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The Spokesman-Review Newspaper
Spokane, Washington  Est. May 19, 1883

Letters To The Editor

BUSINESS AND LABOR

Banks provide less, charge more

Lo and behold, I remember the time when a bank was happy to accept your money. You were coddled and wooed to put your money in their vault.

Now it has come to the point where I am almost afraid to ask any type of service from my bank.

These institutions have become money grabbers in the worst way. Since the advent of computers and bank machines, they compound service fee upon service fee. Personal contact is almost nil and it has come to the point where some banks charge you to talk to a teller.

I can’t understand why the public must suffer monetary loss while these institutions’ profits grow and their personal services diminish. I believe it is time that depositors let these bankers know money doesn’t grow on trees and that all we want is a fair shake on the service fees, not continued increases for fewer services rendered. James A. Nelson Spokane

‘Educational preparedness’ essential

The recent article on Kaiser points out the importance to business of educational prepardness for companies that must compete in a global marketplace.

Other manufacturers and machine tooling firms need customized training to support their work place needs. Several recent reports verify the need for family-wage jobs. Education and training continue to be the key to success and are a major focus of business organizations planning for the next century. Richard G. Hadley, president Spokane Area Chamber of Commerce

Local businesses show they care

The city and county of Spokane are blessed with a giving, compassionate and loving business community. In the 28 years I’ve lived here I’ve been very involved with community organizations. Some examples are Big Brothers, the March of Dimes, Boy Scouts, and for the homeless and families in need.

Throughout my experience, Spokane business people have been very generous in giving. Seldom have I experienced a flat “no” answer from businesses concerning my help for Spokane people, above all, the needy. Tony Antonucci Spokane

High-pay talk is just hot air

Let’s get the math correct. Fourteen people, not 18, have crossed the Broadview Dairy picket line.

I’ve worked at Carnation, Foremost and Broadview dairies for almost 17 years. During this time I’ve lost 78 days of sick leave. I should have five weeks of vacation and I only have two. I’ve lost 22 years of pension I earned.

Don Barbieri says he wants all these high-paying jobs in Spokane, but at this time he’s trying to cut dairy wages and benefits by almost $3 per hour.

They say they’re not trying to break the union but that’s an outright lie. He wants his 20 percent profit for his company and he wants to take it out of the pockets of his employees. Jim Cottier, Broadview Dairy employee Spokane

HEALTH AND SAFETY

Unnecessary meddling will be costly

In reference to Marilyn L. Dugger’s Dec. 2 letter (“Restaurant smoking ban is right,”), since 60 percent of Spokane’s restaurants are nonsmoking, Dugger has the majority from which to choose. So why does she wish to take that choice away from others?

Are Commissioner Steve Hasson and the Spokane County Health Board ready to ban smoking in the bingo halls, bowling alleys, taverns and card rooms - all which have young workers? How about banning all drivethrough fast-food restaurants and banks, to cut down on the pollution from idling automobiles?

Are you ready to take all this on, Hasson, Dr. John Beare and others who deem it so necessary to impose your rigid and restrictive views on all of mankind?

Do you realize the economic impact this will have on our city? Some restaurants will survive but others won’t. Can the city and county afford to lose these businesses, forcing hundreds more to the unemployment lines?

Consequences of this ban will be devastating and you will still not change people’s smoking habits. All Spokane will lose and Idaho will gain. It’s only 30 minutes away, with fine dining and the freedom of choice. J.E. Nelson Spokane

Smoker should realign priorities

Regarding the Dec. 1 letter from Bart Harmon as to smokers’ rights:

In Harmon’s particular case, I don’t think smokers’ rights, government interference or air pollution should even be a part of his thinking or concern. Whereas the issue of his own smoking and the concern of his wife, children, three beautiful grandchildren and the reality of more grandchildren in his future should consume his every waking thought. His family’s pleading and prayers should mean more to him than his worry over total strangers’ rights or restaurant owners’ rights, or any other reason he has to justify his smoking. All we wish he would care about is whether or not he will remain a very much loved and integral part of his family for a long time to come. Nan Harmon Spokane

Health threat overstated

To Commissioner Steve Hasson and all those who are in favor of banning cigarette smoking in restaurants:

I have been a cigarette smoker for many years and enjoy it a lot. I don’t always get more than a few puffs before soup or salad are served. I don’t believe a lot of smoking is done in restaurants and it is done in a separate area.

I just like to be able to smoke if I want to. We do have rights and don’t like to have them taken away by the government. You probably get as much pollution walking Spokane streets, if not more.

When you go into a restaurant, if you didn’t know where the smoking area is, could you tell by a cloud of blue smoke?

I don’t know how, Hasson, you can be sure your father died from cancer because of his smoking. He could have, but I believe there are many other things that can cause it that we don’t know about. My mother died from lung cancer and she never smoked or was around anyone who did. Nor was she in restaurants where smoking was allowed. What caused her to have cancer?

I wish the American Cancer Society would get off smokers’ backs and use some of their big bucks to find other causes. I haven’t heard of any research results other than cigarettes for years. That seems to be all they have, so they are riding it to death to get more big bucks to find other causes. Peggy Replogle Spokane

Smoking is bad; Ban is wrong

Concerning the proposal to ban smoking in restaurants in Spokane County:

I agree entirely with the owners of these businesses. If a restaurant owner wants to make his or her place smoke-free, that is their decision. But to have the county health department telling you that you must ban smoking is absurd.

