Letters for Feb. 11, 2024

Expand the tax credit

It’s coming up on tax season – and as a young adult still trying to figure out my career and go to school, I rely on the cash boost I get from my tax refund every year. Last year, Washington state implemented a new annual cash rebate for lower income working people, called the Working Families Tax Credit. For people without kids, the credit is up to $315. However, for those without children, the lowest age this credit can be accessed is 25.

When I was younger, I was legally homeless for many years. I began working in high school, but never had any consistent resources as a foundation. And even now that I am an adult, I don’t have much to rely on to aid in my journey towards independence and stability. If I was just a few years older, I would be able to claim the credit in order to invest in my future.

Including young adults in this cash boost is an investment in youths exiting foster care, and youths who have experienced homelessness. I urge everyone to tell your lawmakers to support House Bill 1075 and expand the Working Families Tax Credit. People can apply for the credit at www.WorkingFamiliesCredit.wa.gov.

Mayauna Renae

Newport

MultiCare: retain local staff by paying them, not nonlocals

I have worked at Valley Hospital for 23 years. In that time, I’ve worked with many staff members, whom I refer to as my work family, and have treated countless community members. It warms my heart to walk into a patient’s room to see the smiles of recognition and knowledge that they will be taken care of or entering a department confident of the skills of the health care workers I’ll be working alongside. Unfortunately, it’s now more common to see looks of frustration and sadness on those faces. There are now times when we can barely take care of our patients. These conditions are not limited to affecting just our patients, our patient’s visitors and one or two departments in the hospitals, but everyone.

MultiCare has replaced many regular staff with high-priced out-of-state, temporary travel staff to care for our patients and facilities. MultiCare’s response to the staffing crisis is to continue to expand their reach statewide by buying properties they can’t use right away and new facilities, while giving big payouts to the temporary staff. All the while, their current facilities suffer. We’ve been attempting to negotiate a new contract for Deaconess and Valley Hospital with MultiCare since August. We are asking for staff to be paid competitively to that of local companies and to the cost of living so that we can once again retain local staff to properly care for our community.

Charity Turpen

Spokane Valley

‘Serving those in need,’ but at what cost, Providence

“Serving those in need, regardless of their ability to pay, is at the heart of Providence’s Mission and values.” That response from Providence reeks of hypocrisy.

Essentially Providence tried to swindle $150 million out of 99,446 low-income patients via predatory billing practices. Providence trained its admissions staff to boost revenue and violate the Charitable Care Act. It spent four to five years over-billing patients, sending them to collections, ruining their credit, tipping some into bankruptcy or home foreclosure, while bleeding money out of them illegally. That’s how Providence really served the poor – and it’s consistent with Providence’s ranking as the worst nonprofit hospital system in the nation for failure to fulfill its Community Benefit obligations.

Think of it this way: Providence stole or attempted to steal money 99,446 times. That’s about 50% more thefts than all theft-related crimes in Spokane over the same period.

Sure, Providence got caught and had to make restitution. But despite this illegal enterprise, Providence paid no punitive damages for harm inflicted on its victims, and nobody’s going to jail like most perpetrators of theft would have to do.

In the end it’s just a black eye for Providence, a public relations problem, the cost of doing business. Sadly, the root cause is greed–which has no place in health care. But it’s a bigger driver of Providence’s actions than is “serving those in need, regardless of their ability to pay.”

Steve McNutt

Spokane

Understanding opposition to Painted Hills project

It’s important to understand that community opposition to the Painted Hills development centers around the flood control issue. No public entity (city or county) should take on the responsibility of maintaining and operating a flood control system of this nature. At some point in the future, a catastrophic weather event will more than likely overwhelm the system with predictable catastrophic results. The city of Spokane Valley is very aware of that possibility. Consequently, they will not accept financial responsibility for the maintenance and operation of a flood control system.

I am in no way opposed to future developments that are proposed in a responsible manner within state law. Approximately 30 acres of this development is above the base flood elevation which would allow for a smaller number of lots than the developer’s proposal.

Frank Cobb

Spokane Valley

Disrespectful Gonzaga student section

The behavior of the Gonzaga University student section at the men’s basketball versus St. Mary’s game on Feb. 3 was even more painful than the loss to St. Mary’s.

You were disrespectful to the school, coach Mark Few, the Spokane community and the officials. Yes, the refereeing was sub-par, but did not warrant this type of behavior. Grow up or stay home.

Patti Krafft

Spokane

Some decisive action

In my opinion, Gonzaga should close access to the student section for three games to show the students that their behavior will not be tolerated without recourse.

I understand that their actions were only by a few students. But by closing access to all it may show all of the students that they should police their peers and their actions. If these disrespectful disruptions are not stopped, they will increase as they are acceptable to some.

Some decisive action, without a meager warning by the school, would certainly make a needed statement that these actions won’t be tolerated.

George Weisbarth

Newport