Letters To The Editor

GOVERNMENT AND POLITICS

It’s time to get rid of Republicans

People believe that Republicans are for family values, but they should ponder the facts. Did Republicans overturn pro-porno laws? Did they create rating systems for songs which promote rape? What did they do?

In Congress they turned away pro-life laws. Recently, they refabricated a pro-life platform and promptly promised to ignore it. They plundered support to cut taxes for Wall Street. They blasted public workers. They wanted the environment for Wall Street. They wasted PBS for Wall Street. They wanted workers retirement checks for Wall Street.

Whenever it’s election time Republicans put on an opera for their supporters. Afterward, they put on a carnival for Wall Street. Meanwhile, state Republicans perform side shows and regurgitate Republican propaganda like parrots. Likewise, state Sen. John Moyer’s last legislative report is classic Republican flim flam.

Moyers report contains no words for pro-life, no words against multi-million dollar porn publishers, and many words regarding money. Stern words on mandatory work for welfare mothers. What if the only existing work is in a porno hall? Is that what Republicans support?

Its time to cancel the Contract on America. Its time to cancel political morons. It’s time to cancel John Moyer and his Republicans. Michael J. Brown Spokane

Bob Dole true to his word

According to a Princeton Survey Research Associates poll (“Back to the fold,” Spokesman-Review, Sept. 14), 58 percent of white Catholics support Bill Clinton vs. 40 percent for Bob Dole, although 18 percent said they might support Dole.

As a lifelong Catholic, I cannot believe Catholics would overlook what Clinton did in making abortions “safe, legal and rare.” I’m talking about his veto of the partial-birth abortion ban. Consider who supported his veto: NOW, National Abortions Rights Action League and Women for a Feminist Majority (an oxymoron if there ever was one). Do these groups reflect what Catholics believe?

Consider this: The Rev. John Neuhaus, president of the Institute for Religion and Public Life, said, “In his typical way of serial sincerity, the president had reassured the American Catholic Bishops - now there is an unprecedented confrontation.” Another source close to the bishops said, “My God, there is absolutely no give here, no flexibility, not even a willingness to listen to an argument.” This information can be found in a report by Liz Trotta, columnist for the Washington Times, July 21, weekly edition.

Finally, consider what Bob Dole will do when he is elected. When speaking to a joint meeting of House and Senate Republicans last week, when the ban is sent to him he said unequivocally that he will sign it.

To my fellow Catholics: unlike Clinton, you can take Bob Dole at his word. He will do the right thing and ban this truly needless, infanticidal procedure. Mark E. Duclos Spokane

OTHER TOPICS

Lawyer deserves fair chance

There have been articles in the newspaper and on television about Spokane lawyer Nancy Dreskovich. The charges being brought against her by another Spokane lawyer are not true. She has not been given a fair chance to defend herself.

She has been found guilty by two federal judges before a fair hearing. Dreskovich has fought for all downwinders regarding diseases and causations which the court would not like to address.

The hardest part for Dreskovich has been choosing lawyers which believe as she does who would give her support with the work and financial costs. Unfortunately she chose wrong.

It is my opinion that six years of work has been done without their effort or money. This firm sees how much money they can make on just defending thyroid cases only. When it came to hiring scientific experts, which cost huge amounts of money, this law firm wanted downwinders to pay all costs up front. Dreskovich would not allow this. After trying to work with this law firm for five months, they could not agree. This is when this firm went after her.

Many people have paid a price going against federal courts or standing up for justice. One scientist paid that price by going to prison when he wanted to report how much the dose reconstruction was being badly manipulated.

I back Nancy Dreskovich 100 percent. Please show your support immediately; she goes to court on Oct. 12. Kay E. Sutherland Walla Walla

Kids need to hear truth about drugs

Kids nowadays have unprecedented access to information, and they’re smart. D.F. Oliveria, are you listening? (Sept. 22 Opinion editorial)

And for all you sloganeers: “Just say no” and “Just don’t do it” - whoa, that’s big-time sappiness. Such eagerness to use “just,” which means “simply.” Is drug use a simple issue? No.

Talk to the children? Tell them the perils of drugs? Well, I listen to a lot of teenagers and a dominant theme is a sense of no future. They see all the wealth that’s been harvested and locked away. They know about environmental toxins and cancer, they have a feel for the environment. They recognize a government pandering to corporate America and know that American jobs are being exported at an alarming rate. They go to public schools strapped for funds, while we build more and more prisons. They understand the national debt. They all know violence. Powerful angst is in them, so they’re likely to be reckless.

Likely to use drugs.

We can talk and tell, but what we do is what really comes across. Yes, even kids are quick to sense hypocrisy. Slogans and propaganda do more damage than good. Look at the success of DARE. Talk of brains while presenting an egg frying sunny-side-up in sizzling cooking oil is mindless and pathetic.

The truth about drugs, all drugs, and human drug use - that’s our only hope with smart kids. When all else fails, resort to the truth. Rand Clifford Spokane

SPOKANE

Protester a fine one to complain

Talk about the pot calling the kettle black! Margaret Hurley complains about the city’s plans to build a repair facility (“Dumb enough to be city policy,” Letters, Sept. 18). She speaks of the city going out to the county to build. This is the NIMBY syndrome personified.

I was always of the mind that the city was to use city land. With tongue in cheek, I am always leery of anything that Phil Williams has a hand in. Just look at your garbage bill.

