Letters To The Editor

Fri., April 11, 1997

WASHINGTON STATE

Oversight, accountability needed

State lawmakers unveiled a proposed transportation budget that would provide up to $3 million more per year for the city of Spokane (Spokesman-Review, March 26). The plan calls for an increase of 7 cents a gallon on gasoline, pushing the state gas tax to 30 cents per gallon.

Why is $15.2 million needed to widen Interstate 90 from Broadway to Argonne? Is it to get Idaho commuters home in time for dinner?

Rep. Larry Crouse, R-Spokane Valley, is on the right track when he says that more money can be found through belt tightening. Mary Margret Haugen, D-Camano Island, vice chairman of the Senate Transportation Committee, says there aren’t enough inefficiencies in the entire state budget to meet transportation needs.

Also in the March 26 Spokesman-Review was, “Ferry system lacks control of sales, revenue.” How many millions has it lost? In the same edition was, “State shy $730,000 in license revenue, apparently never collected.”

Apparently, Haugen is not doing her job.

Government officials should show us taxpayers the total amounts collected and how they are spent. A special committee should be formed to oversee county-city road repairs. County commissioners and council members should not be involved. A county-city project should be organized.

I would support a gas tax increase if they would not put the money into a general fund or some other project and would show us where it will be spent. M.L. Bonnett Deer Park

Fans should buy Seahawks

Today’s news forecasts an election statewide for $400 million or more to build a new Kingdome. It is well known that Paul Allen wants 50 or more luxury suites in the new Kingdome if he buys the Seattle Seahawks.

Why can’t Northwest sportsmen buy the Seahawks for approximately $200 million? Obviously, the Seahawks would forever stay in Seattle in a manner comparable to the NFL Green Bay Packers, Super Bowl champions.

In the early days of the Seahawks (late 1970s), the Kingdome was always sold out and had a long list of potential season ticket buyers. It could be done again under community ownership.

Additionally, Kingdome capacity could be increased 10,000 or more by lowering the playfield about 12 feet.

When the current Kingdome mortgage is reduced or paid off and attendance is at capacity, perhaps a new stadium could be built in partnership with the University of Washington.

The bottom line is that the voters may very well vote down the stadium bond proposal because of resentment toward Paul Allen, and the Seahawks would leave Seattle.

Perhaps Microsoft would rather share in a stock purchase plan with fans, and never have to manage a football team.

Stock ownership of the Seahawks by fans would be more palatable than another $400,000 million loan debt. Ed Keegan Spokane

OK, mindlessness wins

Consider this: The Washington state Senate Ways and Means Committee, on March 24, recommended the elimination of mental health benefits from the Basic Health Plan. That same month, 39 people killed themselves, believing they are going to join aliens in a space ship behind a comet.

Conclusion? Beam me up, Scotty, there’s no intelligent life here. David Grubb Spokane

SPOKANE MATTERS

McCaslin sort of missed the bus

I have difficulty with Spokane County Commissioner Kate McCaslin representing herself as a Spokane Transit Authority board member, a person who has inside knowledge, and then misrepresenting the facts.

The federal government requires that STA replace its old buses that are not accessible to wheelchairs. It’s easy for her to criticize having accessible buses, but please, have a little feeling for those who have no other way to get to the doctor or to the store. The bus system provides a public service.

I drive for STA on a route that uses the old buses. I’ve had to turn people away because I have no way to bring them on board. In a few years, people with limited mobility will have access to larger sections of the Spokane area. McCaslin stated clearly that STA is currently serving the same ridership as in the past but at a much higher cost. Actually, ridership broke a record last year of 7.8 million. If she missed reading about it in the newspaper, she certainly couldn’t have missed the banners posted throughout the STA facility, congratulating everyone on a good job.

