Wind projects expensive

In the April 29 guest column, “Clean energy best for state,” there was a deceptive statement made regarding the output of the Palouse Wind power project. The whole truth should be known.

The statement was, “It will provide enough clean electricity to power more than 30,000 Washington homes.” The whole truth is that on a few hours per year it will provide three times the power required for those homes. On a few more hours, it will provide no power at all, when the wind does not blow. Which hours these are cannot be scheduled.

This diversity means that wind must be backed up by a running generator at all times, hot and ready to pick up the load, making wind power on the whole an economic and environmental boondoggle.

Wind is free, but equipment, land leases, maintenance, financing and profit is not. This project would not exist but for tax credits and mandates requiring that utilities purchase the power, most often from a third party, at high cost. Ratepayers and taxpayers must, in effect, pay for duplicate sets of generators and compounded expenses and profits.

Part of the increase in your Avista rates will be due to this project.

Tom Horne

Spokane

Brown deserves plaudits

We have been honored, blessed and fortunate to have a woman of Lisa Brown’s intellectual capacity, strong ethics, ability to work well with others, consummate communication skills, art of visioning, and the heart to hang in and achieve righteous goals representing Spokane for the last 20 years.

She deserves all the thanks, plaudits and awards we can give. What I don’t want to do is let her rest! Could she please run for Congress? We need individuals of this caliber on the national scene. I would work hard for this goal, as would thousands of other devoted fans of this extraordinary lady.

Valerie R. Smith

Spokane

Remodel is unnecessary

So Mayor Condon wishes to remodel City Hall so that most citizens can take care of business on the first floor. I have a suggestion: Install elevators! What? They already have elevators?

I guess that our city leaders did not notice that retail sales in the city are down significantly in the first quarter. Perhaps our citizens can take care of some of their business online, if taking an elevator is too much of a burden.

It seems that elected officials believe that they are elected to invent new ways to spend our taxes, even when the tax revenues are not there to spend.

Allan LeTourneau

Spokane

Expose the demagoguery

We are entering a crucial time in the development of our democracy. In the early Cold War, disreputable forces, media and their front men denounced people as being communists or “fellow travelers.” People were demonized because they differed on how America should conduct its foreign policy. Most of the accused had sought to promote their views in a good faith attempt to advance our country. Most contemporary leaders lacked the courage to stand up to this big lie and the liars.

Now, people are being denounced as communists because they are progressive. This means that they want policies that reverse the growth of income inequality in America. The current oligarchy, its media voices and their front men have swung into action and are demonizing those who threaten their privilege.

Beware, this divisive strategy will undermine the unity of our country and could lead to more than verbal conflict. Responsible leaders and media will denounce this demagogy. Cowards will go along to avoid criticism.

Frank A. Malone

Spokane

Be safe on residential street

With the new roundabout going in at the intersection of Mill Road and Waikiki Road, Bellwood Drive will become a primary route between these two streets. Bellwood will become the easiest option. I live on Bellwood, and there are many young families and children who also live on it.

My neighbors regularly play in their front yard or driveway. All three of these beautiful girls are under the age of 6. Every single one of them is adorable and full of life. Please don’t take that away from them.

When you drive through Fairwood, please slow down. Bellwood is not an arterial. It’s a residential street filled with young children who have their entire lives to live. The buildings you see when driving along Bellwood aren’t businesses; they’re houses.

Respect the posted speed limit of 25 miles per hour, drive safely, and pay attention to people walking, playing and living on Bellwood and living in Fairwood. Lives depend on you. Thank you for respecting the residents of Fairwood.

Laura Coffey

Spokane

EndNotes appreciated

Thank you to Rebecca Nappi and Catherine Johnston for their EndNotes in the Wednesday paper.

My husband died of leukemia eight months ago, and their articles were helpful to me. They still encourage me, and I learn new insights each week. I appreciate their willingness to communicate about death, that next part of our journey.

Deborah Kirk

Spokane Valley

UW audience was intolerant

The speaker was a woman. Her future child may be a woman, and the organizers of the event were women, yet the women in attendance would not grant them personhood – defined by the right to be heard.

The behavior of a May 3 audience at an event to bring speaker Abbey Johnson to Seattle’s University of Washington campus sponsored by the Students for Life of America and the Catholic Newman Center illustrated severe intolerance within the UW-Seattle community.

