Letters To The Editor

IDAHO VIEWPOINTS

Welfare queens with chainsaws

The Aug. 5 article, “Companies get extra year to harvest trees,” by Ken Olsen was commendable. It finally brings to light what environmentalists have been saying for years, that the the timber industry is welfare logging, not open commerce.

In any other business, the goal is to buy low and sell high. That’s Business 101. When you buy high and the market drops from underneath you, you lose - unless you’re in the timber industry.

These companies bought timber for X amount of dollars. The market has dropped - not starved like some would lead you to believe - and now the industry is crying to leave the timber standing for an extra year in the hope that the price will go to X-plus dollars, rather than the X-minus dollars it is at now. What if it doesn’t?

Isn’t this a subsidy? Isn’t this another government bailout? This article proves that the U.S. Forest Service isn’t interested in preserving and protecting our national forests for the people. It’s just a provider of raw materials for the timber beast, at taxpayer expense. Wayne M. Price Moscow

Teenagers’ kindness gratifying to see

Thursday, as I traveled south on Highway 95 near the Silver Lake Mall, I was pleased to be the recipient of a random act of kindness.

A three-ring binder filled with 60 or more sheets of music blew off the roof of my car. (Please don’t ask how it got there!) It landed in the middle of the highway during the 5 p.m. rush hour.

I knew it was impossible for me to retrieve those scattered sheets of music and was dismayed at the thought of losing all of it. To my great surprise, a tractortrailer rig stopped right in the lane behind me, halting other traffic. Two cars filled with teenagers stopped, and at least eight young people jumped out and hurriedly picked up every sheet of music.

After returning the music to me, they wished me a good day and drove off. I never expected my knight in shining armor to be a pony-tailed 17-year-old in ripped Levis.

In this day and age when the news is filled with criticism of teenagers, it is refreshing to know that kindness and a willingness to help a stranger are attributes that at least some - if not many - of the next generation possess. Dorothy Kramer Coeur d’Alene

With forehead bloodied but unbowed

It is hard to believe what a civilized community in a land like America did to a senior citizen trying to stay off welfare. Children selling lemonade, beware.

It must be humiliating to be thrown in jail like a common criminal for merely selling Avon products. I have yet to see the crime. Her street is commercial from one end to the other. Her philosophy might be summed up as follows:

I choose not to be a common citizen. It is my right to be uncommon…if I can. I seek opportunity, not security. I do not wish to be a kept citizen, humbled and dulled by having another’s law of economic security look after me. I want to take the calculated risk…to dream, to build, to fail, to succeed. I refuse to barter incentive for a dole. I prefer the challenge of life to a guaranteed existence, the thrill and fulfillment, and sometimes emptiness, than the stale of Utopia. I will not trade freedom for beneficence or my dignity for a handout. It is my heritage to think and act for myself, enjoying the benefit of my creations, and to face the world and say, this I have done. Art Stone Coeur d’Alene

WASHINGTON STATE

Regulators will give Idaho a boost

We all know that Eastern Washington doesn’t stand a chance against whatever goes on between regulatory agencies and their petitioners.

I think a horse racing track in Post Falls or Coeur d’Alene would be great. It would pull hundreds of thousands of dollars from Eastern Washington to Idaho, which I’m sure Idaho would appreciate. Ken Bryant Spokane

Get state out of property taxation

As a former Stevens County commissioner, I can assure you that “more help” for the county assessor’s office is not the long-range solution to a very old problem.

As long as the state is telling county governments’ assessors how and when to jump assessments to what they consider “100 percent” of “value,” the problem will always be there.

What’s needed is for the Legislature to abolish the portion of the property tax that goes for state schools. That would reduce property taxes by 30 to 40 percent, giving much-needed tax relief and reduce the state budget by only 10 percent or so - something any fiscally conservative state Legislature should be able to do.

A long-established principal in American government is independent taxing authority for every jurisdiction, be it county, state or federal. Counties and cities need to recapture the property tax as an independent base starting point for a dependable source of revenue. John Hodde Colville, Wash.

SCHOOLS AND EDUCATION

Whitewash - there’s no coming clean

It’s hard to believe that a 270-page complaint about the unprofessional conduct of a school principal is reviewed and not found valid.

