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Baumgartner bad for environment
Representative Baumgartner claims that he values forest health and outdoor recreational access, trotting out his professor of forestry father as proof of his understanding (by this logic, I must be a mechanic).
Then he tries to rationalize his support of decreasing national monument and federal land protections (including the Roadless Rule, which he thinks is “overcomplicated”), and allowing mining and fracking on federal lands.
Because oil jacks and racing dirt bikes are what I want to experience when hiking or camping how about you? Will vehicle noise, logging, and mining improve your horsebacking, hunting, and fishing?
Baumgartner supports Trump’s EO resuming use of lead ammunition and tackle on Federal Lands, despite decades of evidence that these lead pieces in the environment directly cause unintended deaths of water fowl (sorry, hunters) and Bald Eagles (who needs a national bird anyway?).
Baumgartner supports eliminating large swaths of National Park staff, impairing Park functions and accessibility. He is all-in on cuts to Forest Service to shift resources to fewer areas multiple states away, while claiming to be working on improving local wildfire response - how does closing 2 Washington Forestry labs improve our state’s forest management?
Midterms are coming right up - this is the time to get rid of Baumgartner’s hypocrisy and disdain for the Eastern Washington residents he pretends to represent and what we actually value.
-Jessica Adams Colville
Vote Matthee to improve women’s healthcare
As a resident of Bonner County and a voter in Idaho Congressional District 1A, I am concerned about the quantity of medical resources in Idaho. Idaho’s near total ban on abortion caused the loss of all of Sandpoint’s OB-GYNs and 42% statewide. That same legislation has discouraged doctors from coming to the state, adding to Idaho’s dismal rating of doctors per capita.
This is one reason I am supporting Karen Matthee for Idaho House District 1A. Karen has a firm commitment to not only bringing OB-GYNs back but to increasing the total number of doctors in the state. Karen will support more exceptions to Idaho’s abortion ban. She will fight to fund WWAMI (the University of Washington’s regional medical education program) and the U. of Utah’s doctor training program, both of which bring doctors to the state. Karen will fight to protect Medicaid expansion, overwhelmingly approved by Idahoans but constantly under attack by the legislature.
I have known Karen for several years, and she is hard-working, knowledgeable, objective and compassionate. She is attuned to the needs in her community and will fight for them. Please join me in voting for Karen Matthee (kmattheeforidaho. com) for District 1A on
Nov. 3.
-Sherry Ennis Sandpoint
If you want responsibility, vote Conroy
There are many reasons to vote for Michael Baumgartner. If you like the Trump tax cuts, vote for Baumgartner. If you like higher healthcare costs, reduced funding for rural hospitals or reproductive healthcare for women or food support for children, or the rollback of clean air and water standards, thank Baumgartner and vote for him. Other things you get with Mike include massive funding for ICE abuses, a border wall Mexico won’t pay for, limitless military spending, cash subsidies to the coal industry, bailouts for big agribusiness, and a ballooning national debt.
If you like the increased cost of living due to tariffs and the Iran war, then vote for Baumgartner, who will never utter a word contrary to Trump policies. Maybe you voted for Baumgartner for the degradation of the National Parks or our National Forests and BLM land being opened to resource extraction or data center construction and then closed to the public, or our unique friendship with Canada being destroyed, or providing cover for pedophiles- mission accomplished.
On the other hand, if you want representation in DC more closely aligned with your values and needs, Carmela Conroy is the obvious choice. Do it! Vote Carmela!
-Roger Haick Loon Lake
We simply cannot afford it
Those dots that Mr. Hanson (“Conflict of interest in the PUD race,” Sept. 16 issue of The Miner) has been connecting are the reflective side markers along the highway known The Grizzly Way. It’s the one piece of road in Newport that’s always maintained.
You saw this with Curt Knapp’s defense of the salary increase for the new general manager.
Curt asserted that in order to keep this top tier talent, we must offer more money or else he may sign with another team with deeper pockets.
On the surface that sounds good, many companies use this messaging.
But it’s not exactly a good sell in a community with lower income levels of all sorts and rising costs across the board.
This is a person who graduated here whose passion has been this industry. Odds are this is a person “coming home” now, and, in that regard, you wonder why this person can’t take a home town discount the way ball players used to re-signing with the current team.
PUD was at the bottom level of salary amongst its competitors for a number of obvious reasons.
It’s why Spokane doesn’t have a major league team of any kind to root for. They simply can’t support it.
