Letters To The Editor

From LETTERS TO THE EDITOR, June 7, 1997: CORRECTION Barbara Skinner’s May 29 letter (“Lovely view is important”) contained a typographical error. The figure cited should have been $719.

GOVERNMENT AND POLITICS

GOP not to blame

In his May 15 letter, “GOP makes profits, not people, safer,” Andy Kelly intimates that Republicans in Congress and former Republican presidents are to blame for the ValuJet crash. This is a stretch, at best, because the fact is the Federal Aviation Administration stated after the crash that the reason it did not want to regulate ValuJet or any other fledgling airline was because it did not want to discourage the new airlines and possibly put them out of business, even though the agency new about certain violations. This was the incompetence of the FAA, not the Republican Party.

Kelly also is wrong on the subject of taxes. Taxes on businesses are way too high, especially in the state of Washington, a state where businesses no longer are willing to settle because of the high taxes. When this happens, it means fewer jobs and less money for the working men and women of this country. It is true that CEOs makes millions, but one should not be punished for making millions honestly. I also would remind Kelly that if businesses are overtaxed, layoffs will happen and price increases will happen, contrary to what he says.

We can only hope that the GOP will hold on to Congress so the era of big government really will be over. Justin B. Childers Spokane

Chenoweth’s comments make news

What is even more disturbing than the warm-climate comments made by our Rep. Helen Chenoweth (R-Idaho) are the letters to the editor defending them. People from the state of Washington can’t understand why we are so upset. Let me try to explain.

When Chenoweth makes racist comments, it makes national news and taints (even further) the entire state of Idaho. Her words can anger upstate New York. Mine can’t. Even a hundred letters to the editor from Idahoans expressing frustration and contempt for her views won’t make national news. The impression she makes is the lasting one.

Every mindless comment Chenoweth makes paints Idaho even further back into its corner. The damage she causes won’t take years, but decades, to undo. (This is in addition to the fact that she doesn’t seem to know that there weren’t enough local applicants for these jobs.)

My family does a lot of traveling, and I am tired of the reaction I get from people when they hear where we are from. One man on an airplane told me the only thing he knows about Moscow was that there was a lynching there. This was thanks to a bungled story in the Moscow paper.

The sensational stories are the ones that people remember, and thanks to Chenoweth, Idaho keeps racking them up. Corinne F. Hunter Moscow, Idaho

GONZAGA UNIVERSITY

Gonzaga not a public institution

As a retired employee with almost 18 years of service, I am appalled and heartsick at the recent events concerning the governance of Gonzaga University. No matter what the problem is or was, one fact should be clear: GU is a private organization. It is not a public institution.

Shame on all those who have encouraged newspaper and other media persons in painting a very painful experience in such shabby colors, washing private linen in public. Put a lid on it and pull together for the good of students. That’s the reason you are there in the first place. Doris M. Nusbaum Newman Lake

Glynn should be reinstated

Gonzaga University seems to have a knack for creating problem areas, and the sudden departure of Father Edward Glynn confirms it.

Glynn’s commitment to improving racial diversity appears to be against the best interest of the Gonzaga trustees. The expressions captured in the Saturday photo of President Glynn and (board chairman) James Jundt projected those deep philosophical differences, thus raising a few questions.

Why are the Jesuits - who officially own Gonzaga - abdicating their control for capital? Where are the clear lines of authority? The separation between administrators (owners) and trustees (supporters) seems to be imprecise, thus allowing the tail to wag the dog. Is this another case of money talks?

Gonzaga transferred a racial problem - although it still lingers at the school - to the city of Spokane under a Task Force on Race Relations. Now the city, state and nation can see - by this resignation/firing - why racial problems continue to exist at the school.

It is not surprising that Gonzaga did not rank in the top 100 schools in the latest release. This incident will directly affect school enrollment.

I applaud those faculty members who had the courage to speak out on this unconscionable act. Now, the Jesuits need to exert leadership by overturning the trustees’ decision and reinstating Glynn. The turn of the century calls for courage. Accept the challenge! Edward Thomas Jr. Spokane

Whom does GU belong to?

