Letters To The Editor

SPOKANE MATTERS

Public servants not

I went to the Spokane County Courthouse to see my commissioner, Steve Hasson, and was told by the secretary that he was not in. I was told that Commissioner Harris was in, and I asked to see him. The secretary returned and stated he would not talk to me on any matter unless his attorney was there.

Commissioner Harris did not require his attorney there when I voted for him and supported him in his election. His secretary told me to leave or she would call security. Three deputy sheriffs arrived and shoved me out of my courthouse.

How quickly our elected officials forget who they are working for and their promises to help us. This is a crime against humanity. James Marks Spokane

Commissioners right to impose ban

I applaud county Commissioners Skip Chilberg and Phil Harris for their courageous stand regarding tobacco advertising and sampling at county facilities (“County bans tobacco promotions,” April 5).

I commend the leaders of our city who have made a measurable difference in the tactics performed by the tobacco industry. It has finally begun to sink in that nothing kills like tobacco. Over 400,000 deaths and billions a year in medical care costs are attributed to tobacco products.

When the tobacco industry hands out $60 worth of tobacco to one person, if the person is not already addicted, they will be, and that is what the tobacco industry is banking on. An industry that gives away $113,000 worth of smokeless tobacco at one event is sure they will in turn make billions of dollars worth of profit. More addicts means more profit. It’s that simple.

Congratulations to Commissioners Chilberg and Harris and to the city of Spokane. Kirstin Tutt Spokane

Politics behind contract award

Dan Hanson’s article of April 4 caused me to wonder what is going on with our county commissioners.

Commissioners Hasson and Harris stated that the Valley Herald circulation is broad enough to fit the county’s needs. Hasson said if the people want the information, they can get it. The commissioners want to spread the wealth around and keep things competitive.

Hogwash!

This whole process was gone through a few years ago and it was found that the Valley Herald cost was higher when properly compared. The Valley Herald would have one paper for every 240 citizens and The SpokesmanReview would have 45.

I went to the purchasing agent’s office for the public records about the bids. I found them to be very cooperative and knowledgable.

I found that the comparison is done on six sample ads. Yes, Valley Herald was cheaper by 32 percent for proven circulation of 1,640; the cost was $304.70. The Spokesman-Review cost was $445.70 for 86,227 copies. The cost per copy for the Valley Herald was 19 cents. The cost per copy for The Spokesman-Review was a half cent.

Using The Spokesman-Review circulation and the Valley-Herald cost, for two insertions it would be $16,387.13 compared with $445.70, or 36.8 times as much.

Are there political implications? It seems that Hasson voted on the same issue a few years ago to grant the contract to The Spokesman-Review, but that was before Clark Hager crowned Hasson the savior of the county.

The purpose of the ads is to give formal notice of all meetings, land use decisions - all sorts of legal notices. These should be given the widest distribution possible. Richard B. Hopp Spokane

Locate projects near zoo

I would like to offer a suggestion for the Pacific Science Center, Walk in the Wild and the super community center envisioned for the Valley by Dennis Ashlock and others.

How about putting the Pacific Science Center and the planned community center and sports complex all in the general area of Walk in the Wild? There is plenty of room for all of those, plus parking - which you will have to admit that downtown does not have.

I hope the powers that be will give this some thought. Esther Davis Spokane

Pet Rescue offers good service

The Spokane Humane Society and SpokAnimal CARE are well known in this area for all their caring. Another group that deserves the same recognition is Pet Rescue.

Each weekend, you can locate Pet Rescue’s ads under the 500 classified column as it tries to match people to pets.

After contacting Pet Rescue, we were fortunate to adopt a lovable 2-year-old Keeshond that couldn’t make the move with her previous owner. We are overjoyed with our new dog and want to thank Robin and Tess from Pet Rescue who care enough to share their hearts and homes to see that these deserving animals get another chance.

Please consider Pet Rescue and the Spokane County pound when looking for a companion. Richard and Darlene Lockert Spokane

Landmark event at Coliseum

Last week, we were involved in history in the making. We went to the last concert at the Spokane Coliseum.

The audience whistled, screamed and yelled, waved their arms to and fro, stood up, clapped to the music and lit their Bics. It’s a wonder the Coliseum roof didn’t lift off by itself.

A good time must have been had by all.