For Hurley to complain about traffic brings back memories, for us who do not suffer from dementia. It was she who led the charge against the building of a north-south freeway. In those days a few million would have given us a six-lane road. Now, we may get a block or two for a million.

Thank you, Hurley. It was you who made the bed for all of us, so just pull up the covers and enjoy. Charles E. McCollim Spokane

SCHOOLS

Debaters will be hurt by rule

Last year the debate coaches of the Greater Spokane League schools voted to limit the number of students from any one school that could advance from the local qualifying tournament to the state competition. Although the restrictions applied to all participating teams, only Mead has had sufficient numbers of successful debaters to be effected.

This year, however, the board of debate coaches has imposed a restriction that will limit debaters from every GSL school who are aspiring to the state tournament. Only four debaters may be entered in any particular event by a given school. This regulation places severe limits on the students themselves.

Although the same number of people from a school may potentially advance to the state tournament, a relatively few number of debaters actually get to compete. This is partially made up for by the creation of a consolation tournament that will occur at the same time as the state qualifying tournament. However, in the new consolation competition, schools will still be restricted to only four entries.

Although there are very good arguments against the previous entry restrictions, it had at least some small bit of justification. This new restriction only hurts the students who so enjoy the activity they’re now being excluded from. Now, not only are debaters prevented from going to the state competition, many aren’t allowed to even try.

The job of deciding who will actually compete falls on the coaches, and choosing among the many qualified people on their team will be a harrowing task. Andrew Wilson, debater Mead High School

CITY GOVERNMENT

Improvements slow in coming

Everyone agrees the streets need repair, so why did the bond initiative fail? I feel it failed because the citizens of Spokane are now fully aware of the incompetence of their city government.

A few years back there was a bond initiative to improve the city parks. Two big signs at the local park announced that grand improvements would be made in the park if the bond issue passed.

That bond issue did pass and eventually the signs came down. I am still waiting for the promised improvements. The park today has fewer facilities and is more run-down than before the bond issue. So why should anyone trust the signs for this street bond initiative? John R. Gaines Spokane

MEDIA

More positive reporting needed

Shame on you Spokesman-Review!

Your article on former Vice President Spiro Agnew is “disgraceful” journalism.

Why did you head the (Sept. 18) article, “Disgraced VP Spiro Agnew is dead at 77”?

This is very negative journalism and serves no purpose. Let the man and his family rest in peace. It could have and should have said “Former VP Spiro Agnew is dead at 77”.

Hopefully, you and your staff will consider positive reporting in the future. Believe it or not positive reporting will sell newspapers too - maybe even more. Patty A. Mawson Coeur d’Alene

Paper damaging to farm families

I was not surprised to see Karen Dorn Steele attack recent ads for the Intermountain Grass Growers Association. I was surprised, however, that the photo choice for an ad would be front page news (They’re a family for all seasons, Sept. 20).

The IGGA stands by that ad. It is a stock photo but it does not change the fact that farm families are in trouble and all the statements in the ad are factual. I am appalled at the attacks by The Spokesman-Review and want to convey the damage your paper does to the psyche of the people in the farming community.

We ran some radio ads in which some young farm children participated. One of the young boys who is a third generation farmer begged us not to say that he lives on a farm. When asked why, he said because people think farmers are stupid. When he was asked why he thought that, he said that’s how they are always portrayed in the newspaper and on television. He was ashamed of his heritage and learned to be ashamed of it by irresponsible reporters who never try to explain or even understand the farmer’s perspective.

I can easily put a local farm family’s photo in the ad that your paper attacked, but I cannot so easily undo the damage of this young boy’s self-esteem. Linda Clovis, Intermountain Grass Growers Association Coeur d’Alene

GRASSBURNING

Let the people breathe

Enough! I have lived in the Panhandle area for over 20 years and the field burning gets worse every year. Even Harpers had to stop their operations for a few hours due to the burning. I understand that some of the wheat fields are now being burned for a better yield.

I have a small business in Post Falls and I know if I have a change in cost that I must pass this cost onto my customers. If the field burners get less yield from not burning then they need to pass that cost onto their customers and stop making the Panhandle an unsafe environment for two months out of the year.

People have complained for years and nothing has been done except lip service from the burners and our elected officials. Surely there must be a way to have this practice stopped. The people need to breath again. John Abbott Athol, Idaho

ANIMALS

Humane Society should take stand

I would like to know why the president of the Kootenai Humane Society, George Braden Jr., and his organization have not taken an official stand on Proposition 2, the Black Bear Initiative (“Game management belongs where it is,” Letters, Sept. 18).

I am a member of Kootenai Humane Society which, I believe, operates under the principles and beliefs of the Humane Society of the United States.

These principles and beliefs in part state: “The primary and motivating concern of the Humane Society is the prevention of cruelty to all living creatures. We are mindful that humans have been uniquely endowed with a sense of moral values…though we are not opposed to the legitimate and appropriate utilization of animals in the service of humans, such utilization gives humans neither the right nor license to exploit or abuse any animal in the process.”

To hunt bears using bait/dogs as well as hunting bears in the spring certainly would come under the above admonition.

Setting hunting quotas, describing geographical areas of the hunt do seem to me to come under the definition of game management, but I fail to see how use of dogs/ baiting fall under game management.

I invite the public to attend a live, televised debate on Proposition 2. The debate will take place at 8 p.m. Wednesday in Coeur d’Alene City Hall. The debate also also be viewed on Channel 13. Theresa Potts Coeur d’Alene