Letters To The Editor

(From Letters to the editor, Monday, February 27, 1995): Editor’s note: The sentence in question in Ed Davis’ original letter should have read: The largest number of appeals received by the Colville National Forest last year (13) came from a club in Wesleyan University in Connecticut.

IN THE PUBLIC EYE

Unbacked charges hit at fine man

I have watched in utter disbelief as the allegations against Gov. Mike Lowry have unfolded during the past weeks.

I have been marginally acquainted with Mike Lowry for over 10 years and came to know him well during his campaign for governor. I served as his staff person for Eastern Washington. Roughly speaking, that’s an area from the Canadian border to Oregon and the Idaho border to the Cascades. If Mike had an appearance in Eastern Washington, I was responsible for getting him there.

I thus spent many hours alone, much of it in isolated areas, with a man who, in the final analysis, I can only say is a true gentleman. While we had many lively conversations and a few debates on issues, Mike Lowry’s behavior was always above reproach.

As to the drinking charges, while I have known Mike to have a drink now and then, I have never seen him imbibe at, or arrive having imbibed before, any official commitment during his years in Congress, his campaign or his tenure as governor. As I have told Gov. Lowry, it was an honor and a pleasure to work for a man with his integrity. I would do it again in a flash.

Let’s let the governor work on the issues we elected him to deal with, not bind his hands with unsubstantiated allegations. Cheri A.Moore Spokane

Let’s not all pile on Lowry

I don’t know if anyone is a drunk or a letch, and I don’t recall who I voted for for governor in the last election. But Gov. Mike Lowry is trying to do a decent job of administration. Let the guy do the job and knock off the sniping.

Shucks, it must be difficult enough to try to be a chief administrator for a bunch of carping, self-serving bozos, without all the extra bother. Who cares? Joe Dufresne Northport, Wash.

Get appointed, you’re toast

The way things are going in confirmation hearings, it seems like political appointees are being picked at and torn apart purely for partisan reasons.

No one should have to go through such a grueling process. If it keeps up, well-qualified appointees will no longer feel that public service is worth such scrutiny and, in some cases character assassination, before appointment is accepted.

I know that investigations of people’s backgrounds are necessary. But for it to be so blatantly partisan in many instances is unfair. It seems no matter who is picked, a dog and pony show will be forced upon the public before any confirmation is made. James A. Nelson Spokane

Chater no, Foster yes

Although I admit I could have missed it in The Spokesman-Review, I didn’t know of the hearings regarding Shirley Chater, who has been nominated to oversee Social Security. Reportedly, she has repeatedly told the Senate panel looking into her nomination that she wasn’t prepared to recommend any specific solutions to keep Social Security from going broke.

This would seem to me to be of equal or greater importance to the American public than all the ruckus about Dr. Foster, who, incidentally, sounds like a fine physician. D.L. McCorquodale Spokane

SPOKANE MATTERS

Young people, put safety first

This letter applies to any of us but is directed particularly to young people. I am prompted to write after reading the article about Eddie Jones’ tragic death (Spokesman-Review, Feb. 15).

I’ve been a firefighter/paramedic for 25-plus years, the last 15 here in Spokane. If I had a nickel for every time I heard, “I didn’t think it would happen to me (or them),” I would be rich. I’m not criticizing young people’s actions. It is natural to want to do new, exciting things. However, when we are young, we believe we are indestructible and will live forever. Sadly, in some activities our first mistake is our last.

Please use the knowledge of others who have gone before you. Learn from their mistakes. Use the safety equipment available for a sport or activity. Emergency workers, professional race car drivers and wise civilian drivers use seatbelts. A rollover is survivable if you are secured in the vehicle. There are no guarantees in life, but we can bank the odds in our favor by thinking of safety first.

My condolences to Eddie’s family and friends. One can hope their loss will serve as a learning experience for someone else’s child. Robert B. Smith Post Falls

Excess, unfairness behind protests

So, Spokane County Treasurer Linda Wolverton is worried about the number of people who are questioning the increases in their property taxes. The folks over at the Courthouse are worried about a money shortage. This is natural; government always spends far more than it takes in. If we all sent in our entire paycheck, they’d still be singing the blues next year.

That so many people are fighting this is a sign of a disease that’s getting worse. Every property owner should pay taxes to provide for the services we all enjoy, such as paved streets, fire and police protection. However, when taxes get so high that they do taxpayers more harm than the loss of services they pay for, something has to give.

I know of no one in this county who hasn’t seen their property tax increase far outstrip their wage increases during the past few years. Businesses increase the cost of goods and services to cover this, but Joe Homeowner can’t do anything about it.

