Letters To The Editor

Thu., Jan. 12, 1995

SPOKANE MATTERS

Officials fleece city taxpayers

I find it difficult to believe that we taxpayers are being asked to pay $6,000 to $7,000 to bring a consultant from California to advise our city manager, mayor and City Council how to manage city government.

Since City Manager Roger Crum thinks it is a difficult task to run a $300 million operation, why is he city manager?

Add the expense for 12 people to attend the retreat, spend the night at a motel, plus meals for one and onehalf days - how much?

While the state and federal governments plan to cut expenses and taxes, Spokane taxes and spends.

After watching most City Council meetings on Channel 5, I believe we could use a few more good council members like Chris Anderson.

I wonder how much the trip to Minneapolis cost the taxpayers? It took three people to go to the National League of Cities: Mayor Jack Geraghty and Councilwomen Bev Numbers and Phyllis Holmes. The only report I heard on that trip was Bev Numbers saying a few words about the new huge shopping center. E.D. Boxer Spokane

Give these spendthrifts a clue

At the Dec. 12 City Council meeting, the last budget hearing for public testimony, I asked the council where it was planning to hold its next retreat.

Mayor Geraghty advised me that the council did not yet know. I then voiced my hope that it would be held in a manner that would not prove costly to the taxpayers.

Except for Councilmen Chris Anderson and Joel Crosby, that request certainly fell on deaf ears because they now plan to hold the retreat at the Ramada Inn, staying overnight, plus hiring someone from California to facilitate it.

You cannot convince me we don’t have people who are just as capable within our own city to facilitate City Hall issues.

A month ago, the City Council couldn’t balance the 1995 budget. Now, all of a sudden they can afford an expensive retreat? From where within the new budget is this money coming?

Crime runs rampant in our city. Service costs continue to rise. The city doesn’t know how it will pay for resurfacing our streets, except by probably adding a street utility tax to our water bills. No wonder the city doesn’t have money for important things, when it spends it on foolish things.

Come on, City Council. Let’s get our priorities straight. You work for the taxpayers of Spokane, not your own selfish needs.

I urge all Spokane taxpayers to call or write Councilmembers Holmes, Numbers, Brewer and Barnes and Mayor Geraghty to voice your outrage at the spending of our tax dollars in such irresponsible ways. Sandy Smith Spokane

We should elect park board

The people of Spokane need to vote directly for the Spokane Park Board members. Presently, the Spokane City Council appoints them.

By running for office, potential park board members would, with luck, state their positions on Riverfront Park and the park system.

At the very least, park board members should hold town meetings throughout the city.

Fresh air helps all of us. Michael T. McGuire Spokane

Questions about fire still smolder

This concerns the unfortunate fire that devastated the home and lives of Jeff Blackwell and his family at Seven Mile.

First, the fire was contained in the garage for over half an hour after it was discovered. The whole home could have been saved if the fire district had responded.

Secondly, Fire District 10 has stated it would have gladly responded to save the home but no one notified it of the fire. Why not?

Lastly, there have been at least two times over the years we have tried to get into a fire district and were reassured that District 9 or the Department of Natural Resources would always respond, that we did not need to get into one. The first time was when my husband and I built our home here in 1987. The second time was when my sister and her husband built at Seven Mile in 1991.

Consider the fires here last summer, Firestorm ‘91 and the many small wildfires over the years. There’s always been a rapid response here by District 9, DNR and others. Let’s not hide behind a bureaucratic smokescreen or be so callous toward others in saying “buyer beware.”

Fortunately, we are now in the process of getting Seven Mile into District 9, which is cooperating to bring things about expeditiously. I just find it somehow disillusioning that our community could respond in such a heartless manner to someone in these dire circumstances.

What happened to the Golden Rule of treating others as we would like to be treated? Anne Yost Seven Mile

Library fees bad policy

The new policy of user fees for city and county libraries is despicable. It goes against the very grain of the spirit of free and open access of public libraries in America. Besides schools and universities, libraries are the principal education facilities in our communities.

If the same logic of user fees was applied to public schools, I shouldn’t have to pay taxes to the Mead School District because none of my children attend there. But no, we all benefit from an educated public and that is why we all contribute, even when it hurts, e.g. the new $30 million eco-disaster Mead School on Peone Prairie.

I guess the city library board has never heard of “critical mass,” i.e. by eliminating the county patrons they will not have enough traffic to remain fully staffed.

It’s enough to make me wish that architect would go ahead with his seven-story condo - there won’t be anybody in the library to look out the window anyway!

What a crass disservice to the citizens of Spokane city and county. Jacob Laete Spokane

ABORTION

Abortion is violent and wrong

Renounce violence. What is more violent than the act of abortion? Abortion is performed by a variety of methods, all extremely violent to the victim.

The hypocrisy of some “pro-choice” advocates demanding a renunciation of violence is absurd. When people ask themselves what kind of mind can contemplate the murder of another person, just ask someone who performs abortions. Or ask someone who has had an abortion.

When a doctor who performs abortions get home at the close of the day, what sort of job satisfaction does he or she experience? Seeing all those tiny hands and feet - all that may be recognizable after the abortion is performed - going into the trash must be truly rewarding.

I don’t condemn women who have had an abortion; they are victims of a society and propaganda that condone this act. Daily we are told that abortion is a right and that it’s OK to terminate a pregnancy because it’s not a baby, just a fetus - a piece of amorphous tissue, a nuisance, that is easily taken care of.

Please, let’s not be sanctimonious about the hallowed right of abortion. It is merely an act of convenience for those not willing to take responsibility for their actions.

I do not wish violent death upon those who perform or have abortions, only that they experience the heartache of not being able to have a child when they truly want one.

