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Letters for Oct. 11, 2023

All the same people

A coalition of environmental groups is determined to breach the cleanest power source in operation: the Lower Snake River dams. I’m just guessing, but I’m thinking most of the people in these groups don’t work in the agriculture or barge or power industries.

These are the same people that thought defunding the police was a good idea and that things are going well in sanctuary cities. (Just ask New York how that’s working.) I also recall their denials that wind turbines would kill birds. Oops, sorry bald eagles - our bad. And they said the 120 nights of BLM rioting in Portland was peaceful. And two liberal congress members (Rashida Talib and congressman Hank Johnson) recently said in interviews on TV the Southern border is closed. I should buy them a TV.

Just sayin’! These people want to put more semitrucks on the road and put a ton of people out of work. But just like John Kerry said about the unemployed Keystone pipeline workers … they could learn computer programming.

Greg Schuster

Spokane

Missing information on Dolly’s Cafe

I read the article about Dolly’s Café (“Beloved staple reopens with a fresh spirit and 60 years of hash browns, hospitality,” Oct. 1) and was saddened that it didn’t even mention my grandparents, Leslie and Dorothy Case, who owned Dolly’s from 1970-1981. It was during a pivotal time in Spokane, Expo ’74.

All of their grandkids, including myself, world their during that time. I worked there before and after school while attending North Central. Lots of great memories were made there. My grandmother Dorothy would make six pies, cinnamon rolls and butterhorns every morning before 7 and we would sell out before noon. They were just a breakfast and lunch café Monday through Friday, closed on the weekends. They made a great living and loved being there. I wish the article would have at least mentioned them.

Kerry Dasovich

Spokane

Time to accept the blame

It would be the real and honest thing for Cathy McMorris Rodgers in her next half-truth, half-propaganda letter to her constituents to be responsible and blame the House Republican implosion solely on the House Republican Party. Cannot blame Speaker McCarthy being dethroned on Biden or the House Democratic Party. Some Republicans are already out there trying to and it just makes them look even more guilty. No, you did this to yourselves.

Also need to include that the government is going to shut down on Nov. 17, but instead of buckling down to get your house in order ASAP and focus on preventing that to happen, the House Republicans decided to take a week off work.

It would be great to read something in CMR’S news release that has zero “spin” included within it for once.

Jason Ernsting

Nine Mile Falls

Ellis Island in Spokane Valley?

Tom Towey’s letter from the Oct. 2 S-R (“Where is our Ellis Island?”) concerns his lament that we do not have an Ellis Island today. He recounts that, “Between 1892 and 1954 … 12 million new future citizens were processed.” That’s almost 194,000 per year. U.S. Customs and Border Protection reports that in August of this year they have had over 232,000 encounters along the Southwest border.

He also wonders, “Could we build an Ellis Island in one of our Southern states?” Why one of our Southern states? Why not in Spokane Valley? Because no one can properly deal with an influx of illegal immigrants of this magnitude. That’s why our federal government is spreading them out across the country.

Also consider that many if not most of these people cannot speak English. Spokane Public Schools reports that in 2021 less than 50% of students met state standards for English (and the numbers for math are even worse). We all want to be a welcoming nation, but we lack the resources and ability to help everyone who needs it.

Rich Zywiak

Spokane

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