Letters To The Editor

Thu., Jan. 4, 1996

PUBLIC SAFETY

Mall a deathtrap by design

It should come as no surprise that someone has succumbed to the obvious pedestrian-vehicle conflicts at the Factory Outlet Mall.

The human free-for-all that occurs when people rush across Riverbend Avenue to reach stores on the other side is a circus of near misses and close calls.

To have a major shopping center bisected by an exceptionally wide and busy street should throw up a red flag to those involved in this project. The fact that little, if any, consideration appears to have been given to pedestrian movement between buildings and the minimal pedestrian-oriented improvements on the street add up to a blueprint for tragedy - as is now confirmed.

Ultimately, this tragedy shows the lack of priority given to the individual person in much of today’s world.

This death may or may not have been preventable. No one really knows. What I do know is that we all deserve a little more consideration than the couple of hundred dollars it takes to paint crosswalks and set signs. Keith Dixon Post Falls

PEOPLE IN SOCIETY

O’Bara family has best of values

The uplifting story of steadfast love of Joe and Kaye O’Bara for their comatose daughter, Edwarda, illuminates her family to be a sanctuary of life at the time of Edwarda’s greatest frailty. The O’Baras’ courageous example opposes the evil culture of death which pits the powerful against the weak.

Pope John Paul II notes that this culture maintains that “A life which would require greater acceptance, love and care is considered useless or held to be an intolerable burden, and is therefore rejected in one way or another.

“A person who, because of illness, handicap or, more simply, just by existing, compromises the well-being or lifestyle of those who are more favored tends to be looked on as an enemy to be resisted or eliminated.” Not so in the O’Bara family.

Ominously, America now wages war against its fundamental principle: the absolute dignity and worth of every human being. In the past, the law punished crimes against life. Now the law is being used in a sinister fashion, distorting crimes against life into “rights,” such as doctor-assisted suicide and euthanasia.

Thank you, Joe and Kaye O’Bara, and to the doctor who has cared for Edwarda for 26 years without requesting payment. You bear profound witness to the culture of life - that culture of love nourished by faith within which we all wish to be enveloped. Cindy Omlin Mead

AIDS does discriminate

I disagree with Larry Swanagan’s letter, “Narrow views don’t help anyone,” (Dec. 23) and his statements that “AIDS doesn’t discriminate” and “AIDS doesn’t care about race, color, creed and most certainly not about morals.”

The truth is that AIDS does discriminate, as do many diseases. Behavior and lifestyles affect our physical and mental health. Many diseases discriminate against people who smoke, overeat and drink to excess. Our actions have consequences.

People who live with self-control and what is generally accepted as moral behavior almost never get AIDS.

How odd that those standards for morality that could protect one from disease and anguish would be labeled “narrow-minded.”

In this Godless world, where almost any behavior is tolerated, it’s unpopular to admit to having any moral standards. David Barlos Veradale

Wrong slant running at full tilt

When are people going to start taking responsibility for their own actions and stop blaming others?

I read about the woman who went to a singles bar, met a man and they ended up spending the night together. The woman felt guilty and questioned the possibility of date rape. Then, there’s the 4-H club pressured to put helmets on kids learning to ride horses.

All railroad crossings need gates, all cigarette lighters must be childproof. If your life’s screwed-up, blame it on your parents having abused you 20-plus years ago.

Over 30 years ago my father caught me playing with matches. I never did it again. The whipping wasn’t abuse, either. I deserved it.

If I get hit by a train, it’s because I failed to stop at the crossing. My wife never charged me with date rape. When I ride a motorcycle, I decide when conditions warrant wearing a helmet. If I fall, I can only blame myself.

Nobody forces me to do anything. It’s sad to see that blaming others and legislating to obscure blame are rampant. Americans have freedom, choices, and options. With those comes the need to be personally responsible. People must take responsibility for their actions.

What’s next, mandatory chastity belts for women in singles bars? Bob Cubr Spokane

SCHOOLS AND EDUCATION

Parents, get busy and help teachers

I hear constant complaints about our school system and our teachers, things like violence in the halls, inadequate student-teacher relationships, and on and on.

Where are the parents? If they can voice disapproval so quickly, why don’t they get active in their children’s education? Would there be hall violence if a parent was there?

I’m so sick of hearing people complain. Do something! Go to your child’s school and work with the teachers. Our teachers are underpaid and their responsibilities go beyond teaching. They don’t get the respect they deserve.

I’m a divorced mother with two daughters. From the day my first child entered school I’ve been a classroom parent. Any sacrifice is worth what’s at stake with our children, so don’t say you don’t have time. Make time!

Besides teaching, teachers are responsible for children who aren’t properly cared for. It’s so sad to see how children are sent to school and to hear some of the things they are raised around. These kids need their teacher. They need special time to catch up on homework because it doesn’t happen at home.

Twice a week I spend time at school with my kids, now 11 and 9.

So instead of sitting back and complaining, really get active in your child’s future. Just talking about it benefits no one.

I salute and respect our teachers. Take the time to understand their job and you will too.

I thank the teachers and staff at Cooper Elementary for always keeping the door open. I just wish there were more concerned parents. Debi Moon Spokane

It figures union president says no

I am proud to have signed both education improvement initiatives, 173 and 177. I feel that our present system graduates students who, as a whole, are uneducated and ill-prepared to be successful.

