Public Periscope

Mixed message

The North Side Republican Action Club recently held an issues forum to introduce the 16 candidates for the Spokane City Council to the public … Martin Burnette, the club’s president, stressed the event was purely non-partisan - just like the council races themselves … Yet before the forum started, Charlotte Karling, the former Spokane County Republican Central Committee Chairman, placed several of her teal, purple and white campaign signs around the gazebo at B.A. Clark Park … Those signs were posted the entire time candidates answered questions from the gazebo.

Good news, unless you knew one of the 256 victims

Despite raising the legal speed limit, Washington’s highways appear to be getting safer … The number of deaths for every 100 million miles driven dropped to 1.05 for the first six months of this year, a 20 percent decrease from last year, according to the Traffic Safety Commission. Seventy-six people died on urban roads and 180 on rural roads … Meanwhile, the number of miles driven each year on Washington roads continues to increase, and will soon hit 50 billion.

Moving targets

Travel in cars may be safer - but being a pedestrian is getting increasingly more dangerous, according to state figures … The number of car-pedestrian collisions in Washington rose from 1,802 in 1993 to 1,945 in 1995, the most recent figures available. Among other findings of a six-year study:

Pedestrians between the ages of 10 and 19 are the most likely to be hit by cars. But senior citizens are more likely to die from their injuries.

Kids face the biggest risk just before school starts each morning and just after the final bell.

Collisions in cities are more common but those on highways are more deadly.

Where is Latvia, anyway?

According to Rasmussen Research of Waxhaw, N.C., a majority of U.S. citizens say our troops should race to the defense of only three nations - Canada, Mexico and Great Britain … Nearly 80 percent of the 1,000 people surveyed felt obligated to defend Canada in a war, while 59 percent felt that way about Mexico and 55 percent about Great Britain … Nations such as France, Israel and Spain won the hearts of about 40 percent of those surveyed. Of the 12 nations listed, Latvia came in last, with only 19 percent thinking U.S. troops should protect the Baltic Republic.

Acting in the affirmative

Gita Hatcher, Spokane’s affirmative action specialist, recently updated the council on long-term plans to diversify the predominately white male City Hall staff … Since 1985, the numbers of minorities and non-minority women both have increased 4 percent … But Hatcher said the city is working to increase the number of minorities in administration and police and fire. More women are needed in everything from technical roles to management … The city hopes to hire an additional 23 minorities and 154 women over the next three years … The city’s program doesn’t aim to fill quotas but instead set goals, Hatcher said, adding that it doesn’t require any job to be filled on the basis of race or sex.

, DataTimes MEMO: Public Periscope, which is published Mondays, is compiled by Kristina Johnson from staff reports. You can write us at The Spokesman-Review, P.O. Box 2160, Spokane, 99210; or send e-mail to kristinaj@spokesman.com; fax to (509) 459-5482, or leave a message on Cityline by calling 458-8800 on a Touch-Tone phone, then pressing 9120.

This sidebar appeared with the story: HOT TOPICS The Spokane City Council plans to discuss proposed capital improvement projects during a briefing Thursday at 3 p.m. in the lower-level conference room of City Hall, 808 W. Spokane Falls Blvd.

The following fields overflowed: CREDIT = Compiled by Kristina Johnson from staff reports.