Residents Feeling Burned Over Grass-Burning Bill
When grass seed growers in Eastern Washington and North Idaho perform their fall field-burning ritual, Joanne Bowen of the Spokane Valley stays indoors.
“I cannot go outside or visit outside because of various health problems like lung disease and dry-eye syndrome,” she says.
Now she wants to know why field-burning foes weren’t alerted before the Washington Legislature approved, without dissent, a bill reducing regulatory control over the practice. The news broke after Gov. Mike Lowry had signed the measure.
“I cannot believe it,” said a stunned Sherry Rogers of Spokane. “I thought everything was going fairly well between the citizens and the grassburning association. Unfortunately, they did an end run around the system.”
“We really had no calls on that issue at all,” said Judith Gilmore, who runs Lowry’s Spokane office. “We are getting calls from constituents now.”
Gilmore said callers have been advised to contact state Sen. Jim West, R-Spokane, a co-sponsor of the bill, or representatives of the industry.
A man of his word
When he voted for Initiative 164, state Sen. John Moyer of Spokane broke a promise he had made to some constituents so he could keep one he had made to his Republican caucus leader.
Ellomae Demond of Spokane thinks that’s “absolutely deplorable.”
The initiative requires taxpayers to compensate property owners for lost value caused by regulations. Legislative approval avoids the public vote that opponents had hoped for this fall.
“He’d much rather support large corporations at the expense of public education and the needy,” Demond said.
But Edwin G. Davis, also of Spokane, applauds Moyer.
“I don’t own property - I rent - and I’m not associated with industry,” he said. “I do have civil rights I value and which are fundamental to this country. The property initiative simply affirms one of those rights, and the claim that it requires government to pay industry not to pollute is baloney.”
More to come on charity
Several readers replied to the question in “Bagpipes” on Tuesday about the charitable outpouring for bombing victims in Oklahoma City. Those responses will be featured on the “Perspective” page of the Sunday, May 7, Spokesman-Review.
xxxx