Hard Work Within The System Can Make A Positive Difference

Not everyone who feels government let him or her down goes to war. Some go to work.

After her son’s friend died in a traffic accident, Teresa Waunch approached Washington state highway officials in Spokane about safety improvements on U.S. Highway 395; she wanted left-turn lanes at Deer Park and Clayton.

She got a runaround instead.

“I thought ‘the heck with them,”’ said Waunch. So she called state Transportation Secretary Sid Morrison directly.

With Morrison’s encouragement, her own energy and the cooperation of residents of the Ritzville, Wash., area who had waged a similar battle, Waunch launched Project 395.

The largely self-financed lobbying drive has helped secure nearly $4 million in federal and state funding for improvements to the treacherous stretch of highway.

A different kind of safety issue troubled residents in Spokane’s West Central neighborhood - a drug house where business continued to boom even after a police raid.

Exasperated neighbors set up round-the-clock surveillance. They took exhaustive notes, gathered physical evidence and told police and the landlord about everything they had observed.

Thanks to their activities, the owner of the house got rid of the undesirable tenants.

These are two cases of citizens who worked within the system - even if it took extraordinary persistence - and accomplished something for their community.

Where else would you like to see this kind of shirt-sleeves activism being used? Where else has it been used already? Phone or send a fax to “Bagpipes” with your replies, and I’ll share them with other readers.

Send a message to the candidates

The voters’ election agenda is growing.

Edith Chase of Spokane called after last week’s deadline to share a couple of issues that will be on her mind when she votes this fall.

“I happen to want the drug scene taken care of in this city …” and “I think the city could do a much better job of replacing or fixing the highways or the streets in this city.”

How about you? What issues do you want city, county and legislative candidates to address? What qualities should they possess?

Keep sending your opinions in, and “Bagpipes” will keep publishing them.

, DataTimes MEMO: “Bagpipes” appears Tuesdays and Thursdays. To respond to issues raised on Tuesdays: Call 458-8800, category 9881, from a Touch-Tone phone; or send a fax to 459-5098 or e-mail to celh27b@prodigy.com. Representative replies appear Thursdays. You also can leave Doug Floyd a message at 459-5577, extension 5466.