Letters for Oct. 25, 2024

They speak for dignity, rights, freedom

Approachable, empathic, a former K-12 science teacher, Kathy Dawes is ideal for Idaho House seat 6B, opposing Mitchell whose signs say, “freedom counts.”

Whose?

Delivering the freedom of homelessness: Mitchell sponsored HB545, now law, allowing landlords unlimited power to raise rents and fees, and reject federal rent vouchers held by the needy.

When the Idaho Association for the Education of Young Children IAEYC’s three-year, $18 million federal grant for preschoolers – which had a successful first year in communities like Kendrick – needed a state nod to move on to year two, Mitchell’s no was one of two that killed it, helping ensure freedom from education. His vote saved the taxpayers nothing – the money was already granted to be spent on the kids. “Poof!” to $12 million.

With his vote for the Dan Foreman-sponsored bill criminalizing abortion health care, Mitchell helped strip freedom and equal protection under the law from all Idaho women, provoking the gynecologist exodus.

Foreman, opposed by democrat Julia Parker, voted no to the Education Department budget and many other education funding bills, from 4H to Idaho Launch; yet he co-sponsored SB1038 for publicly funded vouchers to private religious schools, blurring the separation of church and state.

Julia first impressed me with her gentle nature, her commitment to civil discourse. Subsequently, I’ve found her incisive, well-spoken and inspiring. More info, and Foreman’s voting record are at votejuliaparkerforidaho.com.

I chose Kathy and Julia. Both speak for the dignity, rights and freedoms of all, including protecting Mother Earth.

Karen Schumaker

Deary, Idaho

She will work hard for Idaho families

I am voting for Karen Matthee on Nov. 5 because I believe she will work hard for Idaho families. She understands that many Idahoans are struggling with the high cost of living – and that the difficulties are compounded by a GOP-led state government that does not support working families with young children.

Idaho is one of only three states that contributes zero dollars to affordable housing. And unlike nearly every other state, it does not invest in early childhood education. Republicans in the statehouse rejected a pre-K grant and continue to refuse funding for pre-K.

Recently, GOP leaders took a budget ax to the state’s only child care subsidy program, then cut off hundreds of families from this critical support. They did this despite having $50 million in unspent federal grant dollars for child care programs.

Karen Matthee understands that healthy families are the backbone of a healthy economy. She understands that housing, education and child care are economic issues, not welfare issues. So please, join me in voting for Karen Matthee.

Diane Rinck

Sandpoint

CMR should speak out against negative rhetoric

I want to thank Cathy McMorris-Rodgers for her service to the people of Eastern Washington. We rarely agreed on much and I could count on receiving a form letter which rarely matched the issues I sent her. However, I always got something. She followed through.

Now I am hoping the congresswoman will end her tenure by speaking out against the vitriolic comments being made by Donald Trump. Comments such as, but not limited to, referring to Harris as “retarded.” Comments demeaning to folks who may not be able to speak up for themselves.

I am not asking her to throw support to the Democratic candidate, although that would be appreciated. I am asking her to walk her talk about caring for others. I am asking her to speak out against the damage words and falsehoods are doing to the American people.

I am asking her to stand up with other Republicans who find the negative rhetoric unhealthy for this great nation.

Eleanor Lathem

Spokane

Vote for wisdom

“I will not make age an issue of this campaign. I am not going to exploit, for political purposes, my opponent’s youth and inexperience,” Ronald Reagan quipped during the 1984 presidential debate with Walter Mondale.

That moment took place 40 years ago, before Andy Van Winkle was even born. Do you know what else took place before that famous line … Tim Fennessey was practicing law in Spokane.

I believe that age matters when one sits in judgment, with age and experience comes wisdom. We need that wisdom, that life experience on the Spokane Superior Court. Tim has proven for eight years that he possesses the wisdom we demand from our judges. Vote for wisdom, vote for Fennessey.

Price Gledhill

Spokane

S-R should do better

In the Oct. 21 Spokesman-Review, writer Nina Culver made no effort to examine contrasting viewpoints. In her article about the North American Unitarian Association, she quoted the Reverend of the Unitarian Universalist Church of Spokane, who said, “The UUA has gone off the rails. They’ve become entirely intolerant. It’s just not who we are. We at NAUA are to help liberal religion thrive.”

The NAUA (North American Unitarian Association) is a local group that split from the UUA (Unitarian Universalists Association) after the parent group “disfellowshipped” this pastor. It should have been obvious to Culver that tensions must exist between the two organizations, and that the other, much older and larger organization, might take a view that would differ from that of a disfellowshipped pastor.

The writer could have just Googled the UUA organization and seen that the UUA consists of a far larger and more historical group than a local splinter group. You’d think that the writer would have tried to report how the members of churches still connected to the UUA would answer that pastor’s criticism. The UUA, whose roots go back to 1793, with over 1,000 churches and over 100,000 members, emphasizes the ideals of liberal religion. My complaint is not theological. It is to point out that, from our fine local paper, we deserve a better job of reporting.

Warren Carpenter

Spokane