Letters for Sept. 26, 2023

Refuting letter writer’s claims

The recent letter sent by Rob Leach (“Less government the better,” Sept. 17) begs a response.

Mr. Leach states that conservatives such as he, need to have less government in their lives in order to prosper and be free. I would like to point out that the conservative Republican Party has spearheaded state governments to do the following:

• Strip away a woman’s right to make decisions about her own body.

• Block any attempts to legislate any meaningful gun restrictions to provide safety to our people.

• Institute countless measures to make it harder to register and to vote.

Seems to me like Mr. Leach welcomes government when it benefits his party.

I would refute Mr. Leach’s claim that we need to vote for Trump to finish draining the swamp. Trump IS the swamp, along with spineless GOP legislators and supporters of the ultra-MAGA movement.

Vote Biden and Democrats in 2024!

Mark Johnson

Mead

In support of open primaries

Since its August launch, the Idahoans for Open Primaries ballot initiative has unprecedented voter support. The measure is designed to increase freedom of choice and elect responsive officials.

A disinformation campaign is trying to defeat the initiative. One false claim is that voting will be confusing for Idahoans. Actually, voting for your preferred candidate will be less confusing. You will no longer need to register as a political party member. In open primaries, voters can choose any candidate, all on the same ballot. Over 250,000 registered unaffiliated Idaho voters will have a voice. Voting will also be simple in the general election. For each office, the top four winners from the primary will be on the ballot. As always, voters choose the candidate they want most to win. They may then optionally rank three other candidates by preference. So if the voter’s top candidate doesn’t win, they continue to have a voice. They can demote their least preferred candidate or cast no vote for that one. We can vote our conscience and effectively have safety votes. After the county clerks tabulate votes, the winner will have received a majority.

Unlike what the disinformation campaign says, in the varied places where this type of system has been adopted, voters like it. It gives people choice, and it elects people who respond to them because they need a majority to win. Maybe best of all, campaigns become more civil.

Christine Moon

Sandpoint

Demolition derby policies

California has obviously become an economic and social disaster. Do you think it could possibly be the result of bad government policies from state to local levels? It’s also obvious to those who can think that Democrats’ progressive socialist policies there have run a once great state into ruin. They have had 100% political control at the state and most significant, lower levels for years. They are 100% guilty of demolishing California.

Our Washington is next now that Democrats have complete, “trifecta” control of our state government. It’s almost as though they want to see if they can do a faster job of destroying Washington by implementing the same demolition derby policies and deliberately wrecking our once great state too. Do you think? Progressivism is a predictable path to crashing our state. The proof is in its results. Look at California, New York, Illinois and once great cities like Seattle, Portland, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Chicago, New York, Philadelphia, Baltimore and New Orleans. Dem-olished.

Spokane has started on that path with our veto-proof progressive City Council. Just look around. The writing is on the wall. Everywhere. If Betsy Wilkerson’s dream of a “progressive trifecta” is elected, they’ll “pass (their progressive) policies in full force” (Seattle style) as she promised and dem-olish Spokane too. You’ve been warned. Don’t make me write an “I told you so” letter. Stop this progressive cancer now. Vote for Nadine Woodward, Kim Plese, Earl Moore and Michael Cathcart.

Bob Strong

Spokane