Letters for Aug. 20

Reliable energy

As the debate about removing the Lower Snake River dams rages, removing a source of clean, reliable power and replacing it with wind and solar is decision fraught with risk.

At a time when AI and the energy required to power data centers and the jobs that come with it require vast amounts of power, eliminating hydro, replacing it with wind and solar, whose turbines and solar panels are made by China and Europe, are not reliable when the sun doesn’t shine and the wind doesn’t blow. The Germans have a word for it, after switching from nuclear and natural gas-powered electricity generation, Dunkelflaute, or dark lull, periods of prolonged darkness and calm weather which results in reduced or absent electricity generation from wind and solar, spiking energy prices.

We need to keep the dams, ramp up nuclear and natural gas power generation to provide the power required to fuel our future economic power requirements. I personally don’t want to rely on China to control our power grid. New Jersey made the decision to switch from natural gas power generation to wind and solar, now residents are facing a 17 to 20% jump in their bills.

Steve Hintyesz

Spokane

Preventing crashes, protecting wildlife

The plan for separating Washington’s roadways and habitats (“Preventing crashes, protecting wildlife goal of state plan,” July 13) couldn’t be timelier for Spokane County. We are in the process of updating the Comprehensive Plan for cities and the unincorporated area and a key question is where do the people and wildlife go? The intention of the state plan is to prevent crashes and protect wildlife, and that should be Spokane’s goal also.

Wildlife, deer, moose, elk, coyotes, cats and more rely on the ability to travel through the area without interfering with people, who are in vehicles or on foot. Spokane can achieve crash reductions and wildlife protection by carving out our own migratory paths and avoiding putting housing on known routes. We should make sure the new comprehensive plans prioritize development that does not interfere with the connections wildlife use.

Lunell Haught

Spokane

SCRAPS contract more than worth it

Since probably 2013 the city of Spokane has been getting the deal of the century from SCRAPS. The County has been subsidizing the city’s animal control costs for all these years.

There are thousands of stray and hoarded animals needing help within the city limits. Does the City Council really think they can start their own shelter, rescue, care for, feed, rehabilitate, spay and neuter, and provide vet services for, and adopt out all these animals for $670,000. You can barely buy a three -bedroom house and a truck for $670,000.

Come to your senses, City Council, before it’s too late. Swallow your pride and sign a new contract with SCRAPS. Pay your fair share and quit playing politics with helpless animals.

Christopher Glenn Bowers

Liberty Lake

Congressional votes

Well, along with gutted health care and food assistance, increased taxes (tariffs), skyrocketing costs (tariffs and inflation caused by tariffs), shuttered rural hospitals, job loss, increased power costs, and too many other poison pills to mention, Michael Baumgartner has now also happily voted to also take away public television and radio from the 5th District and the rest of the country. Unlike with this vote, touting a desire to reduce federal spending, he was quite happy to vote for a veritable federal spending spree earlier this month by voting for gigantic tax breaks for the obscenely wealthy and exploding the deficit by $5 trillion dollars.

And don’t buy the imagined “ideological balance” trope Baumgartner trotted out like every other Republican when attacking reporting that is truthful. NPR and PBS traffic in facts, unlike the garbage spewed by Fox; the truth is what cannot be funded.

One thing is correct : Congress does need to do a better job of stewarding our tax dollars. That’s something Michael seems to be unable to do, as are the rest of his Republican colleagues. Don’t listen to his deceitful words; watch his actions. Baumgartner’s actions are not for his constituents, but for his handlers.

Lisa Wolfe

Kettle Falls

Teachers do change lives

Some teachers do change a student’s life forever. At the beginning of the second semester at Mead High School in 1983, Mr. Kimball had me move from the back of the class to seat in the front of the class next to a young brunette. … As I read Sunday’s article (“Kimball’s art, a lasting legacy”), that same little girl is sitting next to me. Thank you, Mr. Kimball!

Wallace Bates

Nine Mile Falls