Letters To The Editor

SPOKANE MATTERS

Officials blow chance to pull together

Anyone who has been through a complex computer conversion at the workplace knows what a daunting task it can be.

The Spokane County assessor is under the gun for a lot of problems. There’s been a huge task confronting that department, the result of statutory changes in frequency of property assessment as well as the implementation of a new computer system. Some serious errors have occurred and there has been lot of blaming as a consequence.

There’s the additional probability that some clever folks have done their best to confound the taxing of their properties.

Unfortunately, the entire matter of taxation has degenerated into a huge, complex swamp. No one can claim to understand the rules of this high-stakes game because the laws are purposely vague and a variety of interpretations occurs too often.

Truly disappointing is the failure of the various government bodies affected by this problem to collaborate selflessly to bail out one of their own.

All of us know how natural calamities rouse entire communities to mitigate the consequences experienced by victims. The assessor’s office is being offered no such support. Instead, generous portions of blame are being dished out.

Our city and county governments have been described as dysfunctional - an apt description in this situation.

How refreshing it would be if the leadership could avoid letting a problem degenerate into petty bickering and instead show the very attainable virtue of cooperation to solve a challenging problem. It’s the least that should be done to reassure taxpayers that mature persons are in charge. Jon Holloway Spokane

Cooney’s real problem may be gender

The articles regarding County Assessor Charlene Cooney have been very interesting.

Let’s see, mistakes were made in the evaluation of certain businesses, the mistakes were recognized and the business owners received reduced taxes. Good for them, bad for taxing districts counting on that money.

Cooney has taken all the blame for whatever happened, never pointing fingers at a multitude of contributing factors. The ball stopped in her court and she accepted responsibility. Isn’t that what we want of elected officials? Don’t we want them to recognize problems and then take appropriate action? I think we do.

Then what’s the big problem? It couldn’t be that the assessor is a woman, could it, gentlemen? Kimberly Hicks Spokane

IN THE PAPER

Space given to wrong awards

The Junior Lilac Parade was held on Saturday, May 13. It had 7,000 participants and thousands of spectators.

I found there was no mention, other than one picture, of the parade, the participants or the award in Sunday’s paper. After all the negative publicity you have given Chase Middle School, it would have been nice to see some positive press on it and all the children in the community who participated.

I did see, however, a whole page of awards for The Spokesman-Review. Way to pat yourselves on the back!

I don’t think anyone other than your employees care about these awards. Perhaps you should consider sending out an interoffice memo. Linda Lewis Spokane

Keep Kato updates to yourselves

I swear to God, if I see one more article on O.J. Simpson’s boy-toy, Kato Kaelin, in your IN Life section, I’m going to cancel my subscription. Why bother having a subscription when all we read about is the same person over and over? Jeff Bendowsky Deer Park

OTHER TOPICS

Consider wallets a throttle of sorts

Regarding your story on legislators hanging around Olympia, bored and wasting time while the budget committees wind up negotiations, you quote Rep. Brian Thomas, R-Renton, chairman of the House Finance Committee, as saying he would not hazard a guess on the Legislature’s adjournment date.

Taxpayers and voters should insist that the 105-day limit on legislative session be absolute. If our elected representatives cannot finish their assigned tasks in that length of time, there should be no further per diem while they do complete their work.

In essence, these people make a contract with the voters of the state. In return for their salaries and the prestige of office, they agree to meet, formulate laws and set budgets. They are given reasonable time to do so. If they cannot meet the deadline, then, just like a contractor who has bid on a job, the delays should be at their own expense. Cut the daily per diem for legislators and see whether Rep. Thomas and his colleagues can find a compromise a little faster. Geraldine Sombke Spokane

Now, tell us about liberal interlopers

This is in regards to staff writer Bill Morlin’s story on the front page of the May 15 Spokesman-Review about Louis Beam moving into North Idaho.

Beam is supposed to be a racist and a member of the Ku Klux Klan. I’ve never heard of this guy, but thanks for the warning.

I would be more interested if you were warning about some liberal like Phil Donahue or any of those leftwingers from Hollywood moving West or North. In the last 25 to 30 years the liberals have done more damage morally to this country than any other group that I can think of. And they think they’re doing good. Ray Campbell Spokane