Letters To The Editor

Spokane matters

How about faster ballot counting?

Every election the voters suffer through the same “delayed” count of votes by the county election office. Why?

In all of this so-called modern technology, one would think that the county could come up with a faster method of delivering election results.

Also, the voters rejected the city-county charter due to “a last-minute tactic to scare and misrepresent the facts” (Nov. 8). While a complaint was filed with the state Public Disclosure Commission for some “mild slap on the wrist,” I believe the proper penalty should be an immediate rerun of the ballot with the cost shared by We the Taxpayers.

I don’t often agree with former county commissioner Pat Mummey, but she is right in saying, “The loser is the whole Spokane Community.” Edward Thomas, Jr. Spokane

Hasson weak link in security chain

Spokane County has spent thousands of dollars to install a security system at the courthouse. It’s spending thousands more to maintain it. Yet, I saw Commissioner Steve Hasson taking it upon himself to allow a couple to enter the building with him through the east door of the courthouse. This happened at approximately 1:30 p.m. on Wednesday, Oct. 25, and he used his access card.

Regardless of who these people were, how can Hasson unilaterally decide who can circumvent the courthouse security system? Maybe it was politically expedient to do what he did. However, if the rules aren’t followed by an elected official, why are they imposed against the people who elected him.

If Hasson is unable or unwilling to abide by the rules he helped impose, then maybe he should step aside. Paul D. Fitzpatrick Spokane

Given his critics, Skelton’s A-OK

Well if that’s not a case of the pot calling the kettle black!

County Commissioners Steve Hasson and Phil Harris don’t like Spokane County Air Pollution Control Authority Director Eric Skelton’s style? Well, Skelton, if I didn’t know another thing about you and your job, I’d have to say right on! You’re certainly doing something right. Patricia Bories Spokane

Waiting for the other shoe to drop

Now that the dust has settled on the city-county consolidation issue, makes one wonder if the City Council (especially those new electees) will be determined to show their arrogance by resurrecting it again, as has happened with several other pet projects of the powerbrokers, including the Riverfront Park giveaway.

All they can do now is whine that the voters didn’t really understand the proposal. Methinks the voters understood only too well what kind of scam they faced, and voted accordingly. Allen Larson Spokane

Pick on thugs, not farmers

This part of Washington is farm country. That’s what we do here. If you don’t like grass burning, move.

Why aren’t a lot of letter writers complaining about brush pile and wood stove burning? It’s because people perceive farmers as wealthy landowners, and they are jealous.

If as many people would be concerned, write letters, hold meetings and demand action about stopping the crime wave as have voiced their opinions regarding grassfield burning and the county coroner, maybe something would be done about crime.

Spokane is fast becoming a dangerous cesspool like Tacoma and nobody seems to be doing anything to stop it. Patricia McBride Deer Park

Start cuts with real nonessentials

After looking at some of the things that the city is going to cut out or cut back on in the next budget, I think the DARE program should not be one of them.

The one thing that could be completely cut out and changed is the portion of the budget used for cellular phones. I can’t see why a city employee has to carry around a phone. If they need to be contacted, a pager could be used far better.

The only reason I can see that a city official couldn’t wait an extra five minutes until they can get to a phone to return a page is if there is a disaster. Hopefully, they would already be calling.

The use of cellular phones by government officials is only a way to say “I’m important and I have to be able to make a decision now on everything I do.”

Instead of cutting out things that could very easily help us and the future of our younger generation, look at the things that are just convenient. Myke Gaines Spokane

Government and politics

Group should do more than militate

I just read staff writer Jim Lynch’s article about the Peace and Justice Action League (PJAL) response to Congress’ attempt to reduce the growth of government (Nov. 7).

A reduction in growth is not a cut. Removing a layer of bureaucracy while still increasing its funding won’t reduce the care of those who are truly in need.

Instead of marching and hollering, why don’t the members of the PJAL all tithe. Give 10 percent of your gross income to your church or other organization that is helping the poor. You might also join with other concerned members of our community in a service club.

As an example, the Spokane Kiwanis Charities of the Downtown Kiwanis owns the Collins Apartments, a facility dedicated to providing low-cost housing. Of course, marching and yelling hate at those with which one disagrees is a lot easier and a lot cheaper.

PJAL people appear to believe they have a corner on the truth and that all who disagree with them are evil. I suggest that trying to delegate the doing of good with other people’s money through a bloated bureaucracy might be a much greater evil.

