Letters for March 3, 2023

Thanks for sustainability articles

I’d like to thank The Spokesman for starting to run highly informative and interesting articles about sustainability and climate change. It’s hard to take action if we don’t know what we’re dealing with, and your articles help each of us clearly see where we are best positioned to make a difference so that our species (and hopefully others too) can continue to survive and thrive here on this beautiful planet earth.

We are the ones now who will make this choice for future generations.

Susanne Croft

Spokane

Take action on climate change

Many of us remember worries in the 1980s about a hole in the ozone layer and concerns about its causing skin cancer and damaging crops. In response, the 1987 Montreal Protocol was signed. This resulted in a global phasing-out of the ozone-depleting substances.

The latest (2018) study reported, “actions taken under the Montreal Protocol have led to decreases in the atmospheric abundance of controlled ODSs and the start of the recovery of stratospheric ozone.”

This is a very short, simplified summary of how an international agreement on the need for action, the subsequent efforts and the result 35 years later is solving a problem. This handling of a pressing environmental issue can be reproduced today with global warming. Yes, global warming can be brought under control. Most countries have already agreed that it requires action to do so. We need to make sure that governments on all levels: local, state and national, follow through.

Contact your legislative representatives. Share facts like these and let your representatives know they need to act to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Only then can we look to a future in which we live in a recognizable world.

Amelie Schmolke

Pullman

Wake up

I am very most certainly sorry to say.

I beg for your kindness here and your most thoughtful understanding. As genuine and reasonable persons would purport to do and be.

Not good enough for me.

Nope. Never.

I am surrounded by idiots.

Some of you. Not all. You know who you are, perhaps. An idiot, or not? You know.

I just read today of another gun shooting on a child.

What are we thinking?

Only cowards own guns.

We all know that.

When does this stop and how so?

Take guns out of the hands of cowards.

That would be a start.

Idiots are dangerous.

Especially with guns.

Correct? Absolutely.

Mike Cronin

Spokane

Democrat weakness is dangerous

If you did not think the United States was in a World War, there can be no doubt after Biden’s speech in Warsaw where Biden clearly established that NATO is at war with Russia, Iran (supplying weapons) and likely China.

This war was completely avoidable, not because Russia did not need to go to war, but because the Democrats’ consistently weak and feckless foreign policy nearly invited the Russia invasion. Obama famously and cockily mixed his metaphors and told Russia and Syria there was a red line in the sand if they used chemical weapons. Syria then used them repeatedly and Obama then denied saying there was any line at all. Following this weakness, Putin took Crimea. Democrat John Kerry chastised Putin by saying “Doesn’t he (Putin) know this is the 21 century.” Take that Russia! Of course Putin knew what century it was and he knew Democrats to be weak. Obama followed Kerry up on his words and sent meals ready to eat and blankets to Ukraine. Wow!

President Biden doubled down on weakness by precipitously and catastrophically withdrawing in embarrassment from Afghanistan. So it should not have been a surprise to anyone when Putin invade Ukraine under a Democrat administration.

It is true, the administration did surprise Putin by providing aid to Ukraine for a war of Democrat making. The lesson to be learned is that the Democrats’ consistently feckless foreign policy is always dangerous and invites war, this time with one and possibly two nuclear armed foes.

David Barnes

Spokane Valley

Sunday paper

So this is what you want us to wake up to on a Sunday morning? Big headlines of “Spokane Homicides” and an article front and center about a woman murdering and decapitating her son? Are you a legitimate newspaper or owned by the National Enquirer now?

I know you’ve been leaning toward sensationalism for quite a while, maybe due to poor circulation, but this is really over the top and offensive to a lot of us who still expect quality and professionalism from “news” reporting.

Nadine Joubert

Spokane

Unsupported column maligns local officials

A past Spokane county commissioner recently expressed an opinion opposing property tax levy legislation for 2024 (“Local elected officials’ mismanagement fuels need for property tax increase,” Feb. 26). The opinion is not based in today’s reality and attempts to create fear that is unfounded.

He opposes legislation to raise the property tax levy lid advanced by Washington legislators that has gained widespread support from mayors, city council members and county commissioners. These current officials are trying to balance revenue and expenses in today’s economy, not the economy of two decades ago when this commissioner served. He argues that inflation is affecting taxpayers but fails to note the increasing costs of providing services due to inflation and the demand of a growing population in Spokane County, up by 124,000 in the last two decades. Finally, he fails to mention the glaring need for state and local governments to address the crises in child care, affordable housing and behavioral health care as well as the new challenges presented by the fentanyl public health problem and the need to plan for environmental sustainability.

He also attempts to raise fear that seniors will be at risk of losing their homes due to this legislation while omitting the fact that no change to seniors’ property tax exemptions are a part of the legislation he opposes. Those existing exemptions also apply to individuals with disabilities and veterans. (RCW 84.36)

I applaud the local elected officials, maligned by Mr. Roskelley, who recognize and respond to the current needs of our families and communities.

Mary Lou Johnson

Spokane