Letters for Friday, March 6

Sign-in fraud

As residents of Washington state, we have the ability to register our position, either pro or con, on any piece of legislation being considered in Olympia. This can be done via a website, making citizen participation easy and convenient. Our representatives are notified of the pro and con totals, which can reflect public opinion.

Recently, Reps. Abell and Engell sent out an email purporting to show overwhelming public rejection of the millionaires tax currently making its way through the Legislature. This is the opposite of public polling results. Because the sign-in numbers seemed unlikely, progressive groups in Olympia dug into the data and discovered, shall we say, some discrepancies. For example, one of the bill’s sponsors had been signed-in con, and yet when contacted, she denied she had done that.

In a Zoom news conference last week, data was presented showing fraudulent manipulation of the sign-in system and called for investigations by the Legislature and the attorney general. Stay tuned, that investigation is in the early stages.

I contacted the offices of Abell/Engell for comment. Thus far, no acknowledgment that they were duped or are purposefully misleading us.

Julie Everson

Colville

A win for salmon with work still ahead

Thanks to Earthjustice, the Columbia River tribes, and the states of Oregon and Washington for returning to court to fight for endangered salmon and steelhead. The emergency spill and operational changes ordered for the Columbia River and Snake River are a victory for salmon – and the Northwest – even though more will be needed to protect these iconic fish.

Spill is a key measure and is necessary for reducing harm from dam operations, especially for juvenile fish migrating to the ocean. Critics may argue that dams and salmon can coexist without these changes, but the overwhelming scientific evidence shows current operations contribute to the collapse of salmon populations, and small adjustments will not be enough without broader restoration.

Snake and Columbia River wild salmon and steelhead – and the many gifts they bring to our region – are at a critical time. Ultimately, we must restore the lower Snake River and take other steps to bring back fish to healthy, abundant levels. Restoring Chinook is also urgently needed to protect Southern Resident orcas from extinction and begin to increase their population.

Healthy salmon runs sustain tribal cultures, our region’s identity, and fishing economies that support thousands of jobs and generate hundreds of millions of dollars annually, particularly in rural coastal communities and inland Idaho and Oregon. We need leadership from Northwest policymakers to work with tribes and stakeholders on lasting solutions that restore salmon while strengthening our communities and energy system.

Isabella Garcia

Spokane

Democracy works with the press and the people

Thanks for providing a forum for a discussion on whether or not Rep. Baumgartner is representing the needs of his district. The March 4 letter by Roxanne Imus, is among the latest of many letters, this one concluding “His constituents deserve better.”

With hunger skyrocketing and the proposed farm bill in the House doing nothing to help the SNAP program, one has to wonder. With health care costs rising thanks to the so called “Big Beautiful Bill” one has to wonder.

Fortunately, we can express feelings to the representative by calling (202) 224-3121 and asking for him by name. In addition, the midterm elections are coming up, and we can express our opinions with our votes.

So, thanks to The Spokesman for doing its part printing our letters and news stories that keep us updated. Together we can create a better country for all.

Willie Dickerson

Snohomish, Washington