Letters To The Editor

BUSINESS AND LABOR

‘TEAM Act’ designed to bust unions

Larry Coulson’s commentary, “Labor law hinders teamwork” (Your Turn, Opinion, June 5) about the TEAM Act is chock-full of familiar half-truths and distortions.

There’s nothing in the law that says Coulson can’t have workplace teams at Stock Steel. If he’s serious about creating a “self-managed workplace,” he’s free to do so and he knows it. The TEAM Act has nothing to do with “teamwork.” It’s simply a tool to bust unions.

Current law already allows employers to select employee teams to improve quality, efficiency and productivity. But it requires that if a worker will be representing other employees in negotiating wages and working conditions, that worker must be elected by coworkers, not appointed by the boss. Sounds fair, doesn’t it?

The TEAM Act would change that. It would allow the boss to handpick the workers’ representative. Of course, should management’s negotiations with itself hit a snag because of an unruly representative, he or she would simply be replaced.

It used to be called a company union. Now right-wing conservatives in Congress call it “a revolutionary approach to employment policy.”

By the way, if Coulson is so worried about the TEAM Act getting “bogged down in congressional gridlock,” he should ask Sen. Slade Gorton why Senate Republicans are insisting on attaching the bill to the House-passed minimum wage increase, rather than letting Congress consider it on its own merit.

The answer: President Clinton has promised to veto it.

Attaching this poison pill to the minimum wage bill is exactly the kind of politics-as-usual garbage that causes gridlock and makes Americans so frustrated and angry. John Leinen, secretary-treasurer Spokane Labor Council, AFL-CIO

Downtown’s day spa worthy, too

After reading the June 18 story about spas, it struck me as strange that there wasn’t even the slightest mention of downtown’s first day spa, Jaazz Salon & Day Spa.

We may not be a giant, corporately-owned business like those mentioned, but I we offer similar services at a more reasonable price. We have a staff that includes national and local educators for product lines we carry, an inductee to Who’s Who in Executives and Professionals, winners of Spokane’s top hair competitions and a team that helped us to be voted Spokane’s best salon, best new business, best hairdresser and second in customer service to Nordstrom’s first place. Mark J. Brado, owner Jaazz Salon & Day Spa, Spokane

SPOKANE MATTERS

STA misses bus on Mead growth, needs

Spokane Transit Authority’s commercials are infuriating to Mead (the actual community) residents. Oh, they sound great, promoting less pollution and gas cost by telling us to use public transportation.

Last August I called to see if a bus would be coming out to my area soon. I was told yes, possibly next fall (1996). When I called this month I was told that even though a petition signed by residents of Mead had been presented to STA, it wasn’t cost-effective to put a bus out there. I was also told a route several years ago had failed.

Has anyone from this company witnessed the growth that has occurred near Farwell and Market in the past five years? Have they seen the line of traffic after school at Mead Junior High? Talk about pollution.

I am appalled at the complete disregard of Mead. I think this little “town” is being grossly overlooked by a big Spokane monopoly.

The bus goes clear out to Cheney and to Otis Orchards, but a loop down Farwell and up Market is dumped. They told me a line will not be routed there for at least five years, even though a need has been illustrated.

STA’s planning committee needs to get out and see where it’s really needed. Heidi Swartz Spokane

Appreciation of zoo means a lot

Thanks to Elita Jones for her letter of June 13 (“Sorry that zoo couldn’t remain”). She expressed the feelings of so many people who thought the Walk in the Wild Zoo was a resource worth keeping for the community. Her letter certainly made my day.

Staff writer Julie Sullivan did a wonderful article (“Nearing the end of the walk,” Region, June 2) on the staff and volunteers still working at the zoo site, after in-depth interviews with the keepers and volunteers.

I would like to correct a few inaccuracies in the article printed on June 6 stating that we had “four keepers and 20 or so animals.” We have two keepers and a curator (one of them part-time) and approximately 55 animals (six of them on loan).

