Letters for Wednesday, April 29

Grateful for police response

Last Friday, a small oversight became a real-world test of Spokane’s emergency response. After a concert, I forgot to take my phone off silent and mistakenly left my front door slightly ajar after setting my security system. Overnight, wind pushed the door open, triggering an alert with my security company – though no alarm sounded inside my home.

Because my phone was on silent, neither the company nor my security back-up – my daughter – could reach me. She was out of town and mistakenly believed the alert referred to her own home, reporting that no one should be inside. With no response from me, the situation escalated as it should have.

I awoke to Spokane police officers at my door – startling, then reassuring. Their response was swift, measured and professional. That kind of readiness doesn’t happen by chance – it reflects strong leadership, training, sound judgment and deep commitment.

I am deeply grateful for their vigilance and service.

Judy Cole

Spokane

Elect Carmela Conroy in 2026

Carmela Conroy once again (2026) brings impressive credentials to represent Eastern Washington’s 5th Congressional District in the U.S. House of Representatives. Having run previously in November 2024 against likely November opponent, incumbent Republican Michael Baumgartner, she possesses more experience – learning from 2024 – and greater public exposure/name recognition than other House candidates.

Relevant to President Donald Trump’s broken campaign promises of avoiding foreign wars, Conroy brings 24 years of Middle East and worldwide experience as Foreign Service officer/diplomat (Afghanistan, Pakistan, Norway, New Zealand, Tom Foley’s Japan office), compared to Baumgartner’s lesser appointments involving just two years Middle East experience. Conroy possesses the courage, integrity and wisdom, qualities Baumgartner lacks, to vigorously oppose Trump’s illegal actions and incompetence. Her international expertise would avoid monumental mistakes like Trump – with Baumgartner complicit – neglecting to “know your enemy before going to war” (quoting British-Iranian journalist Christiane Amanpour); for example, Trump ignorantly assumed Iran would resemble Venezuela after being duped into joining Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s cruel war. Trump and Baumgartner seemed clueless that Iran controls Hormuz Strait, and Iran’s closing it would devastate the U.S./world economy.

Baumgartner’s votes and Iran war endorsement have never been sufficiently explained in his (essentially useless) weekly Friday emails. For example, he’s voted for drastically cutting Medicaid, starting Jan. 1, 2027 (One Big Beautiful Bill); increasingly shifting wealth to the rich, including huge tax cuts (OBBB); and widespread voter suppression, affecting more women than men (SAVE).

Unlike Baumgartner’s voting record, Conroy supports working families.

Please vote for Carmela Conroy!

Norm Luther

Spokane

Thank you, Ammi Midstokke

It can be really depressing to follow the news these days. Wars, bombs, shootings, floods, wildfires, sticker shock at the gas pump and the grocery store – the bad news goes on and on.

And then, I open my Spokesman-Review and read words of wisdom, insight and humor written by Ammi Midstokke and I breathe a refreshing sigh of gratitude … there are people in this world who make it a much better place! Thank you, Ammi.

Diane Betts

Spokane