Letters To The Editor

Fri., Oct. 11, 1996

IDAHO VIEWPOINTS

Piel resume woefully incomplete

Thanks to Jeff crouch and Ken Piel for applying for the job of sheriff of Latah County.

As one of their prospective employers, I want to make the right choice. To do this an employer must see a complete resume from each applicant detailing their education, work history, criminal record, disabilities, etc.

Crouch has submitted a very complete, impressive resume. As of this writing, Piel has not, although he has promised one.

Applicants not infrequently puff up or even lie about their qualifications, character and experience. It’s not uncommon for applicants to fail to mention important shortcomings. That is why smart employers ask applicants to release their personnel files from previous employers. An examination of applicants’ complete personnel files reveals quickly their truthfulness and real experience.

Crouch has agreed unconditionally to release his Moscow Police Department personnel file to his prospective employers, the public. We can verify his claims.

Piel refuses to release his personnel files from previous law enforcement employers? Why? Without evidence I must assume the worst to protect myself from hiring an incompetent or dishonest employee. Therefore, like any prudent employer, I refuse to consider an application until it is complete. No personnel files means no possibility of my vote to hire. Judi Elgar Moscow

End dollar grubbing; Elect Minnick

If you like to hunt and fish, you better vote for Walt Minnick.

As an angler, I am one of the 49 million citizens who spend almost $24 billion a year on a sport tied directly to clean water in America. Clean, safe water is essential to the health of our communities and our state’s economy. Economic prosperity and environmental protection go hand in hand.

While the past 20 years of environmental legislation has led to advances in the fight to keep our nation’s waterways clean, anti-pollution efforts must continue. In 1995, the states still had to issue fishing advisories and bans on over 1,500 rivers and lakes in America - the fish were too contaminated for me or my family to eat. When a waterway is polluted, not only the wildlife is harmed, the economy of the area will also suffer as anglers go elsewhere.

Sen. Larry Craig has consistently scored a big, fat zero on the League of Conservation Voters scorecard. When forced to choose between polluters with cash and voters with concerns, Craig took the money and ran. Craig failed in business and ranching but has succeeded in taking polluting industries’ PAC money.

We can make a difference - vote for Minnick. Larry McLaud Moscow

Craig backed federal worker rights

I have read many letters to editors regarding the campaign for U.S. Senate between Sen. Larry Craig and Walt Minnick. Issues include nuclear waste disposal, gun control, campaign finance reform, and others.

My single issue is one that Craig has taken the time to listen to me about, share concerns, and work for passage through compromise. Yes, the system works.

As U.S. representative, and U.S. senator, Larry Craig worked and voted for legislation to allow postal and certain other federal employee groups to participate in our political process, off the clock, on our own time - a privilege other U.S. citizens enjoy. The legislation may not have been what everyone wanted. It was compromise on an issue holding back citizen rights for over 50 years. Postal and federal employees need to remember Craig’s vote for our political freedom on election day. Kenneth O. White, president Idaho Association of Letter Carriers, Boise

Kindness, care deserve thanks

To family, friends and community of Briana Ross: We want to express our gratitude for the prayers, love, thoughts and generosity of time, food and money. We know all the prayers of all faiths were felt not only by us but were the wings on which her sweet spirit was carried to be with the sister and Grandpa she loved so much.

Our friends’ and neighbors’ outpouring of love, kindness and time has held us together and every prayer, penny, thought and act of kindness will not go unrewarded. We know that heavenly father will pour out blessings tenfold for every act of kindness, generosity and love. A special thanks goes to Dexter Yates at Yates Funeral Services for the care, services and hugs.

It is impossible to describe the pain of the loss of a child. But if one were to lose one of these sweet spirits after hurting them, as some do, it would be difficult to go on with life. Our children are the most precious gift we will ever have. Corinne and Briana meant everything to us.

To those at Sacred Heart and Kootenai medical centers, and Coeur d’Alene Pediatrics, we know you did you best and thank you for your efforts, love and concern. Jeffery W. Ross and family Coeur d’Alene

Correction

Phil Robinson is running for Bonner County prosecuting attorney. A letter headline Wednesday indicated another county.

SPOKANE MATTERS

Troubled small town is not alone

Re: “Throwaway teens trouble small town” (News, Oct. 4), I sympathize with Marshall Lund’s plight, but as the song goes, “We got trouble right here in River City.”

Unfortunately, he’s fighting the same parental mentality that allows children to run rampant at concerts, wreak havoc in supermarkets and department stores, and in general treat the world as their own personal playground.

Last week, I witnessed a confrontation at a grocery store on East Sprague between several young boys with skateboards and the store manager. Several customers had complained of near misses by the skateboarders, and the manager asked them to take their games elsewhere.

The boys were vociferous and vulgar in their response to this most reasonable request. They seemed to feel it was their absolute right to amuse themselves wherever and however they chose.

Later that same day, I took an out-of-town guest - a retired Marine lieutenant colonel and much-decorated veteran of several tours in Vietnam - to see the Vietnam Memorial in Riverfront Park. We were disgusted but not surprised to find the statue littered with cigarette butts and empty wine bottles. A large chunk of marble was missing from the base. Just one more sign of the times.

