Letters for July 16

Baumgartner lacks perspective

Listening to Rep. Michael Baumgartner state that he is proud to have voted for Trump’s “Big, Beautiful Bill” and watch him strut around the White House lawn on July 4, smiling and giving thumbs-up on camera makes me nauseous. I read that Baumgartner has challenged Gov. Ferguson to a debate about how his vote for Trump’s unpopular bill is so much better than Ferguson’s struggle to keep Washington afloat as the federal withholding of assistance to Washington state has led to increasing our budget to offset the losses of programs to meet the needs of children, families and seniors in Eastern Washington.

As Ferguson has stated, we will collect $720 million less in revenue over the next four years because we are a trade-dependent state.

Instead of creating a civil war with our governor, Baumgartner should heed the moral gravity that President Lincoln understood at the time of the Civil War when he stated in his inaugural address: “We are not enemies, but friends; we must not be enemies. Though passion may have strained it must not break our bonds of affection. The mystic chords of memory … will yet swell the chorus of the union, when again touched, as surely they will be, by the better angels of our nature.”

Jerry Jantz

Spokane

Felon proves Spokane must get tough on crime

Convicted felon Chad Horne was arrested last week on suspicion of setting several fires among several other suspicious fires in Spokane County. Horne is accused of setting a fire at My Fresh Basket, an office and Youth Center for Christian Fellowship and an electric vehicle on Washington State University Spokane Campus.

Last year he pleaded guilty to two counts of first-degree reckless burning and served two months in jail. He used House of Hope as a residence periodically.

I question the sentence of only two months for two counts of reckless burning. There are way too many examples of felons getting light sentences. This felon should still be behind bars. Is two months the recommended penalty for two guilty pleas by Horne of reckless burning? Or was he let out early? If only two months is the recommended penalty for this felony, then sentencing guidelines for this and all crimes need to be reviewed. If not, parole boards need to be held accountable. And if the reason for early release is because of overcrowding in our jail system, that excuse is totally worn out. Spokane must be much more tough on crime rather than using House of Hope for housing inmates. Spokane needs a new penitentiary with many more beds.

It is time for Spokane to get tough on crime. We have much more crime per capita and less police officers per capita than most cities of our size.

Ron Anderson

Liberty Lake

Give S-R coverage to more important matters

Right now, as I am writing this, there are two large wildfires burning in the coverage area of The Spokesman-Review. So far, there has been no photo coverage from either of these events that have huge impact on people’s lives. My assumption is that this paper that used to be known as one of the best photo papers in the Northwest no longer has the staffing to cover news in our region.

In the meantime, move on to the sports page and there is photo coverage in Las Vegas of former Gonzaga basketball players playing NBA Summer League by one of The Spokesman’s staff photographers. Does Spokane have an NBA team or a G League team? Not to my knowledge. But we do have wildfires and The Spokesman still has a few great photographers.

Whoever is making the decisions regarding what gets covered needs to get their priorities straight.

Larry Reisnouer

Spokane