Letters for Nov. 26, 2023

City Council steals liberty

The City Council foolishly voted to raise property taxes when property values across Spokane are declining. They want to take more wealth from their constituents when that wealth is already decreasing.

It is good to balance the budget, and some funds are needed for legitimate government spending. Romans 13:4 defines government as “an avenger to execute wrath on the one who practices evil.” So, it is right to fund a criminal justice system that actually punishes and deters evil. But the city spends money for many other things that do not fall to the proper role of government.

Also, high government spending is worse than an unbalanced budget. The more money that gets consumed by the city, the less money is available to invest in productive enterprises. Also, a higher tax makes people think twice about investing. Investors face risk of loss, but that can be outweighed by potential gain. However, as taxes eat into the gain, the risk of loss is no longer worth it, stifling investment. Additionally, the greater the government spending, the less liberty. Liberty consists in using our faculties and property in good ways. So, when the city takes more of our property, we have less to employ according to our liberty. The council is making Spokane less free.

What makes this all worse is that this tax was totally unnecessary, because our neighbor, Spokane Valley, has refused to raise taxes for 15 years and still balanced its budget. Let’s get a new council.

Kevin Kimball

Spokane

Let’s take next step

A deep relief filled me as we, the voters of the city of Spokane, elected a new mayor with real-time experience in economics, budgets, business acumen, compassion, wisdom, heart and insight. Along with fresh faces on our Spokane City Council who will have the good health of our city as their focus.

Now the next step is clear. Electing folks in positions of power in our federal electorate that have the same qualification. It is grim to see Cathy McMorris Rodgers walking in step with the “former guy” – a known liar, conman, conjurer of hatred and animosity, who did not defend the Constitution nor the people and instigated a violent riot and treasonous undermining of our government. It is time to take the next step and vote her out.

Now she fully supports the new speaker of the House, Mike Johnson, who supports the former guy in his bid for president, works to deny a woman’s right to reproductive health care, is against LGBTQ folks, played a pivotal role in attempting to overturn the 2020 election and is the least-experienced speaker of the House in 140 years.

It is time for an economic solution that creatively brings jobs back to the U.S., thwarts big business from controlling elections, has climate change at the forefront, supports historically accurate education of our children and is diligent in all attempts to save our planet. Use your voice and your vote wisely.

Elizabeth Cobbs

Spokane

There may be no good guys

The wars in the Middle East and Ukraine are obscene and abominable on many levels. For me, one of the greatest is that my country – our USA – has become the go-to supplier of material to kill people. U.S. citizens, I among them, mostly believe that our government chooses to support the good guys, but in the case of the Middle East I’m not convinced that the Israelis are the good guys. There may be no good guys. So what are we doing contributing to the deaths, misery and suffering of innocents?

Judith Horton

Coeur d’Alene

We need more satire

I thoroughly enjoyed Gordon Jackson’s “tongue-in-cheek” article in the Nov. 19 paper, entitled “Two years later, the funny business of dysfunctional government.” More telling, however, was adding the obligatory qualifier “satire,” no doubt to prevent some from actually taking it seriously. Sad!

Over the past decade, we as a country have not only become meaner but also have lost our collective sense of humor. Congress and certain political candidates, in particular, have devolved into insulting fourth-grade name-calling, juvenile cat-fighting, schoolyard bullying and “I double-dog dare ya” budget deadline fights. It seems everyone’s sniping at each other.

Lighten up, folks! We work best together when we can laugh at our foibles without losing our common sense of dignity and direction. So kudos to Jackson for bringing a little lighthearted humor into our lives. Let’s keep it coming.

Mac McCandless

Spokane