Letters to the Editor

Dear Editor,
As a direct paternal descendant of Oliver Wolcott (1726-1797), one of the 56 men who signed the Declaration of Independence, my family and I very much appreciated the festivities at our fairgrounds on the 4th of July. Much applause for the woman who organized the gathering, and thanks to Country Chevrolet for the free hot dogs. Lem Lemx. Sincerely, James Gordon Perkins

If some of the wealthiest individuals on the planet tell us AI and its associated data centers are so hugely beneficial to mankind, why would they seek to maximize profits when they already control a disproportionate amount of the planet’s wealth? In the late 1800s, the so-called “robber barons” accumulated vast wealth, often by exploiting the citizenry. Then, to buy public tolerance and polish their images, ruthless 19th-century industrialists pivoted to massive, high-profile philanthropy. Their strategies to manufacture public goodwill included Carnegie’s libraries and Rockefeller’s donation of land to the parks system. They and others founded and endowed universities such as the University of Chicago, Vanderbilt, and Stanford. They donated to the arts and museums of the time. Carnegie wrote influential essays arguing that the rich were merely trustees of their wealth and were obligated to use it for the betterment of society, painting their fortunes as a societal benefit rather than a result of exploitation. This current crop of robber barons (Musk, Zuckerberg, Bezos, et al.) just want to bleed the public dry. Musk tweets white supremacy; Bezos buys super yachts. Wouldn’t they be better citizens if they “donated” AI/data centers for the public good? In the early 20th century, it took Republican President Theodore Roosevelt to finally say ”Enough is enough,” paving the way for monopoly-busting and subsequent wealth redistribution from the greedy few to the many. If the country is to survive and thrive, it’s time for that to happen again.

Eric Simpson is running for Stevens County Auditor on a platform of transparency, integrity, an open office, and in-person voting. Throughout his life, Eric has earned a reputation as a hardworking, dependable leader who works well with others and follows through on his commitments. I believe he will bring that same work ethic and dedication to serving the people of Stevens County. I encourage voters to learn more about Eric, his background, and his vision for the Auditor’s Office by visiting his Facebook page and his campaign website, EricForAuditor.org. Then, make an informed decision when you cast your ballot.

The coming mid-term elections could turn out to be the most historic in our nation’s history. We have a choice: continue giving incompetent, unethical federal administrators carte blanche? Or should sanity prevail? Our president’s cognitive decline is evident. Yet his ad- visors, agency heads, loyalist members of Congress, and even some Supreme Court judges don’t acknowledge it. Encouragement exists, but it comes with a caveat. We must vote. It’s imperative that we flip Congress this November. The corruption in Washington D.C., is without precedent. Trump, his sons, and uber-rich associates are making billions in crypto schemes, insider trading, no-bid contracts, bribes, and blatant conflicts of interest. We taxpayers foot the bill. Michael Baumgartner is one of the president’s most loyal devotees. His praise for the commander in chief is confounding. His voting record is abysmal, i.e., the Big, Ugly Bill, which goes into effect after the elections. That way, Congress members can avoid voter retribution. His recent amicus brief in favor of a White Nationalists submitted bill, that would end birthright citizenship is telling. The Constitution is expendable. Now, the GOP has a new scare tactic to outrage voters: Communists! Despite no communists running in the upcoming elections, they want you to think otherwise. Don’t fall for the lies. The many, many lies. We can flip Congress if we get out the vote. We can make Baumgartner a one-time congressman. It’s never been more crucial for our democracy. Please vote. It matters more than ever.

Thirty Years Behind Democracy’s Front Door
On July 10, Shannon Hughes will celebrate 30 years of service in the Elections Department of the Stevens County Auditor’s Office. In an era when public service often goes unnoticed, Shannon’s career reminds us that democracy depends not only on elected officials, but also on the dedicated public servants who work behind the scenes to ensure elections are conducted fairly and accurately. Since beginning her career with Stevens County on July 10, 1996, Shannon has helped administer every election held in Stevens County. Through presidential elections, local races, school levies, special elections, and ballot measures, she has been one of the steady hands ensuring that every eligible vote is counted and every election is conducted with integrity. Over three decades, Shannon has participated in roughly 75 to 100 election events. Each required preparation, attention to detail, long hours, and an unwavering commitment to serving voters. While candidates, issues, and political climates changed, her mission remained the same: providing fair and professional service to the citizens of Stevens County. Most voters never meet the people who process registrations, prepare ballots, verify signatures, answer questions, and work late into election nights. Yet these public servants form the foundation of trust in our electoral system. As July 10 approaches, we should take a moment to recognize Shannon Hughes for her 30 years of dedicated service. Her professionalism, commitment, and quiet stewardship of our elections are a legacy worthy of gratitude and recognition.

