Letters for March 13, 2022

Browne Street tunnel

If you haven’t walked through the tunnel, as the homeless call it, the Browne Street underpass, I encourage you to do so, and note two things. It’s very wet, because it’s just railroad tracks overhead, which are not watertight. Also, because of all the traffic, the noise is extraordinary, especially when the big trucks go roaring through.

Some homeless are able to get tents and tarps. This has contributed to building the homeless camp on Second Avenue and Ray Street. Because Jewels Helping Hands is helping a lot out there, the homeless are actually in a better place. The tunnel is really unhealthy, on all levels.

Sue Frankovich

Spokane

Time to stand up

As Putin continues his horrible invasion of Ukraine, here we are faced with rising gas prices due to Russian oil imports. Or not.

I have trouble believing the U.S. needs to be in this situation at least at this time and to this extent. For starters we only import 3-5% of our oil from Russia, so there shouldn’t be that big an impact here like there would be in Europe.

But my biggest issue is that not once have I heard anyone mention that just maybe the oil companies could back off their huge profit margins temporarily to hold prices down rather than taking advantage of the situation.

Prices at the pump went up before the first Russian soldier crossed into Ukraine, so the suppliers raised prices on fuel that was already in the system and that is what they are still doing. The barrel price of oil may be $130 now but that isn’t what the companies paid for what we are consuming now. You can’t blame the service station; they buy a product, mark it up a few cents and sell it.

Oil prices affect gas prices but also home heating oil, food prices, airline prices and the list goes on putting a strain on individuals and the countries economy.

All of the major oil companies had profits in the tens of billions last year and while they have to make a profit maybe this would be a good time for “Big Oil” to show support for the country.

Larry Reisnouer

Spokane

Gas prices

OK, basic economics: lower consumer demand = less necessary production. In April 2020, the Industrial Production Index (IPI) here in the U.S. dropped 11.2%, the largest drop in the 101 years since the beginning of the IPI. The IPI measures mining (including domestic oil and gas drilling), manufacturing and electric and gas utilities. Refining capacity of oil also shrunk by 4.5% as a result of the pandemic shutdown, limiting supply production.

“Whoa!” exclaimed our major corporate gas and oil producers as our country began to climb out of its COVID shutdown, “What a great opportunity to grow our corporate profits! Let’s continue to keep production low to create even more demand!” This is, simply put, market manipulation. Market manipulation ultimately translates into higher consumer prices.

Until the manipulation stops and production is brought back to pre-pandemic levels, guess who pays?

Kathryn J. McChesney-Lape

Spokane Valley

Of war and would-be kings

It is hard to write

“MISERY”.

It is hard to write

“PAIN.”

Disease, age and death are natural.

But war and famine

are too often not

where man the great conqueror

conquers only himself.

From minds overgrown

with thoughts of self grandeur,

minds mildewed and greed fed

on fables and falsehoods

pour forth their great powers

into toxic broths of violence and ignorance,

while claiming rights to their nonexistent eternities.

Yet the winds blow always away the stagnant breath of would be kings.

Jim DuBuisson

Sandpoint

Props to good teachers

Thank you for your front-page article on March 6 praising teachers for teaching students to differentiate between facts and propaganda. Especially during these times of extreme disagreement in our society as to what are facts and what is “fake news,” it is crucial that teachers teach critical thinking skills, which will benefit students for the rest of their lives, and our society at large.

Empowering students to master the skills of critical thinking is a crucial goal of education. Now that all media sources – print, radio, television, social media and the internet – surround students with claims of being truthful, accurate and fair, giving students the skills of critical thinking has never been more important. Widespread adoption of critical thinking skills would enable us to discuss how to resolve issues facing our country, because we could come closer to agreement on facts.

Kudos to all teachers who see themselves as facilitators helping each learner to develop problem solving skills through active participation in his or her own education through inquiry-based learning!

Fred Peterson

Spokane

Odegard saved Spokane’s tourism industry

Spokane lost a great leader in the passing of Ric Odegard on Feb. 12. Among the many lasting legacies of Ric’s life of community service, is Spokane’s robust visitor and convention business.

In the mid-1980s, the Spokane Regional Convention and Visitors Bureau (Visit Spokane) was rudderless, on its last legs and needed big changes. A new board was formed with Ric as the chair. He led us through the process of restructuring the organization and hiring a new, professional leader. After a nationwide search resulting in over 100 highly qualified applicants, the board chose Hartly Kruger, Spokane native and former Seattle CVB chief, as the new president and CEO. Under Kruger’s experienced and professional leadership, Spokane’s flourishing tourism and convention business soared and is still as strong as ever today.

Ric’s hard work and strong community service commitment to save Spokane’s tourism business has resulted in an astounding economic impact of billions of dollars a year in our community, generating hundreds of millions in tax revenues and providing more than 20,000 jobs.

Ed Clark

Spokane