Letters To The Editor

Mon., April 15, 1996

PEOPLE IN SOCIETY

U.S. becoming land of stifled dreams

Well, it’s all over. A 7-year-old and her dad died following their dreams.

The plane crashed and the twin vultures of blame and government regulation are pecking away. How could those parents allow a 7-year-old to fly a plane? And, Federal regulators are stepping in to make sure this never happens again.

The plane crashed in a storm. The instructor with dual controls was sitting right beside the child. One can bet that the adult was struggling with the controls during those final unhappy seconds. He was there, with the controls, in case of an emergency. But this time, somehow, something went wrong.

And in America, things don’t just go wrong. There are no accidents! There is no room for poor choice in which another decision can judgmentally be easily seen in retrospect. Someone is always to blame and the government is ever there, at the moment of rare turmoil and pain, to write more regulations to make sure it never happens again.

Should a 7-year-old and her dad have the right to take thoughtful risks? Probably. And will risks sometimes turn out bad? Probably. But in America, this type of independent, go for the dream to be the first and the best tends to be punished. And it doesn’t matter whether one is Microsoft or a bright kid who wants to fly. Foster W. Cline, M.D. Sandpoint

Christians set themselves up

I simply had to respond to Paul Turner’s article of Easter Sunday, “A struggle for the soul of Easter.” The article was filled with comments from various pastors, bemoaning the fact that Easter has become commercial and how the Easter Bunny is edging out the Christian focus of Easter.

Forgive me if I have absolutely no compassion whatsoever for these people. Most educated people are aware that Easter has its origins in the pagan spring festivals of Eostre and other goddesses, as was briefly pointed out in the article. However, anyone who is familiar with David Attenborough’s “Nature” series on PBS may recall the episode “Shadow of the Hare.” It documents that Christians themselves either transformed or belittled pagan rituals and beliefs in an effort to suppress their spirituality and encourage conversion to the church. Part of that belittlement was the perversion of Eostre’s hare into the Easter Bunny, a silly caricature of the goddess’ noble hare. In later years it was this symbol, created by Christians, that commercial interests seized upon.

I wonder, how would these pastors react if candy companies started putting out little pastel pink- and green-foiled crucifixes and Jesus figures?

Before the pastors say anything more about today’s state of affairs, they should remember this: As you sow, so shall you reap. H.H. Vollmer Spokane

It’s a matter of faith

God help us if the so-called scholars were to prove that Christ was actually resurrected from the dead. We would have the Hitlers and Stalins of the world sanctifying their atrocities by declaiming themselves to be doing the work of God. Jesus wants us to believe based on faith alone. All of us would believe based on fact. Only the best of us will believe based on faith alone. Pablo DeRuiz Spokane

Wean yourself from indebtedness

Recent stories about downsizing and declining company loyalty to employees have spotlighted a fundamental problem for thousands of people: money management.

Ultimately, each individual needs to do everything they can to make certain their family is provided for in the event of unemployment. Maybe you need to quit using credit, increase savings or reduce expenses. Maybe you can start a small home business.

The absolute minimum level of responsibility is to live within your means.

People live on credit and ignore the fact that buying clothes, gifts, household goods, vacations, boats, snowmobiles - sometimes even groceries - on credit is called living beyond your means. If you want it, buy it - after you save for it!

Relatively few people use credit wisely. Many people, despite their best intentions, don’t pay off the balance every month and avoid interest. Small credit card balances accumulate huge interest charges. Although most people don’t want to pay interest, they willingly do it every day so they can have it now.

Real emergencies requiring credit use are rare. However, life does come with several guarantees: Christmas and birthdays come every year; your car will break down; you will need to wear clothes; you or a family member will get sick; you will have unexpected company; and you will pay taxes and die. Plan ahead for these things.

Get out of debt. Live within your means. Just say no to credit. Downsize your consumption. Pay cash. You’ll be glad you did - starting in 30 days or less. Lisa Johnson, volunteer financial counselor Deer Park

Let’s call a punk a punk

The other night while watching news about juveniles I note they’re now being called “super predators.” Why are we giving them a name that will boost their egos? They have no morals or remorse. So let’s make them want to rob and kill more by giving them power with this new name?

It’s time that we stop and make these punks pay for what they do. Juveniles who commit crimes of violence against persons or property should have their names printed in the local newspaper, along with their crimes, no matter what their age. That way, the community can be on watch. If enough people are watching then maybe crime will go down and these kids won’t have so much power. Bonnie Miller Spokane

DRIVING AND AGE

Time will bring understanding

In answer to your complaint, Steve Stoddard, “Many older drivers are incompetent” (Letters, April 8), I am wondering how many of the 20 years you have lived in Spokane have been spent as a motorist. Surely in that length of time you have has discovered they are a pretty hardy, independent lot.

I suspect you are one of those impatient souls who has a cellular phone clamped to his ear while I am waiting to make my way from a parking lot onto an arterial; or riding my bumper when there is a length of two or three cars ahead of me, only to whip around without the courtesy of a turn signal, and charge the red signal 10 seconds ahead of me.

How many hours per week, sir, are you willing to donate to taking the elderly to the store, doctor, bank or - heaven forbid - a senior center, a park or a theater?

As to having all those over 65 take driving tests once a year and written and eye tests every six months, what would you think would be an equitable amount to raise your taxes? For raise them they certainly would.

