Letters To The Editor

Wed., Feb. 7, 1996

SPOKANE MATTERS

Trappings make golf so costly

The golf wars are over for another year and county fees were kept to a minimum. But we learned that county golf courses aren’t self-supporting, as we had been lead to believe.

The reason the costs have gone up so much in recent years is that the public thinks players have been watching too much TV. They think they should have courses just as good at the ones the wealthy pros play on for huge purses.

Construction and maintenance costs have increased dramatically because of the many sand traps, closely cut tees and fairways that now have two different lengths of grass, fountains, flower beds, elaborate clubhouses, to say nothing of the cart paths.

The same golfers who want these world-class facilities think nothing of paying for these amenities and the expense of touring these well-manicured acres in a golf cart. Golf wouldn’t be nearly as popular today - or as costly - if all but the infirm had to walk, like the pros do on TV. Or have these complainers missed that little detail?

Golf is a great game but you don’t need country clubquality courses to enjoy it. What you need is commitment to play the game, and not demand that you be treated like royalty. That would lower the cost for all and allow more folks to play.

It wouldn’t hurt if dedicated golfers would demonstrate that they can think beyond their own self-interest and work for a better county park system. Bay Haggi Spokane

Roskelley’s judgment impeccable

Anton Wurtz (Letters, Feb. 2) says that Commissioner John Roskelley has shown poor judgment since he was elected.

If Wurtz had impartially considered the proposals that the new commissioner has made he would know Roskelley has the best interests of all the county’s residents at heart.

Wurtz doesn’t cite a single incident of poor judgment by Roskelley, making it impossible for a reasonable person to assess his blanket criticism.

Roskelley has demonstrated excellent judgment since he took office. Knowing that the county’s parks, swimming pools and playgrounds are in terrible shape, he suggested that a portion of a proposed increase in golf greens fees for county golf courses be dedicated to improving the parks. Unfortunately, many golfers fought the proposal. The commissioner can’t be faulted for wanting to do something for the parks and playgrounds. His recommendation wasn’t poor judgment.

Commissioner Roskelley is deeply concerned, as are thousands of county residents and a high percentage or the area’s doctors, about grass burning each fall. Like most people, he thinks something should be done to prevent the suffering of many residents during the grass burning period. Inasmuch as some of his friends are involved in grass burning, he’s deeply troubled. However, he has vowed to do what’s best for all county residents.

I could cite other matters that show Commissioner Roskelley is doing an outstanding job and is fulfilling the expectations of thousands of county residents who voted for him. Patricia Ford Spokane

IN THE PUBLIC EYE

Save Playfair? Get Brett

Obviously, Bobby Brett is the only solution to saving Playfair.

A former racehorse owner who’s been involved with the racing industry since 1972, I have watched the demise in this town, as all horsemen have, since George Manos owned it.

Brett has an outstanding sports business mind and knows every aspect of achieving success. He surrounds himself with the industry’s best people and has tremendous representation. Everything he touches turns to gold.

Playfair needs an owner who cares and, more importantly, needs a much more experienced management staff.

I’ve known Brett for several years, and he is the kindest,

most giving and caring businessman in this town. He cares about the community and continues to provide us with winners. Without Brett the Arena would still be in the same file with the legendary north-south freeway.

I mentioned to him about taking over Playfair and he laughed. I interpreted that to mean that he likes a challenge, and Playfair would be too easy to make a success.

The worst thing that could happen to this town would be for Brett to move to Kansas City. Dan Borden Spokane

IN THE PAPER

The man’s not the office

I could not suppress a chuckle or resist the urge to comment on your headline in the Feb. 3 Region section, “Bill would eliminate county coroner.” Are you sure you didn’t intend to state county coroner position? Given the coroner’s popularity, I would not be surprised if most citizens would say, “Well, whatever works!” Carole Bonvallet Spokane

Priggee digitally challenged

Milt Priggee’s Feb. 2 cartoon displays an apparent contempt for computer animation that is misplaced. As one who has worked with computer animation software for a decade, I would like to comment.

Toy Story was created at Pixar Animation Studios under the direction of John Lasseter, one of the few computer animators who has proven that he can depict humor and humanity in computer-rendered animation. Lasseter’s previous works, such as “Luxo Jr.,” “Red’s Dream” and “Tin Toy,” all display the same qualities.

For Priggee to attack a cartoon movie because, well, it’s from a computer, is the worst sort of ad hominem attack. But then, this is typical of Priggee.

The computer is nothing more than an animation tool, like a pencil, pen, or paintbrush. It’s more difficult to create human forms and faces on a computer than by using traditional tools and that’s the weakest part of “Toy Story.” But the warmth and humor of the movie far overcome this weakness.

Good computer animation is as good or better than traditional, ink-and-paint animation. I’ll stack “Toy Story” up against Disney’s own “Pocahontas,” anything from Hanna-Barbera or all the Saturday morning drivel any day. Andrew Reese Spokane

LAW AND JUSTICE

Judge orders fitting sentence

My hat’s off to Spokane County Superior Court Judge, Kathleen O’Connor for having the courage and wisdom to see through the sorrowful crocodile tears of Nathan Witherspoon and hand him a maximum sentence (“Teen shooter gets 27 years, News, Feb. 1).

