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The Spokesman-Review Newspaper
Spokane, Washington  Est. May 19, 1883

Letters To The Editor

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR, April 23, 1997: Correction Nathan Narrance’s letter of April 21 contained a typographical error. His reference to the budget increase should have been $1.5 billion, not $11.5 billion.

WASHINGTON STATE

Un-elect these flim-flam artists

Prior to the legislative session, I had written my state representatives about using the excess state funds then existing for the purpose of funding the bridge and highway needs of cities, counties and the state on a one-time capital grant, according to population and vehicle count. The infrastructure was crumbling.

The Legislature is now proceeding to spend all funds, plus another billion dollars-plus to fund the school fiefdoms, as well as other items the members feel is necessary.

Now, some want an additional 7 cents per gallon for roads. They can do that and come back and tell us they didn’t raise the budget.

If gas tax is a use tax, then why is the motor vehicle tax not a use tax but one that goes into the general fund? The general fund is a big slush fund used for everything.

The Legislature will tell us what a great job it has done, but when the budget increases $11.5 billion and the public gets hit with a 6 percent to 7 percent increase for gas, then tell the public that they got gassed on a tax that isn’t a tax.

And then tell us that even though it walks, talks and looks like a duck, it really isn’t a duck or even a tax, and they’re sure sorry. Then, we the people have to make strong decisions at the ballot box. Nathan Narrance Colbert

SPOKANE MATTERS

Traffic study not what’s needed

As a resident of the Logan School neighborhood, I am disappointed that the City Council accepted a staff recommendation to allow a traffic study for the fleet maintenance facility. This happened at the last meeting.

The traffic study takes a narrow view of the project and doesn’t look at such important issues as additional air pollution. It merely looks toward traffic flow and numbers of vehicles, and if they could be accommodated in some way.

The study won’t take into account a fleet of garbage trucks idling in the yard on a quiet cold morning. I can smell them at my house, a quarter of a mile away, right now. What is it going to be like when they are finally concentrated here in greater numbers?

Council members, try to visualize the air pollution problem. There are blighted industrial areas more centrally located and far from the neighborhoods. Let’s look at those. Otherwise, we might have a replay of the air problems that have occurred at the composting site.

In our neighborhood, clean air is a right which we will not subordinate. We will fight to protect that right. Don’t waste your money on a traffic study - you miss the point. Anthony P. Davis Spokane

Selfish shooters cause problems

My family returned to the Nine Mile Falls area, where we used to live, for an Easter visit.

Near where we were staying, “manly” hunters brought their kids out to the state land to shoot their guns. This perturbed me. All afternoon long we listened to their noise pollution. They do this every weekend.

We took a walk later only to find spent shells, fluorescent orange skeet and broken bottles littering the ground. Plywood targets were nailed to trees. All this came from these intruders.

To these people, I say, be responsible and join a rifle club. Or, sell your guns, as you are obviously too disrespectful of others.

While driving back to the airport, we noticed two trucks full of tree limbs obviously heading for a dump, even during free yard waste dump days at the incinerator. I encourage anyone observing these country dumpers to follow them and prevent them from dumping. Dennis S. Casadoro Seattle

Let’s try to please everyone

Re: The “Joe Fan” statue.

Three cheers for Mayor Geraghty and Councilwoman Greene. It’s good to know that there are people out there watching over us so carefully on such important issues.

Why stop at women and children? ‘Joe Fan’ looks awfully Caucasian. How does this honor our African American fans, or how about Asian or Native American fans? We may need a family statue of each.

He also looks pretty straight. Let’s include our gay friends, by putting a mom-mom-child and a dad-dad-child family of each race in bronze as well.

That ought to make just about everyone happy. David V. Chamberlin Spokane

Street widening? For what?

Someone from the City Council or Spokesman-Review should investigate why the city is widening North River Drive between Division and Washington streets. We have so many potholes that can’t be fixed, yet we can find the money to tear up a perfectly good street - for what real reason and at what cost? Thomas G. Herion Spokane

Cheers for the Davenport restoration

Recently, my wife and I had the opportunity to attend a small dinner gathering at the Davenport Hotel. It had been nearly 20 years since I’d last been inside the hotel. That may explain my lack of interest in the future of the hotel when it was being considered for demolition.

