Letters to the Editor

Birthday Wishes
Today is my birthday. For some reason, I still hear that question, “What do you want for your birthday?” That memory causes me to wonder what my now older self wants for his birthday. Although that ’57 ‘vette would be nice, I’m thinking differently these days. First, an end to war. This current war especially demands my attention because of its cost, not only in dollars but in the rule of law. The impact on us Americans and citizens worldwide is mind boggling, especially when we realize that this is Donald Trump’s war of choice. He and the Republican Party, including Michael Baumgartner, have steamrolled this war down the streets of the world. Secondly I wish for health, education, safety, and a thriving planet for our children and grandchildren. By ending this and future wars of choice, we would have the funds to provide these and then some. There would be no call by Trump and Baumgartner to slash funding for Medicare, rural healthcare, the Department of Education, the EPA, and other programs to pay for multi-billion dollar attempts to overthrow sovereign nations. Thirdly, I wish for a return of our system of government, of the people, by the worldwide for the worldwide away from the abuse of power that Donald Trump and his enablers are trying to normalize.

Dear Patients,
Have you ever felt like the rug was pulled out from under you suddenly, without warning? Thousands in Washington’s 5th CD may soon feel exactly that as major Medicaid cuts begin to take effect. Representative Michael Baumgartner voted for BBB (2025) with significant Medicaid rollbacks. In CD 5, nearly 29% of residents rely on Medicaid, with more than 50% of children covered. As an OBGYN, I care for many of these patients every day. These cuts affect not only current but future enrollees; loss of coverage frequently translates to delayed (ER) care. Emergency rooms must treat them and will no longer be reimbursed for much of that care. Rural hospitals, already operating on thin margins, may be forced to close. That means longer drives for laboring mothers, stroke patients, trauma victims, and cardiac emergencies. In many of our rural communities, hospitals are also the largest employers. Their closure means lost jobs, weakened local economies, and communities pushed further into crisis. Most cuts begin Jan. 1, 2027 after the midterms – the timing is no accident. This is why leadership matters. Bajun Mavalwalla, a retired U.S. Army officer with more than two decades of service, understands rural communities, veterans, working families, and the importance of protecting access to healthcare – not just talking about it. His life of public service reflects the kind of leadership eastern Washington needs. Voters deserve to know who made these choices – and who will fight to protect them.

Why Are Our Counties Ignoring Public Safety Funds That Could Change Lives?
When the Washington Legislature passed Senate Bill 2015 in 2025, it created a $100 million public safety grant program to help law enforcement agencies improve crisis response, training, and to purchase equipment. These funds can be used for programs that save lives and for equipment such as body cameras and drones. Yet Stevens County, Ferry County, and Pend Oreille County do not appear to have applied for these funds. That is deeply concerning because rural counties were specifically intended to benefit from this program. The Washington State Criminal Justice Training Commission even allows agencies to receive advance funding assistance to hire a grant writer or contract with a company to prepare applications. Round one is already closed, meaning our counties have already lost access to the first round of funding opportunities. Round two is expected to open up soon, and there may not even be a third round. This should not be political. It is about public safety, fairness, fiscal responsibility, and ultimately saving lives. Our communities pay taxes too, and we deserve our fair share of these public safety resources. As citizens, taxpayers, and voters, we should all demand that local leaders pursue these funds before this opportunity disappears. The burning question is why. Why haven't our elected officials taken steps to secure this much needed funding? Residents can learn more at cjtc.wa.gov/public-safety-funding-program-eshb-2015.

Tax day was a few weeks ago and we have since heard Republican politicians like Michael Baumgartner bragging about how voters were getting larger tax refunds. Maybe, but let me share a personal anecdote. My shirttail cousin who lives near Burlington, Vt., is 67, on Social Security but still working as a long haul truck driver because his wife is younger, and her health needs costs more than they could afford if he retired. In a family Facebook thread, he related, “I was surprised at how much I got back on my taxes this year. The problem is, nearly the entire amount of that refund was spent on increased cost of diesel fuel on my last trip to the West Coast and back. That price increase began after Trump started the war with Iran. How am I to afford my next trip?” Incidentally, he is from the side of the family that supports Trump. And that increase in fuel prices will be passed along to the public in the form of higher prices on food and consumer goods. At events in his district last week, Baumgartner repeated his claim that higher tax re- funds, as small as they actually are, makes America more affordable. Touting tax refunds without acknowledging the overall economy is typical of his out-of-touch relationship with the voters of this district. He continues to support the war and tariffs without any understanding of how they affect his constituents. He needs to be re- tired.

