Letters To The Editor

SUBSTANCE ABUSE

Blame Clinton for failed drug war

Re: “End futile, failed drug war,” by Nora C. Callahan (Letters, Dec. 16).

I wonder if Callahan remembers how effective the Reagan administration’s “just say no” campaign was during the 1980s. The movement was characterized as too simple to work. The liberals could not, however, deny that drug usage dropped more and more every year. When the program was dropped, the real drug war ended.

Along came Bill Clinton in 1992. Hidden in the bravado of his well-publicized slashing of federal employees was the 75 percent cut in drug enforcement field officers. Drug usage didn’t just increase, it spiked. No wonder Callahan thinks Clinton’s drug war isn’t working.

I agree with her opposition to jail sentences for drug offenders, but only concerning first-time possession of small amounts of drugs that is, the users. Possession of large amounts, indicating dealing activities, should be dealt with harshly. Similarly, repeat small-amount offenders should receive jail time.

First-time offenders could be required to wear electronic devices so they could be monitored. They would be required to find work. If they were receiving welfare, it would be revoked. They would be subject to drug tests at any time during their probation. This tough life, brought on by their own actions, would allow them to return to productive society instead of burdening it. Michael G. Wiman Spokane

Judge should excuse himself

Regarding the front-page article of Dec. 20, “Woman faces trial in hit-and-run death,” my heart goes out to poor Connie Bickley who will have to “make do” without her pickup truck. That insensitive court system has decided to hold it for evidence.

I also find it quite appropriate that this drunken driving suspect should face trial before another drunken driver. Now, finally there is justice!

Lest we forget the terrible tragedy that caused the loss of an innocent human being, I would encourage Judge Craig Kosonen to excuse himself from presiding over this trial. To participate in this trial would be a sham and an insult to the Scherling family and the entire North Idaho community. A potential juror with the same history would most certainly be dismissed from a jury pool for this trial. Can this judge be truly impartial?

I am outraged! Sandra D. De Ment Spirit Lake, Idaho

Editor’s note: Judge Kosonen pleaded guilty earlier this month to a charge of drunken driving after crashing his pickup into a concrete barrier near Wallace. He was sentenced to two days in jail, fined $500 and had his driver’s license suspended for 90 days.

ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUES

We have bad data, not bad air

Those who even suggest that our air quality is like that of Los Angeles must never travel. The cause of the bad air problem here is mainly incompetent sampling procedures.

In evaluating quality of any material or system, random sampling must be used. It is my understanding that the sampling devices here in Spokane are placed in areas that will assure failure. To properly sample the air quality in Spokane, the city should be divided up into, say, block-sized units, then the placement of the sampling devices should be established by some statistically random procedure. The distribution of the data would be evaluated under a hypergeometric distribution.

How does one make informed decisions when governmental agencies continually skew data so that they can “prove” their preconceived opinions? I lived in the Los Angeles area for 20 years and have lived in the Spokane area for many years. To suggest that the air quality here is anywhere nearly as bad as that of the Los Angeles area is ludicrous. Our bad press is caused by bad data, not bad air. Robert L. Dunning Spokane

Stooges in the courthouse

Re: articles on proposed stormwater regulations for builders (Dec. 15 and 17).

Suzanne Knapp of the Spokane Home Builders Association is opposed to the proposed regulations. It is no wonder. They have the Spokane County Stormwater Management Department wanting to spend $9.5 million for the Glenrose-Moran stormwater runoff problems and $1.5 million on the Central Park problems. The one thing that is not mentioned on these two proposals is the ongoing maintenance fees. No one knows how high they will go. As long as the builders association has some stooges in the courthouse willing to spend taxpayers’ money, why should they have to spend their own?

Phil Harris chastened John Roskelley by saying, “He thinks that government has the answer for everything.” If those words are true, why does government have to form the stormwater runoff districts? I hope that Harris is true to his word and votes no on the formation of the stormwater runoff areas.

Remember, the stormwater tax was implemented without a vote of the people, and the County Stormwater Department wants to raise the $10 per year we are now paying to $50 per year. That can be done without a vote of the people. If the increase to $50 is granted, in a couple of years the request could be for $75 or $100 per year. Edwin O. Weilep Spokane

OTHER TOPICS

Avoiding deer is difficult

Re: Emily Dietz’s letter of Dec. 21 about people hitting deer with their automobiles.

I would have tended to agree with the perception that people are hitting too many deer, and that these people are not being cautious on the roadways, until the same thing happened to us Friday evening.