Naturally, it cost more to operate the buses during this record-breaking year, but it also cost more to operate private vehicles. McCaslin has shown irresponsibility by publicly misrepresenting the facts. Please consider any personal agenda she may have during her press conferences. Jeannette Quaschnick Spokane

Police review panel persecuted

As a former member of the “defunct” Citizen Review Panel, I’m damn sick of reading that the panel was disbanding after many people criticized it as being toothless and too heavily weighted in favor of the Spokane Police Department. Nothing is further from the truth.

Four of us had our names submitted by the police chief, but the council could have refused us. We four were the ones given the one-year appointment.

The two or three cases heard during that one year should never even have been considered, they were so ridiculous.

It was no secret the former mayor had no spirit of cooperation with our chief and had appointed likeminded people to this panel. One member was so paranoid about the police department, he was sure a policeman followed him home the evening of the first meeting.

The new appointments are much better than what previous members served. At least this panel has several members with some knowledge of law enforcement.

I did not appreciate Councilwoman Roberta Greene’s remarks. She stated they would wield a lot of power and “there’s meat in this one.” That’s a very poor attitude for a council member.

The public deserves the truth about the first Citizen Review Panel. It certainly was never written in this newspaper. You were critical from day one - anything to discredit the police department. M.E. Yates Spokane

Join in effort to clean city up

In conjunction with a citywide-countywide effort to get rid of ice storm debris, the Nevada-Lidgerwood area recently completed its neighborhood cleanup. I thank everyone who helped make it a success, especially the hundreds who brought their debris to Dumpsters.

The city has offered neighborhoods $5,000 each to assist with cleanups. The money can be used until the end of the year for any type of neighborhood cleanup.

Nevada-Lidgerwood’s cleanup was a joint, coordinated effort between Neva-Wood Cops and the Nevada-Lidgerwood Steering Committee-Neighborhood Council. We used our $,5000 for cleaning up ice storm debris and placed city Dumpsters at various neighborhood parks.

Through the efforts of Judy Cole of Washington Water Power Co. and Nancy Lewis of Spokane Cops, we also received Naval Reservists’ help. The reservists were a tremendous help and we thank them.

I urge all community service groups to adopt citycounty areas for cleanup. Rental properties and vacant lots are especially in need. If you own such property, make every effort to remove the debris. If debris is not cleaned up, it will create fire and health hazards.

The city-county cleanup is an ongoing effort. If you need debris cleanup, call your neighborhood community center, steering committee or Cop Shop. Sandy Smith, chairwoman Nevada-Lidgerwood Neighborhood Cleanup

Hotel’s grace being restored

Recently, we were treated to a personal tour of the Davenport Hotel by its gracious and knowledgeable director, Jeffrey Ng. With a rare eye for detail, he led us to an even greater appreciation of this great building, its architecture and history, and why its reopening is so valuable to Spokane and beyond.

Much more than an excursion on an historic preservation bandwagon or even a potentially lucrative commercial endeavor to benefit downtown, here is a thing intrinsically worth doing. The quality of restoration already completed enables appreciation of Kirtland Cutter’s architectural integrity and the quality of Louis Davenport’s realized vision.

From the grand lobby to the exquisite Hall of Doges, from the Antoinette Ballroom to the whimsical Circus Room, the Davenport is not only a rich treasure house of ornamental design but a veritable education in cultural history.

More importantly, the Davenport is a living monument to a social order characterized by hospitality, refinement and civility, humane virtues that never did go out of date, or shouldn’t.

Cooperation toward the speedy completion of what has begun is surely an honor to all who take part. Melville and Janice Holmes Friends of the Davenport, Spokane

Trash burner plant tour ‘cool’

At first, I though my mom was being silly when she said she was taking us to the place where they burn trash. I didn’t know about the waste-to-energy plant until we went on the tour there.

Two nice ladies showed us a movie and explained all about how electricity is made by burning Spokane’s trash. The tour was really cool and I learned a lot. It is very important to recycle and they really do a good job. Whitney Porter, age 9 Spokane

CONSUMER ISSUES

Speak up about fuel price gouging

I recently returned from the Tri-Cities. While I was there, I paid 92 cents a gallon for regular unleaded gas. The highest I saw was $1.11.

