Letters To The Editor

IN IDAHO

Beware of development costs

The Spokane River separates Coeur d’Alene from an area in which development may come at a high cost to the public.

Initial expense in obtaining city services might fall to the developer, but the greater operating and maintenance costs will be borne by the taxpayer or rate payer.

McCormack Properties’ water line to the proposed Cougar Bay development, if constructed and deeded to the city, will be maintained at public expense. Noncontiguous, leapfrog expansion south of the Spokane River would not generate sufficient tax revenues to cover costs. Assessments of the costs and benefits of expansion are needed before committing public resources. Limited revenues and increased demands for public services require city government to consider the public interest along with developer’s requests.

Until it can be demonstrated that annexation in this area is in their best interest, city residents can express their concerns to city administrators regarding the use of their tax and utility payments. Residents who currently have unmet needs for public services can suggest priorities that favor the most people and respect those who are paying the bills.

Residents of rural areas who desire city services should also be aware that annexation may raise property taxes 30 percent.

The Planning and Zoning Commission and Coeur d’Alene School District have discussed the advantages of ensuring availability of classrooms before new subdivisions are approved. Establishing such priorities in the planning process would increase the likelihood of responsible growth, rather than the problems and costs of urban sprawl. Jerry Gospodnetich Coeur d’Alene

A case of aborted justice

I am writing this letter in regard to the recent sentencing of Janice Hess.

This case troubles me in several ways. For one, a person who gets behind the wheel of a vehicle while intoxicated is responsible for any life that may be taken as a result of his or her negligence.

Secondly, I don’t believe there should have been anything to plea bargain. It was obvious that she was the one who wrecked her car and drove it into her innocent victims.

My third point is simply her attitude - that she should be punished lightly for her crime. Not only was a husband prematurely taken from his wife, two children were deprived of their futures.

Another example of how outrageous this case has become is the fact that the perpetrator of the crime has been able to dictate the punishment. This sets a dangerous precedent. Since when does admitting guilt excuse a person from the consequences of that person’s actions?

Finally, I give my deepest sympathy to the family of Howard Monhatwa, Justina Nomee and Amadee Nomee, who lost their lives in something that has been the tragedy of our times: drinking and driving. Charles Maier Coeur d’Alene

Hess case fallout disgusting

After reading the recent article about Janice Hess - the woman who killed three people while driving drunk, I felt completely sickened. This was not only in reaction to the ineptitude of our so-called “justice system” but to the attitude of Janice Hess’ husband.

I would like to address some comments made by Mr. Hess.

How can you be so disrespectful of Mrs. Nomee and her grieving family? I was shocked at the lack of empathy you showed the victims of this tragedy.

Mr. Hess stated that his wife’s life has been altered and she will lose her job because of this nine-month sentence.

Mr. Hess was also worried about his daughter witnessing her mother being “taken away,” out of the courtroom.

I feel Mr. Hess should give the survivors the benefit of a few words concerning their horrible loss, not his. He will be able to talk to and hold his wife again.

It’s a long journey that Mrs. Nomee and her family will be making. Their road to healing is blocked, not only by a few uncaring individuals but by the system of American justice, which is proving to be not only blind, but deaf, dumb and mute. Michelle Ketchum Hayden

ToughLove support gratifying

ToughLove of Coeur d’Alene would like to thank all those who sponsored our members, and those who bowled for ToughLove - members and general public alike - in our recent BowlAthon fundraiser. Your generosity and support in helping ToughLove offer support to our community’s parents is appreciated more than you will ever know.

Through two days of bowling, we were able to add several hundred dollars to our treasury. The money will buy materials, books and help us pay our yearly dues to ToughLove International.

Special thanks go to Sandra Harbolt, for organizing the event; to Cove Bowl, for allowing us to hold the event at its facility and donating games as prizes; to the law firm of Walker, Rude, Jackson and Daugharty, for a cash donation; and to Cablevision, for helping us promote the event.

Because of your special caring, you’re all heroes to us. Gary Stamper ToughLove of Coeur d’Alene

WASHINGTON STATE

Marriage warning label - wow

I wholeheartedly agree with state Sen. Margarita Prentice, D-Seattle. A warning label on marriage licenses is such a simple solution in stopping domestic violence. I’m surprised nobody thought of it sooner. Pure genius!