-Aaron King Blanchard
Vote for transparency
If you’re ready for a transparent, caring, and well-informed leader, Jane Sauter deserves your vote for District 1A representative. I met Jane before she became a candidate, and she was already studying the Idaho Constitution and how our Congress works. Sadly, it’s often riddled with cronyism—a “scratch my back and I’ll scratch yours” mentality. Jane isn’t running to gain wealth and notoriety.
She stands on her principles, and in her soft-spoken, gentle way, she’ll stand firm against anything that threatens our safety and freedom in Idaho. She stands behind the Christian beliefs our nation was founded on and, with passion, will protect the unborn and all vulnerable residents.
Having raised nine children, Jane has strong communication skills and experience settling debates.
She bases her decisions on solid, evidence-based information.
Jane will work to ensure Idaho residents have the first option for good jobs and to slow the flow of young people leaving the state because they can’t afford the local cost of living. Jane will fight for all Idahoans, far beyond the boundaries of District 1A, because Jane cares and wants all Idahoans to enjoy safety, good health, and the freedom Idaho is known for.
-Teresa Lunde Sandpoint
We know how Baumgartner operates
It’s difficult to know how a candidate will perform once he or she is elected to office. Candidates are generally very good at campaign speeches that blur the issues and paint themselves in a good light.
However, when an incumbent is on the ticket, we can look at his record to judge whether or not he gets our vote to continue along the same path.
Thus, we have incumbent Michael Baumgartner challenged by Carmela Conroy for the 5th Congressional seat. It is clear how Mr.
Baumgartner handles his position. We know that he follows the wishes of the President and ignores the duties assigned to Congress in the Constitution. We know that he votes for bills the President deems worthy even if they make life harder for his constituents. We know the current state of the economy is a direct result of his attitude of bowing before the MAGA machine.
Carmela Conroy brings varied local and international experience. She has promoted ending the tariff chaos, funding Medicaid and Medicare at levels previous levels, returning to integrity with our allies including Canada and following the laws of our country rather than the whims of our egotistical President. She has my vote!
-Martha Nichols Newport
This is not your father’s Republican Party
The chaos, misinformation, disinformation, lies, attacks, collu- sion, corruption, wars, gas, etc., etc. It’s exhausting! The Trump Regime and MAGA have destroyed the Republican Party and if it is not stopped now, our democratic constitutional republic is next, and soon! We need ALL voters of all parties to not vote Republican, they must get the message that this is not working for anyone but Trump, his billionaire buddies, the Heritage Society, and project 2025!
There are many examples of excellent candidates in these letters every week and on every ballot.
I want to emphasize to every voter regardless of party or preference that this is unarguably the most critical election of ANY in the history of this country! Our very form of government is on the line. “Democracy Is On The Ballot” (Marc Alias).
There is nothing more true at this time! The likelihood that the upcoming election will be free and fair is still in doubt, much less the next!
This is not your father’s Republican party, it hasn’t been for over 50 years.
Vote for freedom, vote for reform, vote for Democracy! DON’T VOTE RED!
-Jay Omundson Cocolalla
Remembering Scott Herndon
With the election coming up, I’d like to remind folks about Scott Herndon and his sorted history in our region. Most of us in Sandpoint remember him as the guy who harassed children on their way to school by waving graphic images of dismembered fetuses in their faces (without parental consent, mind you), or as the guy who got thrown out of a church, and as the man who paraded around the Farmers Market with a megaphone, spewing twisted interpretation of scripture and again waving graphic images in front of people. Herndon is so out of touch that on a recent YouTube video, he said, “If the Constitution of the United States or the State of Idaho says it’s okay to have an abortion, then we should burn the Constitution.” Do we really want this man who is willing to burn our constitution to represent us? Luckily, we have a more reasonable, logical, and sane option. Vote for Steve Johnson, a man who would never burn our constitution, for State Senate on November 3rd.
-Leah Opitz Sandpoint
Vote Yes on hospital bond
I am writing as a supporter of Hospital Proposition 1 for the Newport Community Hospital expansion. To keep up with growing healthcare demands, the hospital MUST expand.
As a part-time resident and Pend Oreille County property taxpayer, I am fully invested in the outcome of this bond measure. Even when we are not at our Newport property, my family chooses to drive from Spokane for primary care, surgeries, lab work, imaging, and minor emergencies. It is often faster for us to drive to Newport, receive care, and return home than to wait in a Spokane emergency room. It can be easy to take for granted the excellent care and shorter wait times Newport Community Hospital provides.