Here in Spokane, the best prices I have seen is at JRM on Mission, at $1.18, and the Zip Trip on Lincoln in north Spokane, $1.17. Most stations come in at $1.27 to $1.28 or higher.

What is going on here? It seems a little funny but it’s certainly not humorous that were are paying so much more than motorists in the Tri-Cities when we’re only about 140 miles away.

We need to write our state legislators, members of Congress and U.S. senators to express our concern about how we are getting ripped-off by the gas stations and oil companies. This situation is totally outrageous and I hope you agree.

Please, inundate legislators and Congress with your protests about this piracy by the petroleum industry. Larry E. Krueger Spokane

Surcharges a means of manipulation

James A. Nelson considers ATM surcharges to be a ripoff (Letters, April 6). It is a business tool. By instituting surcharges, the banks are encouraging you to become a their customer so you won’t have to pay that $1.90 or $2.

Did you know that some banks are considering charging their members for using another financial institution’s ATM, whether it has a surcharge or not?

Let me toss a little data into the pot. There are 2,817 ATMs in Washington state and 1,895 of them are owned by only four large banks that have instituted surcharges. This poses quite a problem for small community banks and credit unions.

I suggest joining a financial institution that feels its member-customer is more important than its bottom line. Credit unions and community banks are frequently places to find this concern. Richard D. Clark, director Spokane Railway Credit Union

LAW AND JUSTICE

Universities caught in a bind

The recent trial in which a former Gonzaga University student was awarded $1.1 million from the university for defaming him shows just how dangerous it can be to try to do the right thing.

Gonzaga and all Washington universities offering teacher education programs cannot win when confronted with a situation like this. If they report behavior they consider a potentially serious problem, they risk being sued by the student. If they let the student go through without comment, to avoid litigation, they risk being asked later on why they knowingly allowed a student with a problem into the classroom.

Gonzaga did the right thing. I hope this judgment doesn’t result in a low standard of scrutiny for potential teachers when, if anything, a higher one is needed. Richard League Spokane

GOVERNMENT AND POLITICS

Let parties pay for investigations

Since both parties have proven they can raise campaign money by whatever means is necessary, do you suppose we could pass a law making them pay for their investigations of each other’s shenanigans, rather than bill the poor unsuspecting taxpayers? Walter Lane Spokane

Rosenthal on wrong side of issue

Syndicated columnist A.M. Rosenthal’s “Callous disregard comes at awful price” (Opinion, April 5), misses the point in two ways.

First, he whines about Clinton and Gore’s campaign financing while he bashes China. He fails to address the bigger problem of the understated need for campaign finance reform at every level of political campaigning. Rosenthal, evidently, cannot see the equally glaring excesses from corporate and individual special interest wealth buying a campaign and perhaps a candidate.

The second and most important point Rosenthal missed was that of his own religious bias about “religious persecution.” China’s rejection of ethnic cleansing by Christian missionaries is appropriate. Other cultures better do the same before it’s too late.

Rosenthal should have read other opinions in the paper that day, such as Don Kush’s “It’s OK to find your own way,” Jack DeBaun’s “Bible a Dark Ages handbook” and Nadav Tanners’ “Bible not justification for intolerance” (Letters, April 5).

The colonialist-missionary-military-industrial complex of America fueled by Bible verse exploitation for material and political greed is the worst kind of terrorism and abuse of human rights. Does Rosenthal want to repeat what Jack DeBaun warns of - the religious intolerance of the past, “…the Dark Ages…church-sanctioned slavery and persecution of ‘heretics,’ ‘witch’ burnings, inquisitions, barbaric crusades”?

Beware of other ethnic cleansing and barbaric habits such as “English only” laws, excessive taxes for the poor and working poor, with excessive tax exemptions for corporations and the wealthy, and racism. Lou Stone Inchelium, Wash.