New homes have been secured for all but a few mammals and several birds. Our staff will continue to search for suitable homes for each of them. Most of the animals will be moved within the next two to three months, after the necessary permits are secured, required medical testing is done and transportation is arranged. Loaned animals will either be returned to their facilities or on to other zoos. Joan M. Versteeg Inland Northwest Zoological Society, Spokane

ABORTION

We’re destroying economic assets

We wonder what has happened to our once strong economy. It used to be that there was a good -paying job for nearly everyone who wanted one. Now it seems that even a college degree isn’t sufficient to guarantee success.

Could the steady destruction of over a million potential consumers each year since the infamous Roe vs. Wade decision be a major factor?

Consider the consumer requirements for the care of just one baby for a year: diapers, food, shelter, medical care, baby-sitting, toys, clothing, etc. Production and delivery of these goods and services means employment and business opportunities. Then consider the needs of the growing child: clothing, shelter, education, recreation, travel, medical and dental care.

Hopefully, the child will become a productive worker and consume additional goods and services for the rest of his/her life - including paying taxes and making Social Security contributions.

Multiply these figures by an average of about 3,600 babies aborted each day for over two decades and an alarming picture forms. One need not be a math wizard to see that aborting “inconvenient” babies affects more than just the baby or the immediate family members.

While abortion may seem like an easy way out for some, it’s extremely costly to our society as a whole. Not only is it destroying our nation’s moral fiber, we face severe economic consequences as a result. Perhaps our economic woes are the just retribution for not heeding the silent screams of the unborn.

We are destroying the very lifeblood of our nation, its young people. William C. Schumacher Deer Park

Cartoonist draws a poor comparison

Never have I seen such ignorance and human pride in my life as the Signe Wilkinson cartoon of June 20. It suggests a comparison of the hand of God to the hand of man, namely abortion.

A long time ago in a place called Eden, God told a couple of people not to eat of a certain tree or they would die. Well, duh! They ate anyway and the result was death for all mankind. So death happens. It was man’s choice.

Sadly enough, abortion is also man’s choice. Let’s be honest here, it’s not because of deformities or medical reasons that the majority of abortions are performed. Unwanted pregnancies and matters of inconvenience are behind most of them - birth control after the fact. Babies that have absolutely nothing wrong with them other than that they are not wanted are aborted.

God, being omnipotent, sovereign and all, has good reason I’m sure for allowing a life to cease.

Man, on the other hand, being finite and selfish, has no reason or right to take the life of the innocent. Michele K. Martin Spokane

LAW AND JUSTICE

Weak penalties ensure more tragedies

Another drunk driver killed someone? And another? And another? We have become immune to this news, complacent and forgiving.

Why do people so easily drive when they’re drunk? Why do they keep doing it? And why do we let them get away with it? Because cars and booze are sacred cows.

In Finland if a driver is caught driving drunk he goes to jail for one year. One year! It doesn’t matter who he is or what his job is. After that he loses his license for 5 years. He’s has to take a bus or ride a bike! Thats how it is. That’s how it is for all drunk drivers, even if they don’t have an accident or murder someone with their cars. And this is in a country with a high rate of alcoholism.

Would our drunk drivers reconsider their actions if they knew there were consistent punishments - punishments that would stick?

Is it worth it? Is our society sick of the senseless deaths yet? How many more will we permit? Will you be the next victim or the next manslaughterer? Are you going to drive today? Watch out. David Simmons Veradale

Anti-tobacco lawsuit a good move

Congratulations to Attorney General Christine Gregoire for announcing that she intends to file a major lawsuit against the tobacco companies.

The lawsuit alleges the tobacco industry concealed knowledge that nicotine is addictive and that tobacco use is deadly. It contends that the industry manipulated nicotine levels to keep smokers hooked and that it conspired to keep “safer” cigarettes off the market. The suit also alleges that the industry conducted sophisticated marketing campaigns aimed directly at our children (who cannot legally purchase cigarettes) with the certain knowledge that children who use tobacco become the addicted adults of tomorrow (82 percent of adult smokers began smoking before age 18).