As a veteran, I receive care at Newport Community Hospital through the VA Community Care Network. An expanded hospital could provide space to serve more local veterans, including those who struggle to travel to Spokane for care.
Although I own property and pay taxes in Pend Oreille County, I am not a permanent resident and cannot vote in the November election. My “YES” vote will instead come through community outreach in support of Hospital Proposition 1.
-Kimberly Pacheco Spokane
Jane Sauter will stand up for life
When choosing a representative, voters deserve to know where candidates stand on issues that matter most. Protecting human life is one of those issues.
Jane Sauter has been involved in the pro-life movement since she was a teenager. She has made clear that she will be a strong and unwavering defender of life, not only standing up for unborn children, but also respecting the dignity and value of the elderly.
This November, Idaho voters will face a decision regarding Proposition 1, the Idaho Reproductive Freedom and Privacy Act.
Voters should look beyond slogans and understand what the initiative could mean for Idaho’s protections and parental rights.
Jane believes Idaho should continue protecting unborn life and preserving parental involvement in decisions affecting minors. She opposes efforts to weaken Idaho’s protections and expand abortion access.
This election is about more than labels. It is about the values we want our representatives to defend and the Idaho we want to leave our children and grandchildren.
Jane Sauter has the courage to stand firm on her convictions. She believes every human life has value and deserves dignity and protection.
Vote Jane Sauter for Idaho House District 1A.
-Emily Palmer Cocolalla
Interesting
There are some similarities between COVID and the current AI scare. Both were created in labs. Both ‘escaped’ labs. Both would ‘harm’ us. The media pushed the fear hard on both. Both require ‘experts’ to define what they were telling us. Oh yeah, both were/are in an election cycle. Interesting. Trump just announced a permanent agreement with Denmark and Greenland. The US will now provide security for Greenland indefinitely.
He always had his eye on Greenland for the protection it will provide America.
Trump bans CNN, MS NOW and Politico from the White House.
They continue to deliver ‘fake news’. While in Ireland recently for trade talks, Trump mentioned he would like to see a united Ireland. The next day, Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales announced a plan to leave the UK. The Trump Administration recently announced that we now have weapons in space.
We just remembered the 25th anniversary of 9/11.
In newly declassified documents, they show that both the Clinton and Bush Administrations knew an attack could come yet did little to investigate further. Remember on 9/10 when Donald Rumsfeld announced that there was $2.3T ‘missing’ from the Pentagon?
-Glen Pierce Spokane/Cusick
Baumgartner a rubber stamp for Trump
A recent opinion piece by the Wall Street Journal Editorial Board stated “President Trump took exception last year when we called his tariffs against Canada and Mexico the dumbest trade war in history. It got dumber this weekend as Mr. Trump escalated with another round of border taxes on Canadian imports, a mere 10 weeks before midterm elections.”
That’s a rather strong statement from a traditionally conservative news source.
But consider where we are economically. The current inflation rate is now 3.4%, up from 2.7% since January 2025.
Consequently, the Federal Reserve Board just raised the prime interest rate and that means consumer loan rates will increase.
We are currently in a DJT war of choice with Iran which has choked the supply of oil globally; gas pump prices have gone up dramatically and are likely to continue climbing. Egg prices? Check out the berry section of the produce department.
It’s time for a change and we can start by electing Carmela Conroy as our representative to the House of Representatives.
Her opponent has proven himself to be a rubber stamp for DJT and his misguided economic policies.
-Sandy Nichols Newport
Jane Sauter will stand for secure borders and the rule of law
America has welcomed people who come here legally to build a better life, and legal immigration has strengthened our nation for generations. But a nation without secure borders cannot effectively protect its citizens or uphold the rule of law.
That is why I support Jane Sauter for Idaho House District 1A.
Jane believes America has both the right and responsibility to secure its borders and enforce immigration laws. Illegal immigration can place additional pressure on local resources, including law enforcement, schools, emergency services, and other public services. It is also unfair to those who patiently follow the legal process.
SEE LETTERS, 6A FROM PAGE 5A
LETTERS:
Millions around the world are waiting to enter the United States legally. Our laws should mean something, and the legal process should be respected.
Strong borders also help protect communities from human trafficking, organized smuggling, and cartel activity.
We can be compassionate while enforcing our laws and welcoming legal immigrants.
Jane Sauter will stand for secure borders, legal immigration, and the rule of law.
I encourage voters in House District 1A to support Jane Sauter.
-Annette Thompson Hope
