Letters for Friday, Feb. 6

2026 congressional election

Regular readers of the letters to the editor in The Spokesman-Review would surmise that our 5th District representative, Michael Baumgartner, will be summarily dismissed in the November 2026 election. My observation is that the letters are at least 90% unfavorable to Mr. Baumgartner. I would assume that this is indicative of significant dissatisfaction with Mr. Baumgartner’s job performance. However, it should be noted that the readers of The S-R are better informed than the general electorate, much of which is unaware of the extent to which Mr. Baumgartner panders to the president and the far right.

While I, as a Never Trump ex-Republican, will vote for anyone the Democrats nominate for Washington’s 5th District representative, this is not necessarily true of voters in general. The Spokane Democratic Party needs to find a candidate for this position who can give the voters a reason to vote for that candidate other than “he or she is not Mike Baumgartner.”

Camilla Conroy appears to be a front runner for the nomination. As a reminder to the Spokane County Democratic Committee, Ms. Conroy lost to Mr. Baumgartner once; doing the same thing over and over again and expecting a different result is the definition of insanity.

The SCDC needs to identify a centrist, electable candidate now. This person should be put before the public with a message that he/she represents all of the 5th District, not the interests of the president of the U.S.

James Clanton

Spokane Valley

Lower Snake River power production declining

A new reality has emerged regarding lower Snake River dam electricity production.

Consider these facts: From year 2000 to 2020, the average annual power production of all four dams combined was 936 average Megawatts (aMW – average megawatt). From 2021-2025, however, annual production declined to just 669 aMW. That’s a drop of almost 30%, and nothing on the horizon suggests any change in this trend.

You can find the Army Corps of Engineers’ monthly power production data here: nwd-wc.usace.army.mil/ftppub/power/

Bonneville Power Administration’s 2024 White Book estimates the Pacific Northwest’s total regional electricity load at 26,145 aMW. To that regional load, each lower Snake River dam contributes just 6/10 of 1%; all four dams combined contribute only 2.6%.

While power output has dropped significantly, production costs continue to rise. Add in expensive fish mitigation expenses, and the lower Snake River dams are a financial liability. The sooner their electricity output is replaced with cheaper solar energy, the better for all citizens of the Pacific Northwest.

Lindwood Laughy

Moscow, Idaho