Letters To The Editor
SPOKANE MATTERS
Sabey helps himself, not Spokane
Spare me, Jonathan Swanstrom! (“Stop taking shots at Dave Sabey,” Letters, Sept. 25)
While most would concede you the right to pat Sabey on his ample wallet for his ongoing destructive and self-serving actions, to suggest that he “rode into Spokane on a white horse” or even that he is a positive contributor to our community is far too much to swallow.
The fact is that, beginning with his bankrupting of Frederick & Nelson and efforts to dismantle retailing downtown, continuing through his poor relations with many past and present NorthTown tenants and neighborhood interests, Sabey has shown himself to be concerned with one thing only: promoting his interests.
How insulting, for Sabey and Swanstrom to assume the public doesn’t see through Sabey’s attempt to spend $18,000 in the primary on a slick, Hollywood-produced misinformation and innuendo campaign. This was an effort to derail competition from a downtown revitalization effort with broad-based support among diverse interests committed to growing employment, expanding our tax base and keeping sales tax dollars in our neighborhoods.
If Sabey wants to be seen as an entrepreneur and community leader, he should avoid the appearance of hypocrisy that comes with railing against private-public partnerships while seeking taxpayer funding helpful to his projects, and seeking bankruptcy court protection to compensate for his own lack of success in the free market.
He would also emulate the philanthropy and community service other local developers have shown for years. Chris J. Marr Spokane
Paper just giving Easy a hard time?
Perhaps it is just coincidence, but if so, the odds of that coincidence are rising quickly. Twice now, The Spokesman-Review has run headline stories regarding allegations that a dedicated conservation and community activist, Easy, has somehow misused public funds in his acclaimed education efforts in the Little Spokane River watershed.
Both times, the stories somehow, coincidentally, ran just prior to meetings of the Growth Management Act Hearings Board. In both instances, the board was to decide the merits of appeals filed by Easy that Spokane County was not complying with the act. Probably not coincidentally, both times, the board upheld Easy’s appeal and ordered the county to apply real science, not politics, to establishing rules for protecting critical features of our county’s environment from the effects of development.
Coincidence or agenda? The Spokesman owes the community an explanation and Easy an apology. Mark D. Solomon, executive director Inland Empire Public Lands Council, Spokane
Drive by to get through to Clark
How unfortunate that Ray O’Keefe (Letters, Sept. 22) decided to heed Doug Clark’s reckless suggestion that Rockwood Boulevard be used as a main arterial. It is indeed a beautiful, well-groomed and well-maintained area.
Increasing or even maintaining the current level of traffic is going to change the look of that neighborhood and of other Spokane neighborhoods in similar situations. Continual traffic will lead people who care about their homes and the atmosphere of their neighborhood to move someplace quieter.
Rockwood Boulevard was not designed to be an arterial, but rather a neighborhood collector. The street is neither wide enough nor straight enough for heavy traffic. Southeast and Grand boulevards, both lovely, scenic drives, were designed to be arterials.
Through traffic needs to stay on arterials in all Spokane neighborhoods. If it does not, neighborhoods lose their appeal and Spokanites will abandon the city for more rural, traffic-free areas.
Maybe if everyone were to drive by Clark’s house, he might understand the “whining” better, although he seems to be an adept whiner already. Judging from the stunning intellect displayed in his oft-published columns, Clark will find this concept difficult to grasp. Perhaps if traffic increases in his own neighborhood, it will gel for him. Carole A. Eaton Spokane
LAW ENFORCEMENT
Police review board should have power
In light of facts involved in the findings of the Citizens Review Board that excess force was used in the case of Christopher Ostrander, I found it both surprising and disturbing that Chief Terry Mangan felt that the force was justified.
We have heard the expression that police protect their own. Perhaps we as citizens should protect our own. It’s now obvious that we need a review board that has real power.
We should take to heart the suggestion that the price of freedom is eternal vigilance. John J. Phillips Spokane
Warrant checks help public safety
State lawmakers have ensured law enforcement officers’ ability to run warrant checks on subjects they contact during routine traffic stops. These will be accomplished quickly, and allow all law enforcement officers to do their jobs.
