Letters for Sunday, Dec. 14

Resign, councilwoman

Resign. I haven’t heard that word once. In all the coverage of Councilwoman Yaeger’s hateful rhetoric, not a single spokesperson has used it. If she had expressed hatred toward Christians, Jews, or – even though it’s still a “maybe” – people of color, would there be immediate calls for her resignation? Yet when the target is Muslims, suddenly it’s framed as a private opinion, a First Amendment issue, something somehow more excusable.

No. She is an elected public official. I didn’t see campaign signs proudly declaring her an Islamophobe when she asked for our votes. Why? Because she knows our community would never – and should never – tolerate hatred toward any of its members.

So, resign. If she truly believes these things, she can run again and place those yard signs announcing how proud she is of her views. For now, she is a disgrace. And any official entity that normalizes her rhetoric with excuses rather than calling for her to resign is, somewhere in its heart, just as proud of that hate.

Erica Apfelbaum

Spokane

Venezuelan boats

On the front page of the Dec. 5 edition of The Spokesman-Review, Rep. Michael Baumgartner offers his thoughts on the bombing of boats in the waters around Venezuela. While his interview suggests he is largely supportive, he does seem to have some hesitation.

New last week is the revelation that a war crime was likely committed when survivors of the initial strike were summarily executed. Now we are witnessing the administration under busing the admiral in charge of the strike. How could this administration, staffed by “the best people,” manage to so utterly mess up the situation?

They claim the boats were carrying drugs but offer no proof. Is the Navy suddenly unable to board and search a speedboat? They claim that destroying this boat saved 25,000 American lives, but a Google search reveals that “only” around 80,000 Americans died of drug overdoses last year. By that logic, sinking three boats would largely solve the drug problem. They’ve struck at least 22 so far. Besides, Venezuelan drug cartels traffic in cocaine, a drug not commonly associated with overdose deaths when used alone, and is, in fact, the drug of choice among the elites. I mean, cocaine is apparently so benign that Trump just pardoned a politician convicted of facilitating the smuggling of 400 tons of the stuff into the U.S., a move Baumgartner describes as “confusing and counterproductive.”

Baumgartner comes dangerously close to asking some tough questions, but as usual, in the end he kneels down and provides his rubber stamp.

Deidre McAuliffe

Loon Lake

History repeats itself

As a Cougar alum, I remember the debacle at the 1975 Apple Cup that led to Jim Sweeny’s departure and the hiring of Jackie Sherrill who left after a year for greener pastures and then Warren Powers who lasted a year and did the same thing. Then we hire Jim Walden who takes us to the first bowl game in 50 years and then leaves for Iowa State eight years later. Déjà Vu.

The Cougars have always been at a disadvantage monetarily and geographically. We’ve had great players, coaches, and teams but the new reality has created a world that seems to be not only unsustainable but threatens to dismantle the athletic system that has helped our colleges grow and enjoy sports, the education of our youth, and competition.

If LSU can justify paying a coach $50 million not to coach and Kentucky can pay their current team a reported $20 million plus how are the majority of college teams going to fair in the long run. Will an Eastern alum ever again get to watch a Cooper Kupp play for more than year or two? How will paying a basketball player $3 million affect the athletic department ability to support the women’s volleyball team? Regional rivalries that are decades old will disappear and the overall interest and support will eventually affect the fan support which will affect the dollar.

It seems we are heading in the wrong direction.

Rick Sorenson

Spokane

Conservative leadership necessary

Spokane voters refuse to learn from 20-plus years of electing a majority of progressive left-wing City Council members!

This week, a past council president, Ben Stuckart, pleaded guilty to a felony of obstruction of justice to impede or injure a police officer during a June 2025 protest of Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers arresting immigrants. This is unconscionable behavior and the result of the sanctuary city mentality of the extreme left governing our city all these years and look what we have to show for it today, homelessness, public defecation, open drug abuse, rampant crime and downtown business closing and record office vacancy. For goodness sakes voters, wake up and get at least a majority of conservative leadership to lead us out of this mess!

Ron Anderson

Liberty Lake