Letter To The Editor
POLITICS < Neither lawyer candidate looks good
George Nethercutt’s leadership as chairman of the county GOP Central Committee has resulted in fines for untimely filing of financial reports with the Public Disclosure Commission. According to Nethercutt, the errors were “unintentional.” Nethercutt cites his reliance on a “treasurer who is not trained as an accountant.” Although this issue is a case of punctuality and not inappropriate contributions, Hal Dixon of the GOP finance committee disclosed, “No one really understood in full what the rules were.”
Can attorney George Nethercutt handle the complex issues facing our nation or fully understand the regulations he would vote onto citizens as a congressman if he cannot even keep the few regulations of the Public Disclosure Commission straight?
Although he has not presided over serious ethical violations like Speaker of the House Tom Foley, namely the House Post Office and bank scandals, “fixed” tickets and “skipped” meal tabs at the “private” House restaurant, George Nethercutt has shown that his judgment and competency in governmental affairs are doubtful at best.
We need a congressman who has demonstrated success and leadership in spite of sometimes unreasonable and complicated government mandates and regulations. Duane Alton knows the effects of obtrusive taxes and regulations on both the employer and employee.
As a successful businessman who employs many, he knows the pressures that working people face and how families are hurt by big, unaccountable government. With Foley we’ve had 30 years of an attorney who presides over rule breakers. Let’s be sure we don’t vote in another one. Kirk Bauer Mead
Obstructionists serve us badly
House Speaker Tom Foley, 5th District representative, is without a doubt a leading candidate for the Obstructionist Hall of Fame.
Example one: During his tenure as leader, the percentage of proposed legislation brought to the floor of the House under a “closed rule” has soared to well over 60 percent. A “closed rule” means no amendments can be offered to modify or change legislation. In effect, government by representation is obstructed if not denied.
Coming up: The New York Times commented editorially (July 30) on proposed legislation affecting all of us, “The health care bill that the Democratic leadership will take to the full House for debate early next month would do more harm than good.”
Further, “The leadership did not have the gall to forthrightly propose a government takeover. But it has proposed a bill that would achieve the same and through stealth.” Will this proposal be brought to the floor under a “closed rule”? In other words, obstruction?
Example two: The House bank and post office scandals. Under current leadership, obstruction has certainly been the order of every day against efforts made to learn and inform the citizens about activities of their representatives. Rep. Dan Rostenkowski (D-Ill.), currently under indictment, claims we don’t have the right to know. Obstruction and arrogance?
Example three: The speaker is a leader in the effort to have courts declare unconstitutional term limits voted into law by constituents. Obstruction?
Are there other nominees to the Obstructionist Hall of Fame in like positions of leadership and influence? Jim Smith Spokane
Sterk would make good sheriff
It boggled my mind to read that Sheriff Larry Erickson is supporting a bigger jail to incarcerate juvenile criminals (“Official seek support for juvenile jail expansion,” Aug. 5). Isn’t this the same man who closed a large portion of our new county jail, thus turning it into a revolving-door facility for criminals?
I’m concerned that if Sheriff Erickson or his potential successor, John Goldman, have control of it, my tax dollars will have been wasted again.
Under the Erickson-Goldman administration we’ve lost several deputies to the Spokane Police Department. We’ve lost the Valley substation, the sheriff’s helicopter and 46 beds of the jail, supposedly for lack of money, although Erickson and Goldman negotiated themselves a 9 percent pay raise.
Gangs and the associated crime and drugs have moved into the county virtually unchecked; even to this day the Erickson-Goldman administration has no plan for dealing with gangs.
This is why I’m supporting Mark Sterk for Spokane County Sheriff. As a 20-year veteran of the Spokane Police Department, Mark has been involved in gang prevention and has a plan for dealing with them in the county and in our schools. As sheriff, Mark Sterk will utilize all the resources available to him, and fight for more. He will reopen the jail and work with the citizens to open substations all over the county.
If the Sheriff’s Department is going to take a bite out of crime, juvenile or otherwise, we need to elect Mark Sterk as our next sheriff. Sam Cathcart Spokane
Sweetser best prosecutor candidate
I attended a meeting at the Valley Public Library a few weeks ago and listened to the four candidates for the position of Spokane’s prosecuting attorney. As a citizen who is alarmed at the rising crime rate in our county, I feel it is definitely time for a change.