What’s going on? Parents are outraged when schools attempt to teach their children manners and respect for the rights of others, but seem unable or unwilling to take on the job themselves. Sadly, the mother in Springdale who said, “Everyone else does it and it’s their town.” was right. Marge Huntington Veradale

WASHINGTON STATE

Beware of a Craswell victory

“Before the year 2000, the Christian Coalition will be the most powerful organization in America.” “It’s the God-fearing people against the pagans, and some of the pagans are going to church.” “We are in a war.” “You don’t know it’s over until you’re in a body bag. You don’t know until election night (1996).”

The above quotes are by leaders of the radical religious right. Their agenda includes outlawing abortions; no classes on birth control or sex education; public funding of their private, religious schools; creationism to be taught and evolution to be dismissed as “not proven”; and mandatory prayer in public schools. This uncompromising agenda leads naturally to a destructive division within our community and our state.

Ellen Craswell, Republican candidate for governor, promises to “run state government according to God’s plan.” In line with a Ralph Reed statement that “I want to be invisible,” religious zealots do not openly acknowledge their radicalism. However, based on reported statements, it appears to me that Ken Whitehall, Larry Crouse, Brad Benson, Bob Sump and Cathy McMorris are in the camp of the religious extremists.

Unless nonradicals, including churchgoing and nonchurchgoing religious people of all faiths, take action - evaluate the candidates and vote - we nonradicals may well be in Reed’s “body bag” on Nov. 8. Julian Powers Spokane

Craswell thunder? Story just static

I am disappointed in The Spokesman-Review for allowing staff writer Lynda Mapes to write such drivel as in “Craswell sees politics as holy war” (News, Oct. 6). I thought you had finally gotten your act together and were beginning to write like professionals, but you showed your childishness again.

Craswell “thunders with righteousness on paper”? I have yet to read anything thunderous from Craswell, and I’ve read almost everything she has written and listened to everything she’s said. Marie Crampton Chattaroy

GOVERNMENT AND POLITICS

Forty reasons to re-elect Clinton

On the Sept. 24 Opinion page, syndicated columnist Jeff Jacoby cited 40 reasons to not vote for Bill Clinton. Here are my 40 reasons for voting for Clinton for president:

Inflation just 3 percent. Low interest rates. The Brady Bill. The Family Leave bill. He is young, intelligent and energetic. Low unemployment. Peace and elections in Bosnia. Stood firm in dealing with House Speaker Newt Gingrich’s “Contract with America.” Stock market at alltime high. The assault weapons ban.

Keeping Saddam Hussein in a box. No school vouchers. Helped bring peace and stability to Northern Ireland. Hillary Rodham Clinton. Al Gore.

Education 2000 reforms. North American Free Trade Agreement. Pro-choice on abortion. Regulating nicotine as a drug. The new national monument in Utah.

No handguns for domestic abusers. Supports labor unions. Appoints liberal Supreme Court justices. Will not cut Social Security. Will not cut Medicare. Line-item veto. Will not eliminate the capital gains tax. Will not be intimidated by the religious right.

Will not spend $40 billion on “star wars.” Signed the welfare reform bill. Signed the minimum wage bill. Will prevent cuts in environmental programs.

Will prevent Department of Education cuts. Will not cut aid to college students. Intelligent drug policy. Will continue to cut the deficit. Will maintain some form of affirmative action. End farm subsidies. Find a way to redistribute wealth.

Solution to the 40 million Americans without health insurance (a national disgrace). Forty reasons and I didn’t even mention Warren Christopher. Norman L. Kennedy Harrison, Idaho

For taxpayers, grime doesn’t pay

Congress persists in appointing independent (?) counsels and giving them open-ended expense accounts to make mud pies to throw at politicians in the opposing party. These “independent” counsels have spent more than two years and 25 million tax dollars beating dead horses and impressing nobody but themselves.

To the average American taxpayer, the whole fiasco is an expensive exercise in futility producing nothing of significant value for the money wasted.

By now, most people who pay the taxes wasted on these activities have concluded that if all the independent counsels in the nation were laid end-to-end, they wouldn’t reach a common conclusion. Dave Perkins Spokane

Nader best choice for president

I hope voters will take a close look at the candidate who hasn’t had much press and compare him to the three other candidates. He is Ralph Nader, a long-time health and consumer advocate who has been an honest and tireless crusader for the average American.

If you are dissatisfied with our GATT and NAFTA agreements, you should think of Nader. If you think the big political PACs and their influence on national policy are wrong, you should think of Nader.

Do not be hoodwinked by expensive 30-second TV commercials that will try to overwhelm you in the next few weeks. I hope Americans will not just pull their party lever, but instead wil vote with their minds and hearts for a candidate who is for Americans and not a pawn of all the special interests.

When you have finished voting this year, I hope you can say to yourself that you voted for the best man running for president. If he is not on the ballot in your state, write him in. Robert C. Larson Veradale

Letters To The Editor

Kootenai Health, MultiCare to build 30-acre medical campus in Post Falls

Idaho will be only state with firing squad as main execution method, after governor signs bill

Doctors complained about Idaho’s abortion law. Republicans propose this change