Letters for Nov. 20, 2024
We can’t forget and forgive
Regarding Larry Krauter’s departure as Spokane Airport CEO, the Nov. 14 Spokesman-Review describes him as having made a “tremendous, lasting impact.” Indeed! Although PFAS was detected in wells at the Spokane Airport in 2017, West Plains homeowners were not aware of this dangerous contamination until 2023 when a citizen obtained a copy of the well test and gave it to the Department of Ecology. Larry Krauter and the Spokane Airport board (including County Commissioner Al French) kept the contamination secret and worse, delayed mandated Department of Ecology cleanup proceedings for five additional months. Mr. Krauter’s impact on the West Plains will not be forgiven or forgotten.
Mary Benham
Spokane
Ferguson’s comments ought to be reassuring to Washingtonians
In response to incoming Gov. Bob Ferguson’s and Attorney General Nick Brown’s promise to oppose Trump policies they see as bad for Washington, Ed Walther says we don’t need protection from Trump policies that “promote the truth” about things like the JFK assassination and COVID shots, and Denny Soller says we should all support Trump now that he’s the president-elect (letters appearing Nov. 15).
Policies aren’t generally meant to “promote the truth” about anything, but to address public needs. Good policies are based on the best information. Given the record of the first Trump administration – the giant, debt-fattening tax cut that overwhelmingly benefited the rich, Trump’s vow in 2020 to “terminate” the payroll tax that funds Social Security, the decision not to enact measures to protect workers during the pandemic, and on and on – there is no assurance that a second Trump term will respect science and facts and logic, Trump’s horrific cabinet picks presage far worse policies indeed.
As for the call to “get behind” Trump, I wonder if the writer similarly urged the public to get behind Biden during his term. Red state after red state openly flouted many regulations his administration promulgated.
Ferguson and Brown are not vowing to flout Trump regulations, but only to fight them in court, if necessary. Moreover, Ferguson has said he hopes there is never any cause to do so.
Their principled, restrained statement ought to be reassuring to Washingtonians.
Brian Keeling
Spokane
Cameras and roundabouts
Kudos to Emry Dinman for the article “Our worst intersections” (Nov. 18) on this very important issue and kudos to The Spokesman-Review for making it front page news. It is a very important issue and concerns all Spokanites and all visitors to the city.
Spokane is without a doubt the central hub for all of Eastern Washington and as such the city must have reasonable-for-everyone speed limits and safe roads, taking into account, our young people, out-of-towners, and senior citizens driving on a busy Saturday afternoon and not speeds for an empty road at 5 a.m. on a Sunday.
Too many roads are marked for 30 and 35 mph and could easily be lowered 5 mph to slow drivers down that are going 5 to 7 mph over anyway as they know police won’t pull them over for it.
Also, the city police, sheriff’s deputies and state patrol need to write way more tickets everywhere around Spokane as truly bad drivers just don’t get better without earned tickets with their name on them it seems. Red-light cameras are OK for an income stream but honestly not a bad driver deterrent. The camera tickets are capped at a low dollar amount per the article – the ticket amounts were drastically lowered, it doesn’t ding your driving record, and they don’t affect your auto insurance.
Police with flashing lights writing many more tickets than they do now to bad drivers will go farther than roundabouts and red-light cameras.
James Darby
Spokane Valley