Letters To The Editor

Fri., May 26, 1995

SPOKANE MATTERS

Downtown plan deserves support

In a recent letter to the editor, John Talbott was critical of the proposed downtown improvement district and the private development by Cowles family interests to accommodate Nordstrom.

If this was 1970 and the issue was Expo ‘74, Talbott would probably be opposed to it. The issue now is revitalizing downtown Spokane and John is against that.

Why not invest tax dollars in downtown Spokane? Downtown property owners did not whine about the flying ramp on Wellesley Ave. or the widening of Division St. to, in part, serve the expanded Northtown Mall and the traffic it generates.

Downtown core property owners have declined to participate in community development funds, deferring any benefit from this federal program to the social programs operated by the downtown neighborhood. For years they have paid for street lighting, energy and maintenance through an LID services that I am sure the public assumes the city is providing.

The downtown area represents at least $350 million of assessed value to Spokane County and deserves to have some of its tax burden reinvested there.

Both the PBIA and the private development faltered earlier this year but now look very promising and are worthy of community support. I encourage all citizens who want to see this downtown revitalization accomplished to let your City Council members know your feelings. Al Payne Spokane

‘Innovative approach’ holds promise

I am the owner of a small business in the downtown area that will be affected financially by the proposed downtown parking and public improvement area. I have also been an early and vocal supporter of this innovative approach to taking back our beautiful downtown.

The PBIA will bring many improvements to our downtown, including additional security and more lighting and parking.

I encourage the entire Spokane community to get behind this major public-private partnership. We all know that a stronger downtown will manifest itself in stronger neighborhoods and improved quality of life. Marguerite Womble Veradale

Don’t usurp people’s say so

In response to Spokane City Councilman Chris Anderson’s letter of May 22, in regard to authorization to enter into a 31 percent city contract increase:

City contracts and agreements being determined in back-room meetings are demeaning to the entire city charter and the citizens of Spokane. The city manager and attorney can and should submit their recommendations but should not take any action upon a contract before a city public meeting and without the approval of the voters. We must take positive action now.

Sounds like a rerun of the Chicago ‘30s and ‘40s. Angela Eudaley Spokane

Great food drive all but overlooked

Three cheers for the success of this year’s National Association of Letter Carriers food drive! It was reported that in the Spokane area, our postal carriers collected 200,000 pounds of food for the Spokane Food Bank. They set a one-day record.

I’m very proud of them, those who chose to help in the collection and those who donated all that food this year. I don’t take all that work and cooperation for granted.

Three jeers for our TV and print news media, which seemed to ignore this event. I saw nothing on TV about this successful drive and The Spokesman-Review waited a week before reporting it with a tiny 36-word article on the bottom of page B2. I don’t understand why such a well-coordinated and successful event does not deserve more publicity than it got this year.

Having been a part of this community all my life, I know our community, as a whole, is very proud of its postal carriers. I feel I must apologize to them for some of our news media’s lack of sensitivity and recognition in reporting their efforts in a timely manner.

On May 13, our mail carrier met his appointed rounds at approximately the same time he usually does and helped collect a record amount of food for the food bank to boot. I imagine that was the case throughout the Spokane area.

Thanks to all who helped make this project so successful. Janice L. Hall Spokane

Chase spirit warmed the heart

The spirit was contagious. Students and teachers were at their best. I am referring to a fund raiser we attended at Chase Middle School on May 19. Their love for an ill teacher prompted the affair.

In these negative times, it is heartwarming to see such teamwork. Chase School should be congratulated. Helen Rydell Spokane

Underfunding created problem

In my profession as a real estate, land use and business attorney in Spokane for the past 13 years, I have been in constant contact with the Spokane County Assessor’s office.

Recently, your paper has failed to present all of the facts concerning problems at the assessor’s office.

Specifically, the assessor’s office serves as the cash register for the county and city. With the extremely small budget the county commissioners have allotted the assessor’s office - and consequently far too few employees - the job the employees do is definitely commendable.

While it is true that segregations of tax parcels take up to two years for processing, the last two years have seen tremendous strides in the correction of long-overdue delays in reassessing property. This progress was made even though the budget and resources were woefully inadequate.

The fact that some errors have now arisen in recent valuations simply points to the crippling effect of the budget and personnel constraints the assessor’s office has been trying to live with.

The solution is not a new assessor but to run the county like a business and allocate sufficient funds to get the job adequately done. Without adequate funding, no assessor or department can complete its tasks accurately or effectively.

