Letters To The Editor

(From Letters to the Editor, June 14, 1997:) Steve P. Downey’s letter of June 12 contained a typographical error. The price per gallon of gasoline in Airway Heights, as cited by Downey, is $1.139.

CONSUMER ISSUES

US West Direct called discriminatory

Hooray for John C. Pearson’s letter of June 1, “Mighty strange case of poverty,” exposing the greed of US West.

Our business was not allowed to include “Jesus is Lord” in our paid Yellow Pages ad by US West Direct, which cited it as “unacceptable verbiage.” US West Direct stated that someone might not agree with or believe it and said it is a nondiscriminatory company.

Unfortunately, in pursuing this matter, we found that this particular statement, along with “The Lord is my shepherd,” “praise the Lord,” other Christian statements and “unacceptable verbiage” aimed at Mormons and Jewish people all are included in its rule book of no-nos. Only employees are allowed access to or copies of the rule book. What is this company really hiding?

Ironically, on Page 9 of the directory, under the heading “Horoscopes, Soaps and Lottery,” is a large fullcolor display ad promoting psychic readings. Also, the first few Yellow Pages ads are for abortion clinics. Gay and lesbian organizations have their own heading.

Why are we being singled out and not allowed our freedom of speech, religion or advertising? For a nondiscriminatory advertising forum, one would assume the only ones being persecuted are those who possess a belief in God or Jesus. Dina L. Doyle The Top Dog, Spokane

Gasoline pricing appears crooked

The price to consumers for gasoline products in the Spokane metropolitan area for the last several weeks supposedly has peaked at $1.29 per gallon of regular unleaded gasoline. One or two brave dealers may be charging only $1.28 per gallon.

A couple of weeks ago, I traveled through Moses Lake and noticed prices there for regular unleaded fuel at $1.21 and $1.23. Last weekend, I traveled through Airway Heights and noticed the price for unleaded fuel to be $1.39 per gallon.

I am sure there are more than a few observant motorists wondering why gasoline prices in the Spokane metro area are so much higher than elsewhere in the state. Why do the prices in Spokane vary by maybe a cent or two? Have consumers not complained to the dealers? Why have consumers not taken action to correct this overcharging?

It certainly appears to be a case of local price fixing, which was illegal the last time I heard. Maybe the state attorney general’s office has not been notified of the prices in the Spokane metro area. Steve P. Downey Veradale

SPOKANE MATTERS

Let’s make volunteerism arboreal

Visiting Seattle, the Emerald City, you see color and greenery. Around the city, you find trees planted along the streets, parkways and boulevards. And it’s rare to see a parcel of land that hasn’t been developed into a small park.

In short, no weeds. No brown, vacant, grassy patches.

Conversely, all around Spokane, you see strips of land that seem to be abandoned, neglected, forgotten. Within the city limits (for the most part), the land along the freeway is landscaped. But east of Havana, travelers along Interstate 90 see nothing but gravel and wisps of grass.

I suggest the county designate streets, roads and stretches of freeway that would be eligible for the planting of trees by people willing to donate the trees and do the planting. These would be low-maintenance, mess-free, compact-growing trees, and all would be flowering types, such as hawthorn, crab apple, cherry, dogwood and magnolia, for a cost of only $20 to $30 each. Heck, even lilacs would be adequate.

Imagine the difference come early May, coinciding with Bloomsday.

All the city and county would have to contribute is water - and only until the trees are established.

I envision previously barren strips of freeway and the Division Street Y, for example, lined with color and greenery provided by citizens. The same citizens then would take pride in driving past their own personally donated and planted trees, watching them grow throughout the years.

I would gladly do it. I suggest convincing our City Council. Who’s with me? Michael J. Goodwin Spokane

Keep falls a scenic backdrop only

Spokane Falls? Give me a break.

Sure, we have some absolutely beautiful scenes of our river provided by the falls - but nothing so breathtaking as to call for a new city name.

Spokane has a lot more to offer this world than its few decent falls. The name Spokane Falls, although pretty, is completely wrong for our town. The falls aren’t a main part of our town, but they do serve as a beautiful background. They should be admired and loved but not worshiped. Brendan M. Malone Spokane

GOVERNMENT AND POLITICS

Poor kids have no right to others’ food

Although I understand A. Jo Austin’s concern about hunger (“Help us eliminate hunger in U.S.,” letters, June 7), I cannot agree with the means by which she proposes to fight it: expansion of federal programs.