We were returning to our home between Springdale and Valley, after shopping in Colville. When we were coming into Chewelah, slowing down as we neared the city limits, it was as if a deer appeared in the middle of the highway, in the darkness. It seemingly wasn’t there one minute, was the next. My husband slowed the car down even further, swerving to avoid hitting the deer. The deer proceeded to run right in front of our car.

We impacted the deer. There was simply no time to react. My husband almost lost control of our car. As he pulled over, we saw the deer make it to the side of the road then drop dead. The headlight on the driver’s side of our car was smashed completely out, the hood was crinkled, the fender bowed so badly the driver’s door won’t open more than 18 inches.

Believe me, if there had been any warning, any way to avoid this, we would have. There simply was no way. Once you’ve experienced something, then you can judge. Becky McPherson Valley, Wash.

Put the shame where it belongs

Re: “Failure to rescue proof of cowardice” (Letters, Dec. 13).

An Associated Press article of Dec. 8 states that Lt. Commander Michael Speicher was the first American lost in the 1991 Persian Gulf War and the only one whose fate is still unknown. Further on is this astonishing bit: “The warriors believed they had a responsibility,” said Stan Arthur, a retired four-star admiral, who led allied naval forces in the gulf war. “You lose one of your own, you go back and find him.”

Allied forces bombed Iraq, night and day, from Jan. 16, 1991, until Feb. 22. The ground war began on Feb. 24, and after 100 hours, President George Bush declared a ceasefire. By March 4, Iraq had agreed to U.N. resolutions and released allied prisoners.

After the war, Bush, James Baker, Richard Cheney, Gen. Colin Powell, Gen. Norman Shwarzkopf and Arthur were very busy having parades, waving the flag, slapping backs and writing books. Doesn’t it seem logical that one of those warriors would have remembered Speicher during the 23 months remaining in Bush’s term? Maybe they should have thought of him during the war, when he went down, when the war ended.

Put your shame and disgrace where it belongs, warrior William Rogers of Mead!

Here’s another one: In May 1987, an Iraqi plane fired a missile into the U.S. frigate Stark, killing 37 sailors. Saddam Hussein apologized and said it was an accident. President Ronald Reagan let him get away with it! There is real shame, disgrace, cowardice and stupidity. Roy M. Wakefield St. John, Wash.

A rude thanks for golfers

Last year that paragon of political correctness, Fran Boxer (assistant chief administrative officer for the county), and county golf manager Mike Kingsley, in concert with our generally clueless county commissioners, eliminated all preferred tee times at the county golf courses. Now they’ve raised the greens fees, eliminated regular season passes and restricted senior season passes.

I rest more easily now, knowing that none of the old gaffers and golf bums will be able to squeeze in enough rounds of golf next year to cheat the government out of a dollar or two a round. Never mind that the county enjoyed the use of pass funds at the beginning of the seasons, when they need it most for the early cleanup. Never mind that said golfers are the ones who have supported the courses with their time and money in the past when the courses were underplayed.

Never mind that these same miscreants have donated countless hours of their personal time for such mundane things as the junior golf program and running tournaments from which proceeds were used to buy ball washers, benches, signs, cart paths and equipment. True parity, that’s what counts!

Now, with no more preferred tee times, and no more season passes, true equity has at last been achieved. Except of course for Kingsley, who I’m told plays quite regularly for free without having to book a tee time at all, let alone a week in advance like the rest of us common folk. Hal R. Dixon Spokane

Bridge information inadequate

The financial information relative to the Lincoln Bridge project is scary in its inadequacy.

Neither the city nor Washington Water Power Co. was planning to pay for the electric utilities to be moved from the Post Bridge to the new utility bridge.

The Monroe Bridge redecking is not in the $36 million estimate, and the $8 million to $10 million estimate for redecking seems too high and is certainly not comfortably precise.

The cost of relocating the air ducts for City Hall is not included in the $36 million.

Is there a plan to pay both for the Lincoln Bridge and for the balloon payments on the incinerator bonds, scheduled to increase by about $6 million a year in 2002?

The Ronald’s property plus huge legal fees must be funded. Does this compete with the Lincoln Bridge for funds?

What is the cost of the six-year arterial street plan?

If the $36 million estimate is low, where will the funds come from other than defunding the park work?

I submit that the taxpayers are ill-served by smoke and mirrors, which seems to be about the only guiding principle in City Hall management of taxpayer funds. The top management pay raises should be rescinded and used to pay for an independent full-time auditor, answerable only to the City Council, to provide object, full information both to our elected officials and to the public. Julian Powers Spokane