Many older people now see their property taxes higher than their house payments were. What are these folks going to do when they find it impossible to make ends meet?

We need to change the system. We continue to reward slobs who have no pride in their homes. The pigsties get little increases, while nice places get hammered harder every year.

Are our elected officials thinking about this or will we all just eventually end up signing over most of our paychecks to the tax man? Gary Graupner Spokane

Libraries: No need to penalize kids

OK, the county library can’t afford the hardware requested by its library users. If the county library feels it must require a fee from county residents, I suggest the following:

Registered students who attend schools in the county, regardless of where they live, should be allowed to use the library of their choice. Issuing these students a library card would be a simple matter of cross-checking with the schools. There’s no need for a computer to do that, just a phone.

If you are not a student, you could use the $55 to get a card or take a bus or drive to the nearest city library.

This way, the children would not be victimized by the bureaucratic nose-thumbing that’s going on here between the city and the county libraries. Alan Leaning Spokane

Good landlords get shaft, bail out

In reply to recent letter-writers who wrote that if landlords would treat their renters fairly they, would be treated fairly in return: It is nonsense to justify crime.

We never trashed houses when we were renting.

Ten years ago, my husband and I invested in some rentals. We charged low rent, paid for water, sewer, garbage and provided garbage cans. If notified of a problem, we responded the same day if possible, even though we both worked full-time jobs. We are not rich, but we fixed windows, paid for roof repairs and thawed pipes. Many times, renters remarked that we were great landlords.

We were rewarded with piles of dirty diapers and rotting food (even though we paid for garbage service ourselves), rooms stripped and walls kicked in.

We were fair and honest landlords, so we had to sell out or sink financially.

Property abuse is a crime against owners and other renters, too. We provided decent, low-income housing for a lot of people. Because we were forced out of the market by bad renters, the low rents we charged are not available to you now, either. What excuse do you have for the renters of our properties? B.L. Carroll Cheney

Coliseum could go out with a bang

Shortly after the arena is completed, the Coliseum has to be demolished. A few million dollars has been budgeted for same.

Short of making use of the same by remodeling it as a minor-offense juvenile detention center or emergency shelter for the homeless, the budgeted demolition money could be well saved by adopting an innovative method that is being used in Haines City, Fla.

The city water division wanted a water tank demolished, which would have cost the city $25,000. The superintendent placed an ad inviting anyone with enough money to “Come blow up our tank!” They decided to that way lure filmmakers to destroy the tank as part of “a terrorist movie or something.” Mallur R. Nandagopal Spokane

BUREAU OF MINES OFFICE

This cut makes little sense

President Clinton’s 1996 budget includes a $20 million cut for the U.S. Bureau of Mines. This translates into the closure of the bureau’s Spokane offices by Dec. 31, 1995.

Of the 220 scientists, engineers and support personnel quartered in Spokane, a scant few will be relocated to “Centers of Excellence” in Minneapolis or Washington, D.C. The remainder will be terminated.

Most U.S. mineral resources are concentrated in the West. Further, many complex and costly physical and environmental problems associated with abandoned mine lands and past mining operations are also found in the West. Apart from the Bureau of Mines, no other government or private sector entity has the expertise, experience and knowledge of the western states to address these problems.

Government downsizing is good and inevitable. However, cutting programs with no real consideration of the consequences is self-defeating. The cost alone of transporting personnel and equipment from Washington, D.C., or Minneapolis to study areas in the West would more than offset any savings from consolidation.

Congressman George Nethercutt labeled the proposed Spokane closure as “outrageous” and politically motivated. Since there is no logical reason why the Spokane offices should take the brunt of the budget cuts (outside of partisan politics), I believe he is right. Russell G. Raney Spokane

Loss would be everyone’s

The Bureau of Mines has been and continues to be an important part of Spokane’s economy. This agency has been a leader in community education, services and the United Way.

The bureau’s most important function is minerals information, to ensure our nation remains strong. Information we supply affects the lives of every person because without minerals development, you would not be able to keep your lifestyle. Everything you use each day is related to some mineral, such as copper, lead or cement.

The bureau believes agencies can be effectively downsized to provide customers with the greatest benefit for the least cost. The Spokane-based Bureau of Mines has continued to adapt and fulfill those needs because of its strategic location and because of its small, enthusiastic, problem-solving work force.