I can’t wait for her solution to catch on with other law enforcement agencies. Imagine, a potential armed robber is loading his gun and right there, on the box, is a warning label informing him that armed robbery is against the law. He reads it and says to himself, “Boy, I’m glad I read that warning label. I don’t want to be a criminal and go to jail.”

Maybe the four firefighters in Seattle would be alive today if there had been a warning label on matches stating arson is illegal. After all, it says “close cover before striking” and we know everyone does that. Tony Goatz Spokane

HB 1172 important for parents, kids

This session of the Washington State Legislature has several parental rights bills up for consideration. One of these is HB 1172, which deals with parental informed consent.

HB 1172 is a good bill which would protect families and benefit children by allowing parents to be informed of what their children are being taught.

Unfortunately, this bill has been under attack by the Washington Education Association, which has spoken out against it through its lobbyists and on its hotline number.

As a certified teacher and parent, I wish to encourage other parents and teachers to get a copy of this bill and read it for yourselves.

Sure, this bill may mean that some teachers would lose some power. I personally believe that it is power we should not have had in the first place, power we have at times abused to foster our own personal ideologies.

This bill could be way to make up for that by saying we trust, respect and encourage the input of parents - something that could only benefit education.

Read the bill and decide for yourself. Muriel Tingley Medical Lake

Bill seeks unnecessary slaughter

As the 20th century comes to a close, mistakes made prior to 1950 are being repeated with astounding accuracy.

I find it ironic that as we begin to restore wolves to their native habitat, Washington state Rep. Steve Furhman has introduced legislation allowing uncontrolled killing of coyotes in Washington. Earlier, the wolves were exterminated by government agents for the benefit of ranchers; now the cattle industry has again found a politician to help slaughter native mammals.

Furhman’s bill, HB 1282, allows citizens to kill coyotes without a hunting license and without consulting the Department of Fish and Wildlife. Are you ready to live in the West without coyotes? Well, just sit back and let Rep. Fuhrman and the Cattlemen’s Association decide your ecological future for you and soon there won’t be any coyotes around to threaten us.

Humans have proven time and again that everyone loses when their killing practices are regulated only by the price of ammunition and poison. Has anyone seen a passenger pigeon lately?

It’s time to remind Rep. Fuhrman that the natural resources of Washington hold the interest of folks other than those courageous hunters who belong to the Cattlemen’s Association. Slaughtering a native species for the supposed monetary benefit of the taxpayersubsidized ranchers - a minor percentage of Washington’s human population - is a crime against the Pacific Northwest ecosystem.

Let not the stench of rotten native flesh sully our homeland. Let Rep. Fuhrman know that HB 1282 stinks. The Olympia legislative hotline number is (800) 562-6000. Clark Chambers Okanogan, Wash.

Corporal punishment bills appalling

Regarding the Feb. 10 article discussing bills SB 5220 and HB 1690 that would allow public schools to use corporal punishment, I was shocked and incredulous. How could we even consider this? At a time when so much violence dominates our society, it seems that all institutions, especially educational ones, should be trying to curb this trend, not inspire it. Violence begets violence, it doesn’t stop it.

Why do we feel we must inflict physical pain in order to discipline?

Surely, those who are supposedly expert in methods and matters of dealing with children should be able to develop a vast array of solutions other than resorting to the brute force Sen. Jim Hargrove advocates with “a switch or something that won’t lacerate.” This is especially disturbing in a time when we are trying to train young minds to think logically and creatively. By allowing corporal punishment, we train our kids that physical force is a viable solution to problem solving in adulthood.

If you are fed up with an increasingly violent world, do you think violence committed by school officials against children will create more peaceful citizens? Linda Bernbaum Spokane

IN THE PAPER

Others detect leaks here, too

Rachel Konrad’s article in the Feb. 20 Business section describes American Leak Detection as “the Inland Northwest’s only leak detection agency.”

The amount of exhaustive research she conducted before making such a statement obviously did not include the difficult task of opening the Spokane phone book. Our phone book lists two Spokane businesses under the title, “Pipe & Leak Locating”: Roto-Rooter and my father’s business, Piper’s Leak Detection. American Leak Detection is not listed.

Ms. Konrad states that Joe Godwin, co-owner of American Leak Detection, completed 400 yours of training before he opened his business. I do not intend to depreciate Mr. Godwin’s skills in this field, but 10 weeks of training does not usually translate into journeymanlevel proficiency. Harold Piper, the owner and operator of Piper’s Leak Detection, on the other hand, has more than 30 years of experience in leak locating and detection. Mr. Piper was a foreman for the Spokane Water Department until his retirement and entry into private business.

