Criminal enterprises live on

It’s a good thing we have a 30-strikes-and-you’re-out law, rather than that three-strikes myth we supposedly have. Otherwise, career criminals wouldn’t have careers, all of those lawyers and judges who perpetuate revolving-door justice would be in the unemployment line, and the police could quit whining about arresting the same offenders over and over again.

Can you say job security?

Randy Laird

Spokane

Obama should run against Bush

My advice to President Barack Obama is to follow the path of President Franklin D. Roosevelt, who campaigned against Herbert Hoover in four elections, and won all four of them. Hoover was not that bad. He was not even responsible for the great crash of 1929, which occurred only seven months after his inauguration.

But Roosevelt simply ignored the Republican nominees, and few of us can name even one of them today.

By contrast, President George W. Bush enjoyed nearly eight relatively unchallenged years, but took us into a war that was unsupported by most of our allies and was financed with tax policies that lead to record long-term deficits and massive inflation.

Surely, Bush should qualify as a foil even superior to Hoover for President Obama’s 2012 campaign.

W. Robert Schwandt

Spokane Valley

License fees out of control

OK. Give us a break!

A $3 filing fee, $48 gross weight fee, $20 replacement fee, $4 to paint it (ridiculous), $20 transportation benefit district fee. And then the state has nerve to ask a $5 donation to keep the parks open.

What happened to the $30 license? Groceries have doubled in the last two years. I have seen licenses in California that are 40 years old and still are readable. So is this state of Washington thing a scam? Do away with the new license every five years.

My pickup is 5 years old, and $100 to renew is disgusting.

Kenneth E. Dyer

Spokane

Political division frightening

I frequently read with interest about the political division in this country, and I fear for us all. I fear mostly, on a personal level, the destruction of friendships and family relationships.

I blame the media outlets, including toxic radio programs, blatant lies on the Internet, and most of all the cable news channels.

Some people watch Fox News exclusively and others do the same with MSNBC. Subsequently, they move either further to the right or the left, which results in them not having a conversation that doesn’t lead to politics, and an argument. This is not only harmful to their health, but is destructive to relationships.

I suspect this situation occurs in families, friendships and workplaces all over the country.

I hope our politicians, dysfunctional Congress and the partisan news media outlets are proud of themselves.

I fear we are headed for another civil war in this country.

Judy A. Layton

Spokane