The government - city, county, state, federal - is always telling people what is what is good for them and what is not. I believe the people of this fine country are sick and tired of being told what we can and cannot do.

I agree that smoking is bad for a person’s health, but the ban should be voluntary. D.M. Olson Spokane

Parents, put safety before modesty

I’m alarmed about something I’ve observed several times that could have devastating results. It’s apparently not unusual for moms to leave their toddlers unsupervised and unprotected out in the washroom area of a restroom when they are using the facility.

Mom is usually keeping verbal tabs on little “Johnny” with continuous conversation. However, one day I heard “Johnny” say “I’m going to wait outside,” whereupon mom reminded, “No! You stay here and wait for mommy.” Of course, mom has no actual control and “Johnny” knew it, and repeated his desire to leave the restroom. Still firmer, mom repeats her instructions to “stay here,” this time with some panic starting to show in her voice. Another time I saw a small girl wander away after being told to stay right outside her mom’s door.

Can it be that in this day and age there are mothers who don’t realize the danger of kidnapping in this situation? Perhaps they think it just won’t happen to them.

If limited space is a factor, perhaps it would be acceptable to quickly use the larger stall meant to accommodate a person in a wheelchair. Hopefully, modesty isn’t a consideration.

I’m compelled to strongly urge mothers to never leave their precious little ones out of sight or reach, not even for one minute. Tragedy can happen in a split second. Joan Hermanson Chewelah, Wash.

Mother, put kids’ needs first

In response to”Neighborhood fear” (IN Life, Dec. 7), this letter is addressed to Mrs. Bruce J. Johnson:

Why are you allowing your daughters to be exposed to a child rapist, their stepfather? How can you justify taking a risk with their lives? No matter what he has said to you - that he has changed or that he is not guilty - do you really want to take that chance? Your children count on you to protect them. It might already be too late.

Don’t allow your love for your husband to overshadow your responsibility to your children. Do you want to stand by your man at the cost of your children’s innocence? Jacqueline Strausbaugh Spokane

LAW ENFORCEMENT

Medalist is a corrections officer

My thanks go to staff writer Bonnie Harris for her great article of Dec. 4, covering the Medal of Valor presentations to our deserving employees.

One point, however needs to be clarified. Medal recipient Jay Shuman isn’t a deputy, as indicated; he’s a corrections officer and proud of it.

Staff members responsible for the custody of Spokane County Jail inmates are professionally trained, state accredited corrections officers. They perform a mission vital to community safety by operating a maximum-security jail. The inmate population of our jail, which was designed to hold 519 inmates, often includes a range of criminals, from minor misdemeanor offenders to murderers, rapists and gang members.

Deputy sheriffs and corrections officers wear a similar uniform and share a common ethic of community service. Since the deputies are more visible in the community, their good work is more often praised by the public. I would hate to see this opportunity to recognize Jay Shuman’s courageous actions pass without him being properly identified as a sheriff’s corrections officer. Michael J. Aubrey, undersheriff Spokane County Sheriff’s Office

Fight drugs one punk at a time

On Nov. 23 a radio talk show here in Sandpoint talked with three “drug experts.” The first question was brilliant: “If the kids can find the dealers, why can’t the police?”

The answer of a DARE officer was to the effect that the police know the dealers, but rules of evidence gathering and lack of resources handcuffs the police.

My suggestion: Pick one dealer, gather the evidence and get the conviction. Then pick No. 2, etc. One or two convictions will send a positive message that we are serious. James A. Blake Sandpoint

GOVERNMENT AND POLITICS

U.N. busy-bodies build proud record

In her (Dec. 5) letter seeking to terminate U.S. participation in United Nations, Betty J. White would save a lot of “taxpayers’ money being spent on all the U.N. busy-body projects.” Unfortunately, the American mind and media tend toward conflict, failing to note the larger picture.

It would take more pages than this paper has to identify all that the busy-bodies do. Here are some for instances from the United Nations and its specialized agenices - all of whose future would be jeopardized by U.S. withdrawal:

Negotiating 172 peaceful settlements to regional conflicts; enabling peaceful elections in nearly 50 countries; aiding independence for 80 countries; restoring calm through 35-plus peacekeeping forces; caring for more than 30 million refugees.

Giving leadership to eradicate illiteracy and create education for all; helping women in some 100 developing countries achieve social and economic equality; educating for voluntary family planning so birth rates in developing countries dropped from 6 per woman in the 1960s to 3.5 today; and halving child mortality rates in those countries.

Virtually eradicating smallpox from the globe with the expectation polio will be gone by 2000.

Our tax bill for the whole U.N. system is about $4 for each of us. The United Nations’ meteorology agency provides weather service for airports around the world. The United States would have to pay more to create this service each year for itself than the amount of our whole annual U.N. assessments. What kind of savings is that?

I like these busy-bodies and pay my $4 enthusiastically. Gerald M. Ford Spokane

Send GOP team to the showers, fast

If the memory of the Nixon disgrace and Reagan’s deficits are not enough to cause voters to dump the Republican Congress in 1996, how about remembering that Newt Gingrich, as speaker of the House, is third in line to be the president should something happen to Clinton and Gore?

If we dump the Republican majority in the House, we can eliminate the risk of having America’s most unpopular and dangerous politician become our president in what certainly would be a time of national catastrophe and global uncertainty.

Your vote has importance beyond the obvious choice for congressional representatives from your state. Dump the pro-business, anti-environment, anti-middle class, anti-poor, anti-elderly Republicans in 1996. Marc Lawrence Potlatch, Idaho