Our second daughter, who is a current student at UW, worked with a team of brave students to organize this event.

Yesterday, our fourth daughter chose UW over Georgetown University. If there is no room for true dialogue at UW, I fear she may have been poorly advised in her choice, and may be thwarted in her effort to secure a true education.

Those in attendance were not allowed their right to hear the speaker by those who believe their own convictions about women’s rights give them authority to drown out any opposing voice.

Ruth Wagley

Spokane

Support equality

I am amazed that people refuse to acknowledge the equality of others and pass judgment on those who are “different.” Gay marriage should be approved in Spokane. Gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgendered people should have the right to choose their own relationships.

Not very long ago, black people didn’t have equal rights. In fact, prior to 1967, interracial marriage was against the law. Civil rights laws have worked over time to reduce violence, judgment and create more equality. Why is gay marriage any different?

You are free to have any opinion you want as long as it doesn’t hurt others or affect their lives. People have committed suicide because they have been bullied for being gay. If this was your child, sibling, cousin, or friend, how would you feel?

Some say if gay marriage is allowed in Spokane, God will curse this city. How can you even know this? God made each and every one of us in a unique way. People don’t choose to be gay or transgendered. Gay marriage will provide everyone with equality and equal access to create meaningful and legal partnerships. America is founded on everyone being created equal. Let’s make that true here in Spokane!

Bektu Mulatu Conley

Spokane

Protect remaining caribou

So Bonner County commissioners have decided to use $10,000 of taxpayer money to fight against protection of the endangered caribou. Why? So that snowmobilers can go anywhere they want. The proposed area is about 10 percent of the Idaho Panhandle and Pend Oreille County in Washington. Note this proposed protection does not close this area to public entry; it would keep out snowmobiles during winter months.

Commissioner Mike Nielsen’s response that there are “millions of caribou north of us” is like saying there are millions of salmon in the oceans, so let’s dam all the rivers for other commercial uses.

How about spending my tax dollars in promoting the caribou? Millions of people spend a lot money going to Yellowstone Park to observe wildlife. Yellowstone doesn’t have caribou.

I urge the U.S. Wildlife Service to adapt its proposed protection plan, and for Bonner County to spend my money in a positive way of promoting an asset that no other place in the lower U.S. has.

The selfish snowmobilers don’t need it all.

Marty Stitsel

Sandpoint

Keep schools public

Questions: Do you want public schools being run by corporations? Do you want children’s educational interests decided by people whose primary goal is to maximize profits? Do you realize that this outcome is possible, even probable?

Left unaltered, the No Child Left Behind Act will mandate the takeover of virtually every school in America in 2014. Most will become for-profit charter or simply for-profit schools. Our once public schools will no longer be accountable to the public. And with Congress virtually paralyzed, it seems unlikely that they will alter the provisions of NCLB that mandate this outcome.

Also, this year the Washington Legislature tried to establish charter schools in Washington. Supporters refused to let the issue go directly to the voters, admitting they’d probably lose. Pesky voters.

Who wants for-profit schools? Well, there’s discredited businessman Rupert Murdoch. His News Corp. company was recently caught hacking into the voice mail of a 13-year-old murder victim’s family, acquiring sleazy details to enhance the sales of his shabby newspapers. Already a player in the New York public schools, Murdoch sees a $500 billion (market) in the U.S. alone.

To trust our children’s education to a profitable bottom line is insane.

Andy James

Colville

MAC is boring

I know this letter won’t do any good, but I want to express my disappointment at the firing of Forrest Rodgers from the Northwest Museum of Arts and Culture. I wrote a letter when he was hired to tell you how happy I was that he had been hired.

My family has visited the High Desert Museum many times. We loved the displays and I was looking forward to visiting the MAC again, hoping it would be much more interesting and hoping to see some of the things that have been in storage for such a long time.

But, no, it didn’t happen. I haven’t enjoyed going to the MAC since it left the Gonzaga University area. Frankly, I think it’s boring! It’s a dull, not-much-fun place to visit.

I suppose Rodgers didn’t do things the way the powers that be in Spokane wanted him to. Too bad some other museum’s gain is our loss.

I don’t suppose we’ll ever find out why he was terminated. The $10 fee to visit in Bend, Ore., was a lot more worth it than the $6 fee here.

Dorothy Matteson

Spokane