How could anyone look at the low test scores, lack of discipline, low self-esteem, crime and drugs on campus, etc., and not see the system for the failure that it is?

Imagine my surprise when I read Jerry Hopkins’ letter on Dec. 30 (“Initiatives, process all no good”), whining about how these initiatives would give parents more control over their children’s education. Evidently, he views more parental input as a bad thing.

It turns out that Hopkins’ job title is president of the local teachers’ union. Since Hopkins is at least partially responsible for this sad state of affairs, he could hardly be in favor of initiatives designed to take money from him and give it outright to the parents.

Hopkins would do well to actually listen to the teachers under his thumb. If they were free to speak their minds, without fear of losing their jobs, our students would actually be learning something.

Hopkins’ reaction is to practice what is forced on our students and teachers by the management of the teachers’ union: Take no responsibility for your actions.

So what is his solution to this mess? Throw more money at the problem. Money that we don’t have.

Speaking of money, let’s count the millions that the National Education Association will spend to defeat this legislation. Michael Wiman Spokane

THE MEDIA

Next year, Oliveria gets lump of coal

D.F. Oliveria’s holiday thoughts (Dec. 25) are ignorant, especially when compared to the enlightened thoughts expressed by other staff members whose messages are obviously beyond him.

For someone who professes to be a “true Christian” to deliver this message at Christmas is as insulting as his name calling is thoughtless. Cathie Simpson and Suellen Cantrell Silverton, Idaho

Errors mar health insurance story

In “Rising health insurance costs looming” (Region, Dec. 27), you make several misleading and untrue statements.

Medical Service Corp. is not terminating any individual coverage. It is true that MSC is changing its programs to reflect the increased cost of claims, but no one is losing coverage.

Your article states that Caroline Blakeman’s income is too high to qualify for the basic health plan. This is not true. The qualifications are state residency and not eligible for Medicare. Bill Gates qualifies.

You state that the basic health plan could provide more comprehensive coverage at about half the cost. Until you compare different plans, benefit to benefit, that is an inaccurate statement.

The cost that you pay under the basic health plan is a sliding scale, depending on your income. A family of four earning $2,525 per month qualifies for subsidized premiums. What Blakeman would pay under this system could vary anywhere from $10 to $330 per month.

My last comments deal with your treatment of the insurance industry. MSC, Guardian, Qual-Med, Blue Cross and Group Health employ thousands of people in Spokane. The brokers and agents of our community truly care about our clients. When you make comments about uncaring and greedy insurance people, you are insulting firms like Fidelity Associates, Moloney & O’Neill, Corkery & Jones, and Sedgwick James, just to name a few.

Maybe the next time you print an article about health insurance you should call a professional first. Thomas E. McRae, RHU Spokane Association of Health Underwriters

Editor’s note: The Spokesman-Review sought comments from two major insurance providers; one declined to comment and the other did not return calls.

GOVERNMENT AND POLITICS

Budget lapse grounds for arrest

The fix for the current budget impasse is already on the books: Congress is required by law to pass a budget by Oct. 1.

But, apparently, Congress is above the law because no one is enforcing this one.

Nonetheless, the solution is too simple: Arrest them all if they fail to pass a budget. If only the crime were a felony they would be ineligible to run for office again.

Speaking practically, I bet things would happen fast if, when the government shuts down, all congressional and legislative salaries, including the staff’s, were not paid.

Finally, here’s another practical fix for congressional laxity and ineptness. Let’s put salary levels for individual legislators on a national referendum every two years. Ernest Buckler Veradale

Demand an equal trade amendment

We are being treated like morons by both the Republicans and Democrats on the balanced budget.

About the only reason both parties have not agreed on the budget is, who is going to gain the most money from the cuts?

The smokescreen both parties have laid out for us is quite incredible. All they have accomplished is shutting down segments of government that give us pleasure - our national parks and monuments. Then the biggest insult is that all the federal employees will still be paid. I guess it’s our just reward for having so many lawyers running our country and by giving a signed blank check all these years.

Greed for money and power is about all that has been running our government for too many years. Is there another way to balance the budget? Yes.

An equal trade amendment would put 11 million Americans back to work at $30,000 a year, take 20 million receiving Aid for Dependent Children off the rolls, at a savings of $93 billion per year, and produce an additional $44 billion for Social Security and the IRS. All this is based on the past 12 months of trade deficit of $166 billion and two-tier employment.

Get involved with your family’s future. Those jackasses in Washington, D.C., are only interested in their future and checkbook. Write, fax or call them and demand an equal trade amendment. We all need to put pressure on them. Ed Worzala Sandpoint

Mielke bailout small potatoes

Another day, another shot at Todd Mielke.

Mielke left the Legislature after years of excellent service to take a position with a private corporation. Your lingering angst with this seems to be that this opportunity sprung from Mielke’s knowledge and relationships formed while a member of the Legislature.

The real story, with the real impact on the taxpayer, takes place all the time and that is when a long-time legislator takes a high-paying government job and parlays all of those low-paying legislative years into a retirement based on his new six-figure position.

Senate Majority Leader Marc Gaspard did just this at about the same time that Mielke left the Legislature. The difference is that Gaspard’s move will have a huge payoff from the taxpayers through the retirement fund while Mielke’s move will not.

Your paper could do a real service in the future by starting a public dialogue about the far too expensive retirement plan that we are obligated to support. As for Mielke, get over it. Your petulance is wearisome. Jeff Kuney Spokane