Spokane needs a prosecutor who not only understands, respects and supports our police community, but one who will also treat the deputy prosecutors in the same manner so that Spokane will attract and keep persons of high quality in those positions. It has bothered me in the past to see good people let go from the office for seemingly no good reason.
We need a leader in the prosecutor’s office who will not hinder or condemn our police force or the deputy prosecutors simply for political gain, one who will look for ways to pull everyone together in common support of our law enforcement programs. This person must be experienced, dedicated and committed to making our city a safer place to live.
I came away from that meeting convinced that this person is Jim Sweetser. He exhibits the leadership qualities that Spokane needs in a prosecuting attorney. We need Jim Sweetser to win our battle against gangs, drugs and violence. Patricia A. Lyman Spokane
LAW AND JUSTICE
Clinton must not be above the law
By asking a federal court in Little Rock, Ark., to dismiss the civil rights lawsuit filed against him by former Arkansas state employee Paula Corbin Jones, President Clinton is engaging in a blatant attempt to circumvent the justice system. The president’s contention that the Constitution protects him from being sued for damages while in office is not only without legal precedent, it is also incorrect.
If the federal court in Little Rock were to grant dismissal on the grounds that the president is immune from being sued for damages, it would be doing so in direct violation of the Ninth Amendment to the Constitution, which guarantees that the rights enumerated therein shall not be construed to deny or disparage others retained by the people. In short, if the federal court grants immunity to Clinton, it does so at the cost of depriving Ms. Jones of her constitutional right to seek redress of her grievance.
Perhaps Mr. Clinton needs to be reminded that although he is - at least for the time being - president of the United States, he is also a citizen. As such he is subject to abide by the same laws and statutes that govern us all. Scott Leyland Spokane
Repeat offenders belong in jail
Regarding the three strikes law:
Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, shame on me. We have only ourselves to blame when the unrehabilitated criminal continues to rip us off. We don’t know, and they are not going to tell us, how many other crimes they committed before they come before a magistrate.
One thing is for certain, if they are not gainfully employed and they are doing drugs, they are getting the money somewhere - most likely from us, in the form of one scam or another.
I would rather contribute my share of the taxes necessary to keep them locked up, than fear for my wellbeing or experience the repeated loss of hard-earned assets. In terms of full-scale human and economic hardship, they cost us less in jail than out. Keith Springer Spokane
IN THE PUBLIC EYE
Officials get too little respect
I fully agree with the writer of the Aug. 5 letter, “Cheap shots at the president not funny.”
Many of the articles on the Opinion and Roundtable pages show real concern and enhance readers’ thoughts, but the so-called humorous drawing and cheap shots at our president and elected officials are ridiculous. Such derogatory nonsense that we are hearing on radio and television, plus reading in the newspapers, is sad to say the least. For those who enjoy such humorous nonsense, I would suggest becoming acquainted with Edward Lears’ nonsense poetry and illustrations. Lears does a super job and is more entertaining.
In my opinion, many people need to relearn what our great country stands for and how fortunate we all are to be Americans. One of the best examples that comes to mind to further enhance democracy would be to show more respect for our president and elected officials. We must also keep in mind that these officials were elected by the majority of the people. Phyllis James Spokane
HEALTH CARE REFORM
We’re entitling ourselves to socialism
In his effort to sell a universal health care plan, President Clinton has emphasized that every American is entitled to quality health care regardless of being rich, poor or middle class. If this is true then it must surely follow that every American is entitled to quality housing, quality personal transportation, quality recreation facilities and quality child care, among other entitlements, regardless of being rich, poor or middle class.
When these and other socialist entitlements are in place, you may be assured that Americans will experience a standard of living no better than that suffered by the people of the late Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. Ray O’Keefe Spokane
We mustn’t ignore market dynamic
Last week the Washington state Health Care Commission (WSHCC) ruled against “any willing provider,” a key provision of the 1993 Health Services Act. Regrettably, the WSHCC has revealed its underlying intention to dismantle the remaining market features of the current health care system in order to eventually create a single-payer system.
Markets are based upon information and choice. The value of the market is demonstrated by its utilization by all major economies. The failing of the current health care system is based fundamentally with the restriction of information and choice by governmental interference.
Our government, which views health care as an entitlement, insists upon tackling social problems through entitlements despite the consistent failure of all such programs. Government places the blame for the current failure upon greedy doctors, evil drug companies and the individual’s lust for health care.
