I have been reading about the proposed acquisition of Avista by Canada’s Hydro One for a long time now, and Becky Kramer’s article in the June 28 paper (“Customers speak out against Avista sale”) is the first to present the case against it in any significant way. Until now, most of the articles I’ve read came across as news releases by Hydro One, crafted to astroturf Avista customers into believing there was nothing to worry about and that the deal was as good as done anyway.

With the shocking and unfettered regulatory capture undertaken throughout America by corporate interests under the Trump administration, many of the agencies and commissions tasked with protecting consumers, the environment, scientific integrity and national security have shamefully and blatantly become puppets of an oligarchy with greed its motivation and shareholder profits its overriding concern. This late-stage capitalism threatens to destroy our country, and very little stands in the way.

State regulators, grassroots activists and news reporters are practically our last line of defense against a greedy kleptocracy; thank you to Spokesman-Review reporter Becky Kramer for taking her role in this fight so seriously and for doing her part so well.

Charles K. Foster

Spokane