Letters for March 5, 2024

Everyone is shaking their heads

Spokane Public Schools shaking their heads to the bond failure? I think the voters are shaking their heads to the head -shaking by SPS. The taxpayers have been milked dry. The decision of SPS to build the stadium downtown has come with extra costs. Buying the Value Village property for parking, and now talk of soundproofing the Civic Theatre to shield it from the noise of the stadium.

Another sham to the public – not unlike the River Park Square parking garage owned and operated by the Cowles family, the publisher of The Spokesman-Review – was supporting the building of the stadium downtown.

Rory French

Spokane

Denounce Trump

Congresswoman Cathy McMorris Rodgers, as most know, has announced she will not run again for Congress. There have been a number of recent letters to the editor providing factual information about her dubious voting record on a variety of issues. I have found her to be a follower not a leader. There is one thing she could do to redeem herself as her term nears an end: once and for all publicly denounce Donald Trump for what he is and refuse to endorse him. How about putting the whole country before political party and one terrible crazy person who will destroy our democracy if he is elected president again. She can then retire and hold her head high that she really did something great for her constituents and for the United States.

Chris Powell

Spokane

Fix the problems you helped make

Among Cathy McMorris Rodgers’ negative legacies she leaves as U.S. representative, her most impactful may be on immigration. However, she still has time to improve that.

Donald Trump cares nothing about our country, just his election. Accordingly, he recently ordered all Republicans to scuttle the bipartisan, long-negotiated Senate deal supporting Ukraine and limiting immigration that would be a victory for President Joe Biden. Republican House Speaker Mike Johnson, an election-denier, obeyed Trump by withholding a full House vote despite enough bipartisan votes for passage.

Having nominated Speaker Mike Johnson and having always voiced support for Ukraine and for controlling immigration, McMorris Rodgers presumably could influence Johnson’s actions. The Spokesman-Review recently asked whether she attempted to change Johnson’s mind, but she refused a definitive answer. Now that the chance to rescue the rare bipartisan deal is past, Johnson is resisting yet another opportunity to support Ukraine in a funding bill passed by bipartisan senators.

McMorris Rodgers could contribute to immigration reform by correcting Republican misinformation; for example, crime rates and violent crime rates for both documented and undocumented immigrants are actually lower than for native-born Americans (PBS Newshour, Feb. 27).

But her likely worst immigration legacy she can’t erase is that she and then-Republican House Speaker John Boehner blocked a full House vote on comprehensive immigration reform, endorsed by then-President Barack Obama, despite enough bipartisan House votes for passage – this after the Senate passed it overwhelmingly 68 -32 on June 27, 2013.

So, influencing Johnson might earn McMorris Rodgers some redemption.

Norm Luther

Spokane

Merkel embarrassing his constituents

Spokane Valley Councilman Al Merkel is currently under investigation for allegations pertaining to his treatment of Spokane Valley City Hall employees (“Merkel asked to avoid City Hall except for meetings,” March 2). The article also references a lawsuit against him while working at a previous employer for allegations of harassment and discriminating against a female employee.

A request has been made by the Valley city manager and the director of human resources that he limits his time at City Hall to council meetings while the investigation is underway. He stated that he will not abide by that request, potentially escalating the situation. One of the reasons Merkel stated for defying the request is that it is not in the interests of his constituents to do so.

Regardless of the outcome of the investigation(s), Merkel would do well to remember that the people who work at City Hall are also his constituents.

Bob Conway

Spokane