As needed as food might be, there is no “right” to be provided food at the expense of others (the taxpayers forced to pay for these programs). People have the right to pursue their own interests and do not have a moral duty to provide for others. As a result, the only rights that can be claimed are the rights over one’s own person and property, the rights of a fully capitalist system and not the supposed right to food, health care, etc., of the welfare state.

Austin states that “no child should go to bed hungry in the richest nation in the world.” But what about all the hungry children in Third World countries? By Austin’s logic, we have a moral duty to provide for them as well, regardless of the cost to us. Not only would a plan enforcing their supposed right to food be unacceptable to Americans, but it also casts further doubt on the idea that there is such a “right.”

I recommend the essay “Man’s Rights” in Ayn Rand’s book “Capitalism: The Unknown Ideal” for a guide to what rights we do and do not possess. Chris R. Cathcart Spokane

Welfare state is the problem

Letter writer A. Jo Austin is correct in the statement that “a widespread disease is afflicting our nation,” but it is not hunger due to cuts in the food stamp program.

Hunger is the symptom. The cause is the welfare state itself, where producers are enslaved by nonproducers, where farmers are paid to leave land fallow with money taken from me against my will so they can get a higher price for what they do grow. All special interest groups - and sadly, that includes some Christians like Austin - use the government to take by force money the citizens would not give voluntarily to finance their organizations and agendas.

I expect it of secular groups. Christians, however, should read the commandment about coveting their neighbor’s belongings.

To cure hunger, Austin says the government ought to make a commitment to feed the poor. The government cannot make commitments. It can only commit citizens by making a claim on their lives and backing up that claim with the threat of force.

Hitler and Stalin made similar claims on the lives of the citizens of their countries, and blood flowed in the streets as a result. Should Christians encourage our government to take the same road?

I take great joy in living my life and practicing my Christian beliefs without making any claims on my neighbor’s life. I only ask my neighbors and fellow Christians to grant me the same consideration.

Like the wolf disguised in sheep’s clothing, the cure is the cause. Sam E. Cathcart Spokane

Republicans, make the system rational

Masochistic Republicans have again chosen to play it stupid by submitting a must-accept bill (disaster relief) to a president who, because of unacceptable, tacked-on amendments unrelated to disaster relief, will not be blackmailed into signing it. They’ve used this tactic in the past and shut down government functions just for what they see as political gain.

If Republicans really want to do something useful, they could change congressional floor rules to prohibit amendments to bills which are not germane to the basic bill. As the rules stand, every representative and every senator eventually is forced to vote for things he or she does not support. It’s crazy.

Of course, Congress critters will tell you they couldn’t possibly consider every piece of legislation as a separate item - it would bog down the wheels of legislative process. But if the Republicans truly want less government, wouldn’t this help achieve just that?

Eliminate pork requests before they reach the floor. Richard T. Brown Spokane

WASHINGTON STATE

Murray voted for killing

A June 7 letter, “Murray vote on abortion courageous,” was written by a clergy member and represents the Clergy Advisory Committee for Planned Parenthood of Spokane and Whitman Counties. I take umbrage with this clergy person who mistakes cowardice for courage.

Sen. Patty Murray voted for the popular political motive, not for virtuous reasons, and contributes to a society that rewards evil and punishes innocent victims. In a partial-birth abortion, the infant is partially delivered, and as it enters life, its skull is pierced and its brains are sucked out by instruments. This is paramount to a medieval torture chamber.

If Murray is to be awarded an honor for this action, I suggest that it be the Iron Cross, as she has contributed to killing more Americans than Nazi bullets did. The clergy could be led in prayer at the presentation by the Rev. Linda A. Hart, who could recite the Heil Murray. Jack F. Raleigh Spokane

IN THE PUBLIC EYE

Next to editorial, Jones is brilliant

Staff writer Rebecca Nappi’s irrational diatribe of June 6 (“Dumb, dumber … and along came Jones”) is the most illogical, disjointed editorial I can recall from any source.

Nappi points out that some women make consistently poor personal choices in male companionship. So far so good, although there is, as far as I know, no indication that Paula Jones falls into that category. Even if she did, it seems irrelevant to her lawsuit against Bill Clinton.

Then Nappi does a really lame segue to the topic of blaming the victim - a tactic she openly uses against Jones. This is a non sequitur lacking any logical consistency.