If we all tithed, we would be financing our good intentions with our own money. And there’s always enough money left after tithing for our own needs when we are doing God’s work. Robert L. Dunning Spokane

Play monopoly with moderate token

Since you ultra-left liberals at The Spokesman-Review have a monopoly on the daily printed news in this area, shouldn’t you practice your ideological abhorrence of monopolies by giving moderates at least a token presence on your pages?

Business columnist Frank Bartel, for one, should be replaced by someone who has some capitalistic understanding. And staff cartoonist Milt Priggee - anyone to the right of Lenin would be a relief once in a while.

It is one thing to express opinion. It is quite another to use the power of your paper to lie to the public, which is what I think you are doing about the conservative movement in this country. John Pilley Spokane

Gun law just part of a big lie

Craig Gruenig was right in his letter (“Some got tricked, some got treats,” Nov. 6) about the big lie in last year’s crime bill, except the lie wasn’t from the Republicans, it was from the truth squad, Bill Clinton and his Democrats.

Gun owners never said the bill would take away our guns. It was Bill Clinton who said, “We need to get these weapons of mass destruction off our streets,” referring to so-called assault weapons. Did it take any off the street? No.

The final bill was only designed to stop their manufacture and sales to civilians, which it does not do. At this time nearly all of the supposedly banned models are being sold to the public after minor design changes. So, who lied? Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) and Sarah Brady were among those who said the assault weapons ban and Brady Bill were only the first step in the plan to outlaw most firearms.

As for the other stuff Gruenig mentioned in this letter, you can believe the Democrats; they wouldn’t lie, would they? Dale S. Weiler Otis Orchards

In the paper

Cartoon only added to pain

Staff cartoonist Milt Priggee’s editorial cartoon of Oct. 27, regarding “Granting custody to the mother is a safe assumption,” was deeply disturbing to me.

As a woman, a mother and the chaplain who stood with Chelsey York’s mom for hours at the bedside, I witnessed her devastation at the loss of her child, and wept with her in her grief.

It is becoming increasingly true that perhaps the boyfriends of some single mothers pose a growing threat to the children they have no ties with, and with whom they have no real bonds.

I believe that it’s also true that to satirize the tragic death of a child - specifically named - is grossly unwarranted and unnecessary. It won’t bring Chelsey back. If the goal is to deepen the guilt over a child who’s already dead, what’s the point?

To add insult to injury, the two Smith boys, who were drowned purposefully by their mother, were depicted on either side of Chelsey’s headstone. I found that stretch of Priggee’s imagination to be particularly viscous and wounding.

We do need to find ways to ensure the safety of our children. I don’t believe lashing out at the already wounded is one of them. Jo Schafer, chaplain Spokane

Columnist ignored GED graduates

Doug Clark recently devoted a whole column to three individuals who made banana daiquiris at the Spokane County Jail. Approximately 12,000 individuals go through the jail in a year. Clark chose to write about three of these individuals, and to draw attention to their inappropriate behavior.

Earlier this year, Clark interviewed me about running an article on the educational efforts of Spokane County Jail inmates.

Seventy inmates completed their GED certificates while incarcerated. Dozens of other individuals successfully completed a portion of the GED tests. This was a fantastic accomplishment.

Clark decided that he could not be bothered to devote a column to this. Apparently, inmates who try to get their lives in order and do productive things do not matter to him. It is much easier for him to take the easy way out and perpetuate stereotypes.

Some people who are incarcerated are trying to make positive changes in their lives. As for you, Clark, I suggest that you: Do not pass ‘Go.’ Do not collect $200. Kelly Brown Spokane

On a Clear day, tune in and get a clue

I’ve lived in the Spokane area my entire life, but never have I lived in a tunnel deep in the woods. The remarks about myself and other listeners of Richard Clear’s radio talk show (“Professor hopes to turn Bigfoot into big profit,” Nov. 7), were nothing more than a cheap shot.

I’m amazed at how columnist Doug Clark can sit back and call the listeners of this talk show “unwashed hillfolk.” In actuality, most of Clear’s listeners are conservative, working class, family people who care enough about the country we live in to be concerned.

Clark needs to restrict his comments to issues he actually knows something about, which in this case he obviously didn’t. In the future, Clark should turn on his radio, listen to Clear and learn something. Tina Turnbough Spokane