I applaud the assessor’s office for the job it has done. It’s just too bad the people there are not given the funds to do the job we need them to do. Jerry L. Trunkenbolz Spokane

Cheers for chamber of commerce

I express my sincere appreciation to the Spokane Area Chamber of Commerce. The chamber has done a splendid job in its efforts to prevent closure of Fairchild Air Force Base and was instrumental in securing the support of Congress for the continued presence in Spokane of the Small Business Administration and the U.S. Bureau of Mines.

The chamber’s mission, “to provide leadership to create an environment in which our members, business and the community can succeed,” has certainly been accomplished with respect to these agencies.

I am confident that the Spokane Area Chamber of Commerce will continue to work to ensure the prosperity and quality of life in the region and will most certainly succeed. Russell G. Raney Spokane

WASHINGTON STATE

New health care law simply better

In response to Frank Bartel’s health care reform column:

The Association of Washington Business (AWB) supported the new law, as did Gov. Mike Lowry and 80 percent of state legislators from both parties.

There are a lot of distinctions between the old and new laws. One key difference is in the way it passed.

In 1993, the old law was barely forced through the House at 3 a.m. after lawmakers were literally locked inside the capitol and prevented from leaving by the State Patrol. This year, health reform was voluntarily approved in midday and no one was locked up to vote.

The new law makes basic health insurance more affordable for small companies. We believe those employers will be more able to provide health coverage for their employees. At the same time, it protects the higher-quality coverage larger employers already provide.

It preserves insurance reforms by allowing someone to take health insurance from one job to another and by guaranteeing insurance can’t be denied or canceled because of a pre-existing condition.

Finally, it allows more low-income people to buy health coverage from the state’s subsidized basic health plan.

AWB’s goal, like that of Gov. Lowry, Rep. Todd Mielke and most legislators, is to increase access to affordable health care by making health insurance available to the employees of even our state’s smallest businesses. We believe the new law does just that.

It preserves the best parts of the 1993 act while doing away with the most unworkable parts.

It’s what people wanted and, this year, it’s what people got. Don C. Brunell, president Association of Washington Business

Dentists are serving the needy

In response to Abigayle Murray (“Dental care reform called for,” Letters, May 22):

Washington dentists donate over $5.5 million annually in no-fee or reduced-fee dental care. This demonstrates both the extent of the dental care access problem and the effort being made by dentists to provide care to those without resources.

In February, the Spokane District Dental Society joined the Department of Social and Health Services and the Spokane County Health District to launch a program improving dental access for children of low-income families. The program, Access to Baby and Child Dentistry, provides children from birth to age 5 in Spokane County with increased preventive dental treatment. Over two-thirds of eligible Spokane County dentists participate.

Dentists participating in the statewide Access program provide dental care to the elderly and the handicapped for 75 percent of the customary charge. The 600 dentists volunteering in this program have saved patients over $1 million.

The No. 1 project undertaken by area dentists this year was support of the governor’s budget proposal to increase funding by $42 million for children’s dental care through Medicaid.

A coalition of community clinics, public health agencies, poverty advocacy groups and dentists worked to ensure this proposal was included in the budget. With this increase, 150,000 additional children will have access to dental services - above the 120,000 children already receiving dental care.

Dentists also fought to ensure that funding for adult dental care through Medicaid was not cut.

Access to dental care is a major health issue. The dentists of the Spokane District Dental Society and their staffs are participating in the solution. Robert Shaw, D.M.D. Spokane

People deserve campaign disclosure

Gov. Mike Lowry helped our little democracy in Washington state by vetoing a bill that would have changed the public disclosure requirements for campaign contributions.

It seems the Legislature doesn’t like the idea of contributors of $100 or more having to disclose their employer. The current regulation is designed to monitor who is influencing our elections. Historically, industries and special interests have used employees’ names to “bundle” contributions to their candidates, thereby circumventing other election laws.

One goal of the American Revolution was to establish a representative form of government. How representative can our current national system be when corporate and special interests pour millions of dollars into the pockets of our public officials in the guise of campaign contributions? Often, these types of contributors have no connection with the jurisdiction which is voting. They are just trying to buy favor. This system has destroyed our representative form of government and creates a rich and powerful ruling class. Isn’t this the crux of all our problems today? Taxation without representation?

Apparently, the state Legislature didn’t like the fact that campaign contributions had to be monitored at all. Why should we taxpayers know who’s pulling the strings of our elected officials? Is that what the Republican agenda is all about?

Thank you, governor! We need more restrictions on campaign financing. And please, clean up the campaign smut that is broadcast by both parties. Give others a chance to participate in the system.

If the election process were just, maybe more citizens would participate. Joseph A. Stassi Kettle Falls, Wash.