Letters To The Editor
SPOKANE
Renewal coming for urban forest
Sincere thanks for the editorial on May 15 on the loss of the graceful willows at the Manito Park pond. It captured the emotions that most of us have felt concerning the removal of trees.
A solution to this loss could be read in that same day’s South Voice. Hutton students were pictured helping to plant three black alders at the pond. Students at Roosevelt School are also working to help re-establish a healthy urban forest.
We are grateful for their work, generosity and leadership. Carol S. Barber Spokane Parks and Recreation Board
Spokane hospitality appreciated
On May 19, our son Kevin Ronald Miller chose to end his life in your city after a long and tormented period in his life. This has been very devastating to us, his family and other people touched by this tragedy. Immediately upon hearing of this tragic incident, Kevin’s mother, his sister and I departed to Spokane from south Texas.
Upon arrival at your airport, Spokesman-Review reporter Kevin Blocker approached us courteously and asked us if we cared to make any comments. This young man was professional, non-pressing and very understanding of our grieving. We sincerely appreciate the caring way he handled the situation.
The staff at Sacred Heart Medical Center will always be special in our hearts for the support provided us in our parting moments with Kevin, particularly the organ procurement team in the trauma center. Their caring ways made a very difficult situation easier to deal with.
A special thanks to Brett Helling and Brian Burber of Child Protective Services for their assistance and informative conversations regarding the well-being of our grandson, Dylan Michael Miller.
Our thanks to Cavanaugh’s hotel on Fourth Avenue for providing us rooms without notice and at no cost, and to Antone, the taxi driver who carried us numerous times throughout your city to do those things necessary for the departure of Kevin.
Spokanians, you have no idea what a wonderful place you live in. Your hometown hospitalities and courtesies extended to our family during our hour of need have been greatly appreciated. Ron M. Miller Houston, Texas
Cougar response to be commended
Hats off to the people involved in the prompt and professional response to the cougar in the Manito Park area. They made the area safer by quickly locating and removing a dangerous, predatory animal.
In California in the past few years, there have been two thoroughly documented daylight deaths of female joggers from cougars. How disappointed would R. Garner (letters, May 11) be if her “beautiful, young male cougar” decided he wanted her for his next meal? What about the toddlers in the back yard? Do you think you could chase the cougar off with a broom?
Let’s face some facts:
Cougars are not cute “lawn tigers” that like to eat Friskies and have their necks scratched.
A hungry, mature cougar will rip you apart.
Cougars generally avoid humans much less move into an area populated by thousands of humans.
Any large, predatory animal that lacks fear of humans is extremely dangerous.
Relocating dangerous animals to rural areas exposes those inhabitants to an animal that has already shown unnaturally aggressive tendencies.
The cougar should (as a minimum) have been relocated to a permanent facility. But it would have been senseless to risk anyone in capturing the animal. Perhaps the best solution would have been to have shot the little kitty in the beginning. That certainly would have minimized risk to residents and to the professionals involved.
Spokane animal control officers and Dr. McDonnell have done much to protect and rehabilitate area wildlife and they should be commended for their efforts. Terry R. Aylor Mead
NEW STADIUM
Greed prompts ‘no’ vote
I was against the new stadium for the Mariners, and I will vote against the new stadium for the Seahawks. The reason is really quite simple. Since the advent of free agency and arbitration for the players, they have become very, very greedy. In order to pay ever escalating salaries, the owners need more revenue so they can pay players millions and still have millions for themselves.
So, the demand for new ballparks is born. The owners now blackmail cities into building them new facilities with a lot of luxury boxes. Corporations pay big bucks for these luxury boxes and write it off as a business expense. The ordinary fans and taxpayers are the losers.
The players show no allegiance to the fans as they move from team to team, depending on who will pay them the most money. The owners show no loyalty either. A good example is the way the Cleveland ownership moved the pro football franchise to Baltimore, even though the fans had always supported the Browns., I have always been a sports fan, but I think it is time for sports fans to reject this proposed new stadium and support college and high school sports. Richard O. McCroskey Pullman
A great deal
I’m just a fan who’s tired of all of the baloney that I’m hearing about the proposed stadium/exhibition center. The fact is: It’s not going to cost any of us a cent more unless we go to a game or buy a special scratch ticket. It’s my understanding that it will actually cost us if we don’t pass it.