Should they have the right to do these checks? Of course, for their safety and ours. Edward J. Davis Spokane
HIGHER EDUCATION
EWU’s worth clear to us
Yet again, I encounter negative reporting in The Spokesman-Review about Eastern Washington University. Sometimes it seems our newspaper has nothing better to do than put down local institutions, especially EWU.
I run a small high-tech start-up company in Spokane. As a small company, we often lack some of the resources we need to develop and deliver a new product. In the past year we have hired four students from EWU to help us out. During this period, six additional students have done projects with us as interns. These 10 students come from the departments of chemistry and biochemistry, computer science, technology and English. They generate mechanical drawings, design instrument components, write computer programs, modify databases, perform experiments and edit manuals.
When we hire EWU students, we benefit by picking up diverse skills at low cost. The students receive training and work experience in a high-tech company. All 10 students have shown a level of professional demeanor not always encountered in students. All have shown an ability to work as part of a team and to communicate with people outside their major fields. By exemplary performance, two of these students will soon become shareholders in our nascent company.
Some in the community may choose to dismiss EWU faculty and students with condescension. Others of us, with more positive attitudes, have learned to utilize the resources they provide.
Please stop putting down EWU students and faculty. They deserve better. If you look at what EWU really has to offer, you will be pleasantly surprised. Enoch Small Spokane
Make new teachers recruiters
How ironic that the state Higher Education Coordinating Board released $1.84 million, or nearly $43,000 per position, despite the fact that student enrollment has not improved from last year - this under a state exemption to meet faculty contracts previously negotiated (“State board funds 43 EWU positions,” Region, Sept. 18).
It will be interesting to find out what these faculty members are going to do during the ‘97-‘98 academic year, since Eastern is asking the board to release another $1,350,000 to recruit students and bolster academic programs. Perhaps it would be prudent to have the 43 do some student recruiting of their own, rather than collect the money for doing - what?
Taxpayers of this state deserve answers. George C. Schroeder Spokane
CONSUMER ISSUES
Cineplex designed for able-bodied
I recently went to the new 12-theater ACT III Cineplex at the Spokane Valley Mall. While the facility is first rate in almost every way, as someone in a wheelchair, I was very disappointed.
To those of you in wheelchairs, be prepared to sit so close to the screen that you must crane your neck just to view all of it. Can you say “headache”? And the view is such that the movie appears distorted and warped.
Equally disappointing is that the only entrances are right where the wheelchair seating is, so you have a steady stream of moviegoers migrating back and forth in front of you, before, during and after the movie.
Oh, I almost forgot about the elderly or people who may have difficulty walking. Be prepared to sit extremely close to the screen also. Or dare to scale the mountainous steps to a decent seat with a decently angled view. Mountain climbing gear is recommended. I almost forgot about these folks; it seems ACT III did forget. (Demographics, you understand.)
Other than these supposed new improvements, along with a THX Dolby Digital Sound mega-decibel speaker blasting at your face, not 15 feet away - hey, what a great theater!
A suggestion: Might ACT III consult with at least one person in a wheelchair when drawing up plans for its next “new and improved” theaters? Robert D. Shill Veradale
Formaldehyde warnings not displayed
This is a follow-up to my Aug. 17 letter, “Our manufactured home is toxic.”
I was amazed, yet grateful, for all the readers’ responses, including both questions and information. My letter referred to problems of high emission levels of formaldehyde in manufactured homes. It also stated that when we purchased a manufactured home, this potential health hazard was not disclosed.
I have since found out a federal statute has existed for more than 15 years stating that all manufactured homes must prominently display a specific “important health notice” informing potential buyers of both the high levels of formaldehyde and the possible ill effects from formaldehyde exposure.
My first question is, why are manufactured home dealers not complying with this law? Would consumers’ knowledge of this potential health hazard reduce sales of their product? I wonder!