Another 30 or 35 years may change your opinions, when those young whippersnappers are flitting in, out and around you! E.M. Larkin Spokane

Don’t apologize; Just say duh

Regarding Steve Stoddard’s April 8 letter concerning elderly drivers: Maybe you’re the young driver for whom I waited on the green while you indulged your impatience by running the red light in front of me.

Or are you the young man who rode my rear bumper for a couple of miles at just under 35 mph in a 30 mph speed zone? Perhaps you are the one I noticed driving along the street, bobbing your head to the beat of earsplitting music and ground-shaking bass on your car stereo, while the ambulance with flashing lights and screaming siren tried desperately to get past your moving roadblock.

I’m sure there are scores of elderly drivers in Spokane who could easily beat you in a debate about the quality of driving of the patient elderly vs. that of the impatient younger driver, but we don’t feel it would be fair to engage in a battle of wits with an unarmed man. Dave Perkins Spokane

People of all ages pose hazards

Steve Stoddard (Letters, April 8) has an interesting philosophy about elderly drivers. Maybe some are too old to be on the road, but the real problem is everyone between 16 and 90.

Most people have no idea about the rules of the road; speed limits, especially around schools and playgrounds; the use of turn signals; right of way; and not blocking intersections.

People should learn what the definition of an intersection is. Maybe try turning properly instead of cutting the corner short or crossing two lanes. And maybe even stop for that light or yield to emergency vehicles.

Anyone who causes an accident or receives three traffic tickets in a year should re-test to keep their license.

It must start with you, the driver, to make it safe for others. Learn and obey the rules of the road, and maybe fewer people will be injured or killed. Curtis L. Borders Spokane

GOVERNMENT AND POLITICS

‘High livers’ bring home the bacon

Just who are the high livers on the president’s staff? Usually the salaries of White House employees are not made public. However, the salaries of 407 were published in a recent Senate committee report.

Among President Clinton’s staff there are 41 members earning $100,000 or more annually. Over half of those received salaries of $125,000 and more.

She is not on this list, but the queen of high spenders is Clinton’s energy secretary, Hazel O’Leary. When she travels, she has a lot of hand-holders along for the ride.

O’Leary made 16 overseas trips. She took 17 staff members on a trip to Moscow, 30 to India, 48 on a visit to Pakistan and 51 on a flight to South Africa. In a review of her overseas trips, the General Accounting Office found $236,000 worth of unaccounted expenses. And these were in addition to “accounted for” expenditures. Carlton Gladder Spokane

U.S. running up ruinous debt

The new debt ceiling is $5.5 trillion. Even though the human mind can’t even comprehend one billion, that figure is 5,500 billion. The total number of people in the world is 5.5 billion.

Even though I already knew we were by far the biggest debtor nation in the world, it still shocks me to think that we owe the equivalent of $1,000 to every man, woman and child in the world.

Because of selfish voters and a Congress that thinks only of the next election, we continue to steal from our children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren. Those of us who advocate that we stop stealing from future generations are called hardhearted and mean spirited. Wallace Lane Moses Lake

Chief executive holds all the cards

Rep. Helen Chenoweth may have been confused on the line-item veto vote, but at least she seems to realize how bad this bill is.

In order for Congress to evade responsibility for its action, power will be transferred from the place in government where “we the people” have access to a branch where we have virtually none. Any bill that lessens the people’s input to government is inherently wrong.

The president will become the country’s most powerful legislator, with an agenda guided by nationwide polls. That’s bad news for small population states like Idaho. But try this on for size:

If I can count on your support for my gun control plan and my health care plan, senator, I won’t veto your favorite water project flood-control project, widening that highway or replacing those unsafe bridges. Or perhaps, senator, you’d rather wait a few years to seek help fixing your state’s crumbling infrastructure?

If this bill ultimately saves any money, I’ll eat my hat.

Unless the Supreme Court declares this abomination unconstitutional, we won’t have near as good a government next year as we do now. Thomas Osowski Rathdrum

Back Murray river protection bill

When it comes to Hanford Reach, the Benton, Franklin, Grant and Adams county commissioners aren’t coming clean with their constituents.

The commissioners, with Congressman Richard “Doc” Hastings’ help, have securely drafted a bill to send to Congress that would transfer all of Hanford’s public lands, including the Hanford Reach’s shorelines, over to them without any environmental review and for free. The commissioners try to validate their draft legislation with public meetings but this is a fake process as they drafted the legislation before asking for their constituents’ input.

The commissioners’ draft bill is special interest legislation at its worst, yet Hastings supports it. And they make no bones about their plans for our public lands: Privatize them so that a privileged few may profit at the public’s expense.

When the “no trespassing” signs go up on our public lands the public will be locked out.

Then consider that the commissioners have no means of funding shoreline management, other than taxing us, and the formula for disaster is complete.

This is a graphic example why we must permanently protect our river with Sen. Patty Murray’s bill to designate the Hanford Reach as a national recreational river. Bob Wilson Richland, Wash.

View depends on perspective

In response to Dan Barker’s letter of April 9, “A junket for Chelsea”: Hmmm! Why didn’t I see that her trip abroad was a waste of our tax dollars? I saw a caring mother, sharing an educational trip and spreading goodwill and family values. Leta Donahoo Spokane

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