Letters To The Editor
THE MEDIA
Donaldson’s efforts won me over
Until I saw Rush Limbaugh’s daytime television show a few days ago, in which he made a scathing attack on Sam Donaldson, I was pretty much in agreement with the pro-Limbaugh bumper stickers that are becoming more and more prevalent in Sandpoint.
Yes, it used to be a bit difficult for me also to appreciate Sam Donaldson because there is something about his eyes that has bothered me. However, having watched several of Sam’s “Prime Time” programs in which he exposes greedy and dishonest pharmaceutical companies, hospitals, insurance companies, doctors, etc., I have come to appreciate Sam Donaldson - eyes and all.
This Donaldson guy is doing more than anyone I know of in fighting greed and corruption wherever he finds it. Just one area of Sam’s concerns is health care. If he had his way, health care costs would be scaled down to where they should be and even Bill and Hillary could come up with a workable program.
Hang in there, Sam. And if a bumper sticker with your name on it comes along, that’s the one I’ll display. Reed Walker Sagle, Idaho
Newspaper editors make trouble
Regarding (Interactive editor) Doug Floyd’s “Off the News” column of Jan. 5, “Who needs Kevorkian”:
Mr. Floyd, it’s refreshing to read your comments about Mr. Davis, the drug dealer, not being “worth the argument” and that “nobody else needs to lose a night’s sleep over it,” regarding his lifestyle, choice of friends and selection of drugs. His seizures and death, I am sure you will agree, is justice long overdue.
I am sure you would also agree that the heavy drinkers, prescription drug abusers/users, nicotine addicts and classified accounting personnel that share the elevator with you daily should also suffer their own glutted overdose.
The sooner we rid society of these vermin, the sooner we can go after the real troublemakers: jaded newspaper editors. Rick Schirman Spokane
Media contribute to crime ills
I object to The Spokesman-Review’s front page photo (Jan. 4) of a smiling, chatty Kevin Boot, a suspect in the shooting of Felicia Reese. And the quotation above the photo, “I was in the wrong place at the wrong time,” compounded a casual, cute approach to documenting a horrifying event.
If Boot and/or his cousin are guilty of such a chilling crime, it makes me uncomfortable to see him appear to be so happy. Our city’s daily newspaper should not showcase his bravado. And Boot’s statement makes him sound like he has no volition to control his own actions. For The Spokesman-Review to highlight that statement is to allow the criminal to explain away his crime.
I have seen other examples of this media absolution of wrongdoing. This past summer, a television news reporter on KREM 2 explained a summertime driveby shooting in this way: “The shooting may have occurred because the weather is so hot.” How many of us believe that it is logical to randomly shoot people as a result of the discomforts of summer heat?
All forms of the news media have a strong and lasting influence on the way people think about cause and effect, actions and consequences. Please do not allow random violence to be explained away so easily. Lois Hughes Spokane
Lease intentions misstated
(Staff writer) Rachel Konrad wrote a reasonably good article about the Lamonts and Newberry’s closures downtown, considering her lack of business background. However, the details are important.
In her article, she said that, “Although the partners hope to fill the building with small retailers, Payne said that leasing the property as office space is a viable second choice if no retailers come forward.”
In my comments to Ms. Konrad, I never said anything about small retailers because we have absolutely no interest in breaking the space up into small retail shops. We are interested in leasing full floors to either retail or office users and offering the basement level for downtown records storage.
The point here is accuracy in reporting, or rather the lack of it. Her comment is not just inaccurate, it is diametrically opposed to our true position. The public would be better served by silence when the alternative is inaccuracy. Al Payne Spokane
Ad continues harmful idea
There is a coffee commercial that has been running recently that bothers me.
One woman offers her friend a cup of coffee and the friend says no. Then she changes her mind and states, “I said no but I really didn’t mean no. Yes-no, no-yes, they are interchangeable.”
This is one of the attitudes that have perpetuated rape and a lot of different problems for women. I’m surprised that it is women who spoke those lines. Cindy Peterson Spokane
GROWTH AND DEVELOPMENT
First, we need infrastructure
In response to D.F. Oliveria’s editorial, “Pull together to land Micron,” I believe a solid infrastructure should precede unplanned growth and that quality of life is more important than attracting mega-businesses to the Spokane-Coeur d’Alene corridor.
The Micron “silver cloud” that Mr. Oliveria mentions benefits real estate developers and a few local businesses. The general populace in Kootenai and Spokane counties will not only end up paying for the giveaways he advocates but stand to lose many of the lifestyle benefits he says attract big business to this region.
