Letters to the Editor

And what are you actually bringing to the community?
How many permanent, good-paying jobs will you create? Will you hire locally, use local contractors, invest in workforce training, and bring enough economic and tax benefit that the people who live here actually see a return? If another company can do it better – let them. The concerns people have about data centers are real. But those concerns are also our negotiating power. Our land, water, power, environment, and quality of life have value. If data centers are coming, we shouldn’t just decide whether to accept whatever proposal lands in front of us. We should set the expectations, invite competition, and make them prove why they deserve our yes. They shouldn’t be choosing between communities. We should be choosing between them.

Dear Editor,
Sept. 11, 2001, will live in infamy. I was getting ready for the day when my daughter called and said, “Quick, Mom, turn on your TV.” I did and stayed glued there for hours, Kleenex box at my side. The horrors of first responders going up elevators and business people coming down. I will never forget; it will be etched in my memory until the day I die. Rudy Giuliani, New York mayor, took charge. He gave us information that was accurate and often. The third plane that was headed for the White House, Todd Beamer, our hero, was aboard. He led a few helpers to make the plane crash at Shanksville, Pa., when he said, “Let’s Roll.” To go from Rudy, the one we so admired, to Mamdani, the socialist, in 25 years is unimaginable. Let us find a way with God’s help to bind us together.

The Modrite Fire
After about 20 days, 22 miles, and about 24,00 acres burned, the Modrite Fire reached Inchelium. Did the fire management team order the backfire on Silver Creek Road across Stensgar Creek? There were no fire lines dug, nor were there any crews left there to monitor the burn. The Super Bowl excuses of, “We followed the game plan,” ”The special teams didn’t do their jobs,” and, “Besides the wind and the weather made us lose,” are not sufficient answers. This is not a Super Bowl bet that was lost. We lost everything because of the backfire, mismanagement, and as the rent-a-sign on Silver Creek Road turn-off should read, “Cau- tion: Firefighting Inactivity.”

The Essence of Patriotism
I’ve been reflecting on the roots of our country. On July 4th, our nation celebrates its independence, its freedoms! We honor our Declaration of Independence, our Constitution, and the Founding Fathers who created them. We fight wars to defend the values written in those valued documents. Have you considered that we are celebrating the revolutionaries who fought against the status quo of England and its king in order to create the United States of America? These rebels would likely be considered the “far left” of today. The revolution was based on wanting self-governance and freedoms that were not available to the people at that time. The British under King George III attempted tight control over the colonies and were imposing unfair taxes on the people – without them having any say or representation. Thomas Jefferson, one of our Founding Fathers, famously endorsed the perspective of “When injustice becomes law, resistance becomes duty.” To resist and rebel against the actions of people in government who are taking away our freedoms, and not following the rule of law or the Constitution, is patriotic. We would not be living in the United States of America with the freedoms we do have, even though they have been weakened in recent months, if it were not for the patriots of the revolution. Vote before it is too late and this current president, who yearns to be a dictator or king, and this Republican-dom- inated Congress who enables him, continue to slash our Constitution to shreds

Does Representative Baumgartner Support Trump’s Project 2025 Approach to Public Lands?
Stevens County depends on the Colville National Forest for clean water, wildlife, recreation, and a rural economy built on healthy forests. These lands are part of our identity. That’s why I’m alarmed by how closely the Trump administration’s public-lands actions follow the Heritage Foundation’s Project 2025 plan – and how closely Representative Michael Baumgartner has aligned himself with those policies. Project 2025 calls for weakening environmental reviews, fast-tracking logging, expanding drilling and mining on federal lands, and transferring federal land out of public ownership. Trump has already moved in that direction by repealing the Public Lands Rule, accelerating drilling permits, and pushing “energy dominance” across national forest and BLM lands. When protections are stripped away, rural communities pay the price. And based on his records, Baumgartner’s actions already show he supports this direction without hesitation. Baumgartner’s record shows a consistent pattern. He publicly praised the Fix Our Forests Act, which speeds up logging and weakens environmental review on federal forests. He voted for the PERMIT Act and pipeline coordination bills that fast-track fossil-fuel projects and cut oversight. He supported the conveyance of Forest Service land out of federal ownership – a move that mirrors Project 2025’s push to shift public lands toward private or county control. He also backed mining-streamlining legislation that reduces regulatory safeguards. These are not isolated votes. They form a clear alignment with Trump’s public-lands agenda