Thank you, Sammy Kershaw and Wade Hayes, for a wonderful final concert. Betty Dethloff Mead

Girl Scouts story figures wrong

As the top volunteer of the Girl Scouts Inland Empire Council, I am concerned with some inaccuracies in the March 31 article on Girl Scouts.

In 1994, the income generated by the Girl Scout cookie sale comprised about 42 percent of the total income, not the 70 percent quoted. It is a total overstatement. Furthermore, in 1993 the income from the cookie sale comprised about 48 percent of the total income. So, in fact, the council’s reliance on cookie income is decreasing as planned.

The article stated the council’s reserves were pretty much gone. That is not true. In fact, at the end of 1994 the council had an operating reserve of nearly four months. The purpose of the operating reserve is to tide the council over during lean periods. It is supposed to be spent. When the council has an excess during certain periods of the year, it builds back up. Over the last five years, the council maintained an operating reserve that is compatible with the national organization’s guidelines.

The council makes audited financial statements in its annual reports, which are available to anyone interested who writes a request to the council office. Judith A. Frigon, council president Girls Scouts Inland Empire Council, Spokane

FOR THE SAKE OF THE CHILDREN

Baby’s killer must be stopped

The recent violent and tragic death of 20-month-old Devin Erb leaves me saddened and in disbelief.

A baby is a precious gift. As parents or caretakers, it is our duty and should be our pleasure to love, adore, cuddle, protect and provide for the needs of all of our children.

I sincerely hope the person responsible for this unspeakable act is brought to justice and that justice provides that this person is never allowed the opportunity to harm a precious, innocent child again. Mark Lloyd Spokane

System screws up yet again

We should be so proud of our judicial system. It lets killers and rapists serve such little time (or too much time, for those on death row).

For instance, “Baby killer suspected again” (Spokesman-Review, April 6). In the old days, they would have hanged him after sentencing.

Kenneth Galloway’s probation officer should be proud. Galloway killed once, abused twice and may have killed again. Yes, the man is sick.

Is there any help for this 27-year-old man? Linda A. Dresback Spokane

Madness, abuse must stop

Each new day of this new year, several beautiful children have been brought into this world of ours. And each new day of this year, which we are only four months into, I’ve heard of constant abuse towards children.

Pornography rings, killings, molestations, rapes - all of these acts of violence towards innocent, trusting children, some not even two years of age, who cannot defend themselves. Children who are looking for love, affection, attention, an act of kindness.

The adults - sometimes it’s the parents who commit this violence - are sick and in need of serious help. Not only are parents abusing their children, they are using them to get back at a spouse, possibly due to a breakup.

Please, wake up! This isn’t helping a child’s emotional health, their personal well-being, nor does this in any way stabilize any kind of growing relationship with the child or with that spouse, boyfriend or girlfriend.

I realize children hurt from these situations, but putting them in the middle of an already bad situation isn’t the answer. Ignoring them, hitting them, yelling at them, leaving them - these acts kill them inside.

I am not an expert on children or child psychology. I am but a concerned citizen who is damn tired of hearing about and seeing our children getting stomped on.

Adults and parents, work out your problems, get help and quit involving these children in the middle of these disputes. After all, they are our future.

Stop this madness! Rebecca Issa Spokane

Who funds these youth resources?

Marilee Roloff (Letters, April 5) advises we need government funding of programs such as the Vanessa Behan Crisis Nursery, Crosswalk and others.

When George Nethercutt, Bill Bialkowsky and Rotary East founded and funded Vanessa Behan, it was under the auspices of nongovernmental funding due to excessive regulations. Has this changed? If not, then I wonder what she refers to.

Also, doesn’t Crosswalk in some cases give the kids an excuse not to go home?

The system has to change, along with government fiscal and monetary policies. Nathan Narrance Mead

FIELD OF DREAM$

‘Foul ball’ gains a new meaning

I’ve got two words for the return of so-called major league baseball: “big whoop.”

The audacity of both the owners and players, to start this season with still no bargaining agreement anywhere in sight. Fans everywhere stood witness to seven months of greed in its sickest sense, and now we’re asked to simply forgive, forget and once again pad the wallets of these overpaid, egotistical slackers.

My statute of limitations as a baseball fan expired with two consecutive seasons affected by a strike. Maybe some day my disgust toward baseball will subside and I will once again long for those weekend trips to the King Dome. Until then, so long, baseball.

