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Vote Larson for Idaho House
I am writing to provide a character reference for Kathryn Larson, who is running for Idaho House Seat 1 B in the upcoming election opposing Cornell Rasor.
I have known Kathryn as a community member and support her position on our state tax cuts. Idaho has cut taxes for the wealthiest giving them $5,358, yet the average family only saw $127. Funds were diverted from future transportation projects and firefighting costs. Our local hospitals and schools are making deep cuts to barely operate.
Scott Herndon supports eliminating Property Tax which benefits second homeowners out of state while people who live here will make up the difference. Kathryn Larson is strongly committed to serving Idaho families. I have observed her public service and integrity. Join me in supporting her leadership, vision and dedication.
Andrea Berliner Dover
Conflict of interest in the PUD race
As a young student, one of the things that I especially enjoyed was connecting the dots. The completed picture almost always was something fun to play with or something warm and fuzzy, like a kitten or a puppy. Today I still connect the dots and it makes me consider what the picture at the end will be. The difference to be seen in one of the two locally contested political races seems obvious to me.
A clear evidence of conflict of interest is when an employee, teacher, seeks a board position, PUD Commissioner, that will have the responsibility of making decisions regarding employment of the chairperson of the schoolboard. I am not sure the connected dots are leading to a warm picture for rate payers of the PUD. I believe the independent candidate, Ernie Hood, is a better choice for ratepayers.
Mike Hanson Newport
EDITOR’S NOTE: PUD commissioner candidate David Bradbury is a teacher for Newport School District, of which PUD Director of Finance April Owen serves as board of trustee chairwoman.
Conroy is it
It’s about what kind of a country we want. Which helps determine what kind of world we want. After WWII, our government used the Marshall Plan to rebuild not only bricks and mortar, but also human relationships. It engendered good feeling and kindness in response. This is distinctly missing under our President and Congress, demonstrated by the early take-down of USAID letters and mission.
Wednesday night Spokane heard Rep. Baumgartner and opposing candidate, Carmela Conroy in a debate. Our November 3 election gives us a critical choice. Both have significant background and experience, but what are the VALUES they convey? Baumgartner supports this administration, choosing to bully allies and threatening to take over land belonging to others, and exacting tariffs hurting poorer people. This will increase the threat of terrorists desiring revenge.
The 25th anniversary of the terrorist attacks has special meaning for me. I served on Manhattan afterward caring for children while parents put their lives back together. The heartbreak was intense. We don’t need to have a repeat event! PLEASE VOTE for Carmela Conroy, to change our Congress into one with heart, as well as caution and defense.
Roz Luther Newport
Baumgartner takes both sides on data center debate
In the wake of the recent kerfuffle in Spokane County involving data centers, Michael Baumgartner introduced the Power and Water for Families Act (H.R. 9419) purportedly to protect working-class ratepayers. The bill requires that massive AI data centers must pay the full cost of their infrastructure demands instead of forcing the community to subsidize them. This seemingly supportive stance, however, stands in direct contrast to his vote for the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA) in 2025.
That vote included massive federal incentives for the very corporate entities he now pretends to oppose. The OBBB heavily accommodated AI infrastructure by restoring 100% bonus depreciation, allowing data center operators to deduct specialized hardware, HVAC, and electrical systems immediately. It also restored immediate expensing for research expenditures, artificially accelerating the data center buildout that is now straining local utility grids.
Baumgartner wants you to believe he is on your side. One minute he champions corporate tax breaks that fuel aggressive data center expansion; the next, he feigns shock when working families are left holding the bill for the resulting grid infrastructure buildout. Apparently, this is what making America great again looks like. Vote out the hypocrite, vote in Carmela Conroy.
Deidre McAuliffe Loon Lake
Reality is right in front of us
During my career I worked at the Trident Nuclear Submarine Base on Hood Canal where some coworkers would complain about Democrats not supporting the military. Yet, one of the Trident Submarines was named after Senator Henry M. Jackson, a Democrat, who secured the Base location in Washington. Later I worked at the Kennedy Space Center and finally at the Johnson Space Center which were named after presidents who were Democrats. Still some coworkers would complain that Democrats didn’t support the Space Program.
Reality doesn’t seem to matter in today’s identity politics. Millions of Democrats have defended, sacrificed and died for our country, yet we are labelled as terrorists and traitors who want to destroy America. That’s simply because we don’t accept Trump’s falsehoods and nonsensical claims.
The image I can’t get out of my mind is the USS Abraham Lincoln looking like a rust bucket after 286 straight days at sea fighting the Trump war of choice. Think of the hardships forced on thousands of sailors without a break and tell me how much Republicans like Bumgardner support our military.
Reality is revealed at the gasoline pumps and grocery stores while Republicans claim we have the greatest economy in history.
Pete Scobby Newport
