Wolf hunters maligned

Your Outdoors person has run down, maligned and denigrated the great Americans hunting wolves by trapping, and setting snares, and any other legal means (“Trapper’s actions cost all hunters,” April 5).

Since when can a left-winger feel that he has enough brain power and common sense to print a column to bad-mouth those belonging to the brotherhoods and sisterhoods still left in what was once a great nation?

That your writer would have the gall to try to succor the favor of his freedom-stealing friends who are trying to outlaw one more of the recreations our forefathers loved and helped build the U.S. with is despicable. Wolf hunters are enjoying the country they live in and enjoying the freedoms their God blessed them with. Most of which no longer exist because of those who think like Mr. Landers.

Yet your commentator has attempted to recite the socialist dictatorship idiocy of saying that those who, while obeying the laws, do not have the right to have their picture taken and show it publicly. My goodness, that’s not pandering to one single PETA member because those types want to take away more of the wolf hunters’ freedoms of speech and expression.

Lee Lefler

Spokane Valley

Avista thinks we’re stupid

Last month, Avista gave Washington residents rate cuts of 6.4 percent, and this month they take back that plus so that they can update power poles, electrical equipment, etc. They want us to believe that charging us more for equipment replacement has nothing to do with taking back the 6.4 rate cuts last month? Who are they trying to kid? Do they really think that the public is that stupid? Apparently so.

When they figured the millions it will take to upgrade all of these projects, they forgot one thing that the increase will do: Scott Morris, I am sure, will receive some of this as his again yearly pay raise.

I, for one, am calling the regulators, and I hope that all of us can put a halt to this robbery.

Carleen Reilly

Nine Mile Falls

End Avista monopoly

If you have looked at this month’s Avista bill, you will notice at the top where it says that “effective March 1, 2012, that the overall natural gas rates decreased about 6 percent resulting from a cost adjustment filing.”

Natural gas prices fell about 50 percent from about $5 to $2.50 last summer and you get 6 percent! Prices didn’t fall yesterday. So, they have billed you through the entire winter heating season when they were required by law to adjust prices according to actual market. This is not an isolated example, and only surfaced when they got caught! Avista has a history of deception and dishonesty. In 2001, they got a 20 percent surcharge due to a temporary spike in prices, which lasted almost 10 years.

It is easy to change a for-profit private monopoly into a public utility district like they have in Seattle and other areas. It only requires a simple majority vote, which should be easy to get. End the Avista monopoly now!

David Smith

Post Falls