Letters

Isn't it interesting that the guy in the White House asked for flags to be lowered in the California Borderline club shooting that took 12 lives but not for the Pittsburgh synagogue shooting that took 11 lives two weeks ago?

"Saturday Night Live" did a "comedy" segment on how ugly GOP candidates are and singled out the Navy Seal who lost his eye in combat. If that isn't bullying, what is it? Are the North Central High School students learning from "SNL"?

The Proud Boys, a white supremacist group that has advocated for violence against those who have opposed them in order to push their agenda of this multicultural white supremacy, have recently been congregating at music venues throughout the Spokane area. People who frequent these venues have been feeling uncomfortable to be anywhere near the presence of the Proud Boys.

Dear President Trump, United States senators, and members of the United States House of Representatives:

Another defeat of a carbon tax in Washington state shows the benefits of the Citizens' Climate Lobby's national Carbon Fee and Dividend plan An earlier ballot proposal would have created a revenue-neutral carbon tax, returning money via tax swaps to businesses and individuals with tax breaks for certain industries. Environmental groups argued that this was unfair to those already disadvantaged; fossil fuel pollution taxes should be directed to programs that would support clean energy and protect low-income citizens.

The criticism of our Medical Examiner's office is totally without merit and inaccurate. As the retired manager of the Spokane County Forensic Unit for over 30 years, I have been involved in countless death investigations and attended hundreds of autopsies. When I started my job in 1982 we had a coroner system that was an absolute disaster. It got so bad at one point that we were forced to have a totally unqualified pathologist fly in and conduct an autopsy in a funeral home's back room – and yes, it was as ghastly as it sounds.

Middleton, Idaho: the costume debacle doesn't surprise me ( "'Insensitive' and 'inappropriate' costumes worn by Idaho school staff prompts investigation," Nov. 3). That they got caught does.

Sue Lani Madsen is once again guilty of sloppy journalism when she derides Medicare for All as a "new slogan" with "a big price tag adding more than $32 trillion to the federal budget in its first 10 years," ("Familiar rub blocks bipartisan health care fix," Nov. 3).

Thank you Lisa for running a quality race against Cathy McMorris Rodgers – and you did it without negative attack ads or putting her down. You proved to us that one does not have to be uncivil to get a point across.

Congratulations to Rep. Cathy McMorris Rodgers for retaining her seat in Congress. But I'm perplexed. In her victory speech last night (Kip Hill piece on the front page of Wednesday's Spokesman) she said, "I stand before you tonight stronger, better, and more convicted in what we are fighting for."

The Spokesman-Review's headline should have read blue ripple Nov. 7. Kip Hill's obvious bias toward Democrats and liberal Lisa Brown is quite evident. Even liberal Shawn Vestal had to admit that Cathy McMorris Rodgers "triumphed with room to spare." While Democrats did flip the house, the Republicans strengthened their hold in the Senate. Also, key states such as Ohio and Florida have selected the smart Republican choices. This bodes well for Trump in 2020.

Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) was the fourth-leading cause of death in the United States in 2016, following heart disease, cancer and unintentional injuries. More than 11 million people have been diagnosed with COPD, but millions more may have the disease without even knowing it.

Well, another election occurred yesterday. All of the candidates stated what they were going to do if elected. However no one has mentioned what to do about the deficit.

How very disappointing to see the Zags giving Wells Fargo national advertising by using water bottles with Wells Fargo's name.

Time for campaign reform. No campaign ads on TV or radio until three months before election. No ads after 8 p.m. No more environmental pollution with campaign signs. Eight months or more of being bombarded by candidates twisting the facts and negativity against other candidates to suit their own agenda is excessive. Enough is enough.

Like most partisans critical of the Affordable Care Act, Sue Lani Madsen, overlooks some things ("Familiar rub blocks bipartisan health care fix," Nov. 4).

I'm disappointed by the rebuilt railroad crossing at Argonne in Millwood. It is now a speed bump rather than the level road it was before the Union Pacific Railroad made changes. You'd think that after months of planning and closing Argonne for three days, they would have gotten it right.

Election Day has finally come, and I want to thank the residents of Whitman County who took the time to fill out and return their ballot, participating in this most patriotic of duties. I would especially like to thank everyone who has shown or voiced support for my campaign for Whitman County commissioner. I wouldn't be able to do this without you volunteering, donating, or (my favorite) sharing a word-of-mouth recommendation.

I was disheartened to read in the interview with Avista CEO Scott Morris his response to Spokane's decision to encourage more rapid movement towards 100% clean energy. Our leaders of business, government and civil society need to help people understand the massive transitions that will be required to avoid the worst consequences of climate change. The recent Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change report indicates that we need to rapidly move towards a carbon-free society.