Letters for March 19, 2024

Expired tabs and no cops to enforce them

Two months ago, The Spokesman-Review printed my letter about all the cars on the road with expired tabs, and junk cars sitting for months/years. I forwarded that letter to the mayor and my councilman (Bingle), but not even the courtesy of a response. The Review has printed several more letters on the same subject, with a writer estimating 10% are expired. I think it’s closer to 20%, as there are now tons of expired green 2023 tabs, added to red 2022 tabs on the road. No wonder the North Spokane Corridor is taking half a century to build, with revenue not going to Olympia.

And I recently called my cop shop to report drug houses, and comments about all the expired tabs, and junk vehicles. I got a call back from downtown. I was told the council cut back on funding for NRO’s, so most cop shops don’t even have a cop. Yet the Review recently had an article about the Council approving $3.1 million for 46 shiny new cop cars. How many cops could have been hired instead? The police, as well as Code Enforcement, don’t have the resources to keep Spokane safe, clean and enforce numerous laws. I was told to keep calling Crime Check about the drug houses, but there is little to nothing that can be done. Shame on this city.

Richard Trerise

Spokane

Help save starving children

Most likely, only a handful of citizens living in Spokane has ever seen a starving child. While living in three African countries for 17 years, I saw a few children with kwashiorkor (a protein deficiency evidenced by extended stomachs and sparse reddish hair), but only once at the JFK Hospital in Liberia did I see a child on the verge of starvation. Believe me, it was traumatic to see that child. I wanted the medical personnel to hurry, do something, rush right away to treat this emergency.

Today, we learn of countless children starving in Gaza and Sudan. Experienced U.N. personnel, aid agencies and others have reported that they have never seen such traumatic situations of children dying from starvation. Imagine helpless parents forced to witness their children gradually losing weight, becoming skeletal-like and dying.

You can help the children in Gaza from Spokane. Call and write Sens. Murray and Cantwell and Rep. McMorris Rodgers demanding a ceasefire. Also, join in the Inland Northwest Coalition for the Liberation of Palestine, a new organization composed of a diversity of responsible people formed in Spokane after the Oct. 7 tragedy. Their aim is to draw attention and inform citizens and politicians about the past roots and present realities of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and improve human rights. This year, they have held film showings, vigils, protests, fund-raisers and teach-ins. Donations are welcomed, and sent to where there is most need to help relieve suffering of children in this horrific war.

Nancy Street

Cheney

We need clean energy now

I just watched a documentary shown by Meaningful Movies called “Atomic Bamboozle,” which tells us that the nuclear industry is pushing for creating small modular reactors, even though, as this film shows, they are costly, are subject to catastrophic accidents, create more waste per kilowatt hour produced than larger reactors and produce more high-level uranium that could be used for nuclear weapons.

Another takeaway from this movie is that we need to stop global warming now. Small modular reactors could not go online for another eight to 10 years. Throwing money at them now would divert attention and money from proven climate solutions that are safer, affordable and available right now, not in a decade or two. The WA state legislature has passed the supplemental budget bill ESSB 5949. Section 1037 of that bill contains $25 million for Energy Northwest to investigate “activities that increase carbon free clean energy.” Although the word “nuclear” is not stated, Energy Northwest is encouraging the creation of a small modular (nuclear) reactor at the Hanford site. Apparently, the governor can use line-item veto power only on budget bills, so I encourage folks to contact Gov. Inslee now to veto this section of the bill before he signs it, which will be soon. ESSB 5949 Section 1037.

Linda Greene

Spokane