Letters To The Editor

SPOKANE MATTERS

Expediency is not enough

The men and women who play golf at Spokane County’s three courses pay exactly the same as other citizens to support county parks. That’s as it should be.

Why should golfers be singled out to pay more, as proposed by County Commissioner John Roskelley?

Parks are for everyone and everyone should pay a fair share. Charging golfers extra to support the parks is the same as charging fisherman an extra fee each time they fish in a county lake, or hunters for each time they hunt, or, heaven forbid, charging climbers for each time they scale a cliff.

The basic test for proper government fees and taxes is fairness. Charging golfers more than others for park support might be expedient, but Roskelley should ask himself: Is it fair? Dick Hoover Liberty Lake

Good for Roskelley; He is right

County Commissioner John Roskelley’s statement about golfers being wealthy is not incorrect.

Wealth is a relative term. If one plays golf at one of the county’s golf courses, one must be wealthy enough to do so. There are certainly many people who would love to play this game but lack the necessary wealth.

How one could write such letters as I have seen from grumpy golfers is beyond me. To publicly state that spending $12.50 on their one round of golf is justifiable, but recoil at the suggestion that they pay a dollar or two more to help the kids of this community seems - well, you add the words.

I’m sorry, but funds collected at the golf courses are county funds. Golfers should be glad that any of the money collected is allowed to go back into the courses.

The silly complaints of these few golfers evokes the sight of a disturbed yuppie raving maniacally and throwing his clubs in rage. All because a little ball didn’t go into the appropriate hole.

Instead of complaining, one should give Roskelley some credit. He stepped into a commissioner’s position and immediately found a problem that ought to be addressed. Without procrastinating, hemming and hawing or molly-coddling special interest groups, he found a decent solution.

I would be happy to have three commissioners willing to do the same. Don Secor Spokane

Poor idea for funding parks

I was very disappointed to read the recent newspaper story that outlined County Commissioner John Roskelley’s ideas to increase the greens fees at the county golf courses.

We are indeed lucky to live in an area with an abundance of golf courses with reasonable greens fees. Golf is more expensive in most other parts of the country but I don’t think that justifies raising fees here.

If additional revenue generated by higher greens fees were to be used to improve and expand county courses I think most golfers would support the idea. Using the additional revenue to fund other projects, such as county parks, is nothing more than a tax increase for all those who enjoy golf in this area.

Had I known Roskelley’s position on this subject, I certainly would not have voted for him. Ed Sonderman Spokane

First, learn golf economics

I was going to ignore Spokane County Commissioner John Roskelley’s recent comments about golf until the public hearings, but Anne Windishar’s editorial was too much.

Anyone who believes that golf is a sport for the wealthy hasn’t been on a public course lately. In fact, if it weren’t for golf’s general appeal there would be no need for public courses.

Spend some time in any sports store adding up the cost of equipment for a variety of sports; many popular activities are more expensive than golf.

The availability of inexpensive golf is a major Spokane attraction for visitors, new residents and businesses. Check out the Canadian license plates. Those people not only pay to play golf, they eat in local restaurants, stay in local motels and shop in the area. Jack up greens fees enough and they’ll go elsewhere. So will some of our local golfers.

Golfers like to play different courses and the higher our greens fees get, the more attractive other courses become.

I suggest that Windishar learn something about the economics of golf before suggesting that we subsidize senior golfers. There’s no such thing as a per-person cost to our courses. Every day the fairways are mowed, the sand traps raked and the pins moved. It doesn’t matter if three or 300 people show up to play, routine maintenance must be done.

And, since tee times go begging most of the year, every player helps pay the bills, especially seniors, who tend to favor off-peak times. Bob Mielbrecht Spokane

BUSINESS AND LABOR

‘X’ marks the spots I avoid

As another Christmas season begins, the stores enter into their busiest time of the year. In the case of many of the store owners, it appears they at least present the spirit of the event which started this celebration in the first place.