The bigger picture, Mr. Oliveria, is that this region needs a properly maintained and planned infrastructure in place prior to a Micron expansion. For instance, we are faced with a spiraling rise in major crime and not enough police officers. School districts are overcrowded and are bussing students.
County parks need major capital improvements and increased maintenance dollars. Traveling on I-90 is gridlock during rush hour. Should I mention the DARE program, sewer construction, recent property assessments and the Growth Management Act?
There was a time when attracting large companies benefited the community. Perhaps we’ve reached the point where the Economic Development Council and related private and public businesses need to reevaluate their goals and help this area keep pace with reasonable growth.
Three hundred “communities” didn’t want Micron; their development councils did. John Roskelley Spokane
Sky-is-falling ‘drivel’ annoys
Russ Moritz’s (Golden Pen, Jan. 9) warnings against growth at all costs are well taken. The rest of the drivel that he and the editorial board find so wonderful leaves me wondering what kind of brave new world they want for us all.
While “whining has beens” might accurately describe some portions of our society, it hardly fits the vast majority of hard-working Americans who don’t believe the sky is falling. This alarmist mentality concerning some problems that come right out of the environmentalists’ handbook, i.e. global warming, forest destruction, ozone, etc. - is a bunch of hooey designed to scare people into giving up their individual freedoms.
Under this grand plan, say bye bye to private ownership of land or any business that may not conform to the environmentalists’ wishes in order to “cure our perverse fetish for individualism.” Moritz says we’ll even have to tell some people what they can and can’t do with their land. This doesn’t sound like Winston Churchill; more like Lenin or Stalin.
Of course, this is all done in the name of public good. Sure, our big cities have problems. But ruined? Hardly. Our small towns “junked” and/or our countrysides littered? Please, give me a break. You should get out more.
Moritz talks of the scarred landscape and scared people. He should speak for himself and his narrow perception of the world.
Pollute less, sure. Consume less, possibly. Malls and sprawl - try some moderation. The produce-less-garbage suggestion is sound - you should take your own advice. Robert Krebs St. Maries
SPOKANE MATTERS
Some newcomers invite failure
My wife and I moved here three years ago to get away from the hustle and bustle of our home.
We came prepared. We had spent several vacations here in previous years, including a winter trip. We were armed with Chamber of Commerce information, so we knew of the temperature variations, rain and snowfall levels, etc. We had taken the Sunday newspaper through the mail for a year, so we knew job availability, wage levels, housing and food costs, the political climate, etc.
When we finally made the move, we had jobs waiting for us and went right to work. We immediately became productive citizens in what we considered a paradise. How lucky could we get?
Of course, it wasn’t luck - it was our own careful planning.
I cannot believe how many people come here, making such a drastic move, without looking ahead. They buy land without power or water, sight unseen, plop a trailer down and, without jobs, wait for our community to rescue them.
Does anyone wonder why we cheer every time they give it up and move back home? Michael Wiman Spokane
Let zoo boosters fund zoo
In “Small fee for all could save zoo” (Letters, Dec. 19), B.J. and M.E. Walker suggested that “each and every homeowner, renter, apartment dweller and mobile home resident pay a flat fee of 50 cents to $1 each month to defray the cost of running the zoo.”
Why? All these people don’t want to support a zoo! All who do want to support the zoo could voluntarily send the zoo that amount or more each month to defray the zoo’s expenses.
The zoo is a business, not unlike all other businesses. Two large exceptions are that the zoo doesn’t have to pay rent or property taxes. What business in the area wouldn’t love to have a deal like that? But this zoo business still is failing, according to its statements to the media.
Other businesses that are not making it financially would search within themselves to find the problem. Could it be they have a product that not enough people are willing to pay for? Perhaps they have too many people on the payroll.
According to statements to the media, businesses that furnished food for the zoo’s animals are not being paid. So where is the money going that does come in to support the zoo?
Maybe the Walkers and others with the same idea of donating to the zoo like giving to a business that operates that way. Let them give their money but quit trying to force it upon all the rest of us taxpayers. Lu Francis Spokane
OTHER TOPICS
Test results belie whole story
The standardized educational test results appear yearly in The Spokesman-Review. For example, on Jan. 5 for the Spokane County students.
Unfortunately, the schools with low scores are posted. This may result in developing low self-esteem for these kids as well as the parents and in frustration for the teachers.
