Letters for April 3, 2022

State long-term care benefit program

Caring for my parents in the last years of their lives was the hardest and best thing I’ve ever done. Even though my parents had long-term care insurance that they paid into for many years, the policy would only pay if the person had been in a nursing facility for a certain number of days before going home to be cared for. My parents weren’t ill so much as they were just old and failing so they didn’t require skilled nursing. As a result, that was about $60,000 of insurance coverage down the drain.

The new long-term care public benefit in our state, WA Cares Fund, underwent significant improvements this legislative session which will allow more people to qualify, including those retiring soon. If WA Cares had been around when my parents needed help, they could have used those funds to pay for modifications to their home and for help with daily living to allow them to age in place. They could have even used the funds to pay a family member like me to care for them.

WA Cares might not be perfect, but it will go a long way to help us in the inevitable event we or a member of our family needs home care, which is not covered by health insurance or Medicare. Thanks to Sen. Andy Billig for working to improve this critical safety net that will be a lifeline for so many families.

Nancy Klingman

Spokane

Energy use projection

The Spokesman-Review just printed what could be the obituary for the entire human race with the “Fueling the Future” in March 30 Money and Markets page.

The projected levels in consumption of fossil fuels will doom the earth and all if its inhabitants to a catastrophic collapse of the environment.

If these projections are in fact realized, it will confirm the belief that the people of the world and the United States in particular are too greedy, short-sighted and stupid to make any necessary sacrifices to protect their children’s future and very lives. This information is obviously funded by the fossil fuel industry through the U.S. Energy Information Administration and is meant to normalize the continued use of fossil fuels and to discourage any meaningful transition and replacement of fossil fuels.

The reduction and replacement of fossil fuels is being recommended by all reputable climate scientists. The people of Spokane have seen firsthand the effects of climate change with last year’s heat dome event and the violent windstorms that have blown so many of our trees over. It is only going to get worse in the near future.

If people are conned into believing there is no other path than to continue to burn fossil fuels, or that our economy is totally reliant on fossil fuels, which I believe is the intent of this article, there will be no peace for humans to rest in.

David Randall

Spokane

Response to gas and inflation letter

In his letter “Gas and inflation” (March 24), Joe Speranzi quotes “some fun facts” regarding high gas prices. He states that, in 2021, ExxonMobil (XOM), Chevron and Shell posted their best earnings in seven years. Then he blames them for high prices at the pump.

While they did post their best earnings in seven years, a single fact viewed in isolation does not tell the whole truth. Using XOM as an example, here’s why.

In 2012, XOM posted record earnings of $9.70 a share. In 2019, it posted earnings of $3.36 a share. In 2020, XOM posted a loss of $5.25 a share because of the pandemic and global shutdown. In 2021, earnings rebounded to $5.39 a share because of drastic cost-cutting measures taken during the pandemic, and higher oil and gas prices. Overall, its earnings growth for the 10 years ending Dec. 31, 2021, was a NEGATIVE 6.32% a year.

Oil and gas prices are set in the global marketplace based on supply and demand. They are not set by XOM, Chevron, Shell or any other company to gouge people at the gas pump. When global prices are high, then companies profit and pay dividends to shareholders. When global prices are low, companies lose money and slash dividends. That is the whole truth.

Greer Gibson Bacon

Spokane

Jim Woodward does not protect our children

Jim Woodward recently voted against HB 666 in the Legislature that would protect our children from pornography. This is from Priscilla Giddings’ newsletter: “This legislation prohibits the distribution of harmful materials to children. Harmful materials include obscene depictions in movies, books, and other media. Current Idaho code provides an exemption for schools, public libraries, universities and museums and this bill would remove that exemption.”

Yet, his flashy postcards would make you believe the opposite. It is a huge lie, Sen. Woodward.

Also, Sen. Woodward voted for COVID vaccine discrimination last week.

Senate Bill 1381, the Coronavirus Pause Act, passed the Idaho Senate last week and passed the House, but he voted against it.

Did you know his voting record is worse than most Democrats? Last year he refused to back the Legislature’s ability to rein in the governor’s unconstitutional action. His was the deciding vote and he backed down.

Voters, you have a choice! Vote May 17! Here is the website to do your own research on Scott Herndon: herndonforidaho.com.

Vote for Scott Herndon for State Senate District 1.

Maureen Paterson

Priest River, Idaho