Letters

Elliott Briggs' recent guest opinion on Spokane's ongoing efforts for the permanent locating and funding of the Honor Point Military and Aerospace Museum ("A valuable Spokane heritage and place of tribute is at risk," Dec. 9, 2018) is an important commentary.

Many seem to think, including Shawn Vestal, that the regulatory denial of the Avista-Hydro One approval is a good thing. I do not! Because Hydro One, as a Canadian company and foreign owner, would have been required to operate Avista as a separate U.S. subsidiary, which is good, meaning local management and board of directors, plus the headquarters would remain in Spokane. This also would have meant very few, if any, local job cuts.

Kudos, kudos, kudos to Kate Burke, Alfredo LLamado and the others who stood up for the homeless and took a stand against the mayor's office's cruel removal of the homeless from Camp Hope at City Hall. Even though there were warming shelter beds available, the people at Camp Hope remained there as a form of protest and a symbol of very public awareness of the plight of the homeless. Once they are "out of sight" they are often quickly also "out of mind" of the city government and the citizens. Camp Hope was a symbol of that!

The city of Spokane Valley and the 4th Legislative District have a public relations problem caused by Matt Shea which includes: his "Biblical Basis of War" manifesto with its alt-right white supremacist leanings; his attempts to create a 51st state out of Eastern Washington; his removal from a state leadership position; referral to the FBI for investigation and a inquiry into contributions from his campaign funds.

Thank you for the article relating Rev. Mike Savelesky's volunteer work for the Christmas Bureau ("Answering the gospel's call," Dec. 7, 2018). In lieu of the many years we've read and heard about the tragedy of individuals suffering abuse by the clergy of the Catholic Church, it was good to see attention being given to the other side of the equation.

Dr. Jeff O'Connor got just one thing right in his anti-gun, NRA-basing diatribe ("This is our lane!," Nov. 28). He wrote, "Our Constitution provides for an armed citizenry to defend themselves against those who would use the tyranny of the state to suppress our rights as citizens." That salient fact seems to be lost on the subversive anti-gun lobby's cadre of "useful idiots," Shawn Vestal to Sen. Dianne Feinstein.

"He kissed only one girl!" This is one of the many refreshing and homespun anecdotes about President George H. W. Bush, who passed away on Nov. 30.

Though I agree with a letter writer who said that flat steel, and steel blades, slide on ice ("The rut," Les Spillman, Dec. 8), I disagree that it is true of studs, too.

I'd like to express my thanks to Robert Archer for his article "Time to own your beliefs" (Dec. 9, 2018). I have felt the same way and was so happy to read his excellent article. I would add Exodus 20:12, "Thou shalt not commit adultery." We have a president that has committed adultery with all three of his wives.

I'm responding to Nancy Street's Dec. 2 letter, "Hypocrisy in church." She mentions the book of Matthew Chapter 25 in the Bible. She infers Trump-supporting Christians are hypocrites who don't care about hurting, needy people. Christians are responsible for most hospitals, homeless shelters, soup kitchens and charities.

State university football coaches being the highest-paid state employees is absurd. Football-loving taxpayers have looked me in the eye and decried this or that tax, all while defending the obscene salaries of coaches, who, by the way, simply try to move a ball down a field.

The Bunker Hill Mining Company in Kellogg, Idaho, went bankrupt in 1981, creating our nation's largest Superfund (cleanup) site. The mine continues to pollute at the site of the mine and downstream from Kellogg to Spokane. Lead leaches into the Spokane River from the mine and repositories like the one at the Cataldo Mission. The EPA's move toward loosening the cleanup requirements will only increase the danger by allowing mining corporations to pollute at higher levels.

Bravo to the Washington Utilities and Transportation Commission for nixing the sale to Hydro One (Avista may seek another "white knight," Dec. 7).

It always amazes me at how stupid/biased liberals and the media are, their stance on global warming causing the forest fires is ridiculous.

I am extremely sad and disappointed with Gonzaga University's recent decision to reject the request of a student group to allow Ben Shapiro to speak on campus, especially in light of its previous decision to allow Angela Davis, a known terrorist, to appear on campus. Having earned both a law degree and an MBA from Gonzaga, I have been a continuing supporter of the university.

Merry Christmas! These are words that helped ring in the holiday season ever since I was a child. Now, in my mid-'50s, it seems like these words have become offensive to some. Public and private use of the term seems to have diminished over the last decade for fear of offending someone.

For all of the chitter-chatter about where to put the new sports stadium, it should be noted that there is one major point people are missing.

Most of us panic at the thought of losing our cellphones. Now take a deep breath and try to imagine losing all of your possessions not once, but several times each year. Not only your phone, but your identification, money, clothing and sleeping gear.

Trump says the press is the "enemy of the people" yet he constantly makes appearances on Fox News. He has even hired many individuals from Fox News to work in his administration.