Letters for Nov. 10, 2022
Feature lacked substance
The front of Oct. 30’s Today section presents issues for me, but good job finding a colorful character with long hair and rose colored glasses (“Dedicated to the struggles”). Daniel McClay sees the need to stand against our country’s devotion to militarism and nuclear weapons. The “behind bars” theme and city boosterism, however, took us down a garden path far from the urgency of the “threat of nuclear war demonstration.” Having missed the event, I wanted to know what was said and heard, and whether our congressional delegation had indicated any interest in the topic at hand. After all, this nostalgic vignette was Spokane’s only mainstream report of this rally or scores like it around the country on Oct. 14. The hard news is: Our country spends its wealth on unwinnable wars and preparation for nuclear annihilation while blissfully ignorant voters choose pampered leaders based upon obsessive campaign fundraising, delusional social media posts and wild distortions of religious principles.
A pop culture feature need not lack substance. This story could have connected dots that appear endlessly in the news. Poverty, gun violence, overt racism and corporate pollution expand in a war economy.
Veterans for Peace and Dorothy Day Labor Forum, the conveners of the no nukes rally, continue the discussion on responsible alternatives to war and will take it public again on Armistice Day, 10:30 a.m. Friday, at the Community Building.
Rusty Nelson
Spokane
Rally against Avista’s rate increase
On Sept. 2, Avista filed a rate increase with the Utility and Transportation Commission of 12.3% for electricity. The rate increase is for fire mitigation. The total cost of the project is $5 million. At the end of the third quarter, Avista’s net profits totaled $160.3 million, as reported in The Spokesman Review on May 5, Aug. 4 and Nov. 1. Subtracting the cost of the mitigation, that leaves Avista with a profit of $155.3 million . A tidy sum.
Fire mitigation is a cost of doing business. If any other retailer passed on the total cost of doing business to customers, we could go to another retailer. That is not the case with Avista as it is a monopoly. Our only recourse is to contact the UTC. The UTC is a consumer advocate which can reject, reduce or deny a rate change. They do want to hear from consumers, they read each and every comment and do take them into consideration when making a decision.
I urge everyone who feels that Avista has the responsibility to share some of its profits with customers to contact the UTC in one of three ways:
Email: consumer@utc.wa.gov
Phone: (888) 333-9882
Mail: UTC, P.O. Box 47250, Olympia, WA 985-7250
For all, reference docket No. 220699. Comments must be submitted by Friday.
Jackie Truelove
Spokane
Anti-gun writers need reading comprehension
To negate truth, Spokane’s anti-gun fanatics resort to vitriol, hostility, threats, mindless rants and ad hominem attacks. They misread, misquote, misinterpret, twist and contort my letters.
I last wrote about the origins of the Second Amendment, the Founding Fathers and the murder of millions of defenseless people in the last century.
In response, David Randall (“Response to Curt Stone,” Oct. 7) embarked on a wild-eyed tangent about fascism, the Oath Keepers and the Proud Boys. Where in my letter did I say that our government is a threat to freedom, Mr. Randall? Randall is delusional.
The real threat to our democracy and police is from left-wing subversives and Marxist-inspired leftist terrorist organizations, not from peaceful conservative demonstrators.
In a rambling, disjointed letter, complete with misinformation and her usual anti-gun blather, Janet Smith (“Doubtful of the sincerity,” Oct. 18) suggests that anyone who defends the Second Amendment is a “radical” who needs to be investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms. What nonsense!
The BATF needs to investigate the alleged illegal gun possession by Hunter Biden.
Ms. Smith, “gun safety legislation” is a euphemism for gun confiscation.
Cathy McMorris Rodgers has always been a champion for the Second Amendment who has fought to keep guns away from prohibited persons.
The subversive left anti-gun lobby is an enemy of freedom and it’s a clear and present danger to our democracy.
Curt Stone
Dayton, Washington