Letters for Thursday, Oct. 16

More of the same

Lori Kinnear offers two clear choices, not sure what that means. Telis will merely preserve Kinnear’s 5-2 left progressive control of the City Council, bolstered by an even farther left mayor is anything but “fair and inclusive.” Kinnear says, “We, as a community are at a crossroads.” I couldn’t agree more. Look around, are things better or worse? Do you want more of the same or real change? In my 50 years of voting in Spokane, this is the most important one.

This majority ignored the will of 75% of us who voted “yes” on Proposition 1, even to the extent of sending it to court. Is that listening? Nov. 4 looms, a news conference announces “emergency reforms.”

To some that may sound like good news. To me it sounds like desperation to keep your position on the council.

We say this is a nonpartisan race, but not really – everyone knows who’s who and where you are ideologically.

That said, I am a Republican supporting and working hard to elect a Democrat – Alejandro Barrientos.

Spokane desperately needs balance on the council. We have among the highest drug death rates in the nation, control of public property by the homeless, open drug use, filth, garbage, lewd behavior, and outright lawlessness with no penalty whatsoever. It demoralizes us as a city. Enough is enough.

District 2, please study the candidates and vote Barrientos.

Greg Thomas

Spokane

Schools, parks partnership smart way to make funds stretch

As a community, we share a common responsibility: ensuring that every student has access to safe and effective learning environments. That is why I am writing in strong support of the school bond and parks levy – Together Spokane.

As the recently retired chief operations officer for Spokane Public Schools responsible for support services and facilities, I saw directly the needs facing our most outdated facilities and aging infrastructures. With over 60 buildings, it is critical for the school district to continue its plan to slowly and steadily replace old schools including Adams and Madison and making improvements to the old sections of North Central High School and Garry Middle School in addition to critical improvements needed at all schools to keep them well maintained.

Bond planning by the school district has always been conscientious of the impact to taxpayers with the intention of maintaining a steady tax rate. Approving this school bond will only increase taxpayers’ costs 2 cents per thousand from the current bond bill.

The partnering between schools and parks for efficiency is smart and makes taxpayer dollars stretch further. The partnership and proposed projects extend to all areas of the city and expand the recreational opportunities for everyone.

Spokane voters have a record of supporting bonds and levies to ensure our schools are strong to create the foundation for making our community strong. Let’s come together Spokane and continue to prioritize our schools, our parks and our future by voting “yes” twice.

Shawn Jordan

Liberty Lake

‘No’ on school, parks measures

What people don’t realize about the school bond and parks levy is that it’s going to drive up rent, because as people’s taxes go up, the landlords are just going to pass it on to the renters.

And there are a lot of people getting by on Social Security that can’t afford it. And single mothers.

The district spent $38 million on the downtown stadium, which a majority of Spokane residents don’t even use. Sports isn’t as important as a good education. So, I suggest we vote “no” on the bond and levy and try and keep our taxes lower.

Randolph Yates

Spokane

Klingler the leader Liberty Lake needs

I am proud to endorse Rick Klingler for Liberty Lake City Council. I’ve known Rick for more than 20 years, and throughout that time, I’ve seen his consistent commitment to integrity, family and community. He is exactly the kind of thoughtful, steady leader our city needs.

Rick has always been someone who listens first, considers all perspectives, and then takes action guided by common sense and fairness. His professional experience and community involvement have prepared him to serve effectively–not only to address the challenges facing our city today, but also to help shape a stronger future for the next generation.

Beyond his leadership skills, Rick is grounded by an amazing and supportive family who share his dedication to this community. He leads with humility, treats people with respect and genuinely cares about doing what’s right. These are the values that will make him a collaborative and effective member of the City Council.

As a longtime resident who believes deeply in the importance of capable, compassionate local leadership, I know Rick Klingler will bring the right mix of integrity, experience, and vision to the job. He will work tirelessly to keep our community safe, vibrant, and well-managed for years to come.

I encourage my fellow residents to join me in supporting Rick Klingler for City Council. He has my full confidence–and deserves your vote.

Brian K. Asmus

Liberty Lake

Neighborhood Clean-up Program

The city’s Neighborhood Clean-up Program held a collection event on Saturday, and I was pleased to take advantage of this free community service.