Remember, this issue is about school children, their rights and their parents who are speaking out in their behalf. These families are being treated like they have done something wrong when something wrong has happened to them. They are the victims. The 270 pages of truth, hurt and pain should not be ignored.

I wonder, how many heads would roll if one principal were to be held accountable for her actions? Cass Evans Spokane

My son treated badly at Madison

As a parent of two Madison Elementary School students I am upset that District 81 wants to ignore the problems at Madison.

District 81 talks about my son as a troublemaker but he is a wonderful and bright child. District 81 says our claims are baseless. How would they know? District 81 didn’t see my child’s life change because of these problems. His second-grade teacher stripped my son of his self-confidence, self-esteem and a normal second-grade experience. There were many others in that class who got treated in this manner.

My child was not allowed to stay after school for any activities because he was a “bad” child.

I love my children. If I don’t stand up and defend them who will? How can my children learn if they are afraid to walk down the halls of the school? My child doesn’t deserve to be treated like this by anybody.

I hope someone will have a heart and see what problems Madison really has. Jan Clark Spokane

GAMBLING

Kalispels strive to pay own way

Defending the 1996 Interior appropriations bill that cut Indian program funding by 8 percent, Sen. Slade Gorton said: “Of all the criticisms lobbied against this bill, the one that troubles me the most is the argument that reductions in spending will undercut the tribes’ right of self-sufficiency and self-governance. The ability of tribes to govern themselves is not determined by the amount of money they are given … some would argue that selfgovernance and self-determination ought to involve a degree of self-sufficiency and self-reliance. Moreover, the Indians are not wholly dependant on federal government for their income. Many tribes run revenue-generating activities such as gambling operations.”

The Kalispel Tribe is trying to become self-supporting with its proposed Airway Heights casino. The right to run such casinos was given to the Indian people by the U.S. Supreme Court in 1987 and reaffirmed when Congress passed the Indian Gaming Regulatory Act in 1988.

Tribes that run gaming operations spend their revenues on roads, schools, houses and other projects aimed at improving their quality of life.

Thirty-one percent of Indians live in poverty, Census Bureau figures show. They also have the highest unemployment rate of any minority group. It’s been proven that casino operations do more to reduce these figures than any other option available to the Indians.

The Kalispels deserve the opportunity to end their dependance on government handouts and support themselves. They deserve the accompanying self-esteem and dignity. Allen Moody Medical Lake

SALMON

Let’s simplify the simulation

Let’s see if I’ve got this straight. If a wild salmon reaches its spawning grounds, it’s killed and its eggs or sperm are used by the hatchery to produce young salmon.

On the trip downstream, people hired for the purpose protect the fry from squaw fish and gulls. Upon reaching the dams, they’re caught, drugged, tagged and trucked around the dams to the next stretch of river.

Four years later, here they come. If they make it past the fishermen they must survive the sea lions. Fortunately, the law helps by catching the sea lions and dumping them someplace they’d prefer not to be (or they would have gone there themselves).

The trip up the river is facilitated by millions of dollars in dam “improvements. We don’t know their thoughts at this time, but if they ever speak up we’ll hear them because some are wearing radio transmitters.

Along the way, a few of these wild salmon are caught and eaten by Indians and sportsmen. The salmon that finally pull their tagged, drugged and microchipped bodies into their home port are caught, and to everyone’s dismay it’s found that some have had affairs with hatchery fish and race mixing has occurred.

I have a suggestion. Why not simply raise salmon in pens, tattoo them with the words “wild salmon” and place them where those who want the wild salmon experience can catch them.

After all, one fantasy is probably as good as another. Jim Shamp Cheney

Experimental programs a mistake

The Spokesman-Review reported “River of no return.” This outcome should have been expected. Salmon recovery has tended to ignore successful recovery techniques in favor of experimental techniques. Massive flow and spill recovery techniques are experimental.

An example of successful recovery techniques would be the Grand Coulee Mitigation Project begun in 1945. Others would be the Umatilla Indians’ salmon recovery success and the Yakima Indians’ plan to use hatcheries to provide genetically diverse salmon to spawning areas. That idea is very similar to the 1945 Grand Coulee Mitigation Project.

