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We are lucky to have an excellent candidate who will work for ALL Idahoans in the upcoming election.
Karen Matthee is running for Legislative Seat 1A in North Idaho.
She is by far the most qualified candidate to represent us. Karen has a rich, varied background: non profit work, journalism (old school style with facts), editor of a parenting magazine, volunteer work. She meets challenges with full force.
“I’m running to fight for your freedom, your families, and for a state government that is responsible to all Idahoans,” Karen states.
Read her website, reach out to her, listen to her… Karen is our best bet for Legislative Seat 1A.
She will work successfully across the aisle, has real life practical solutions, ideas to help our families thrive in North Idaho.
Forget the labels: Republican, Democrats, Independents…Look at the person, their mission. I have voted for Republicans (and not as a RINO), Democrats, Independents. I look at the person, read about them, look into their background.
Karen is an outstanding candidate, the best representative we could have for Legislative Seat 1A. Yep, she is a Democrat which may immediately influence a vote. Voters, do your research, read her website.
Thomas Jefferson famously wrote, “An educated citizenry is a vital requisite for our survival as a free people.”
Do not go blindly into the polls voting by party only.
Educate yourself! https:// www.kmattheeforidaho. com/ - Ann Giantvalley of Sandpoint
Why Do People Vote Against Themselves?
Why do people vote against their best interests? This age-old question is relevant for many Michael Baumgartner voters.
My father many years ago opined that people so dreamt of joining the rich that they closely related to them and voted with them.
But economic mobility has greatly diminished, including by the billionaire friendly “One Big Beautiful Bill” championed by Baumgartner, so those dreams should be rudely awakened by reality. Hard work now may not ensure economic security.
Vowing to make Democrat Barack Obama a one-term president, long-time Republican Senate leader Mitch McConnell opposed everything Obama, and then Democratic ex-President Joe Biden, proposed to help the working class.
Consequently, the working class justifiably has felt forgotten, and many emotionally relate to President Donald Trump’s angry rhetoric, even though he’s never done anything for their welfare — in fact, along with Congressional Republicans like Baumgartner, he has made life harder for them. Unfortunately, many people vote their emotions, rather than rationally in agreement with their best interests.
However, for many voting for the shrewdly deceitful Baumgartner, the answer may be much simpler — they haven’t monitored Baumgartner closely enough to discern the big difference between what he says and what he does (how he votes).
- Norm Luther of Spokane
Happenings
The US Census Bureau is analyzing the 2020 election comparing voters to citizenship. Out of 128 million, they found 24,000 non-citizens that voted illegally. They have about 32 million yet to analyze. My question is how/why were they allowed to vote?
John Solomon just reported that Venezuela has been perfecting stealing elections for years. They set their voting machines up to switch votes without leaving much of a trace.
We have been using those machines for the last several election cycles. Was President Maduro an agreed-upon extradition? Solomon also reports that China has been in our elections.
Recently, election fraud is being exposed in many directions. We need secure elections.
In other news, democrat fundraising platform ActBlue’s co-founder Matt DeBergalis testified in a closed-door hearing and took the Fifth when asked about foreign donations.
I thought political foreign donations were illegal?
David Morens, top Fauci advisor, pleads guilty to concealing COVID records from the public.
He’s looking at five years.
Did he squeal on Fauci?
Emails showed that Fauci knew about the negative miscarriage data from the vax. High percentage.
There’s a lot going on if you stop and look around!
- Glen Pierce of Spokane/ Cusick
We should all be watching wildfire effects
Three years ago, I flew my plane over the Oregon Road fire near Elk and was amazed by one home being a burned foundation and a nearby home untouched by the fire. A fire chief explained that homeowners with equipment who stayed behind saved their home and other homes nearby.
Looking at the Spokane urban interface fires there are entire blocks of destroyed homes and some accounts of people staying behind and fighting fires to save homes. No lives were lost because most people followed evacuation orders, but I must say saving my home would be something to consider.
Fellow letter writers often cover political trivia and amplify statistical insignificance, whereas fires are a danger to all of us.
This summer the World is on fire.
The factors of temperature, humidity, wind speed, and weather patterns are facts unexplained by political thinking.
If you live in the woods in a wooden home on a hillside, your life and home are at increased risk.
All of us are going to pay for wildfire losses with increased insurance premiums or cancellations.
We can’t alter the climate, but we can take dozens of actions to mitigate the increased risk we face.