The events of the last week at Gonzaga University are, to say the least, bizarre. There have been three front-page headlines in seven days over the board of trustees’ abrupt firing of the Rev. Ed Glynn, a Jesuit. Board Chairman James Jundt says Glynn was let go because of gross managerial incompetence. With such an uproar following the trustees’ decision, whose managerial competence should be questioned?

It seems this train wreck (as described by Glynn) raises some hard questions, not just for the trustees but for the Jesuits as well.

When a respected Jesuit president is quickly canned from a Jesuit university by a clique of wealthy lay businessmen, one wonders: Whose university is this anyway? Does the size of your donation, or your name on a university building, also buy the Jesuit heart of the institution? Is it perhaps self-serving for the trustees to appoint themselves lifelong guardians of the university?

I would guess the Gonzaga trustees are aghast at the fallout from their decision. By using hardball tactics in dealing with the ardent Glynn, should they be surprised? David C. Weaver Spokane

DOWNTOWN LIBRARY

Foresight important key to planning

It seems to me a bit presumptuous that the city would design a library with a fabulous view knowing well that several years prior to planning that downtown library, the Ronalds had openly planned a building that would impact that view. If the city had wanted to preserve the view or have the Riverside property for the public good, why didn’t it buy the property before the Ronalds did?

To imply that the Ronalds would ruin the view is ridiculous. The Ronalds were there first. The design for the library should have accounted for the Ronalds’ project across the street. Instead, a furor has been created and much time and money spent on the issue of preserving the view.

The Ronalds had accounted for the design difficulties of the site and had designed and promoted their project back as early as 1988.

I’m all for views and the public good, but the city is trying to apply hindsight to its planning. One minute the Ronalds’ project was OK, and the next, the city objects. If the property was important to the public, fine. They shouldn’t have led the Ronalds on. They should have had the foresight to deal with the situation or accept the consequences.

The Ronalds were acting in good faith and willing to take on the challenge of the difficult site. The city should have acted much sooner if it felt so strongly about the property. Now that the Ronalds’ innovative design has driven the property value up, the city’s management style will cost the taxpayers (again). Mark A. Williams Spokane

Lovely view is important

Someone said the eyes are the window of the soul. When we’re absorbing reading material, it’s good for our eyes and our minds to take a break now and then. How beautiful to have the downtown library view to rest those parts of us that need the rest.

Perhaps Mrs. Van Ryn of Hope, Idaho (letters, May 19), has a lovely view from a window or two in her home and doesn’t realize how important a view can be to a citybound person. I have a view of a busy street, wall to wall duplexes, yards and flowers, but a view of river and the falls is a priceless thing to me. She needs to rethink the thoughts in her letter.

Ronalds, at $7.19 a day, you’ve probably made a whole bunch of money off the property that you paid very little for. Why don’t you just do us all a favor, be great and donate? Barbara G. Skinner Spokane

IN THE PAPER

Clark’s criticism on target

Doug Clark’s recent column regarding the police’s belated action concerning the costly vandalizing by youths in Spokane School District 81 has been a point of much controversy in our community.

I wholeheartedly support him for writing that column and the much-needed point of view he expressed. After all, the police assume the responsibility to protect and serve the public - including the protection of public school property during the commission of a crime.

I lived in the Ramparts area west of downtown Los Angeles during three days of riots and anarchy. During the riots, the police failed to act. Rather, they staged themselves into barricaded areas of the city while the rest of us just sat in disgust watching the city burn and be looted. This is not to discredit the officers in the streets, but it certainly is a well-placed criticism of the Los Angeles Police Department’s high command.

Is this a pattern and practice that the police in our area may be leaning toward as the city grows over the years? I hope not. This situation is analogous to the Los Angeles riots but, of course, on a much smaller scale.

Clark was so courageous and professionally responsible to raise those constructive criticisms as applied to the Spokane Police Department. The police high command needs to be challenged from time to time. And they need a policy to avoid similar happenstances. Ben L. Holstrom Spokane

Air purifier does the trick

I am writing in reply to your May 10 article, “Got that driving itch? No, it’s just car fungus.”

I know what this article means firsthand, as I have had this problem for years both in our cars and at home. If the air conditioning was on, I had to have the windows open.

