Letters for Sunday, Sept. 14

Judie Schumacher for Liberty Lake council

I am writing to wholeheartedly endorse Judie Schumacher for Liberty Lake City Council. In a time when genuine connection and effective leadership are paramount, Judie is the clear choice.

If you know Judie, you know she doesn’t just talk about community, she’s actively building it through her dedicated volunteering and collaborative spirit. Judie doesn’t just listen to concerns, she rolls up her sleeves and works to address them, always putting people first.

Liberty Lake deserves a leader who is deeply engaged and committed to our city’s future. Judie is that leader. She will ensure Liberty Lake is well-managed and flourishes for years to come.

Please join me in supporting a candidate who truly represents the best of our community. Cast your vote for Judie Schumacher for Liberty Lake City Council this November.

Lindsey Willis

Liberty Lake

Open and closed case: Kris Pockell

It is one thing to read a pamphlet or see a sign in a yard when choosing a candidate during elections; on the other hand, being part of a candidate’s teenage and adult years reveals everything one needs to know about that candidate’s character. Kris Pockell was my student, and he and his family have been a part of my life since his freshman year in high school.

I am, without reservations, excited to see Kris emerge as a political candidate in Spokane Valley, which I call home and where I have taught. Kris listens and seeks a path of growth and sustainability, as evidenced by his role as a businessman in the Valley. He understands small businesses and the challenges that come with them; likewise, he appreciates the importance of our small businesses.

I have found that ego can be a real burden on a political community. I don’t think I have ever seen Kris driven by ego. Instead, the skills of listening, compassion, empathy, grit, humor and loyalty are often evident in his presence.

As his former history teacher, I am proud of Kris’ civic duty to his community, and I hope more of my students will follow his lead in changing the world.

Kelly Kiki

Mead

Improving education outcomes K-12

Pam Orebaugh is once again running for the Central Valley School Board, and her position statements raise several important questions that voters might want to take into consideration prior to casting their vote.

In Washington state, the primary role of a school board member is to improve educational outcomes for all K–12 students in the district. Board members are expected to work closely with the superintendent, contribute to both short- and long-term goal setting, and address districtwide challenges. While matters such as athletic eligibility for extracurricular activities are important, they should not overshadow the broader mission of strategic planning, problem-solving and advancing student achievement. Orebaugh seems to believe it is more important to focus on athletic eligibility rather than on the districtwide challenges.

Responsibilities such as those mentioned above require strong analytical skills, open-mindedness and a spirit of collaboration. Mark Bitz exemplifies this approach. His method is to clearly define problems, gather relevant facts, consider diverse perspectives and prioritize issues in accordance with state guidelines. He focuses on understanding the facts, clarifying objectives, assessing impact and following legal requirements in decision-making. Mark has years of on-hands experience teaching k-12 students in Central Valley School District. He has experienced the effect of school board policies for students and faculty

I believe Mark’s skill set and experience make him exceptionally well-suited to serve our district. A vote for Mark Bitz is a vote for effective leadership and better schools.

Robert L. McGinty

Liberty Lake

Immigration makes Spokane better

As a medical professional for nearly 50 years working in two of Spokane’s largest hospitals, I have had the privilege of working with outstanding, dedicated doctors, nurses, nursing aides and housekeepers. Many of the aforementioned staff have immigrated from (in no particular order) China, South Korea, Kenya, Mexico, Russia, Ukraine, Eritrea, Haiti, Philippines, Czech Republic, India, Rwanda, Switzerland, South Africa, Egypt and Thailand.

It would be hard to imagine if ICE agents swept into our medical community and indiscriminately deported our valued coworkers.

Spokane is a better place because of our diversity, equity and inclusion.

Elaine Rosato

Spokane

Potential military presence in Spokane

In the past few weeks and months, we have seen National Guard, active military and Trump’s personal paramilitary ICE goons strolling the streets of American cities. Armed, presumably with live ammunition and masked for anonymity.

If/when Trump proposes to send any one or all of these groups to Spokane for: (pick one) crowd control in event of an “insurrection,” stamping out rampant crime, sweeping for immigrants, what will be the response from our city government? I would like to hear, clearly and publicly, what will be the answer to President Trump if federal troops and paramilitaries come to Spokane.

ICE was budgeted $45 billion dollars and is recruiting and building an unofficial army. One must ask why? And one must ask where will our city administration stand?

I would hope the chances of this scenario would be slim. But I would also like to know that our mayor and City Council have thought about it and have an answer.

Larry Keyser

Spokane

Murray right to block Serrano

Congratulations to Sen. Patty Murray for moving to block the nomination of Trump loyalist Pete Serrano for the post of U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Washington. With her “blue slip” senatorial power, Murray can block this outrageous nomination.

President Trump, himself a convicted felon, continues to run roughshod over the rule of law when he nominates people like Serrano, a right-wing extremist and former Pasco mayor who has defended the pro-Trump rioters who attacked police officers at the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, in an unsuccessful effort to overturn the November 2020 election of Joe Biden.

Since August, Serrano is currently serving as the interim U.S. attorney in Spokane but can only hold that position for 120 days without Senate confirmation. His record makes it clear that he should not be allowed to continue in that important job.

In his unsuccessful race last year for Washington attorney general, Serrano called the Jan. 6 rioters “political prisoners” during a debate with his opponent Nick Brown, who was elected last fall as Washington’s new attorney general. Serrano holds extreme anti-abortion views contrary to our state’s pro-choice majority. He also was the general counsel of the Silent Majority Foundation, which has sued our state over COVID vaccine regulations and gun laws.

We have had many Republican U.S. attorneys in Spokane who have upheld the rule of law during their tenures. Serrano would be a worrisome departure from that tradition – and an ongoing threat to our legal system.

Karen Dorn Steele

Spokane

Vaccines make a difference

I grew up before many childhood vaccines existed. I remember the real cost of preventable diseases – my cousin spent months in an iron lung from polio, a friend’s mother died of tetanus and a neighbor boy nearly died from whooping cough.

As a pediatric nurse practitioner, I cared for three generations of children and saw firsthand how vaccines save lives. Thanks to immunizations, diseases like smallpox, polio, rubella, measles and Haemophilus influenzae B had become rare or eliminated in the U.S. Vaccines prevent suffering, disability, birth defects and death.

This year, Washington has already seen 10 confirmed cases of measles, including one presumed case here in Spokane. Two of Idaho’s three cases occurred in counties near our city. According to the CDC, measles is so contagious that if one person has it, nine out of 10 unvaccinated people nearby will get infected.

Some measles patients develop serious complications – pneumonia, encephalitis (which can cause convulsions, deafness or developmental delays) – causing permanent disability. These are especially dangerous for children younger than 5 and adults older than 20.

Most Spokane parents today haven’t seen the devastation these diseases once caused. But they haven’t disappeared – they return when vaccination rates fall. Choosing not to vaccinate risks more than a doctor’s bill; it risks lives.

If you’re unsure about vaccines, talk to your child’s healthcare provider – not social media. You’d trust a trained mechanic with your car – your child deserves at least that level of expert care.

Carol Rudy

Spokane