Tax Time
In his April 17 newsletter, Michael Baumgartner bragged about how the Big Beautiful Bill (BBB) has put money into the pockets of District 5 residents. According to IRS data, the average increased refund was $351 per taxpayer. Do the math. The Republican tariffs have increased annual costs to each of us by $1,700 according to the Joint Economic Committee. Now determined illegal, we are responsible to pay for a refund program for those tariffs. Will those companies lower their prices after they receive their refund? Donald Trump’s war, which Michael Baumgartner supports, has increased gas prices at the pump by about $50 per driver, each month, by conservative estimates. Increased fuel costs to farmers and truck drivers have driven up costs of goods. The costs for Donald Trump’s war are in the billions of dollars per day. He has stated, due to the war costs, Medicare/Medicaid and other programs need to no longer be funded by the federal budget. Meanwhile, the BBB tax cuts are increasing our national debt up to $5 trillion over the next 10 years while cutting social services. Let’s make Michael Baumgartner a one-term representative.

Let's Fight Corruption
Political corruption is “the use of powers by government officials or their network contacts for illegitimate private gain.” Our president has torn down part of the White House, manipulated tariffs to enrich himself and his family, bombed Iran without congressional authorization, stacked the Supreme Court to give him immunity for potential crimes, and given ultra-wealthy people Cabinet positions, ambassadorships, pardons, and dropped investigations of their crimes, as long as they are loyal to him.
Imagine the uproar if any Democratic president had done these things. Trump won't live forever, and someday a president you don't like will be in power. At that point, nothing will stop that president from doing the same corrupt things without consequences. Is that really a precedent we want to set?
The freedoms we have in this country are there, in part, to protect us from government oppression no matter what group is in power. Now those are gone – unless we fight to protect them.

To the Editor:
As a graduate of Chewelah Public Schools, I write in support of the upcoming library levy. Voters will have received their ballots by mail, and the answer could not be more obvious: yes, to funding this levy, the first in 25 years. Yes to retaining talented and knowledgeable staff. Yes to providing greater access and resources to curious minds.
Many of my positive memories of growing up in Chewelah start at the public library. The summer is a crucial period, as many young people have unstructured months to fill with activities while school is out of session. The Chewelah Public Library and Loon Lake Library were vital connections to the community for my family, who lived several miles into the country. Any visit to town during the summer months involved hauling books back and forth. Before internet access was available, the computers we learned on were at our local library.
The Libraries of Stevens County form a critical link between community, technology, information, and education. I urge voters to approve this levy and extend these same resources I benefitted from to current and future generations. Vote yes, and drop your ballot off at your nearest ballot drop box today.

As a graduate of Jenkins High School and past user of the Chewelah Library, I’m asking you to vote “yes” on the levy happening April 28.
As a child, I checked out literally every book on sharks or dinosaurs, and read my way through every Hardy Boys mystery on the shelf. As a bookish high schooler, I took refuge in the library and read until sports practice was over and I could get a ride home.
This is not a unique story – it’s a very average story of a publicly funded public good where people can access knowledge and have skilled professionals help them print court documents or passport applications, discover a new book or e-book, or get online with high speed internet for Zoom classes. The Libraries of Stevens County do this every day and have never had a levy increase since formation in 1998. Inflation, gas prices, labor costs, and more have gone up in 28 years, and as frugal as the library has been, increased costs mean that without this levy there will be reduced hours and staff, full day closures, and fewer new books, e-books, and other materials.
It doesn’t have to be this way. Vote “yes” on April 28 to help families and kids learn to love reading and learning. Vote “yes” to bring back weekend hours at the library for the next decade. Your ballot is already in your mail box, so return today to avoid any delays with USPS.

