Letters for July 26, 2024

Ben Stuckart for 3rd Legislative District

I am so excited to tell you why I am voting for Ben Stuckart for 3rd Legislative District representative, and why you should too. We are fortunate that he is running in this primary, so please vote for him by Aug. 6.

I have known Ben for many years. Heck, I even hired him once when I was board chair of Spokane Low Income Housing Consortium. I have doorbelled for him, waived signs for him and called him a dear friend.

Ben brings enormous experience to this position, thus representing the 3rd District well. He’s been the CEO of Communities in Schools where he championed better support for our young citizens. He also knows more than anyone about the development of all kinds of housing, permitting and the enormous hoops developers go through to make housing happen. In his role at SLIHC, he has created a Land Bank, which is desperately needed.

Beyond housing, he played a significant role in developing the Sprague corridor. Remember when Sprague was awful? Check it out now! And he fought for us to have chickens in our back yards. He also supported a major increase in the funds the city of Spokane provides for low-income people in our community.

Ben can also be a jerk. One that I love and respect. He’ll fight hard for Spokane while serving in Olympia, and continue the impressive record of his predecessor, Marcus Riccelli.

So just do it. Vote for Ben Stuckart. We need Ben in this office.

Edie Rice-Sauer

Spokane

Elect Molly Marshall

So, Al French’s solution for families with PFAS (forever chemicals) wells is to stick his developer straw in the Spokane-Rathdrum Aquifer and bring municipal water to the West Plains. His “plan” shows just how out of touch he is with the reality of the situation. As a city councilman and commissioner, he has lived on municipal water, and, unlike his county constituents, has never had to deal with contaminated water, flooded basements and roads and PFAS.

At a recent public meeting, residents laughed – for good reason – at his proposal to bring water from the overused Spokane Rathdrum Aquifer to the West Plains. It won’t work. He doesn’t understand the geology of the West Plains. It’s cheaper and easier to buy filtration systems for those people with PFAS contaminated wells. We need clean water now.

We see through the ruse – bringing municipal water to the West Plains is his way of opening the gate to unplanned and unmitigated development. If I were a resident of Spokane or Spokane Valley, I would be concerned about water being taken out of an overused aquifer, which is connected to the Spokane River, by a commissioner who is covering his own backside for his neglect of the situation. A less expensive and more feasible solution already exists.

We need an open, honest, hardworking, caring commissioner on the West Plains who listens to constituents. Elect Molly Marshall.

Laura Ackerman

Spokane

Michael balanced, fair and solution-based

As a mother, teacher and daughter within this district, I am composing this letter in support of Michael Schmidt aka the “Common Sense Cowboy” for state representative. Michael is not a politician, but he is one of the hardest working men that I have had the pleasure of knowing. I am grateful to him for helping to instill these important values in my husband as he helped raise him on the ranch as “just another one of his boys,” working hard and helping others.

We want to vote for a representative that has skin in the game and does what he says he will do. Michael knows the importance of environmental issues and the agricultural needs to provide for a clean and local food supply. He is looking forward and trying to ensure that our children have the same educational and economic opportunities for success in our growing area because it impacts his children and grandchildren, too.

Michael is also balanced, fair and solution based. He will work hard to bring our needs to Olympia and make his voice heard. He is one of us. Please vote for Michael Schmidt for state representative for Legislative District 4.

Bethany Thorn

Liberty Lake

Contribute to the solution

Neither Republican, Independent or Democrat can argue when your household is hemorrhaging money, one must be proactive in their approach to stop the flow or your future options become limited. Our newly elected mayor was handed a “household” budget with a deficit of $25-$50 million dollars. As a newly acquired family member, she needs to fix this! Three proposals have been discussed: 1) run a bond, 2) increase the sales tax, 3) look at 10% reductions from all city departments, including police and fire positions.

We quickly heard the typical response: “find another way, we want to keep what we have without consequences.” A better response would be: “Here are my thoughts on each proposal; I want to contribute to the solution.” Let’s look at the options and provide positive input to the mayor’s office.

Michael Pearson

Spokane