Letters for Wednesday, Aug. 27

Mail-in voting disinformation and voter suppression, again

Will Washington state be forced to dismantle its safe, secure, accessible and trackable mail-in voting system that has been in effect since 2011? Our senators and other elected officials say no.

The president is again spreading disinformation about mail-in voting. He claims that no other country uses mail-in voting. Actually Canada, Australia and the U.K., besides 31 other countries, currently have mail-in voting. At least he admits that he could be wrong about his claim but, in truth, he knows he’s wrong. (If he doesn’t know, then why in the world is he our president? It’s a simple Google search. And if he does know he’s wrong, why do we forbear his dishonesty, again?)

Forbidding mail-in voting is yet one more voter suppression tactic that seeks to discriminate based on race, gender, age, disability or economic status. Currently in Washington state, Republicans are trying to make proof of citizenship a criteria for voting. In other states that have tried this, tens of thousands of citizens have been denied their right to vote because it’s expensive and sometimes impossible to find the proper documents.

Why is the white man so afraid that he resorts to immoral, unconstitutional and sometimes violent means to keep “them” from using the powerful vote. How long will it take before the “us” vs. “them” attitude changes into a loving brotherhood and sisterhood of “we”? Thankfully Washington generally moves in the latter direction. Let’s keep it that way.

Jean Walters

Spokane

Absentee voting

Want to make your life easier? Consider absentee voting. Voters in Idaho have the option of requesting absentee ballots for every election. Requesting an absentee (mail-in ballot) is smart and easy. The ballot comes to you in the mail about a month before the election. You’ll never miss an election and you have time to research the candidates and issues in the comfort of your own home.

Many of us enjoy the ritual of voting in person. If you request an absentee ballot and decide to vote in person, you can! The poll worker will just spoil the absentee ballot and hand you a new one. You may have heard President Trump wants to do away with mail-in voting but it’s still a safe, secure and legal way to vote in Idaho. Make sure you never miss an election by requesting absentee ballots each year at VoteIdaho.gov.

Kayla Dodson

Boise

Protesters at Baumgartner’s fundraiser

I was sorely disappointed with the Aug. 18 article “Baumgartner Paints It Red,” which read more like propaganda while totally discounting the demands being made by the protesters at the event. Those assembled outside represent thousands of concerned citizens in this district, as evidenced by the many protests, both large and small, over the last eight months.

Inside they were advocating for round ups and repression of Spokane’s immigrants, homeless and protesters. “Former Mayor Nadine Woodward suggested Spokane would also benefit from a military crackdown to take back its streets.” The fact that Jim Jordan was the premier e guest tells us what we need to know about Baumgartner’s alliances and his policies. He will not be standing up for his district.

Outside, his constituents were advocating for solutions to address the needs of the community. There were a variety of concerns but foremost were the cuts to healthcare. There were speeches by health care workers and people whose desperately needed care is being taken away.

A petition circulated for the donation of the proceeds of this fundraiser to go to our clinics and hospitals that are in danger of or already slated for closure. That would be a drop in the bucket as to the need but certainly a start. While hospitals have been challenged for some time, the cutbacks slated in the “Big Beautiful Bill” that Baumgartner is so proud of is putting nails in the coffin rather than providing a remedy. The health care industry is cutting accordingly.

Paula Sutherlin

Spokane

Sentence too harsh

In regards to the man convicted of illegally killing a trophy bull elk: I agree that what he did was wrong, but the state is throwing the book at him. That $30,000 is not even going to help the elk population. It’s going to the government for whatever whim they come up with tomorrow.

Banning someone from hunting for life is a human rights violation. It was one elk. That’s no reason to ruin one man’s life. One elk versus all the damage corporations do to the environment. They do more damage in one day than he could in a lifetime. Let him hunt once he’s paid the fine and done his time.

Erica Payne

Spokane Valley