Last year, the Bureau of Mines lost about 15 percent of its work force through budget cuts. This year, the Department of Interior imposed an additional $20 million cut on the bureau while increasing the budgets of eight other DOI agencies. This will result in office closures in Spokane (170 jobs), Reno, Alaska and Denver. This means an end to the minerals expertise that has helped ensure the adequate minerals supply so vital to our economy. Complete elimination of the bureau is wrong. Write or call your senators. Urge them to hold hearings as to the best way to meet our nation’s need for minerals. Steven W. Schmauch Spokane

GOVERNMENT AND POLITICS

Gorton sells out public interest

President Bush misread Washingtonians’ concern regarding the environment when he made his special trip to Colville to support Rep. Rod Chandler during the 1992 campaign. Republican Sen. Slade Gorton may now be making the same mistake.

Immediately after the election, Gorton made it known that he is going to dismantle existing environmental laws. Gorton seems hardly able to contain himself now that he believes the election has given him a free hand to go after the spotted owl. That there are still some old-growth and roadless forests left in the Northwest appears to be a bane to him, and he cannot wait to hand them over to some of his special friends.

Gorton, and several of his western colleagues, will explain the need for cutting these forests in a very misnamed “Job Creation and Wage Enhancement Act.” Who can disagree with such an act?

But before the public agrees, it had better question why the Republicans, Rep. George Nethercutt among them, want to repeal the significant existing Davis-Bacon wage enhancement act. Davis-Bacon assures a decent wage for workers on government contracts and as a result provides some foundation for reasonable wages in the community.

Gorton and his colleagues espouse a very dishonest doctrine. They claim we cannot enjoy economic prosperity without complete exploitation of our public resources. Hopefully, the public recognizes the Republicans’ Job Creation and Wage Enhancement Act for what it really is. Johan Bahlmann Spokane

Gorton, Nethercutt industry pawns

Sen. Slade Gorton is well known for his long alliance with the timber industry. Gorton seems to have sold his soul to the industry. His dislike for the Endangered Species Act may lead him into making the gravest mistake of his political career.

Any tampering or weakening of the act will most assuredly bring the wrath of the American people upon him.

This whole anti-ESA stems from insidious propaganda by the big timber companies. They will not tolerate the slightest impediment in their drive to eliminate the last of our once-great forests.

Gorton intends to enact legislation that will override many of our hard-fought-for environmental laws, thereby destroying the citizens’ right to appeal. This right, guaranteed by Congress, must not be destroyed by the hare-brained schemes of a politician who seems to have lost is good sense. The “endless lawsuits” Gorton complains about is a lie. In fact, very few cases are on record. He also lies when he says that loggers are living in poverty. In fact, the state and federal governments have provided well for these chainsaw jockeys.

Incidentally, Rep. George Nethercutt, Spokane’s pride and joy, is in complete accord with Gorton.

If Spokanites believe that George is a man for the people, they are mistaken. George works for big business - period. A.K. Stirling Spokane

Tenderfoot meddlers ruining forests

Wyatt Davis (Letters, Feb. 14) is right in saying, “This is your land, folks,” referring to the public forests. But if he cares about those forests, he’s wrong to oppose the Craig bill that would waive some of the many laws and regulations used to block forest management by lawsuits and appeals, so emergency salvage of timber and thinning would be allowed.

It’s senseless to let some twinkie who doesn’t know laminated root rot from linguine block professional forest management. That’s like letting some faith healer off the street interfere with a doctor’s practice of medicine. The bulk of 13 appeals received by the Colville National Forest last year came from a Wesleyan University club in Connecticut. No club member is a forester or has ever been to the Colville National Forest.

Dr. Chadwick Oliver, professor of silviculture, University of Washington, says such interference has created sick and dead forests choked with unprecedented volumes of fuel for the inevitable fires. We had a sample last summer.

Dr. Jay O’Laughlin, director of Policy Analysis Group, University of Idaho, says the solution is forest management.

Like me, many who support the Craig bill have no connection with the timber industry. We just deplore the waste of a renewable resource, loss of fish and wildlife and destruction of the beauty of our public forests through disease, insects and wildfire. Ed Davis Spokane

Privatizing CPB no mistake

I must respond to Sigrid A. Brannan’s letter of Feb. 2, “Privatizing CPB would be a mistake.”

Ms. Brannan reasons that the idea of cutting government funds for public television and radio is calculated to “satisfy the more predatory portions of our society who level claims against the CPB as a propaganda machine pandering to some mythical elite.”

Not so, Ms. Brannan. Any program worth its salt should have to stand on its own merits or risk not attracting a sponsor. This would soon eliminate the garbage.

She also stated that she recently visited Barnes & Noble book store in Seattle, where she spent time and some money. She declared she could afford to do that occasionally to add literature to her private library. Doesn’t this sound just a trifle elitist? Phyllis Hyatt Colville, Wash.

ILLUSTRATION: Drawing