But drive down any street lined with businesses or which has trees for sale and you will see signs advertising things for sale for “X-mas.” Those merchants who are either too lazy to spell out “Christ” or who have beliefs that won’t allow them to do so should just replace the “X” on their sign with a “$,” because it’s apparent the dollar is the only thing they can think about during this time of year.

Personally, I will avoid buying anything from a business where I see Christ left out of His birthday in an attempt to hit those merchants where their heart is. George Perks Spokane

Pollution, maybe; Health threat, no

On Oct. 30 Kaiser Trentwood confirmed it had negotiated an agreement with federal regulators to settle with the Environmental Protection Agency alleged past opacity violations from 1990-91 and that we had agreed to pay a civil penalty.

The alleged violations related to the appearance of emissions, not their content. There was no threat to human health or the environment.

Spokesman-Review articles of Oct. 31 and Nov. 25 suggested otherwise. The latter article, especially, overlooked major points and used verbiage which misrepresented Trentwood’s operations.

Words used in the Nov. 25 article to describe our process were misleading and misrepresented the facts. We don’t “belch” metal or pollution; there is no “acrid haze.”

For clarification, it is important your readers understand Trentwood’s particulate emissions play a minor role in Spokane’s overall air quality. Trentwood contributes less than 1 percent, or 58 tons per year, of PM-10. By comparison, wood stove smoke accounts for 1,500 tons and unpaved roads 5,300 tons. To suggest industry is an equal contributor is misleading and may encourage people to focus on the wrong problems.

We believe we designed the right solution, initiated it in 1990 and will complete it by late 1997, at a cost of about $20 million. Our solution means Trentwood will be well positioned to meet post-2000 regulatory requirements and will lead the U.S. aluminum industry in emissions control.

On behalf of 1,425 Trentwood employees and their families, Kaiser wishes to correct the record. Kathryn L. Genteman, FRP division manager Kaiser Aluminum and Chemical Corp., Trentwood

Drink maker treated good cause, too

Doug Clark and KHQ channel 6 recently covered a story about the Snapple beverage surprise party for me at work because of a letter I wrote to the Snapple Co.

After a week of being teased and called the Snapple Lady, I thought I would mention a few details that the Snapple Co. did that day for Lutheran Social Services, the agency I work for, instead of the emphasis being on my drinking a Diet Coke when I walked in.

First, they provided a wonderful lunch, Snapple T-shirts for everyone, a nice banner and, most important of all, they donated $500 in my name to the agency. This was a real morale booster.

It just shows that if you like something you should always take the time to let the right person know. You never know, it could just brighten up their day or they could surprise you. Janice Abramson Spokane

RELIGION

Church criticisms sorely lacking

Isn’t it a bit ironic that a 78-year-old man questions competency of the College of Cardinals, calling its members “senile, tired old men”? (Maurice Cauchon, Letters, Dec. 6) Especially when his own words reveal mental confusion.

First, Cauchon mistakes the source of his ire; the definitive statement on women as priests was not issued by the College of Cardinals but by the Sacred Congregation of the Faith, a group of Vatican-based scholars who study and affirm creed and consider traditions most efficacious to theocratic faith.

Second, implied comparison between his dissent and the economic-political revolt against England’s King George is totally irrelevant. Roman Catholics are an entity bound only ideologically - by a defined tradition and faith. Its billions of members live on all continents, are of every color and ethnic distinction. Some are rich, others very poor. In whatever culture, they have stood for dignity of all persons from conception until after life. However, dignity and equality do not mean sameness, even in vocations.

If Cauchon wishes to walk away from that church, he is free to do so. People have been doing it for 2,000 years. Yet its core traditions and creed live on. One sacred belief is in a consecrated priesthood the teachings and implications of which are apparently obscure to some people.

Cauchon, Mother Teresa is a true daughter of the universal church, very loyal to its present leaders. She would not be a good fit as “pope” of your American splinter. Agnes Mullen Spokane

THE MEDIA

Wrong done to protesters ignored

Since the media still find “news” in bringing up the Mark Fuhrman story, I would like to mention the Los Angeles media’s part in a conspiracy of silence when scores of people had their civil rights denied.