While the workers unloaded debris from my vehicle, my 10-year-old and I spoke with them, inquiring if they were volunteers and which organization they represented. Before they even told me, I was struck by how friendly, helpful and cheerful these folks were as they labored to unload my car. Imagine my surprise when I learned they were inmates at Geiger Correctional Facility, there as part of a work crew program.

It really brightened my day to see these folks doing their part to repay whatever societal debt they owed, and it didn’t seem to matter to me what their crimes may have been. Their positive attitude and dedication to the task at hand was almost infectious, and it gave me an opportunity to talk to my son in the car afterward about how we can earnestly seek forgiveness even after making some pretty dire choices in life.

My thanks go out to the Neighborhood Clean-up Program, the workers at the Latah site and the law enforcement officer overseeing the crew. It was a strikingly positive example of how the system is supposed to work, and if those folks can transpose those qualities into a stable job on the outside, I expect nothing but success for them going forward.

Erich Ebel

Spokane

SYSA doing the right thing

Congratulations to Spokane Youths Sports Association and Ben Walker for the decision to cancel the concept of sports on the Moran Prairie and instead use the money and support for youth sports across Spokane. So many more kids will benefit and have fun because Mr. Walker made the decision … keep up the good work.

Jim Carollo

Spokane

Pentagon press restrictions

I read Jim Camden’s recent column on Pentagon press restrictions with deep unease. While Camden rightly situates the new policy in a history of military discomfort with the press, his framing risks normalizing what is extraordinary and dangerous.

Just days ago, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth – now calling himself “Secretary of War” – stood beside Donald Trump and told assembled commanders that the U.S. military must prepare to “wage war” on the “enemy within.” Let’s be clear: that “enemy” is us, the citizens of the United States.

In that context, new Pentagon rules threatening reporters with loss of access for publishing unapproved material cannot be dismissed as routine. This is a pattern of authoritarian power consolidation, where secrecy, propaganda, and threats against the free press work hand-in-hand with the chilling concept of turning our own military against American citizens.

While traveling in Germany, France and the Netherlands the past two weeks, I’ve been struck by how many people are deeply fearful of what they see happening in the United States. They have witnessed authoritarianism up close, and they fear we are sleepwalking into a replay of some of history’s darkest chapters.

Camden is a fine reporter, but this moment calls for sharper clarity. If the press shrugs off these developments as tradition, rather than sounding the alarm, we risk sliding into something un-American at its core.

We depend on journalists not just to record events, but to contextualize – to call out danger when democratic institutions are threatened.

Ronald D. Reed

Spokane

Government programs do much more good than damage

Rob Leach, of Mica, argues in his Oct. 7 Letter to the Editor that government programs to help the “poor” do more damage than good, that Baumgartner and Trump voters know this in their bones and therefore they support slashing any government antipoverty program within reach. Leach argues that eliminating antipoverty programs will encourage the poor to pull themselves up by their bootstraps. Antipoverty programs simply encourage poor people to be irresponsible. Such government programs have existed since the days of FDR without eliminating poverty, so clearly, they do not work!

I am so inspired by the simplicity and elegance of this reasoning that I propose we eliminate Fire Departments. Everyone knows they are so very expensive, and they have been in existence for centuries without eliminating fire!

William Siems

Spokane

Theft and censorship at Community Library Network

Before reading this, I ask my fellow citizens to pause and consider two words: theft and censorship. What do they mean – and why are they both wrong?

In December 2024, 140 book titles disappeared from the shelves of the Community Library Network. They’ve now vanished completely from the library catalog. These weren’t 140 individual books – many were popular titles with multiple copies.

What happened to them? Officially, they were removed for “internal review.” Yet no patrons challenged them under Idaho House Bill 710, the law governing book challenges. That law is clear: Books must remain available during the review process, and reviews must be completed within 60 days. It’s now been over 290 days. When you think of the word theft, does “unlawful removal of property” come to mind? Because that’s exactly what this is. These books belong to the taxpaying citizens of CLN, and they’ve been taken without consent or process.

Why were they removed? The director has offered no explanation. Many of the missing titles address LGBTQ+ lives, racism, unwanted pregnancy, or violence. It appears someone decided those subjects were unacceptable for public access. That is censorship.

CLN leaders say they’re making libraries “safe again.” But safety built on theft and censorship isn’t safety – it’s control. House Bill 710 was written to restrict access for minors, not adults. Yet CLN’s actions have silenced access for everyone.

Let’s call it what it is: theft, censorship, and a betrayal of public trust.

Michelle Lippert

Post Falls