Responsibility. Jan. 22, 1973 is the anniversary of the height of irresponsibility. Michael K. Arnold Deer Park

Salvi should’ve studied license

Does anybody think it strange about John Salvi, the person who’s under arrest for shooting five people at a legally run abortion clinic in Brookline, Mass.?

He lived in New Hampshire, which has “Live Free or Die” stamped on its license plates. Do you think that Salvi forgot what the motto on his license plate means? Or does it mean that he only had to live by that motto in the state of New Hampshire?

Now that he is not free himself, should he not die?

Sounds good to me. Les Harris Ford, Wash.

LAW AND JUSTICE

Just fund, enforce laws we have

Regarding the “hard time for armed crime initiative” - am I being told that we have no law at this time to put felons in prison for armed crime? Of course we do. So why do we need new laws to enforce old laws?

The Democratic Party passed new crime bills in Washington, D.C., and in Olympia. Makes one think that brings better protection in bringing felons to justice. After all the hype about getting tough on crime, we come back to Earth, to real life.

After firing six people, our corporate office burned to the ground at a loss of $95,371. The fire marshal stated the cause as undetermined and closed the case.

The fire protection service, being both suspicious of the report and admitting it is flawed with errors, believes it to be arson. The service would reinvestigate but our new crime bill gutted its budget, subverting those funds to social programs.

The Washington State Patrol views the fire as very suspicious and would like to investigate. But our new crime bill cut the patrol’s budget as well, diverting those funds to social programs. The patrol went to the state Legislature to request funds with which to investigate. The Democrats said no.

The county sheriff will only investigate if and when the fire report states arson. With evidence of fraud, embezzlement and arson, nothing is done. Why? Because we have a new Democratic crime bill.

We don’t need new crime laws or resort-type prisons. We only need to enforce the old laws and restore prisons to places people don’t want to go to. Randall Thomas Hair, president Raven Hill Mining Inc., Newport, Wash.

Give catching suspect priority

John Hunt Whaley (Letters, Jan. 9) sure supported Judge Marcus Kelly’s decision. They must be old buddies from the Gonzaga liberal system.

I suppose one would have to review the record to get the proper perspective of the case. Nothing was said about the exigency of locating the subject, Boot.

Were the police in hot pursuit or could they have waited to secure a warrant from some unavailable judge, and let the suspect escape? Catching the suspect should be of prime importance. K.D. Bryant Spokane

Criminals work for government

The death penalty is the appropriate action to be taken against the U.S. government criminals for their crimes in Waco, Texas.

The Nuremberg trials need a re-enactment in order to cleanse this nation. Charles A. Hunn Jr. Clinton, Mont.

Things are badly out of hand

Eighteen convictions for a 17-year-old youth. A nineteenth possibly to be for murder. Whatever is happening to our society as we approach the 21st century?

Are we existing under a barbaric system of justice and law and order? I’m not berating our quite competent Spokane police system, for we have one of the best. However, this problem of lawlessless is a treacherous, decadent condition affecting the entire nation.

If I could go back five or six decades in age and exist in the present day and age, I would never produce any offspring for fear they just might become monsters such as the violent, murderous criminal youths roaming the streets of our cities nowadays.

Let us pray and hope that the 21st century will dispel the anger, ignorance, prejudice, greed, envy, covetousness, suspicion and jealousy so prevalent in this, our 20th century. Major E. Dunne Spokane

IN IDAHO

Schools handle drug fight badly

For 15 or 20 years, the movers and shakers of this community have supported a cavalier attitude toward recreational drug use. A little foolishness can be forgiven among the elite. This is the message you have sent to your children, loud and clear.

Now you want the schools to come up with a drug policy that will solve the problem your actions have created. As a zero-tolerance person who wants a drug-free environment at our schools, I realize I am not in the majority. I advocate a one-year suspension for the first offense of possession with the case immediately turned over to law enforcement. If the liberals want a five-day suspension, so be it. But make it a firm policy applicable to everyone.

Don’t attempt to get teachers in drug counseling or the school board acting as a judicial body with the hint of selective prosecution. If trained judges require sentencing guidelines, an elected board of laymen should not be playing prosecutor.

We’ll never get a handle on this problem with students free to leave the school grounds at lunchtime to do the deals or the drugs. One teacher testified that many students never return from the noon recess, preferring to get stoned. Driving a car to school is a privilege and, as on a military reservation, those granted the privilege agree to let their vehicles be searched on demand. If drugs were found in the middle school lockers, we are naive to suspect more are not being introduced to the high school campus. Are we afraid to put dogs on the lockers and cars? Gary W. Carlson Sagle Make eagle watchers welcome Eagle watchers deserve a break as well as a brake.

The season’s holidays and clear days afforded excellent opportunities for many folks to venture east of Coeur d’Alene to Idaho Scenic Highway 97. At Wolf Lodge Bay and Beauty Bay one can view the magnificent American bald eagles resting, feeding or flying.

A short time of nature enjoyment and togetherness for families and friends is an encouraging welcome sight. These people have a right to this opportunity and should be extended courtesies. Give ‘em a break.

A mere two miles of the lake shore road provides for eagle viewing chances. This double yellow line roadway boasts a dozen speed signs that call for speeds of 20 mph to 35 mph. There are eight precautionary curve signs.

The point is that a car traveling at 30 mph will negotiate this distance in four minutes. All drivers going by should consider slowing to 15 mph and even hesitating when necessary for an enthused child or an adult photographer. A human is no match for a car. Give ‘em a brake.

As a daily Highway 97 commuter, I welcome you eagle watchers next year. You can have an extra four or five minutes of my time for those few days you visit. Enjoy. Don Pischner Coeur d’Alene

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