Guess who’s been paying for the old Kingdome for all of these years? Yes, folks, it’s an old property tax that you’ll be paying for years to come. If we vote yes, this debt would be paid by users of the new stadium.
Approval will benefit the entire state. (Computers and a sorority are in place at Washington State University, compliments of Paul Allen.) Right now we are considered the front-runner to get the Olympics in eight years and an estimated $4 billion would be spent statewide. Not to mention a chance to get world-class soccer and millions left over for children’s playgrounds statewide.
Oh yes, we will be able to hang on to our locally owned, coached, quarterbacked, etc., team and get to go see and meet them in Cheney each year for free!
So please, folks, don’t be blinded by opponents’ hogwash. It’s a great deal and we aren’t going to get another chance like this. Mike S. Hart Elk
Paul Allen has political ways
Paul Allen is such a lovable character. He would be a wonderful politician, or is he already?
He talked the good people of Oregon into building him a palace for his Trail Blazers. He has done right well with them. He has taken a good team and made it a loser in less than two years. If professional sports were a money maker, he would probably not hesitate to build his own facilities, but it isn’t.
I’m sure he can do the same for the Seahawks that he did for the Blazers. That will give Seattle fans something to really cheer about. Of course, they could be world beaters, but don’t count on it. Ken G. Bryant Spokane
IN THE PAPER
Allison’s performance on target
I rarely disagree with Jim Kershner’s review of a play, but I disagree with his description “stiff and uneasy” of Cary Allison’s performance as the family patriarch, H.C. Curry, in “The Rainmaker” now at Interplayers. I thought Allison perfectly conveyed the dignity, level headed common sense, yet sentimental character of most mature ranchers.
Allison plays Curry as having a bad back, an authentic touch for an elderly rancher. That may have given the impression of stiffness, but it also contributed to a hilarious bit of physical comedy.
Most importantly, Allison conveyed his character’s affection for his daughter. Curry is the only one in the play more concerned about her happiness than he is about himself, and that came across clearly. When he delightedly announced, “At least you don’t have to go through life as a woman who has never been asked, ” it brought a round of applause from the audience on the night I saw it.
Aside from that, I agree with Kershner. Despite the minor problems he pointed out, the play was warm, funny and affecting. I’m glad I saw it. Edwin G. Davis Spokane
GOVERNMENT AND POLITICS
‘Plain bad management’
The propaganda city officials spewed out during the recent articles on our crummy streets prompted me to put some ink in my pen.
Harry Truman said that our currency that portrays George Washington stops at the responsible party’s desk. In this case, it’s Terry Novak, Roger Crum and now Bill Pupo, and of course our elected mayor and City Council. It’s just plain bad management.
Now, through Director of Engineering Manager Phil Williams, they are hinting again that we should cough up $50 million in property taxes to solve their mistakes. No way! People voted “no” last time because they don’t trust these folks on how this money would be spent.
Let’s also look at Williams’ track record. The waste-to-energy plant costs us $100 to burn a ton of garbage; it would cost us $50 to haul it away.
The Colbert composting facility: He hires a company with no experience, resulting in odor and potential health difficulties. Our friends in Colbert are now suing us big time!
The Logan neighborhood maintenance facility: He wants to spend another $50 million on a complex that makes as much sense as wanting an annual ice storm.
Can’t the “three strikes and you’re out” rule apply to Phil Williams?
Vote this November for candidates whose campaigns are not fueled by special interest money and maybe our tax dollars will be spent on the proper priorities. Jonathan S. Swanstrom Sr. Spokane
Place blame where it belongs
Andy Kelly makes some very erroneous statements in his May 15 letter, “GOP makes profits, not people, safer.”
First, concerning the ValuJet tragedy, it was not “Republican-controlled Congress” or “GOP-controlled Congresses” that deregulated the airline industry. Hate to break it to you, but it was none other than Jimmy Carter and a Democrat-controlled Congress that did. Also, the GOP has controlled Congress for only three of the last 40 years. How much deregulating can they do after 40 years of liberal Democrat control? And with a liberal Democrat (Bill Clinton) in the White House?
Second, during the first year of the Clinton administration, there were over 2,000 pages of additional regulations passed into law - more in one year than in all four years of the Bush administration.
Third, excessive regulation does one thing: It needlessly erodes freedom. Regulation was not what this country was founded on.