My best friends got me an air-purification system in a small, nice-looking box. I now have one in my car that goes everywhere with me, including motels, motor homes, etc. I also have one in my home because my problem went far beyond air conditioners. I have allergies to all petroleum products, buses, trucks, even most cars. At home it was cleaning products, wood stoves, dust, flowers, grass.

Now for the first time in years, I am enjoying traveling and the real comfort of my own home. My little air purifier really does work. It gave me my life back. Ann V. Richey Spokane

MANITO PARK

Trees removed for safety’s sake

A recent letter to the editor addressed the removal of several willow trees at Manito Park’s duck pond. We wish to answer questions posed in the letter and provide accurate information.

Last November’s ice storm was a destructive force throughout Spokane’s urban forest. It was, however, not the main reason the willows were removed.

These willows were evaluated by our horticulture supervisor, three certified arborists and Washington State University Cooperative Extension agents. The unanimous conclusion was the trees were infected with a fungal disease and insect borers. This fungal disease causes a form of rot, not dry rot. The trees were in a state of severe decline. Professional recommendation was to remove these trees for the health and safety of citizens and park visitors.

Manito Park receives thousands of visitors yearly, and the city has a responsibility to protect the public and be good stewards of the urban forest. Work was performed by Spokane Parks and Recreation Department crews trained in tree removal. Costs to the city included crew wages and truck rental fees. This crew works throughout the city, addressing numerous tree issues resulting from age, disease and ice storm damage.

In addition, better quality trees with longer life expectancies were planted to replace the lost willows. An efficient, well-managed urban forestry program maintains this valuable natural resource for current and future generations. This involves the removal of trees when warranted, pruning and planting new trees. Ange J. Taylor, director Spokane Parks and Recreation Department

OTHER TOPICS

Dan Coulston a fine physician

I fail to understand the reason for blatant public revelation of allegations against respected professionals. It almost seems that self-serving and prurient interests have motivated both the state Medical Quality Assurance Commission and The Spokesman-Review in headlining the admitted moral mistakes of Dr. Dan Coulston.

I cannot remember when such publicity has been accorded to misdeeds of less seriousness than capital crimes, except for inherent prurient interest. I suspect there have been moral lapses, incompetence and worse that have remained silently obscure for their lack of value, either journalistic or political, to the media or the commission.

I do understand this: Dr. Dan Coulston is one of the three or four finest physicians I have known in a long life which has demanded much of the medical profession. On one side of the judgment scale rests the weight of outstanding medical competence and humanity; on the other, an admitted moral, cultural lapse and a request for our forgiveness.

Please, let us not permit our general disaffection for the foibles of the health-care industry to lead us toward damaging or destroying a medical career which is among the most notable of the descendants of Hippocrates. If my demise were medically inevitable and imminent, I would want Coulston prescribing my care, and I know why. Jack Poole Nine Mile Falls

Just let me call my neighbor

I was thrilled to read in Fred Davis’ column of May 19 that we will be getting approximately $24 a year “savings” on our telephone bills.

However, I’d settle for being able to call my next-door neighbor without getting, “We’re sorry. Your longdistance call cannot be completed as dialed.” Patricia A. Gallaher Sandpoint

Devastation of land sickening

It’s impossible for me to believe that a wealthy multinational company can drop into our neighborhood and purchase our public lands for $4 per acre. Then the U.S. Forest Service gives them (Crown Jewel Mine) approval to devastate the land for free.

After growing up in the Okanogan Highlands, it makes me sick to my stomach to see Buckhorn Mountain turned into cyanide ponds with arsenic, lead, sulfur and various other lethal elements floating around that are used to extract gold from rock. Many such mines around the world have caused irreversible environmental and habitat destruction. Some companies have walked away, leaving the taxpayers to clean up the mess which was left behind.

What’s wrong with this picture? An already prosperous company can rape and destroy our lands, make millions, give a few people temporary jobs and then leave us with a poisoned countryside, spend a few thousand dollars on attorney fees and walk away smiling with its petty riches to do it again somewhere else.

It’s hard to believe this is really happening right in your back yard, but it is. Victor K. Banka Spokane