Letters for Friday, Jan. 23

Unintended consequences

Regional land use policies and highway development may have increased local homelessness while shrinking our long-term water supply. Spokane’s natural advantage is the Spokane River and the slower river beneath it. But neither the snarled traffic nor the subdivisions splattered all over the top of the aquifer have replaced the affordable neighborhoods removed for the long-held dream of a North/South freeway. Perhaps we should line the riverbanks with restaurants, thereby increasing city revenues while emphasizing the link between good food and abundant water. More pleasurable access to the river might elevate the value we place on it even as we begin mining it dry.

Don Hornbeck

Spokane

S-R statistics for pro- vs. anti-Baumgartner letters

I always read the S-R letters to the editor with great interest. I have been meaning to keep track of the letters which are pro-Baumgartner vs. anti-Baumgartner. My frequent need to be out of town for family reasons has prevented me from doing a dependable comparison, but my sense is that an overwhelming majority of the letters published have been questioning and critical of Baumgartner’s positions on various topics, both foreign and domestic. These letters are generally well thought-out and contain key points which I believe are representative of the predominant thinking of informed members of our region. The pro-Baumgartner letters largely appear to be praising of our representative while providing little content or points defending specific policies and opinions of our representative or the party which he represents.

Since I have been unable to complete my tally of these letters, I am hopeful that S-R can provide this tally, and, even better, give their readers a sense of the tally for all letters received, not just the published letters.

I believe that S-R fairly represents both sides of the opinions about our representative. Further, the syndicated authors printed in the newspaper definitely represent the spectrum with editorials from George Will, Marc Thiessen, Michelle Goldberg and Catherine Rampell. This is fair inclusion of conservative and liberal positions. The S-R should keep up the good work, but please inform us of the relative count of pro vs. con letters about Baumgartner.

David McKinney

Spokane

Looking to Engell to vote the walk

In the Jan. 8 issue of the Chewelah Independent an article noted our 7th Legislative District Rep. Andrew Engell was selected by the bipartisan Council of State Governments to be an “early career state legislator” participant in its December 2025 Western Legislative Academy. The training focused on rules of legislative institutions, effective communication, negotiation, and conflict management. As Rep. Engell stated, to better his approach to work “thoughtfully, professionally, and with respect for the institution and people we serve.”

Engell feels his participation reflected his commitment to serving all constituents in 7th LD and advancing sound public policy. His goal being use of honest conversations searching for “solutions to improve people’s lives, not destructive politics that divide us.”

He’s a legislator who hopefully will live up to the expectations of the council and voters like myself that he will indeed search for sound bipartisan solutions to the urgent challenges (including overcoming the current massive billions-of-dollars state budgetary shortfall) facing the citizens of Washington state and our rural 7th LD, many living in a crisis battle-for-survival mode. That he will reach across the aisle in Olympia and work with his Democratic counterparts. That he will vote his conscience, not lock-step, frog march to the Trump party line rhetoric. That he will not pull a Baumgartner. That he won’t just talk the talk, but vote the walk. And help take us forward to a life that is sustainable and affordable!

Larry Ludwig

Kettle Falls