In November, we have the chance to vote for real representation for eastern Washington. Carmela Conroy supports rural healthcare by committing to work to restore Medicaid funding, protect Medicare, and reverse cuts to SNAP. Michael Baumgartner speaks of his $50 billion dollar bandaid for healthcare while neglecting to mention he voted to slash Medicaid by $1 trillion. His plan to “protect” SNAP and Medicaid dollars is to make it harder for those who are eligible for the programs to access the programs. In short – Baumgartner says people depend on the programs so we have to protect the programs by not letting any- one use them. Affordability? Conroy says end the tariffs that American citizens are paying. Baumgartner? Cut government spending because it adds to the national debt. He again neglects to mention the One Big Ugly Bill he voted for that cut billionaire taxes and is expected to raise the debt by almost $5 trillion. Carmela Conroy takes no PAC dollars and supports full disclosure of political spending. Michael Baumgartner does take PAC money. The majority of his campaign money comes from special interests out- side the district. He doesn’t cite any necessary campaign spending reforms. He’s just fine with a system awash in dark money. Conroy has been traveling the congressional district for months meeting people where they are. Baumgartner meets with his supporters only, or curated groups. The choice is clear. Vote for Carmela Conroy.

Our nation’s 250th year of independence has been celebrated by people all across America, but what did we truly commemorate? Some of us remembered and honored the ideals and deeds of the people who opposed the king of Great Britain, created a republic, and worked and actually fought to truly “form a more perfect Union...and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity.” Another group of fellow citizens proudly proclaimed their love of our republic while devotedly supporting a deranged king who rules by whatever whim he has at the moment, despite the Constitution and our historical values. They willfully choose to ignore abundant evidence of the harm he commits to our nation and to the world; their professed patriotism is hollow and an insult to those who have founded and defended this nation and to those who have struggled to live its dreams. We are heirs to a representative republic; we didn’t fight against the British king just to crown our own. Sadly, there are cowards in office who believe otherwise and who kiss the hem of Donald Trump’s coat; Michael Baumgartner is one such person. The Democratic and Independent primary votes far exceeded Baumgartner’s tally, so honor your citizenship, do your true patriotic duty, and vote him out of office. “Democracy” is often described as a verb, so do it.

Free Speech? “Depends on Trump”
Jonah Valdez’ The Intercept, Aug. 27, headline reads, “‘They Want People Scared.’ Former Palestine action member blasts Trump’s terror sanctions. aAnti-genocide organizers say the ‘terrorism’ label is intended to crush direct action against Israeli weapons shipments.” Valdez continues, “The Trump administration on Wednesday an- nounced sanctions against the U.K.-based anti-genocide protest group ‘Palestine Action,’ which organized the 2021 demonstration and dozens of subsequent actions at U.K. factories owned by Isra- el’s largest weapons manufacturer, Elbit Systems. The goal, in the U.S. government’s words, is to ‘protect Americans from the risks posed by far-left terrorism.’” U.S. residents who “depend on Trump” disagree with him have to share the fear of Sesame Street’s Count Floyd – “Ewwww, scawy!” “We are facing unprecedented attacks on dissent by the same powers that are committing genocide in Gaza,” said Huda Ammori, co-founder of Palestine Action, in an interview with The Intercept. “We are at a point in history where it’s extremely crucial to contin- ue to resist and grow in our movement, rather than back down and to adapt and become less reliant on institutions which are essentially controlled by the powers we’re fighting against.” Anti-Fascism and anti-Nazism are targets of “depends on Trump” terror-labeling. Some Democratic establishment, corporatist do- nor recipients agree with Trump, working against the People’s own self-interests, attacking far-left winners of Congressional House and Senate primaries poised to take back Congress. Our youth rejected corporate greed during Vietnam; our youth are rejecting corporate greed now, favoring the needs of the People.

