Letters for Sunday, Dec. 21

Respect and concern for our Jewish neighbors

As Faith Leaders and Leaders of Conscience, we celebrate our Jewish neighbors this Hanukkah season. We grieve the evil that happened in Australia. We recognize the fear this brings to all Jews, especially to friends and neighbors here in our region. We pour out our love and prayers for all the families who have suffered from this violence. We are mindful of the hatred and gun violence in our own country and even in our own communities.

May we work together to love and support one another through these times of political and ideological darkness. Check in with your Jewish neighbors. Ask what will help these neighbors feel safer in our local community. Offer what you can do.

During this holiday season, we call on all our neighbors to join our little lights of compassion, justice, and hope. Let’s work together in all the days ahead to make our communities safer through a new year filled with the light of respect and solidarity.

The Rev. Gen Heywood

Convener of Faith Leaders and Leaders of Conscience

Spokane

To see a list of group members who have signed on to this letter, visit spokesman.com

Baumgartner’s empty words

Michael Baumgartner states in The Spokesman-Review, “I want to enact measures that bring down the cost of health care and expand access.” Great! Yet where is any action?

Baumgartner supports piecemeal improvements such as $2 million for NEW Health’s Chewelah clinic. Where is his participation in proposals to address the elephant in the room? Healthcare is unaffordable, confusing, or nonexistent for thousands of District 5’s residents. Ending ACA subsidies because he “doesn’t want to prop up Obamacare” leaves his constituents in the lurch. Republican plans he supports do not address increasing access while reducing costs. How does he not see Congress should extend health care subsidies until they design and implement an alternative plan “to bring down the cost of healthcare and expand access.” He should research Medicare for All. In today’s America the cost of everything is foremost in our lives. Studies from the Congressional Budget Office, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, Yale University, and Lancet tout billions in government savings when accounting for eliminating costs currently borne by individuals, business, etc.

No system is perfect, but granting more people guaranteed access to health care by using a baked-in system already in place is a start.

Please do not argue that you do not want the government to control health care. It already does. Insurance companies follow Medicare guidelines. I have been in traditional Medicare for 12 years and have yet to feel controlled. Congressman Baumgartner, please be part of the solution.

Mary Ann Gibson

Spokane

Road diet

I may be mistaken, as I often am, but didn’t Spokane Falls Boulevard used to be a two-way street? I appreciate the civil engineers who spend time thinking and researching best ways to move traffic through a city, no matter the exorbitant costs to the local businesses and the taxpayer.

I propose, instead of spending the millions it will take to see the vision which, likely, will be changed again in 10-20 years, to more cost effectively, and simply increase signage for riders, drivers and pedestrians. Instead of closing main arterials for months or years on end, denying businesses of “normal” traffic, and the city of consumer generated tax dollars, simply install concise, highly visible signs.

The road diet fad is wearing on this local driver. I feel as though the funds used for the virtual scab picking of the streets which are the usual suspects (how many variations of Sprague in the Valley will taxpayers get to fund?) could be better spent on road maintenance and actual paving of dirt roads within city limits. (Yes, still many dirt roads. Sad.) Anyone driven east west streets on the lower South Hill? If you drive a truck, you’re lucky to have your kidneys intact after driving many of these streets.

To whom it may concern, quit mucking about with the traffic patterns and maintain the roads we have. Thanks.

Steve LaCombe

Spokane Valley