite void in mentality and reality threatening our nation by you know who? The same ones who keep predicting the end of the world, but the world’s still going.

I’m sure they just figure global warming will eliminate the need for heat for our homes just any day now, so don’t worry.

Jeffery Clacy

Liberty Lake

State taxes with almost nothing to show for it

As we enter the annual tax season, I have to say that I’m just fed up! So much tax to pay, and what do I get in return? Nothing!

Well, I mean there is the fire department and the police. And it is nice when the county plows the roads. But other than that, nothing!

Of course, it’s nice that there are regulations and inspections for safe food and medicine, backed up by actual science, but still: so much tax.

Granted, I don’t have to pay tolls to drive around on the roads, and the insurance company fees are regulated by the State, as well as the electric bills. But for God’s sake, so much tax.

I don’t have any kids in school, so it just makes me mad to pay for the public schools.

Of course, a bunch of those kids will join the armed services, and before long they’ll also pay into the Social Security that I’m drawing from.

OK, I admit that King County exports tax dollars to the rest of the state, including Spokane – but I’m not grateful. Why can’t we be like Kentucky, which gets three federal dollars for every $1 they pay in federal tax?

But other than that, what do I get for all the taxes I pay? Just keep your government hands off my Medicare.

John Sahr

Spokane Valley

New practice regime

Is there a chance the Gonzaga men’s basketball team could practice with the Gonzaga women’s basketball team to see how 3-pointers are shot?

Dennis Warner

Spokane



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