Follow history – then vote
I’m retired; I receive Social Security. Franklin D Roosevelt, a Democrat, created this insurance program and the Civilian Conservation Corps because 25% were out of work; people lived on the streets. The DuPonts, Rockefellers, and J.P. Morgans were frustrated by FDR’s programs. These top 1% of wealthy families owned more than the bottom 40% combined.
John F Kennedy, a Democrat, created the “New Frontier” program, raising the minimum wage; Lyndon B Johnson, a Democrat, brought us Medicare and Medicaid; Jimmy Carter, a Democrat, established the Department of Education.
Bill Clinton, a Democrat, created 23 million jobs; Barack Obama, a Democrat, brought the Affordable Care Act; Joe Biden, a Democrat, created the Inflation Reduction Act to allow Medicare to negotiate drug prices.
The Republican Administration and Congress, which includes eastern Washington’s Michael Baumgartner, are doing their best to destroy programs for average Americans. Baumgartner rubber stamps everything Trump does to control our economy, hurt eastern Washington farmers, and close medical facilities. And, it doesn’t stop there. They’re working to stop you from voting reasonable people into office.
They’re succeeding. The wealthiest 1% now own more wealth than the bottom 93%. They evade billions in taxes with yacht and jet plane deductions. I don’t have to wonder who Baumgartner is beholden to; his voting record aligns with Trump’s efforts. Even Trump’s followers are aware of, and resent, increasing prices. Please, vote for Democrats before we lose our democracy.

Stevens County residents love the rural lifestyle of our home – room to hike, fish, hunt, boat, and explore. Unfortunately, our far flung homes and towns can be a long way from services. Do you know what bridges the gap when we need information, entertainment, and technical support? Our local library system covers residents from Northport to Suncrest and all the homes and businesses in between. Each local library is interconnected with the others, and you can check books or other materials out of a huge catalog. County libraries have a delivery system that will provide materials from anywhere in the district a day or two from the time you request them. Kids and families can enjoy story times and craft projects throughout our county. Not everyone has internet service, but the libraries have free connectivity and technical support.
I especially enjoy downloading books over the internet, accessing books 24 hours/day. This was especially important during Covid, when we were all so isolated. My husband and I were in New Zealand when that country was locked down, and I can tell you that it’s hard to keep yourself busy when you’re in a small hotel room. Our salvation lay in our ability to download books from our Stevens County Library.
Our library system provides endless opportunities for education, entertainment, enrichment, and support, whatever stage of life you and your family are in. Please support the levy which allows the libraries to continue their vital work.

On April 28, the Libraries of Stevens County is sponsoring a levy request aimed at maintaining programs and services throughout the County at current levels. And what do we get at these current levels?
Our local libraries provide a lot more than just the physical books, movies, or audio you can check out; which you can even borrow online.
Our local libraries offer free wi-fi, internet access and computer use. Space is provided for seed exchanges and gardening classes, job training and practice interviews, story times and read- alongs for local kids, craft times and projects for all ages, and more. The local library branch provides a safe place to go after school until parents get off work, interactive public art projects, and meeting spaces for private groups.
Need to borrow camping or exercise equipment, yard games, or kitchen appliances? How about passes to state parks and local museums? Not sure how to find information or resources you need? Your local librarian will help you out.
Also, please keep in mind that the amount of this levy is small. If you own a $300,000 property, you are looking at $132 annually, an increase of just $4.35 per month more than the current levy rate. And if you don't own property, well, you get all the library services for free. So join us in supporting this valuable community asset on April 28.

The United States is at a state of war with Iran. Donald Trump is trying to label this as something that is “not war,” therefore, not requiring Congressional authorization. U.S. service members have been killed. A U.S. submarine has sunk an Iranian warship in international waters. The administration has been in contact with defense contractors to increase production of arms. This goes beyond any of the ever-shifting rationale from the administration for this military action.
When asked about this issue, Congressman Michael Baumgartner offers only historical perspective about the evil that is Iran. He has once again knelt before the throne and allowed Donald Trump to engage the United States military without Congressional approval.
When commenting on the spike in gasoline prices caused by this war, Congressman Baumgartner’s suggestion was that the state of Washington should revise its tax structure. Why is it Washington state’s responsibility to pay for Washington D.C.’s multi-billion dollar blunder?
This administration has taken the stance that it is better to ask forgiveness by going to court, rather than permission though the Congress. Hold them responsible with your vote this November.