The following Letters to the Editor appeared in the May 6, 2026 edition of the Star Valley Independent. Submit your own letter for future editions.

Editorial: A broken system is costing America trillions – I see it in Wyoming

‘Natural resources …power the nation’s economy’

By Cynthia Lummis

As one of America’s greatest strengths, natural resources like gas, coal, and rare earth elements have powered the nation’s economy, helped put food on the table for families, and provided aid for allies in times of need. That is what makes it so maddening when a broken permitting system stands in the way of these critical benefits, especially in rural communities throughout Wyoming.

It’s become a trend in the Cowboy State for companies to sit in regulatory limbo for decades, taking an average 29 years to bring a new mine online in America. Since 2002, only three mines have come online in the United States while China has built entire industries.

The last two Democratic presidents slow-walked and killed traditional energy projects while green-lighting questionable renewable energy deals. In the final months of his presidency, Biden stopped federal coal leasing in the Powder River Basin of Wyoming and Montana, threatening the source of about 40 percent of the country’s coal. President Trump has started to change the costly and unpopular decisions implemented by the Biden administration, but it’s up to congress to codify project certainty into law.

Thanks to regulatory changes under the Trump administration, it only took 19 months as opposed to the typical 26 months for the Nuclear Regulatory Commission to review Terrapower’s proposed nuclear reactor in Kemmerer; bringing new jobs to western Wyoming on a reasonable timeline. Despite this win for natural resources, it’s possible the project could still be killed should the next Democratic administration decide they don’t like it.

America can protect both the environment and the economy by fixing the current permitting system, and Congress needs to take the opportunity to do so.

Read my full op-ed in the Washington Post: A broken system is costing America trillions. I see it in Wyoming.

Happy Trails,

Cynthia M Lummis

County Pay Raises

Dear Editor

Reguarding Lincoln County Commissioners pay raise:

If the County Commissioners think they deserve a pay raise, I believe that they need to consider all of the County employees as well. My husband, the late Shane Robinson, enjoyed working for Lincoln County as Physical Facilities Manager, taking care of all the County buildings from Alpine to LaBarge for fifteen plus years. It was a lot of hard work to keep everything up and running efficiently.

He did an excellent job. He always put work first and only ever received the “Cost of Living” increase yearly that the County Commissioners authorized to give, with a, “keep up the good work”. The County “never had money”  for raises to their employees, is what they always said.

I feel if you increase one person’s income, you need to consider everyone, especially those working in the trenches. They have family that depend on their pay check, probably even more so that the Commissioners or the heads of the County. The County should have considered every employee as they considered themselves. Times are hard, but they are hard for everyone and everyone deserves to be recognized, especially those giving their all for Lincoln County.

Thank you for your time.

Jennifer Robinson

Prayer Gathering

Dear Editor

I would like to thank all those who came to the prayer gathering for peace held on Sunday, April 26, and hosted by the local Bahá’í community.

At a time when the world can feel divided, it was good to see people come together in peace and kindness. People gathered with a shared hope for peace in our community and the world.

In addition to prayers from different faiths, a talk by Abdu’l-Baha from 1911 was read. He commented on the causes of war and the need for peace in response to the start of the Italo-Turkish war that saw great destruction and injustice. Abdu’l-Baha said “When a thought of war comes, oppose it by a stronger thought of peace. A thought of hatred must be destroyed by a more powerful thought of love.”  Someone shared this thought: “Since wars begin in the minds of men, it is in the minds of men that the defenses of peace must be constructed.”

Events like this remind us that peace starts in small ways, in our own community, when people meet with respect and care for one another.

Dru Hanich

A Taxpayer Survey Lincoln County Won’t Send

By Amber Hyde

Disclaimer: The following article is protected speech under the First Amendment to the United States Constitution and reflect the author’s opinions based on publicly available, information and legislative proceedings.

The Lincoln County Board of Commissioners won’t ask you to rate them—so let’s do it anyway.

Here are the questions.

How happy are you with the way county elected officials spend your money?

How happy are you that the county savings account sits at $53 million, especially in comparison to your own personal savings? After all, it’s your money.

How likely are you to attend a public meeting—or a commissioners meeting—scheduled at 1 p.m. on a weekday?

How likely are you to attend if those same meetings were held after 6 p.m. and made available online?

Would you approve up to $7,000 of taxpayer money to make those meetings accessible online—even though the technology can be implemented for practically nothing?

How happy are you that blue-collar county employees—the ones doing the heavy lifting—were not included in the recent pay raises granted to elected officials?

How satisfied are you that funding has been cut from services like Weed and Pest and the Fair Board, while the mill levy on your property taxes—specifically allocated to those departments—has not gone down?

How happy are you that the Afton Volunteer Fire Department remains a volunteer force while the county holds $53 million in reserves?

How satisfied are you with the county’s planning and zoning fees and permitting process?

How do you feel about vehicle registration fees—and the return on your investment there?

How effective do you find the so-called property tax abatement program?

If you were a victim of local injustice or violence, how satisfied were you with the service provided by the Lincoln County Sheriff’s Office?

And if so, how satisfied were you with how the County Court system handled your case? Would you vote to build a new courthouse in Kemmerer?

I could go on.

Now imagine this: the county seat in Kemmerer is a five-star, global elite restaurant. You’ve made a reservation. You’ve dressed for the occasion. You’re prepared to spend over 50% of your yearly wages for what you’re told will be an exceptional experience.

Instead, they serve you a frozen TV dinner—and present it as cuisine fit for a king. Do you quietly walk out, say nothing, and accept the loss?

Do you leave a bad review online and move on?

Or do you call the manager, demand accountability, and insist on getting your money’s worth? That’s where Lincoln County stands today.

Residents were told just last month that we are in a recession. Yet now we’re told there’s enough money for raises at the top—but not enough to restore services, improve access, or invest in the workforce that keeps this county running.

So here’s the final question:

Who—grounded in merit and integrity—is willing to step forward and run for these local offices?

Because if the answer is no one, then we’re left with a different outcome: we let the system continue unchecked, hope it somehow corrects itself, and cross our fingers that when the time comes for “We the People” to lead, there’s still something left to rebuild.

Rate that.