December 5, 2010 in Opinion, Letters

Children deserve defense

 

As the governing board chair for Partners with Families and Children, a nonprofit center for treatment of abused and neglected children, I’m alarmed.

In 23 years of operation, we have noted the ever-improving sophistication and efficiency of our community’s helping systems for our most vulnerable children: law enforcement, the courts, Child Protective Services, education, health and social services professionals. A growing body of research, some local and most from quality academic experts, guides our interventions with families.

Two years ago, the national statistics showed a definite downward trend of child abuse. We no longer tolerated adults taking out their frustrations on the small and defenseless.

Perhaps the greatest cost of this economic depression is the toll taken on our youngest.

So far this year, 38 abuse-related injuries have been admitted to Sacred Heart Children’s Hospital. Two were lethal, but all have lifetime consequences.

We have to do more to prevent this carnage.

I challenge the 44,000 city voters who did NOT vote for a property tax to fund improved outcomes for the children to give generously this year to the youth-and-family-serving nonprofit of their choice.

If not now, when?

Bill Hawley

Spokane

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One comment on this story so far. Add yours!

  • mmspowaus on December 06 at 12:11 p.m.

    Bill:

    The voters in Spokane County have been burned before by giving millions of dollars to unaccountable nameless boards who then misspent it. It is not wrong to insist on greater accountability in the legislation before it is voted into the law of the land.

    The folks behind Prop 1 needed to show irrefutable evidence where similar legislation has actually achieved its stated goal of reducing high school dropout rates; perhaps in cities such as Portland, Houston and Seattle for example…

    You should not be chiding the folks who didn’t vote yes for Prop 1, Bill, you should be yelling at the folks who wrote Prop 1 and the folks who blindly voted for it.

    Why you ask?

    Because unfettered money is always misspent by the unaccountable and misspent money dedicated to children actually hurts children.

    If you truly believe in this legislation, make the necessary changes which forces accountability, sever penalties if the money is misspent and show some proof it has worked in other communities.

    Until then put the blame where the blame is truly due; the folks behind Prop 1; not the electorate.

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