The suit is important to all Washington residents because tobacco use increases the cost that state government, business and individuals pay for health insurance. The state is asking the court to order tobacco companies to reimburse the state for various Medicaid, industrial insurance and health care costs. The suit also asks the court to order the tobacco companies to stop deceptive and unfair advertising, publicly disclose research related to smoking and health, and fund education campaigns and smoking cessation campaigns.

Eight other states have already filed suits and 11 more are seriously considering filing. It is time for the tobacco industry to admit the lethal and addictive nature of its product and conduct business ethically and responsibly manner. Trish Seghers, president Tobacco Free Washington, Spokane

IN THE PAPER

Once again, we the people wear thin

I have been reading letters to the editor in The Spokesman-Review for the past 12 years. Our writers are running out of originality. I have kept count since January 1995, and these expressions have appeared at least 10 times in these past eighteen months.

“Hello!” “Excuse me!” “Pardon me!” “You need a reality check here.” “They don’t get it.” “They still don’t get it.” “They will never get it.” “When will they wake up?” “When will they wake up and smell the coffee?” “I am appalled!” “I am outraged.” “I am angry.” “I am fed up with …” “I am surprised by the ignorance of …” “Born-again Christians are blah-blah-blah.”

Folks, let’s start looking in the thesaurus to find some new words and phrases. The ones mentioned have been overused and overabused. I am outraged by this. Edward M. Devlin Garfield, Wash.

GOVERNMENT AND POLITICS

Support U.S. Taxpayers Party

Kenneth Orr (“We need candidates with principles,” Letters, June 17) has issued a plea for “someone to vote for who knows right from wrong and is not afraid to hold to the right, despite the political pragmatists who try to please both.”

The U. S. Taxpayers Party is the only national political party recognized by the Federal Election Commission which is committed to restoring American jurisprudence to its Biblical presuppositions and the federal government to its constitutional boundaries.

The USTP is America’s new conservative party, with the principles and the plan to withdraw our nation from the New World Order, eliminate legal abortion, abolish all direct federal taxation and cut the federal government down to constitutional size.

The federal government can never be an instrument of salvation, but we can stop it from being a tool for the degradation of American institutions, the American, American families and American culture.

In 1996 our goal is to qualify the USTP for the ballot in all 50 states, plus Washington, D.C. If Patrick J. Buchanan will accept our presidential nomination we will urge the delegates at our Aug. 17 nominating convention in San Diego to make him our standard bearer all over America.

With Buchanan on the ballot, more conservative candidates will win House and Senate seats in November.

We call upon all Washingtonians to help our drive to secure ballot access for our political party, providing a real choice in November, by attending our June 29 convention. Call 326-0171 for information. John Beal Spokane

We need Dole, balanced-budget law

Recall David Broder’s Opinion column of June 11, on President Clinton’s budget. Clinton’s budget terms would be ruinous for the nation and would put us further into debt.

All the savings required to achieve a balanced budget would be accruing in 1998 and beyond, and might never be accomplished. Future congresses are not bound by presently sitting congresses on budget matters.

To overcome faulty budgeting as set forth by President Clinton and as reported by Broder, we need a balanced budget amendment to the Constitution. This would require the president and Congress to pass a balanced budget each and every year - just like most states and certainly every family must do. We just can’t continue to spend more than we take in.

Such a law would preclude future presidents from submitting faulty budgets like President Clinton’s 1997 budget currently being debated in the Senate.

We need to elect a president who will sign such a law. Bob Dole would sign such a law, whereas Bill Clinton would use his veto pen against it. The balanced budget amendment overwhelmingly passed the House but was defeated in the Senate when five Democrats changed their mind and voted against it. Only one Republican voted against the bill.

Vote for Bob Dole. Protect our grandchildren and their future. Hugh Mills Cheney

Initiative backer mistaken

This is in regard to Bill London’s letter on closing spring bear hunting, hunting with dogs and baiting (“Initiative just assures decent rules,” June 15).

London says more bears are being killed now in Colorado than before they closed hunting with bait or with dogs. That goes to show that there’s no reason to close baiting and dog hunting.

London also states that hunting bears with bait and dogs is unsportsmanlike. Obviously, he has never tried either of these methods or he wouldn’t say that. Dion Miller Addy, Wash.