Letters To The Editors

WASHINGTON STATE

I-676 backers jockeying for total ban

Walter Becker (“How about private gun sale ban?” letters, Aug. 13) inadvertently told us what Initiative 676 is really all about: registration, confiscation and shutting down the gun shows. Gun-ban proponents have to register firearms before they can confiscate them.

Using emotionalism, never facts, staff cartoonist Milt Priggee and Edward Keeley (“Don’t believe caricature of I-676,” letters, Aug. 18) stump for the initiative because they want to save children’s lives. It’s heartwarming to see liberals, whose cheerleading has killed millions of unborn children, showing such concern for our kids. All together now, class, spell “hypocrisy.” Keeley neglected to tell us many of the “children” killed by guns are gang members.

Keeley’s admonition to read Initiative 676 is sound, but beware. There are two versions of I-676 floating around: Keeley’s version and the truth.

There’s nothing complex about Initiative 676. It’s innocuous-sounding legislation to eradicate guns. Lu E. Haynes Kettle Falls, Wash.

Gun rights were come by honestly

Paul Murray of Newport, Wash., in his July 9 letter regarding Initiative 676, quoted our state constitution, under “right to bear arms”: “The right of the individual citizen to bear arms in defense of himself, or the state, shall not be impaired …,” etc.

I went to the library and read much of the Washington Constitution. His entire quotation constitutes all of Section 24 of Article I, titled “Declaration of Rights.” Throughout the constitution, I found nothing that later “impaired” the right of law-abiding people to own firearms.

The word “impaired” is important. Webster’s dictionary (1955 edition) and Black’s Law Dictionary (1991 edition) both give the following definitions: to weaken; to make worse; to lessen in power; diminish; relax; or otherwise affect in an injurious manner.

Passage of Initiative 676 will destroy one of the rights given us by the 75 delegates who framed this constitution during their 51-day session in 1889 in Olympia. On Oct. 1, 1889, the constitution was ratified in an election by the people of Washington Territory. President Benjamin Harrison proclaimed on Nov. 11 that Washington Territory was a state of the union.

One hundred and six years after the American Revolution ended and 98 years after adoption of the Bill of Rights, we see that this brand new state, in its initial Constitution’s wording, echoed the basic beliefs of our early American colonists. Lillian Ogletree Forster Spokane

I-676 requirements ‘only reasonable’

Staff cartoonist Milt Priggee’s cartoon of the National Rifle Association asking “Why a license?” at the grave of a child is well-put. It is the reason for the legislation and the reason reasonable people should vote for Initiative 676.

The right to own a handgun is being exercised by many individuals today. It is only reasonable to ask that these individuals accept the responsibility to learn how to properly handle and store these guns. Pam C. Behring Spokane

SPOKANE MATTERS

Enough about potholes

Seems like I open the paper every morning to see scads of gripes about the oh-so-famous pothole problem. Here are two observations.

First, perhaps the reason we have so many potholes has something to do with the fact that we drive habitually. Suggestion: Park it when you can and ride your bike as often as possible. This way, the roads will last longer and the air will be cleaner.

This creates a second dilemma. Without the pothole problem - gasp! - what would we complain about?

Pothole people, you’ve made your point. I don’t like the potholes any more than you do. But surely there are bigger battles to fight. Zaza M. Varela Spokane

Selfish few have prevailed long enough

OK, who died and made the Rockwood-Garfield neighborhood in charge of traffic control, complete with City Council backing? This is the second time these people have had temper tantrums when people were forced to drive down their hallowed streets because Grand Boulevard was closed for repair work.

I’ve been a South Sider for more than 30 years and love the area. I resent this haughty attitude by a few people living on these streets. They try to prevent us from legally driving on their streets by putting up all those barricades. Last time Grand was under repair, they succeeded in getting the City Council to put up eight ridiculous stop signs and a 20 mph speed limit on two arterials.

I refuse to go miles out of my way to get to work. I live on 37th Avenue. Maybe I should put up barricades to try to keep people from driving down my street. Virginia E. Hottell Spokane

TV news story incomplete

Shame on KXLY News! Its Labor Day report on traffic revisions in the Rockwood-Garfield neighborhood failed to report these facts:

Traffic on our neighborhood’s residential streets more than doubled the first day Grand Boulevard was closed.

That same day in our neighborhood, there was a two-car accident and a young boy on a bicycle was hit by a car before any traffic restrictions were put in place.

After installing additional signs and traffic-calming devices (such as barricades), traffic volume is being diverted to major arterials and has steadily declined toward safer, more acceptable levels with no additional accidents.

People KXLY portrayed as “neighborhood protesters” don’t even live in this neighborhood. They are people who bypass the major arterials and regularly use our residential streets as a commuter path to downtown.

Garfield Road traffic has risen more than 65 percent in the last two years due to these commuters. Their gripe: the inconvenience of having to take a slower, detoured route to continue on Garfield!

While some in our neighborhood may support the temporary traffic restrictions and others may not, we’re all united in our concern for the safety of our children, the Hutton School area and our neighborhood. It’s incomprehensible that people such as these protesters are portrayed as representing our neighborhood. Since when does individual inconvenience equate with children’s safety? Paul G. Perovich Spokane

These people always so safety-minded?

By golly, I almost feel sorry for those living in the Rockwood-Garfield neighborhood. They almost have me believing it’s the only area with traffic problems. I believe it’s the only neighborhood with a direct line to City Hall. What other neighborhood would get $17,000 worth of barricades that probably never will be removed?

I wonder if every driver who lives in that area could give a solemn oath that he or she always drives safely and lawfully in my neighborhood and others. I also wonder if the drivers could take such an oath while driving in their own neighborhood. Albert M. Magneson Spokane

OVER THE LINE

Bank is not your friend, folks

I found myself near laughter reading the article where it’s said that Sandpoint officials think U.S. Bank may be concerned with jobs in Idaho, the idea being that U.S. Bank would care about jobs at the ski resort.

Sandpoint’s Chamber of Commerce and U.S. Bank’s handpicked receiver, Ford Elsaesser, state they want to save jobs. Maybe the chamber, but not U.S. Bank.

Brings to mind U.S. Bank’s foreclosure of Foremost Dairy, where we had the same talk from the bank: community, “the people,” love for the area.

Tell it to the dairy farmers, tell it to the community, tell it to the customers of U.S. Bank of Washington. Schweitzer won’t operate, the jobs will be gone like the dairy farmers. But this time, so will the skiing.

U.S. Bank has only $70 billion now and the CEO of U.S. Bank, Gerry Cameron, made only $12 million in the recent merger. This sum only goes into his personal checking account. Not enough to keep a ski resort running. Not enough to let 120 Washington dairy farmers stay in business.

But that’s what happens when we let a handful of people run a Federal Reserve bank, the taxpayers’ money being lent by those who finance elections. I testified at a federal hearing in Washington, D.C., about the bank and what it did to the farmers. Now,. it’s the workers at Schweitzer and the skiers.

Tell Sandpoint’s chamber and the workers to form a PAC (political action committee). That’s what the bank does. J. Michael Yeager Deer Park