Letters for Tuesday, June 23

STA wasting taxpayer money

So, STA is once again looking to fleece the taxpayers so they can waste our money. Imagine for a minute if only the people who use their services were the ones paying for it. Do you think then that STA would be wasting $1.2 million a piece on the double -decker electric buses that can be destroyed by someone who probably shouldn’t be driving them hitting a bridge? Do you think STA would spend the money more wisely if they had two-thirds less to spend, because that is what the amount is that is paid by people who don’t use their service.

Also there’s those of us who live outside the service area but in the Spokane area who have no say in the vote but who pay the taxes anyway because we shop and purchase goods and services in Spokane and Spokane Valley or have to travel out of state to Idaho to avoid the taxes. We also don’t have access to the service because we live outside the service area. Isn’t this taxation without representation? Why should we have to pay for a service that even if we wanted to use, we would have to first drive to where the service area is? What’s the point in that? Why not make it a countywide vote?

Really the question those who are allowed to vote on the tax should be asking themselves is, “Is STA using our hard-earned money wisely?” If you believe the answer is no, then please do us all a favor and vote “no” for all of us who aren’t allowed to. Thank you.

Rob Leach

Mica

Since when is bipartisanship a bad thing?

I am gobsmacked by the behaviors of both Spokane County GOP chair Rob Lineberger and Democratic Rep. Natasha Hill for attacking candidates in their own party for the apparently unacceptable sin of bipartisanship (“Candidates face backlash for finding common ground across the aisle,” June 21).

God forbid that those running for office would actually try to get along with those they disagree with and find some common ground. Who knows, they might actually get something done instead of just feeding the rage machine that infects every level of our government.

This is so tiresome and embarrassing. It is up to us as voters to hold our elected officials and those who operate the party machinery behind the scenes to a higher standard. I’m very angry and frustrated about the verdict that was returned in the trial of the Spokane 3, but that verdict was returned by a jury, and not Nicolette Ocheltree.

In the end, all of this has nonsense accomplished the opposite effect of what was intended. Cathcart looks like the most qualified candidate for auditor, and Ocheltree suddenly becomes a more visible candidate than she was before due to her lack of endorsement from the local party.

Emily Grizzell

Spokane

Thanks to first responders

To all the firefighters who worked the Upriver fire, thank you! So very grateful!

Jan Frisch

Spokane