Letters for Saturday, Jan. 24

Baumgartner, face facts about Good’s killing

In speaking to The Spokesman-Review, Rep. Michael Baumgartner says the cold-blooded execution of Renee Good by a rogue, foul-mouthed ICE agent was “justified”? Justified by what?

Did he see the same videos the rest of us did? The videos showing Good trying to gently leave a protest because unidentified masked men were breaking into her car? The videos showing her slowly turning to avoid ICE agent Jon Ross, who was in no danger? The videos showing Ross jumping in front of her car to kill her, then continuing to shoot through the side window while screaming slurs at her?

This is America. We don’t punish people for opinions, much less gun them down. We should all be ashamed, and I certainly hope Baumgartner is.

Prosecute Ross. Get rid of ICE. We have police. We have the Border Patrol. They do ICE’s job better, without being an unaccountable army of masked, heavily armed thugs unleashed by the thousands upon the streets of whatever American town Trump doesn’t like this week. First it was Los Angeles and Portland. Now it’s Minneapolis. Next it could be Spokane.

David Camp

Spokane

Fire Horses miss the point about Snake River Dams

The Jan. 15 letter titled “Year of the Fire Horse” repeated several misleading claims about the Lower Snake River Dams. The author asserted that the dams produce only 4% of our electricity, that hydropower is becoming unreliable due to declining river flows, and that it would be “cheaper and wiser” to replace the dams with wind and solar.

The data tells a different story. In 2024, the Lower Snake River Dams generated approximately 5.3 terawatt-hours of electricity. Or roughly the amount consumed by Seattle in an average year. That same year, the entire wind turbine fleet across Washington produced about 8.8 terawatt-hours. In other words, it would take an additional 60% of the state’s existing wind generation to replace what these four dams already provide.

When measured against actual electricity consumption, the dams actually supplied about 6% of Washington’s power in 2023. This is a huge quantity of carbon-free, dispatchable power, and it is misleading to frame it as trivial.

Individuals who cite zodiac signs while talking about energy issues shouldn’t be shaping our understanding of policy and the environment. Misinformation that undermines our power system only survives when the institutions charged with educating the public on these issues don’t do their job. We need honest, fact-driven public engagement about where our electricity comes from, so that we can make realistic, fact-driven decisions as a region.

Adam Ratliff

Pullman

Kudos to The Spokesman-Review

In her Jan. 14 letter, Earl Moore heaps effusive praise on Congressman Baumgartner, urging his re-election. In her defense of Baumgartner, Moore also pointed to “growing concern among community members that The Spokesman-Review only represents the views of a small segment of the population, particularly those who oppose President Trump and are quick to assign blame.”

Despite attempts to delegitimize what Moore believes to be a small minority, the truth is that Baumgartner is in lock step with Trump and the MAGA regime. He owns the chaos and lawlessness that has all but destroyed the United States, along with every other elected official who has appeased and enabled the president. Baumgartner has sat on his hands as Trump has invaded Venezuela, threatened Denmark and Cuba, imposed costly tariffs, allowed ICE to terrorize and brutalize American citizens, targeted a growing list of political opponents, and withheld funding from Democratic controlled states, all while spending billions of our tax dollars to satisfy his unquenchable thirst for power, with virtually no accountability.

Due to Baumgartner’s refusal to meet with his constituents, “a small segment of the population” has few options to question or confront our elected representative. The Spokesman-Review, by publishing articles questioning Baumgartner’s effectiveness, is to be commended for providing a service that our congressman has avoided. That service provides a forum for voters to exercise rights under the First Amendment – the right to petition the government for redress of their grievances.

Robert Shoeman

Liberty Lake