A cursory mention of other companies involved in this area of business would have lent some balance to the article. Stephen H. Piper Spokane

Prenatal yoga classes available

I am a five-year yoga student delighted with The Spokesman-Review’s coverage of yoga; its benefits, recent upsurge in interest, and availability of classes throughout the Inland Northwest.

One addition is noteworthy. Kate Morel (448-7762) offers a prenatal yoga class that helps prepare women physically and emotionally for giving birth and for supporting the body’s natural healing afterward. The class helps women restore confidence in their body’s natural birthing abilities. Those who have taken her classes highly recommend them. Patricia Mertens Cheney

LAW AND JUSTICE

Noncustodial parents get raw deal

This concerns Tammy Graff’s letter on noncustodial parents not having rights (Roundtable, Feb. 27): Far from being a deadbeat dad, I pay my child support. When garnishment - Washington state’s approved way of retrieving money - changes or I change my job, my payments are a mess for months, but I still pay. The state and leagues of hateful ex-wives have fought hard to raise the support to exotic levels.

With health care, day care, basic support, transportation and education expenses, a noncustodial parent can spend himself below poverty. This could cause resentment.

Noncustodial parents are treated like criminals by the courts and support agencies. The court commissioner who first saw me smirked and told me I “shouldn’t have gotten divorced” if I couldn’t afford the expense. That should make a happy home.

Yes, I believe both parents should support their offspring. Support should be paid, expenses should be accounted for by the receiving parent to the paying parent, and my noncustodial but constitutionally protected civil rights should not be violated.

Noncustodial parents should receive at least the respect given a murderer or drug dealer - unlike the way things are in Tammy Graff’s ideal world, where they are robbed of their money and crushed in the rush of mothers heading for the mall. Eric Schaffer Spokane

What about deadbeat moms?

I’m getting tired of all the letters to the editor and all the talk about deadbeat dads.

Many women out there who are supposed to be paying child support are just as bad - if not worse - because the state is not set up to collect money from the women as easily as from the men.

For a custodial father who is owed child support, it gets very demeaning. But you don’t hear them screaming and hollering about deadbeat moms all the time.

This is something that should be noted in all the talk about deadbeat parents. It’s not just fathers. Matthew Newman Spokane

Nondeadbeat dads treated unfairly

As many of society’s woes are microscopically analyzed, I believe it’s time for the dad-bashing to halt.

There is nothing more frustrating for a child support paying father than to read about what the perception caused by a few bad dads does to fathers like myself.

I have paid, and rightfully so, for 14 years. Unlike what a recent letter would have you believe, a tremendous majority of fathers acknowledge their responsibilities.

My ex-wife remarried and, quite honestly, lives at a higher standard of living than my current wife and our children. My ex-wife has not worked for any of those 14 years.

With a judge’s ruling allowing my ex-wife and our children to move out of state, I have not seen any of them on a regular basis for four years.

So yes, there are some deadbeats out there, but they are not limited to fathers. More fathers would accept their responsibilities if they also felt more of a balance in our system was possible.

Fatherhood and moneyhood are not the same. Kevin Miller Spokane

Raid fiasco symptom of larger problem

“Botched drug raid turns into, well, a real bust” (Spokesman-Review, Feb. 23) is an excellent example of the illegal activities conducted by our law enforcement agencies. Such events are commonplace since our national anti-drug hysteria began.

Americans have a constitutionally guaranteed right to privacy. Article 4 of the Bill of Rights states, “The rights of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers and effects against unreasonable searches and seizures shall not be violated, and no warrants shall issue, but upon probable cause, supported by oath or affirmation, and particularly describing the place to be searched and the persons or things to be seized.”

Laws against the personal use of substances that cannot be shown to present a clear and present danger to the country have dubious constitutionality in the first place. Insofar as we ought not have laws that cannot be equally enforced on all, drug laws are impossible. They lead invariably to situations in which a Karen and Ken Olds get their house ransacked not because they were doing anything illegal, but simply because they were newcomers in a paranoid town.

The fact that police often do find illegal things with an illegal search is no excuse. They’d probably have the same success rate searching every house in town.

That would be more fair, in fact, than picking on minorities or newcomers or users of natural plant products that happen to be banned.

It definitely is time to get the government off our backs and out of our basements. R.D. Reed Spokane