Letters for Wednesday, June 3

Better ways to lower costs than a gas tax holiday

On June 1, The Spokesman-Review reports that the GOP is asking Gov. Bob Ferguson to pause Washington’s 55 -cent per gallon tax for environmental mitigation. While 55 cents per gallon would offer significant relief on the cost of gasoline, we could achieve three times that relief with another action: open the Strait of Hormuz. After all, gasoline and diesel were about $1.65 gal cheaper in February before Trump attacked Iran.

There is nothing wrong with the various taxes attached to gas and diesel, to offset the real expense of road wear and tear, along with the environmental impacts of internal combustion engines. The notion that “there must be a balance between the environment and the economy,” is silly when we’re wasting about $1 billion per day to make the rubble bounce in Iran – without any sign of the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz.

Even if the strait opened today, the cost of gas and diesel will remain high into autumn (because, among other things, large oil tankers travel at the speed of a bicycle). Why should we have to sacrifice the environment to accommodate grotesque incompetence in the White House?

John Sahr

Otis Orchards

Spokane 3

Looks like the “Spokane 3” got it wrong. If they had participated in a violent demonstration, destroyed property and attacked law enforcement agents in support of an unlawful attempt to overthrow the government (based on a totally bogus claim that the 2020 election was “stolen”), they would be free to commit other crimes. As it is, they face jail time for a nonviolent attempt to stop what has been ruled an illegal detention by ICE agents. Better luck next time , guys.

Marjorie Greer

Spokane

Trump comes for your national parks

In our current era of “flood the zone” public policy, two recent developments may have slipped under the radar for many folks. And since these policies impact Westerners in general, and lovers of the national parks in particular, here is a summary.

First, it has been revealed that national park entrance fees to the tune of $67 million have been diverted from park maintenance and redirected to renovations of ornamental fountains in Washington, D.C. That means deferred upkeep of roads, visitors centers and safety features at Glacier, Mount Rainier and other parks, all of which currently suffer from chronic under funding even before this theft of money.

Then, late Friday, Trump rescinded prior executive orders dating back to Nixon prohibiting or restricting off -road vehicles from federal lands, potentially opening the national parks to environmental degradation. Forest Service lands currently provide authorized ORV routes, but that is not enough for some individuals who apparently are inspired to drive into wetlands, turning them into mud holes. Left to nature, recovery from these insults can take generations.

Locally, wetlands in Woodward Meadows east of Chewelah, and creeks and wetlands along Calispell Creek in Pend Oreille County have been abused by a deplorable few. The scars remain visible decades later. Trump seemingly wants to make such vandalism easier to accomplish.

Just more examples of Trump debasing public property for his own pleasure (see White House, Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool, arch). I’d ask Baumgartner to intervene, but why bother?

Roger Haick

Loon Lake