Letters

New college, new buildings

I get so upset when I read articles running down our universities for wanting to tear down old buildings in Spokane and build new buildings in the new college campus area east of Division by downtown Spokane.

It’s a new college, so let’s get new buildings. If you want old buildings, go back East and live. I’m not some young person; I’m in my 80s.

Let’s get new buildings that can attract new students to Spokane.

Paul B. Dougherty

Spokane

Williston portrait unfair

I viewed your April 29 article “Jobs: The Road Ahead,” and found it to be an unfair explanation of the Williston (N.D.) area.

The area was my home much of the past 69 years; to depict it as the dirt hole of the Earth is not accurate. My ancestors lived in the community for 100 years, and many changes have occurred over those years, good and bad. The area needs services to accommodate the influx of workers in an organized manner. I do not think any cities in this area could handle the circumstances any better or as well.

These people are your hosts and the oil patch is an interruption in their normal lives. They hope their children are going to remain in the area and desire opportunities in a professional growth environment and not be drawn into it. What a great opportunity for Spokane to forge a business alliance with the area.

Growing up, in Sidney, Mont., I found many activities to fill my time and attention. These people are tough-minded, independent individuals who could teach many communities the value of hard work and perseverance. Few residents of these communities have oil wells to reap monetary gains.

Carlo Jensen

Post Falls

Water plan kills conservation

I have reread Mayor David Condon’s new water rate plan, and shake my head every time. I keep rereading it thinking I must not understand!

He wants to reward people for using more water and charge more to people who use less water! He is doing this so that we can “keep the city green”!

I might be a little more supportive of this concept if I didn’t see lawns being watered in the rain or at 2 p.m., when the evaporation rate in the hot sun exceeds absorption rate. There is also no way to know how that water is being used.

Are we going to have a green lawn patrol? Maybe someone wants to refill his backyard pool with new water every week because the filter isn’t working correctly, or has a toilet that continually runs clean water down the drain.

Water is our, and the world’s, most valuable commodity, and while we seem to have plenty, the supply can disappear at any moment from a natural or man-made disaster.

I didn’t see anyone water less last year when rates were based on a flat usage scale. There were plenty of green lawns. Or perhaps some will choose to replace that green, high-maintenance lawn with a low-maintenance yard full of beautiful native plants and a drip system, as I did.

A gallon of water is a gallon of water, and everyone should pay the same amount for that gallon.

Rosemarie Duffy

Spokane