It was only after walking into the lobby that I realized the seriousness of my neglect as a Spokane resident. I had risked, in my naivete, squandering a rich part of Spokane’s history. It would have been a shame for Spokane to have lost this monument.

After dinner, Jeffrey Ng and his wife Rowenah were kind enough to walk several of us around forgotten quarters of the Davenport. The history of our great city came alive to me as we walked through the rooms and hallways.

I express my appreciation to the Ngs for all they have sacrificed to keep the Davenport alive as a memory of our past. They are obviously willing to invest a great deal to restore a significant part of Spokane’s history.

I also thank Washington Water Power Co. for its commitment to cleaning up the oil spill. Without that help, this restoration program could not have continued.

I hope the rest of the community will be willing to let the Ngs and WWP know we appreciate their efforts to ensure a continuing legacy for our children. Bruce Williams Spokane

CONSUMER ISSUES

Gasoline prices: Seek legal redress

Gas prices are soaring again. I’m considering installing a security camera in my car so that I can record the robbery that occurs every time I fill my tank.

Last year, the extended heating season caused gas prices to skyrocket. We, the gas buying public, were told that the prices would peak and return to the price levels prior to the increase. I have been patiently waiting.

Why can a certain gas station in Kennewick sell gasoline for less than $1 a gallon when we are paying close to one-third more? We were most recently told that “people in Denver” were setting our prices. This is insanity.

We need to petition the state attorney general to file antitrust suits concerning the monopoly the “people in Denver” have over the Spokane area. We also need a complete investigation of gas price fixing, including local dealers and distributors.

We are being extorted. What can you do about it? Write or call the state attorney general’s office and insist on a immediate investigation. This has been going on way too long. Glenn M. Arnold Spokane

GOVERNMENT AND POLITICS

Jobs pledge a shell game

Recently, President Clinton announced a plan to move 10,000 former welfare recipients, or those about to be eliminated from welfare, to apply for 10,000 government jobs in various cabinet departments, including six to work in the White House.

That’s a very noble and caring gesture.

But ask yourselves the following questions:

Who and what pays for welfare benefits?

Answer: you and your taxes.

Who and what pays for government jobs?

Answer: you and your taxes.

So, what is the benefit to taxpayers if Clinton is merely shifting 10,000 former welfare recipients to government employees? Nothing. He is merely expanding government in this so-called “era of big government is over.” It is nothing but a shell game.

Here are some suggestions to really move people from welfare to work:

Cut and then eliminate the capital gains tax, thus freeing hundreds of billions of dollars in investment capital.

Eliminate the inheritance tax.

Go to a flat tax or a consumption tax, thereby eliminating once and for all the IRS.

Do these three things and there will be one hell of a lot more than 10,000 jobs created. They will be created in the private sector, where all jobs should be created. Mark E. Duclos Spokane

Tell about union political activities

The April 6 article, “Big donors,” criticized business groups for spending $500,000 to impact the 1996 elections. Yet, you ignored labor unions, which spent at least 20 times more to affect the 1996 elections in Washington state.

Business groups, such as the Building Industry Association of Washington, were pikers compared to the AFL-CIO, which spent 10-15 million dollars in our state on ads attacking Republicans like Rep. George Nethercutt.

Everyone remembers the massive AFL-CIO television campaign but no one, including candidates you quoted, can recall the campaign brochures financed by business groups. That’s because business organization’s campaign expenditures were overwhelmed by the most aggressive, most expensive political campaign ever seen in Washington.

Curiously, your newspaper still has not done a story on the huge size of the AFI-CIO campaign. Granted, because the AFL-CIO does not report its expenses to the Public Disclosure Commission, it is painstaking to obtain an accurate accounting. But resourceful Spokesman-Review reporters like Jim Camden should be able to uncover the facts.

There is another advantage of focusing on The AFL-CIO. As you say in the newspaper business, the story would have a “news peg.” AFL-CIO last week resumed it’s TV ads in Washington. The unions again plan to coerce union members to finance another multi-million dollar ad campaign.

How much will the AFL-CIO spend this time? Will it target Nethercutt again? How many union members here in Spokane want their dues money used to finance political attacks? These are questions your newspaper should answer. Robert K. West, president Spokane Home Builders Association