I’m sure Shelly Morgan will never forget the terror Witherspoon struck in her heart, nor the physical damage his little “prank” caused. Her fear and memories will persist long after poor Witherspoon has served his time and is back on the streets looking for someone else to victimize.

Good job, Judge. Keep up the good work. C.F. Robohn Spokane

GRASS FIELD BURNING

Farmers should pay costs they create

It’s time for farmers who pollute our air with toxic smoke from field burning to pay the full cost of their activities. While smoke is unpleasant for everyone, it is a costly exacerbation of illness for those of us with respiratory and other health problems.

Costs include higher medical bills, lost work days, lost tourism income, costly indoor air filters, traffic accidents and plenty of pain and suffering. If farmers were saddled with these expenses, they certainly would find alternatives to burning.

Already there is evidence that people who pollute the air may be forced to take responsibility for the damage they cause. A federal court in Iowa granted a temporary restraining order prohibiting backyard burning on behalf of a young child with respiratory illness.

There are thousands of people with health problems who are affected by burning in Spokane, and many more of us in outlying areas. South of Spokane, we endure toxic smoke generated by wheat farmers in our areas, in addition to the smoke from grass farmers who wait for winds to blow away from Spokane. On several occasions smoke in our towns has been so dense that street lights have come on in mid-afternoon on an otherwise sunny summer day.

Field burning is immoral. Farmers must stop subsidizing their profit margins with our health. Although my yard may be only the size of a postage stamp, I’m a property owner, too. I demand my property right to breathe healthy air in my own house. Chris Wegner Moscow, Idaho

MINIMUM WAGE

Looks good until you must live on it

I have noticed that the people who constantly decry raising the minimum wage have never tried to live on it.

To hear you speak, Sabrina Page (“Minimum wage raise pointless,” Letters, Feb. 4), one must conclude that you are walking through Spokane backward with your eyes closed. You say only teenagers and older folks work at these jobs, yet teenagers are in school during the day and the people I see doing these jobs are far from retirement age.

You also say that the wage is fair for the work. When was the last time you had a minimum wage job? I have a friend who works the night shift at a convenience store for minimum wage. Would you do it and feel you were fairly compensated? As if the low salaries aren’t bad enough, they get no health benefits.

You say they should wait until they get an education to have a decent job. Well, the last time I checked, education took time and lots of money. What do you figure they should live on until then? Years ago, people didn’t need an advanced education to support their families decently.

It amazes me how many people attack those who are barely making a living, yet we hear little outcry about how much CEOs of large companies make. And I have yet to hear of a politician nearly worth his or her exorbitant salary and pension. If you want to attack, attack those who have too much, not of those who have too little. Jackie Gelhar Spokane

Most minimum wage earners not kids

I suggest the writer of the letter “Minimum wage raise pointless” should check her facts. It is not true that “most people who work at these jobs are kids who want extra cash.”

More than two-thirds of minimum wage workers are 20 years and older. The average minimum wage worker brings home about half of his family’s income.

The scary prediction that a moderate increase would cause job loss and increased prices is also not true.

Sen. Slade Gorton wrote that “the minimum wage was never intended to be a living wage.” While it’s true that you cannot live on a minimum wage, many Americans are trying to do just that. An estimated 11 million to 14 million workers would benefit from an increase in the minimum wage. They deserve no less. Jan Polek Spokane

FIREARMS

First, do no propagandizing

Dr. Marilyn Ream’s assault on “assault rifles” (“NRA getting return on investment,” Letters, Jan. 26) may be misplaced.

President Clinton’s assault rifle ban is bogus. Ironically, none of the 180 semiautomatic firearms banned by Clinton are assault rifles. True assault rifles have been illegal for decades. And, there is no such animal as a semiautomatic assault rifle.

Why the deception? The word “assault” frightens people. Also, the gun-ban lobby would like to convince the public that millions of semiauto hunting, sporting and target firearms owned by law-abiding Americans are all assault rifles, so they can get them banned.

Dr. Ream should know that a 1990 Harvard Medical Practice Study shows that physician errors kill five times more Americans annually than do firearms. Indeed, we might reasonably conclude, from the study that physicians are more of a menace than so-called assault rifles. The pro-gun Doctors for Responsible Gun Ownership have similar facts, not propaganda. Ream asserts that children are being killed by guns. Many of these “children” are gang members. How many millions of unborn children have been killed by abortion doctors?

The right of free men to bear arms is a right that predates the Constitution. Nations like Cuba, North Korea and China, whose citizens are forbidden to own firearms, are police states and dictatorships. Curtis E. Stone Colville, Wash.

893 child deaths not small change

In his Feb. 2 letter, “NRA critic used faulty ammunition,” Michael Furrer quotes 1992 statistics saying 893 deaths of children ages 0-14 were due to gun-related incidents.

The National Rifle Association seems to use these statistics as if the lives of these 893 children were not relevant. Picture, if you can, 893 children gathered in a room together. That is a lot of young and innocent lives not deserving of an uncaring death statistic.

I believe one death of a child is too many. Where are our priorities? Susan J. Kadel Spokane