An even better question is, why don’t they build manufactured homes without the high formaldehyde levels and let the consumer pay a bit more, if necessary, for a home that is not contaminated? Mickey L. Brostrom Newman Lake
BUSINESS AND LABOR
US West rate proposal ‘atrocious’
Re: The proposed increases for US West telephone service: Wouldn’t every company in the United States love an 8 percent revenue increase?
We understand the need to update but want to know why, along with US West’s obvious mismanaging of years of profit, the company didn’t anticipate this future need. Why is it now in dire straits (and would consider a $70.3 million increase to be just that)? Or could it be that the CEO will pocket a portion of the millions raised?
These huge figures are projected without any accountability as to just who does end up with what. Raising the cost of local residential service from $10.50 to $13.50 is atrocious. It’s almost an increase of one-third. This means nothing to the white collars but to the blue collars, it could mean having to forgo this luxury as prices escalate for everything.
Just how much did the CEO and top executives receive in yearly bonuses? This ought to be addressed before the commission approves this rate increase for US West telephone service. Barbara S. Miller Chattaroy
OTHER TOPICS
Be proud - and lighten up
I don’t see how sports teams named Redskins or Braves insult Native American groups, as those names were certainly chosen for the images of strength, pride and honor which they evoke. (Indeed, the last names of some of the leaders mentioned in the Sept. 22 article are names chosen by their ancestors for similar reasons as team names.)
Certainly, if Mohicans, Braves and Warriors are insulting or derogatory names, then Scandinavians should be trying to change the name of Minnesota’s team, churches to change the name of the New Orleans’ team. Sailors should be upset at Seattle and cattlemen should be upset at Denver.
Perhaps we should give all the teams just numbers or colors for names. But wait a minute! Perhaps the communist parties of the world are unhappy with Cincinnati. And any team named Eagles that has a losing streak is giving a bad name to our nation’s great symbol of freedom.
We are becoming a society based on fear, blame and imagined insults. Come on, people - all of us, not just Native American groups - let’s all quit being so touchy. M. Cori Cutler Spokane
More of the same won’t do
Opinion editor John Webster takes a simplistic view of very complex national forest management issues. I wonder if he researched the Interior Columbia Basin Ecosystem management Project before writing his editorial.
Webster says the project “might allow logging and livestock grazing” on our public lands. The preferred alternative will not only allow logging but will double the acreage to be logged. Logging will increase along with subsidized road building despite scientific team findings that show steady declines in native fisheries, song birds, raptors, fur-bearing mammals and amphibians. We’re led to believe future logging will somehow be less detrimental.
Cattle grazing will continue at current levels. Scientific team findings show grazing has degraded 80 percent of national forest grass lands. The preferred alternative ignores these findings. It calls for continued grazing despite harm to fisheries and the spreading of noxious weeds.
The project is touted as giving federal land managers discretion to manage these diverse landscapes. A century of their management discretion has given us today’s dire forest situation. More species are edging ever closer to extinction. Science and protection of wildlife species continue to take a back seat to commodity production.
Everyone interested in federal public lands should read Summary of Conditions and Trends of the Affected Environment in the Eastside Draft Environmental Impact Statement. To obtain a copy, write: ICEBEMP EIS Team, P.O. Box 2076, Walla Walla, WA 99362. Anthony Van Gessel Republic, Wash.
No justification for land mines
President Clinton is making cowards out of our troops in Korea. He defends our use of land mines to protect them at the tragic expense of innocent men, women and children.
Our soldiers, no longer conscripts, are professionals who are highly trained and paid to take risks, whereas the overwhelming majority of those slaughtered and maimed by these cheap and evil killing devices are civilian farmers and villagers. Thousands around the world fall annually to the cowardly use of land mines.
When are we in this country, who have been spared the horrors of modern warfare on home soil, going to lead humanity toward a higher moral plane, rather than continue to aid and abet wickedness?
How would you feel and react to news of your farmer friends and relatives being blown up by land mines? Tom M. Bellinger Spokane
View before you vote
Before you vote on Initiative 676, rent a copy of the movie, “Schindler’s List.” Silas M. Petty Colville, Wash.