- Pete Scobby of Newport
Such a caring community
As the wild fires raged around Spokane, the monastic community at Sravasti Abbey wanted to find a way to support the families that had lost everything.
The Interfaith community in Spokane sent a number of helpful links to call that were receiving items of various kinds and it was heartening to see how quickly the support came together a day after the fires started.
The Abbey chose three organizations: Second Harvest accepting nonperishables, Spokanimal accepting food for pets and Project Beauty Share accepting toiletries and personal care products for firefighters.
What was so inspiring when we called them was their sharing on how overwhelming the support from people all over the region and beyond for the families and support teams. They felt blessed to be a part of a community coming together to provide such generosity on so many levels to care and provide for those suffering right now.
It just shows that we have loving kindness at the center of our hearts and despite whatever the media amplifies how much we are divided, times like this remind us that we all want happiness and safety, not just for ourselves but for each other, and we will do what we can to make that happen.
- Thubten Semkye of Newport
Rebuilding a life
With the recent fires in the Spokane area, it’s easy to focus on local fires and forget the devastation there.
Hundreds have lost their homes. These are small communities without the resources of a large urban area.
So many are looking to rebuild their lives, and we want to help.
Imagine living in a room or apartment with few possessions. Food is important, but cooking requires pans, dishes are needed to serve, utensils to eat. Mops, brooms, vacuums are items taken for granted, also bedding and linens. Storage containers help while living in confined spaces.
After the Oregon Road fire, a group of neighbors selected a location to accept donations of tools to distribute to fire victims. Imagine reaching for a hammer or a screwdriver, only to discover you have none. Donations included household items, rakes, shovels, hoses, weed eaters, mowers, as well as chainsaws, table saws, drills, bits, planers, even compressors.
Perhaps your group, church or other organization could collect games, toys, sports equipment; balls, golf clubs, racquets or craft supplies; yarn, beading, fabric, even sewing machines.
Animals are also stressed by disaster, in unfamiliar surroundings without their favorite blankets, toys and beds.
Find donation drop offs online and the type of donations requested.
Please help.
- Bon Wakabayashi of Elk
Consider SAVE
In response to “SAVE Act introduces roadblocks to citizens”.
A significant majority of Americans support voter identification measures, with polls showing 77% to 84% favor voter ID, including 62% of Democrats.
The Act doesn’t require you to register at an Elections Office. It describes “any method” of voter registration per state. Obviously, the writer didn’t read the act. Washington State has requirements and timelines for name changes at the DMV for IDs, where they can register to vote with those same documents at the same time. They also confirm the information is correct before processing.
A responsible adult would still have the necessary documents for a name change before the Act’s enactment.
In response to “How are you helping freedom?”
We were crawling out of the GD in the 1930s with the New Deal programs.
Boeing built over 98,000 aircraft, including troop transports, not just bombers. Ford built the B-24 bomber, while North American Aviation built the B-25 bomber. Dupont assisted in manufacturing enriched uranium and plutonium for the atomic bomb, but they didn’t manufacture the bomb.
I am proud to be an American citizen and aim to combat misinformation by conducting unbiased research that helps people make informed decisions.
- Renee Webster of Newport
People should never be a means to an end
In response to Miss Maureen Paterson (Letters, Aug. 19, 2026 issue of The Miner).
You suggest that the men listed in your letter are great American heroes. I can only assume this is all in support and glorification of the current war in Iran.
Your inclusion of Pier Dupont, of atom bomb fame, suggests that this was a great tool for freedom. Yet no repercussions of the use of said bomb on Hiroshima, Japan, in 1945 are ever discussed.
You fail to mention the 80,000 people instantly killed — those whose remains were nothing but a shadow at the center of that bomb.
You do not include the 140,000 people, including children, who died terrible deaths from the aftermath of the bombing. Perhaps, in your mind, such a thing is merely a byproduct for the endless fight for freedom.
Perhaps your letter suggests we should do the same to the people of Gaza. And I ask — what would we gain? Are the lives of innocents, thousands upon thousands, a worthy sacrifice? The people of Iran, of Palestine, of Gaza, are the same as you and me. May you be blessed with freedom of reflection. Perhaps you’ll come to understand that people should never be a means to an end.
- Brianna Williamson of Newport Community comes together
We would like to thank the community for the support of the potato bar for Eric and Mellany Rodgers. We are blessed to see this community come together for a very loving and great couple.
- The Care Team: Carol Becks, Nancy Gunderson, Marjie Miller of Cusick