Northwest Power Planning Council Chairman John Etchart stated in the NWPPC Update publication (June 17), “Many of our efforts essentially are experiments.”

Salmon recovery has been guided by many extreme environmental groups. Their motives have been selfserving, self-perpetuating and therefore have not been beneficial to salmon recovery. Mark E. Booker Othello, Wash.

Fish are gone - get over it

Every time I pick up the paper, all I can read about is fish, fish, fish (“River of no return,” July 28). These people think more about fish than they do the people of this country.

When the Pacific Northwest dams were put in, they were built for flood control and electric power. We all knew something would be sacrificed when these dams were built.

All you people - environmentalists, Indians, etc. - use electricity. Maybe you should shut off your lights, heat, computers, gasoline pumps - the list goes on. The same goes for you who don’t want any timber cut. I bet you live in a house made of wood. My advice to you is to move outside, live in a tent with no heat or lights. How long would you be able to put up with the new lifestyle? Get the electric company to shut off the juice for three days and see how long all of us could exist. Their phones would ring off the hook.

As far as Im concerned, these fish are gone and billions of dollars will not bring them back. They moved somewhere else, such as Alaska.

I want reasonably priced electricity. Don’t screw it up trying to save fish. Ken Oenning Uniontown, Wash.

OTHER TOPICS

Admirable woman nicely portrayed

Thank you, staff writer Kristina Johnson, for Sunday’s fine feature on the quiet confidence of Penny Lancaster while “Shining light on porn arcades.”

She is a living example of one who lets her “light shine before men that they may see your good deeds and praise your father in heaven” (Matthew 5:15-16). Penny’s life and love for Jesus Christ makes her fit the description of a “virtuous woman,” one whose “worth is far above rubies.” “She opens her mouth with wisdom, and in her tongue is the law of kindness” (Proverbs 31:26).

I was especially touched by Penny’s comment, “Whatever breaks the heart of God, breaks my heart.” This is a paraphrase of Dr. Bob Pierce’s saying, “Let my heart be broken with the things that break the heart of God.” He founded World Vision, while grieving for orphans and other displaced peoples suffering due to the actions of “adults.”

Through recent Spokesman-Review articles I can sense the frustration and despair of many women who believe they can best serve their God through ordination and serving within their religious community. Some women have chosen to answer their call by leaving the holy huddle and reaching out to a larger community to be “salt and light” in a culture also permeated with decay. When we feel discouragement, it’s encouraging to see what a difference one person can make, with the support and sacrifice of her family. I admire her courage and perseverance. Donna Kuhn Spokane

Ex-principal’s story not fully told

Regarding the recent vindication of the past principal of St. Patrick’s Elementary School:

An 11-1 majority vote of members of the jury showed that not only were there few concrete facts to bring this issue to court in the first place, but also showed beyond a reasonable doubt the innocence of this past Christian administrator.

There are two sides to every story, especially regarding issues of sexual abuse. So why, with an 11-1 vindication made, haven’t the news media printed in its entirety the truth of the other side of the story?

To County Prosecutor Jim Sweetser and Prosecutor Carol Davis, we say: To retry this case again you would not only be violating the human rights and dignity of this innocent Christian man, but it would also be a second waste of taxpayer’s money. Enough is enough! Mr. And Mrs. R.G. Henderson Spokane

Parents can, should civilize their kids

Taking children to parks and events is not the issue. Obviously, children belong in public places, but it is the parents’ responsibility to teach their children to have consideration for the people around them.

I’m sure you may see your child as adorable as he jumps around, yells and disrupts other people’s enjoyment, but many others do not.

Steve and Liz Warren have every right to be able to enjoy a summer evening concert without it being disrupted by children’s antics. The children’s carrying on may appear cute to their parents but are just an unwelcome annoyance to the Warrens. I’m sure that if the Warrens were to bring a radio and play some music of their own, concertgoers around them would find that offensive.

I have a child who’ll be 18 in a few months. I took my child to many events, functions and restaurants, at the same time teaching her manners and respect for other people’s space. She has turned out beautifully.

I don’t think it’s a matter of leaving your children home with a CD, but if you do choose to take your children to a public place, do them a favor by taking the time to teach them that they can have a good time while also showing consideration for others. Julie Ryen Spokane