Data Centers – What’s the Real Story?
Data centers are often promoted as economic engines, but communities rarely hear the full story of their impact in advance. Taxpayers start paying for these projects long before being built – and sometimes even when it never happens. To attract developers, local governments approve tax breaks, discounted utility rates, and costly infrastructure upgrades years in advance. Roads get widened, substations expanded, and water systems upgraded on the public’s dime while the company can walk away if they want to. The community is left paying off infrastructure debt for a project that never happened. Even when a data center is built, benefits are often overstated. Modern facilities typically employ only a few dozen workers, many of them specialized positions filled from outside the region. And the environmental cost is real. Data centers consume enormous amounts of electricity and water, straining local resources and leaving long-term impacts on the land, rivers, and air. In the end, people pay – and the earth pays too. This is why the newly introduced Artificial Intelligence Data Center Moratorium Act matters. Supporters say it would pause new AI-driven data centers until stronger safeguards are in place to protect water, power grids, taxpayers, and the environment. Meanwhile, Rep. Michael Baumgartner has supported legislation that would make it easier for datacenter permits to move forward, even when environmental or community concerns are raised. Residents must look closely at what these policies really mean for rural communities like ours.

Holding Public Office
Serving as a small-town mayor taught me something simple but important; when you hold public office, you follow the rule of law, you avoid conflicts of interest, and you put the community first. Even though I only voted in the event of a tie, I was still required to recuse myself from any decision where I might personally benefit. It was the basic expectation of ethical public service. People deserve to know their leaders are acting for the public good, not themselves. What surprises many is how different the standards are once you move from the local government to Congress. At the local level, officials must avoid even the appearance of impropriety. In Congress, lawmakers can legally own stock in companies directly affected by the legislation they vote on, and they are not required to place their assets in blind trusts. While this may be permitted under federal law, it doesn’t match the level of transparency and accountability the public expects – or deserves. Public service should not become less ethical as the responsibility becomes greater. Whether you represent a town of a few thousand or a nation of millions, the principles should be the same; act with integrity, be transparent in your business dealings, and put public interest above personal gain. Trust in government is built on these foundations, and it erodes quickly when leaders fail to uphold them. If small-town officials can meet this standard, Congress and Baumgartner should be able to as well.

In a world of constant bad news, I have something to say that isn’t. The golf course in Colville’s Dominion Meadows is in excellent shape! Some friends invited me to play a round of golf and I was blown away with how pleasant all of the staff was and the fantastic condition the golf course was in. Everything is very manicured and the greens are true and super fast. If you’re the occasional golfer or working on your handicap, I would highly recommend checking it out.

Celebrating 250 years of America
No one could ever love America more than me, except our Lord. Why does everyone want to come here if it isn’t great? I remember what our first presidents went through that was reclaimed by God. I am sure they are looking down from heaven, seeing everything they accomplished being abused. Millions of us are following Charlie Kirk’s lead to make things right again. Let’s all work hard to bring back the principles our country was based on and find a way with God’s help to join together this magical year.

If you drive Southwood Shores Road at Deer Lake and enjoy the dust free experience, I encourage you to vote for Mark Burrows as our County Commissioner. Mark was a strong advocate for this paving. His leadership demonstrated care for the overall health of this beautiful lake.

Massive data centers that allow for the rapid expansion of AI are in the news recently. Many communities are realizing that there are serious problems associated with them such as power and water consumption. Allowing data centers to pay industrial rates for electricity often causes rates to skyrocket for residential users. Data centers use gargantuan amounts of water to cool their servers, resulting in hot waste water that must be disposed of. Frequently sited in the arid west, they can run wells dry and raise water rates. Because expansion has been so swift and unregulated, 70% of all Americans are now opposed to data centers. And because some communities have given tax breaks to the AI companies, leaving taxpayers footing the bill for infrastructure, grassroots resistance to assess costs and benefits is now the norm, both in Seattle and more recently Spokane. Europe has gotten ahead of the planned expansion by regulating growth in advance. They realize that the social license to build is the most valuable permit a developer holds – once you’ve lost the public, you’ve lost the buildout. Among other things, European regulations require data centers to fully fund infrastructure, including electricity, water, and roads, rather than passing that cost on to ratepayers. Green energy is required, instead of building new coal or gas burning power plants. We should take a lesson from Europe. Whether or not we want AI, if we are forced to have it, the companies should bear the full cost of development.

Freedom of the Press is a First Amendment right, but it’s under attack. The Trump administration restricts access, uses legal intimidation, and launches verbal attacks against journalists. In February 2025, the White House denied access to an Associated Press (AP) reporter and photographer from Air Force One because the AP refused to refer to the Gulf of Mexico as Trump’s decreed “Gulf of America.” On Jan. 18, independent journalist Don Lemon reported on a protest that took place during a church service in Minnesota. On Jan. 30, Lemon and journalist Georgia Fort were arrested on charges of conspiracy and interfering with the First Amendment rights of worshippers. Both pleaded not guilty. They were covering the protest, not participating in it. On Feb. 3, CNN reporter Kaitlin Collins questioned Trump about the release and redactions in the Epstein files. Trump responded, “You are the worst reporter. CNN has no ratings because of you.” Trump went on to criticize her for not smiling. Collins answered that she was asking about Epstein survivors, an appropriate reason for not smiling. Trump did not answer the question. On June 5, in an interview with Kristen Walker on Meet the Press, Trump said, “You are either crooked or stupid, your elections are crooked and you’re crooked and so is ABC, CBS, and CNN,” once she began to call out his lies about the 2020 election. The First Amendment is being eviscerated by the Trump administration. We must defend it or lose it. Thank you,