Videotapes of March 25, 1989, and June 10, 1989, clearly document that 20 to 30 members of the Los Anegeles Police Department’s Metro Division, under orders of police leadership, deliberately went beyond standard come-along holds. Many non-violent demonstrators who spoke for the civil rights of unborn children had broken bones and nerve damage. At least one woman was fondled by a police officer.

At times the police stood around laughing as other officers applied numchuks (two sticks connected by a chain) to those non-violent people, causing excruciating pain and damage to their bodies.

The major media were there, but aired nothing of the torture. In case their cameras missed the hours of carnage, they were sent videotapes from private cameramen. But it was not on the media’s agenda to tell the truth.

Hypocritically, in 1991, these same media repeatedly aired the Rodney King incident. But shockingly, what the Los Angeles media didn’t do is repeated across this nation.

When the largest arrest of pastors (more than 80) in U.S. history occurred in 1991, in Wichita, Kans., for non-violently trying to protect unborn children, the media made sure the U.S. public was not informed. Jim Pearl Hayden Lake, Idaho

Hell’s Angels outlaws? How so?

The Hell’s Angels were referred to in two recent news items as “the biggest outlaw motorcycle club” in the world. I wonder what makes it an “outlaw” club. Is it:

The members must be outlaws to join?

Hells Angels is not officially sanctioned by the National Motorcycle Gang Accreditation Board?, or

Is the Spokesman-Review, in its usual way, just throwing some editorial buzz words into a news story? Gardner S. Bailey Spokane

PEOPLE IN SOCIETY

We’re not ragged or on any edge

I am frightened by the media putting all home-schoolers in one category, as you did in “the ragged edge” article. That is what Hitler did in Germany. There are many reasons why people decide to home-school their children.

Being a military family, we move about every two years. Home-schooling our children has enabled us to move at any time of year without disrupting their studies. We home-school year-round so we take advantage of the many wonderful opportunities afforded us during our travels.

We are for a high standard in academics and values. We do not believe that outcome-based education meets those standards.

Not all home-schoolers are anti-government, as your article indicated. My husband could be sent anywhere in the world on 24 hours notice. He might even be called to give his life for this great nation. Who could ask for more?

Home-schoolers are as diverse as Americans themselves. In our travels we have met many interesting people from all over the world. It would have been a mistake not to start a friendship because they were not from my home state or of my race. Likewise, it is a mistake to group all home-schoolers together.

The home-schoolers I have met in the past seven years have encouraged my children to have inquisitive minds and a love for learning. Don’t let a few home-schoolers distort your opinion of all home-schoolers. Lori E. Wallingford Fairchild Air Force Base

Poles have contributed much

In reference to the Ann Landers flap, who decided the term “Polak” is a rude reference for a Polish person? Whoever it is must be uneducated.

Some 50 years ago it was great sport to make jokes about Polish people, yet many of them have made outstanding contributions to humanity.

Let’s not forget the wonderful music given us by Jan Paderewski. Pope John Paul II is widely recognized for his courageous efforts toward world peace. In the field of education, Alfred Korzybski, a scientist and engineer, recognized that our English language was defective, thus creating the “science of general semantics,” and wrote books, “Manhood of Humanity,” “The General Theory of Time Binding” and “The Role of Language.”

Madam H.P. Blavatsky, of Polish descent, made a significant philosophical contribtuion to the world. In America she founded the Theosophical Society. Some of the greatest minds in the world became members: Annie Besant, W.L. Wilmhurst of England, Voltaire, Jacques Demolay of France, Frederick the Great of Prussia, Benjamin Franklin and Thomas Jefferson. Annie Besant was a major influence in developing co-masonry (women in masonry) and Wilmhurst became a renowned masonic philosopher.

All these brilliant minds were members of the Masonic Order except Pope John the II.Interestingly, history records that in the early 1700s, many Catholic bishops were members of the Masonic Order until Pope Clement issued his canon restricting their membership. Pope John II lifted that canon.

God bless the Polaks and thanks for their outstanding contributions. William E. Sweikert Liberty Lake