One test on one given day for one child does not mean he or she is doing poorly. It is the day by day, month by month progress that should be taken into strong consideration. Standardized tests do not reveal the total picture.
Learning takes place methodically. Learning is not only a school’s responsibility but that of parents, too. The smallest school in America is the family.
Education for our young people is a team effort of the parents and the schools working together. Tony Antonucci Spokane
Hunter behavior reckless, cruel
In reference to the letter by Kathy Richmond (Jan. 4) regarding the mountain lion killed on her property, I can sympathize with her from the bottom of my heart.
We also have a home in the mountains and enjoy nature and the wildlife that abounds. We do, or did, have deer, elk, moose and a bear we named Barney. But due to dogs and poachers the numbers have dwindled. As for our Barney, a beautiful, proud animal, I am scared that man with his dogs may have killed him also.
Last hunting season, we heard what sounded like 50 dogs barking to the south of our place. It continued to get closer all the time. We decided to go investigate and on the way we heard the most pathetic cry following a gun shot. As we got to the bridge, two trucks with their beds full of cages went by. The dogs had quit barking, started up again, there was a gun shot and silence.
All of the land these dogs were on was private and very well posted. Our home has been shot at numerous times and our signs torn down.
In my opinion, using dogs to hunt with is the most unfair way of all to hunt an animal. It is cruel and vicious. One who has never heard the sounds of it cannot possibly know. The sound of that animal crying out will never leave me.
Whatever happened to man as the hunter?
Something must be done, not only about the dogs but about hunters and violations of private property and putting people’s lives in danger. It’s getting out of hand. Jo’el Clinton Spokane
ECONOMIC POLICY
Tax financial transactions
The FDIC Profile (Fall 1994) showed that the derivatives portfolios of U.S. commercial banks swelled by $3.5 trillion, or 29 percent, during the first six months of the year, to $15.3 trillion.
The five top banks - Citicorp, Chemical Bank, Bankers Trust, J.P. Morgan and Chase - held 75.5 percent ($11.6 trillion) in derivatives, compared to 24.5 percent ($3.6 trillion) by the remaining 663 banks. The $15.3 trillion in “off-balance-sheet-derivatives” at the end of the second quarter is almost four times the bank’s $3.9 trillion in assets.
To raise revenue for deficit reduction and discourage speculation and “gambling,” consider a sales or transaction tax on the turnover of “financial derivative” securities or financial instruments.
Each time a security or instrument is traded, it should be taxed at .1 percent of its face value. This tax would have two purposes.
First, it would help bring back under control markets that have careened into outer space by identifying the kinds of practices that have been swept under the regulators’ rug for too long.
Second, the tax might raise between $60 and $80 billion in federal revenues in its first year of application. This would allow cuts in personal income and capital gains taxes to take place without increasing the federal deficit. James Gibson Spokane
Scrutinize Federal Reserve
Sen. Bob Morton told a group of us about the land acquisition forms used by the government for the Wild and Scenic Rivers Act. Apparently, instead of closing with “this land will remain in perpetuity with the government of the United States of America,” it reads, “This land will remain in perpetuity with the government of the United States of America, or it’s successor, or its assignee.”
If the Federal Reserve Bank, a privately owned institution, were to foreclose on the U.S. debt, could it not become the successor or the assignee through receivership?
It’s disconcerting that just after the November election, the Federal Reserve raised interest rates before the newly elected Republican majority even took the oath of office. What a way to punish the productive, responsible members of society for voting to get runaway government back under control.
I believe the time has come to audit the Federal Reserve system with an eye toward putting this nation back onto the gold standard in order to have something more substantial than the government backing the value of our money. Cherie Graves Newport, Wash.
Capital gains tax wrong
Why is our government entitled to a tax of what we work so hard for - that being capital gains?
Our politicians say we are to pay 28 percent of any gains off property sold, plus our state of Idaho adds 8 percent, for a total of 36 percent.
The state and federal governments have not improved on my property. I have done so myself. They have helped me in no way.
Politicians say capital gains is for the rich. I’m not rich. I’m lucky to be in the middle class. The rich are about 1 percent of the populous. Six percent of the public earn over $100,000 a year. Then we have the supposed middle class.
I believe my wife and I, not the government, should harvest what we work for. If we ever sell, the profit should be ours, not Uncle Sam’s. I’ll back House Speaker Newt Gingrich until he makes me a nonbeliever. I’ll give him that chance. Mark S. Mattern Post Falls