Nappi next introduces the topic of a hypothetical young woman getting dead drunk at a fraternity party, leaving the implications of such a sequence of events to our imagination. Nappi draws a parallel between the presumably testosterone-laden fraternity party and a visit with Bill Clinton. This may be a valid comparison, but with no evidence whatsoever presented, it seems somewhat of a stretch.

In the end, Nappi more or less states that Jones was a fool to be lured up to Clinton’s hotel room, that any woman would be a fool to be lured to any man’s hotel room. It may surprise Nappi to learn that sometimes hotel rooms are used to conduct mundane business with no carnal events transpiring at all.

Jones alleges she was a state employee doing state business, asked by a state trooper to see the governor during business hours. This is a lot different from getting drunk at a fraternity party. Bruce D. Thomas Ephrata, Wash.

Now, how about Ralston letters?

Thank you so much for your in-depth reporting on the Lt. Kelly Flinn story. Printing the letter she had written to her lover certainly added that little extra humiliation and shame. Good paper!

Since you guys have such a nose for news, I am wondering if you have any other newsworthy letters, perhaps one written by Gen. Joseph Ralston to the woman with whom he had his extramarital affair. Those juicy details really help us understand the issues and I hope you will continue to supply them. Diane C. Lenier Medical Lake

What’s needed is a speedy trial

Re: the June 6 Spokesman-Review, specifically, four articles and one cartoon on Paula Jones:

Paula Jones is not the issue. The issue is whether our president is some kind of pervert. The American people have a right to a prompt and fair public trial, a trial in which Bill Clinton hopefully will be found innocent of any wrongdoing.

In the worst case, he will be found guilty of being a habitual sexual predator. Then, at least, the treatment and healing process can begin.

Attorney Bob Bennett’s endless delays would seem to harm the president, who needs either vindication or professional intervention.

I don’t care if Clinton has an eagle or a butterfly tattooed on his private parts. We need a full-time president to run our country. Let’s have a trial now and get this unseemly affair behind us. D.B. Alexander Spokane

Giving veterinarian not the villain

I am responding to Jamie S. Harris’ letter of May 24. Please, if you are going to go to the trouble of writing a letter to the editor, check your facts.

Dr. Luther McConnell is not affiliated with Associated Veterinary Group of Spokane. He left practice with our group in December 1995 to pursue, among other endeavors, a career in wildlife medicine.

During his employ with our clinic, I saw Dr. McConnell save from certain death a golden eagle injured by a power line, a bald eagle that had ingested a toxin and a moose calf (who since has herself produced two calves) that accidentally was overdosed by a wildlife agent. He also has saved a starving and frozen heron, several mule deer and white-tailed fawns that were orphaned or injured, numerous raccoons and other small mammals and dozens of small birds.

All these creatures were rehabilitated and returned to the wild at McConnell’s and our clinic’s cost.

From my perspective, McConnell’s mistake was becoming involved with a wildlife agency that thinks it is justified in deceiving the public, whose taxes allow it to exist. It is unfortunate that this ugly lie probably will cost wildlife an experienced veterinarian to take care of them. Randolph L. Scott, DVM Associated Veterinary Group of Spokane

IN THE PAPER

Keep ‘tabloid trash’ off Page 1

On May 28, The Spokesman-Review ran a story on Page 3 about the killer tornado that wiped out Jarrell, Texas, killing at least 32 people and injuring many more.

Meanwhile, the Page 1 headline read “Justices clear way for Clinton sex suit,” followed by a story by John Farrell of the Boston Globe (“Supreme Court rules president not above law”) as well as a sidebar (“What’s next?”) from what I assume was an editorial from the Knight-Ridder syndicate.

What kind of news judgment is that?

Do you think anyone in Spokane has relatives in central Texas? Do you think anyone here in Spokane is truly affected by Clinton’s alleged sordid behavior with a woman who brought it up only after he became president?

Your news judgment in this instance lacked professionalism. You are our window on the world and we count on you for an intelligent account of the day’s events. Please give us the information we need to know first. Save the appeal to our prurient interests and feigned moral outrage for inside the paper.

Thirty-two people. Three years between an alleged crime and the filing of a lawsuit. Do the families of those 32 people care about Clinton and Jones? A president who may have acted like a jerk - yeah, that’s news.

Be responsible journalists. Lead the way in Spokane. Leave the tabloid trash to the tabloids. Rob B. Vogel Spokane