Finally, it was Federico Pena, Clinton’s transportation secretary, who first grounded ValuJet, then cleared it to operate again. If there is anybody to blame for this tragedy, it is the Clinton administration. Mark E. Duclos Spokane
OTHER TOPICS
GAO report even truer today
Donald D. Jones’ letter of May 20, “Truck criticism inaccurate,” clearly demonstrates his trucking background and his inaccurate understanding of roadway damage due to heavy trucks.
In the General Accounting Office controller general’s 1979 report, “Excessive Truck Weight: An Expensive Burden We Can No Longer Support,” statements were made that one 40-ton truck does as much roadway wear and tear as 9,600 cars and that 95 percent of all U.S. highway damage is due to heavy trucks.
In 1979, truck tire pressures were in the 85-90 PSI range and dual tires were normal. Today, truck tires are in the 110-120 PSI range and single larger tires are increasingly used in place of duals. The higher-pressure tires are more like steel wheels and obviously do significantly more roadway damage. The single large tire has been estimated to do four times as much damage, at the same roadway pressure density, as duals.
Mr. Jones, please reread the title of the 1979 GAO report. It is even truer today. K. Julian Powers Spokane
VNA should increase nurses’ wages
If you have driven in the vicinity of Freya Way and Sprague, you may have seen a large group of registered nurses from the Spokane Visiting Nurses Association picketing and disseminating information about the stalled contract negotiations between the management of VNA and the bargaining unit representing the nurses.
The nurses have not received an increase in their wage scale for two years and management is proposing a continued wage freeze for the next two years. The VNA continues to be a profitable agency and has added a considerable amount of money to its reserve in the last year. The nurses feel that a modest cost-of-living increase in their wage scale would not adversely impact the economic viability of VNA.
VNA nurses care for increasingly complex patients in their homes, often setting up the equivalent of many intensive care units, with patients dependent upon medical technologies such as feeding tubes, catheters, IV pumps and suction equipment. We teach family members to manage the physical and emotional complexities of home care and travel into the increasingly dangerous neighborhoods of Spokane in all weather conditions.
Many VNA nurses hold advanced degrees or are certified in their specialty area. We are concerned about the 20 percent turnover in nurses over the last year, due in large part to a wage scale 15 percent below the community standard for registered nurses. Anyone reading this newspaper could some day require skilled nursing care at home, and I’m sure everyone would want a nurse with excellent independent assessment and decision-making skills. VNA can and should pay for quality nurses to continue their mission to provide home care to the people of Spokane. Jan H. Frazier, RNC Spokane
Work with nature, not against it
Recently I was dragging my boogie board around Pacific Beach in San Diego when three dolphins swimming in unison came into sight only 100 yards away. I couldn’t believe my eyes. I had seen dolphins on television, but nothing could compare to seeing them frolic in the sea together.
My mother recalls a similar experience she had concerning endangered species while driving to Mount Spokane last winter. In a meadow on the side of the road stood a bald eagle. The eagle looked powerful and all-knowing. My mother explained the experience as spiritual.
These experiences seemed so awe-inspiring; we wonder why these, like many other animals, are endangered.
It’s because we aren’t working with nature. We are working against it. Remember the word “sharing” that we learned as children? It seems that we’ve forgotten its meaning. Somewhere we have been taught to dominate the Earth when we should be unifying everything and everyone. If only we could live and let live. Joshlyn R. McCandless Spokane
Time off with pay no punishment
I recently read an article about a teacher who took a couple of students to her home to bake cookies, or something like that. En route she was involved in a traffic accident. Because of the accident, the school officials and the parents became aware of the “field trip.”
The school determined there was no educational value in the trip and that the teacher was also violating the rules about taking students off campus without knowledge and permission of the school.
I would have expected the teacher would have been punished for willfully violating the rules. She even admitted she acted with poor judgement. She was given a reprimand and was suspended for several months.
Here is the part I don’t understand. During this suspension, she was still paid her full salary and the school district had to hire, at additional expense, a substitute teacher to take her class while she was suspended with pay.
When I get to stay away from my job for any time at all with pay it is called a vacation, and I am allowed only a couple of weeks. I would love to have my boss tell me I could not come in to work for several months, while they hired a temp to do my job and they would continue to pay me at my usual rate.
Where is the punishment of time off with pay? I think the teacher should have been suspended without pay and should have to reimburse the school district for the expense of the substitute. That would be punishment. Mark W. Harry Spokane