Dear Editor,
Having lived in this area all of my life, I have never seen the fires so devastating as this summer. We can never thank our firefighters, first responders, or volunteers ever enough. We need to expose the evil people; the low lifes who start fires are so heartbreaking. There were thousands of us praying for everyone’s safety. I again and again thank you.

It’s official; America is now $40 trillion in debt. Trump and his sycophants, like Baumgartner, refuse to act in citizens’ interests. War costs continue to grow. Tariffs are debilitating; inflation surging. Tax breaks and avoidance for the rich are sickening. Yet, while cutting funds to our public lands, healthcare, etc., millions are being spent on the reflecting pool, a ballroom, and gold encrusted everything in the White House. Priorities are skewed; logic out the window. Perhaps the biggest expenses we face are due to climate catastrophe, which will keep growing if the consequences of burning fossil fuels and building AI/data centers are ignored. They seem to have no interest in reducing energy consumption and producing clean alternatives. Incredibly irresponsible. Meanwhile, farmers are up in arms due to the lifting of tariffs on imported beef, people are going bankrupt just to afford healthcare, and housing prices make it impossible for first time buyers to afford a home. But Trump, his family, and his cronies don’t seem to be hurting. Trump’s personal fortune rose by an estimated $2.2 billion in 2025 alone. Insider trading led to astronomical gains in the stock market for the wealthy. Even Barron Trump has gotten in on the grift: his net worth has been reported to have gained by $150 million. The gravy train hasn’t left the station and probably needs some extra cars. Please register and vote in November. Let’s make Baumgartner a one-term representative. Let’s stop this madness.

After Michael Baumgartner won the primary election on Aug 4, he dismissively said his opponent would not pose a difficult campaign since he had previously beaten her by 20%. That was his way of saying he will not campaign before the public this year. A vote for Baumgartner is a vote to abandon constitutional checks and balances in favor of a Trump rubber stamp. The modern Republican party demands loyalty, and Baumgartner’s near-perfect alignment with Donald Trump’s executive agenda (99%) ignores the unique, localized needs of Washington’s 5th Congressional District. By supporting Trump’s aggressive border tariffs and the Iran War, Baumgartner fails to shield eastern Washington’s vital agricultural sector from devastating global trade retaliation and increased costs. His compliance places political loyalty above local wheat growers, wine producers, and rural small businesses. Furthermore, Baumgartner’s zealous backing of the Trump-endorsed SAVE America Act creates unnecessary, suppressive hurdles for rural voters, students, and elderly residents trying to access the ballot box. His environmental votes similarly match Trump’s agenda by rolling back critical clean air reviews and greenlighting aggressive extraction policies that threaten Pacific Northwest natural resources. Baumgartner’s failure to act as an independent voice has fundamentally fractured his relationship with constituents. When confronted by a frustrated public at a Whitworth University town hall in March 2025, he deflected rather than addressing local concerns. He has not appeared before a general audience since. Electing Baumgartner ensures that Trump’s demands will always override the economic and environmental interests of eastern Washington residents.

Michael Baumgartner doesn’t boast about many of his votes, but he actually wrote that he was “proud to vote ‘Yes’ on the SAVE America Act” and “Requiring ID to vote is just common sense.” If only implementation of the bill was easy to accomplish. The SAVE Act would require that proof of citizenship be presented when voters register in person at a county elections office. Currently, most voters register online, by mail, or at the DMV and only 6% of voters register in person. Birth certificates, passports, or enhanced driver’s licenses would be the only valid credentials sufficient for registration with a few rare exceptions. Further, if the names on these documents do not match exactly, it creates a name discrepancy. Women who change their legal names through marriage or divorce would face additional steps to fix this discrepancy at considerable cost in travel, time, and money. The requirement applies any time a voter updates their registration, including after moving. A move as harmless sounding as changing units in an apartment complex would trigger the need to reregister. Noncitizen voting is exceedingly rare despite the best efforts of election skeptics. While Baumgartner argues the SAVE Act is necessary to prevent noncitizens from participating in federal elections, it would introduce severe logistical roadblocks for thousands of eligible American citizens who happen to live far from urban centers, such as right here, in Baumgartner’s predominately rural district. The devil is in the details which Mike refuses to acknowledge.