To any fan who puts one dollar into the game this year I can only say: “Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, shame on me.” Pat Soderquist Spokane

Players were too responsible

Edwin Pope of the Miami Herald wrote, “It’s up to the players. Even though they didn’t really cause the strike …” (commentary, April 3).

Well then, who did cause it? Was it the concessionaires? Or the young, wide-eyed child who runs child who runs up to an overpaid cry-baby player who demands $25 for his autograph? Or was it the fans who bought tickets to see the replacement players on the field? Pope’s reasoning reminds me of the statement made by one of the pickets at Mead who was going to sign up for unemployment benefits because the workers were not on strike, they were locked out. Whoever printed those signs they were carrying sure screwed up. Joe McIntosh Spokane

GOVERNMENT AND POLITICS

Contract triumphs think about it

This being a momentous and historical day in the history of America, I have just one question.

If the “Contract with America” is all hype, smoke, mirrors and other crap, and if House Speaker Newt Gingrich is an evil and corrupt politician, how come all but one of the items in the contract passed within the first 100 days as promised?

Think carefully before you answer too quickly. Benjamin N. Thurber Veradale

Big business is bad role model

Frank Bartel writes of the GOP contract that it “will force government to function more like a business.” That is a dreadful prospect!

How does business function? The Wall Street Journal daily reports grisly stories of crime, greed, corruption and waste. An average of 50,000 bankruptcy petitions are filed annually. The savings and loan disaster will burden taxpayers for generations. Most big businesses receive corporate welfare.

In 35 years as a small business man in resort and land development, I’ve seen most of my fellow businesspersons fail.

Our chamber of commerce had three functions: To lobby the state (Wisconsin) for more resort promotion, lobby for property tax relief and protect resorts from undesirable guests, i.e. blacks and Jews. Toward that end, a telephone warning network was established. As a liberal and a humanist, I refused to cooperate. It took federal laws to bring the needed change.

Last week, I received Southwestern Bell’s annual report. Its CEO’s annual compensation, $4,436,687, was 175 times the average worker’s earnings. Additionally, the CEO has an annual pension of $1,651,400 and a potential of $18,660,679 in stock options.

Government should run like this?

Congress has been privatized - bought by big money. The result is revealed in the “contract” calling for giveaway prices for federal mining and grazing rights, lower capital gains taxes, relaxed protection of the environment, cuts for education, Social Security and Medicare. Yet there has been no attempt to eliminate bribery and control by lobbyists.

Frank, sadly, it seems your wish has been granted. Government is functioning like big business. Arch Jaecks Wenatchee

Robin Hood poor metaphor choice

Was it ignorance or deliberate misrepresentation?

The other night on PBS, Vice President Al Gore used the Robin Hood legend to assault the Republicans. He accused House Speaker Newt Gingrich and his team of advocating robbing the poor to reward the rich.

Funny thing. As I recall the story, Robin Hood raided the government i.e., the king and his regal henchmen, and redistributed the wealth to the poor, not vice versa.

Also, Gore accused the Republican majority of being extremists. Wouldn’t you imagine the king and his gang considered Robin Hood quite an extremist, too? Ken Marlin Spokane

Here’s another tax reform idea

The national sales tax idea as mentioned in Adam Nashif’s well-written letter (April 5) is certainly better than the present federal income tax.

I’d just go one step further and implement the founder’s plan: a modest tariff on imports for federal purposes and leave it up to the states to determine the respective taxes that do best for them.

This would again bring about a balance of powers between the states and the national/federal government, leaving most of the governing at state and local levels as originally intended.

As for the national and state debts, we need to sell, sell, sell. John Hodde Colville, Wash.

IN IDAHO

Lax enforcement festival factor

In an otherwise good editorial about the need for local support for the Sandpoint Festival (“Other cities would welcome festival,” Opinion, March 30), D.F. Oliveria missed at least one important concern of local residents. Foremost among these is the failure of festival promoters to curtail alcohol consumption during the festival.

Dozens of semiconscious festivalgoers exit Memorial Field onto quiet residential streets. Isn’t there a city ordinance about public drinking/intoxication on city property?

The festival is indeed a boon for Sandpoint businesses. It should be supported by the entire community because we all benefit in some way from it. However, organizers would be wise to respond to community complaints when these objections stem from the larger concern for public safety. Don S. Otis Sagle