The insurance companies support this ruling without realizing the WSHCC will eventually eliminate your right to pick your insurance company.
The resulting single-payer system, like all government programs, will not grow and mature. It will become obese and paralyzed by its own weight.
The people of Washington deserve better. We must retain our rights to choice and to be informed in all health care decisions.
The WSHCC’s role should be limited to policy maker and guardian. Rather than control health care, the WSHCC should create an environment in which the health care system can grow and mature in a healthy market, acquire resistance to disease and develop the ability to change rapidly in order to stay competitive. Rodney L. Trytko, M.D. Spokane
Instance of meddling a harbinger?
According to the Aug. 7 Spokesman-Review, a federally funded center for the care of the severely retarded and developmentally disabled in Pendleton, Ore., may lose its funding. During an annual visit, federal inspectors found out the staff had been brushing the teeth of nine patients who had a phobia of oral hygiene. The reason for this measure was because their teeth were falling out.
The federal inspectors charged the staff was too quick to restrain the patients without first informing the center’s human rights committees, finding guardians for participants or exploring alternatives.
Do we really want the federal government administering a national health care program? Ken Garceau Spokane Here was some gee-whiz news
A headline on the front page of the Aug. 3 SpokesmanReview reads, “Nicotine is addictive, says federal panel.”
We can only wonder how long it took for a “key advisory panel” to come to such an unusual conclusion, and how many top-flight scientific experts it took to do the research.
When highly paid people spend time on foregone conclusions like this, it’s no mystery why we still don’t have universal health care. Clark J. Hoglund Kettle Falls, Wash.
OTHER TOPICS
Critter concerns carried too far
Give us a break, Mr. or Ms. Editor.
A few weeks ago you gave us a tear-jerker about the former service station manager who wanted to take care of an injured duck that flew around inside his house and watched TV with his kids. Now you print a story about an injured osprey and the outrage of a couple of ladies because no one was available to give it mouth-to-mouth resuscitation.
However, the vision of some people on a raft holding a death watch almost drove me into a trauma.
Now the frozen carcass is being flown to Wisconsin for an autopsy at taxpayer expense.
Sir, I believe you have overdosed with the Disney Syndrome. Hugh Junkin Spokane
White man’s way is to despoil
I read today (Aug. 12, Handle), with a taste of bitter irony, about the Coeur d’Alene Tribe’s celebration at the Cataldo Mission marking its conversion to Catholicism. Later it was mentioned that the tribe would be cleaning up the toxic mining waste left by its good friends: white man and capitalism.
Here we see the utter tragedy of joining a religion that desacrilizes nature and an economic system that proceeds to exploit “inanimate” Earth for greed. How much richer were the natives of Turtle Island with their traditions before our Western institutions were shackled around their necks?
The only real heaven is that here on Earth, which we continue to turn into a living hell for nature and for ourselves. Will we ever learn to honor our sacred ties to nature, to the cosmos? As Christians say, we’ll know on judgment day. Hmm, that sounds like a self-fulfilling prophecy to continue our ways of disrespect for nature.
Examine the life sciences, ecology especially, and you will discover inseparable, sacred connections between ourselves and all that emanates from the great mystery some 15 billion years ago. I know of no deeper cause for celebration of life. Christopher Anderl Coeur d’Alene
Radon is high here; now what?
Congratulations to the Washington State Department of Health for its release of findings I first reported in October. 1992. Congratulations to the Spokane Health District for verifying the results of the 1991-92 Washington State/EPA Residential Radon Survey. They have found that 63 percent of Spokane County homes are over 4 pCi/L; we found 60.88 percent were. They are reporting an average level of 10.7 pCi/L; we found 10.3 pCi/L. Their results replicate ours.
I must add, however, that I hope this is the last time public money is spent on identifying whether or not Spokane has high levels. It does. It is now time to move to the public education and mitigation phase of our efforts.
Simply reporting results of future “exposure” surveys would be an expensive way to conduct this public education effort. Simply rewriting old reports for public release violates professional standards of ethics.
I can afford to test and fix my home but the average citizen will not be able to justify this expense. For poor residents our message of warning is cruel one indeed. But then one can always sell a high-radon home to the unsuspecting. Edward J. Fox, field director 1991-92 Washington state/EPA Residential Radon Survey