Letters To The Editor

Wed., April 1, 1998

GOVERNMENT/POLITICS

Liberal view not surprising

Why does it not surprise me to see The Spokesman-Review joining with the rest of the liberal media to make Mandela a “political prisoner?” For his full 27 years of imprisonment, Amnesty International refused to declare him a political prisoner even though left-wingers like yourselves pressured them so to do. Check it out and print a retraction.

As a lawyer, after writing the booklet, “How to be a good Communist,” he pled guilty to six of seven counts of indictment covering treason, stockpiling of weapons, subversion, etc. Castro and Gadhafi could care less about racial separation in South Africa, but they were happy to help a fellow communist. And so were Red China and Russia. It wasn’t the government that did the ugly necklacing of blacks in South Africa, it was the ANC, Nelson Mandela’s communist controlled political party.

So you won’t forget, necklacing involved wiring the opponent’s hands behind him/her, placing a tire filled with gasoline around the neck, lighting the gasoline and then dancing around the victim shouting taunts and throwing stones and kicking him/her until death provided the release from this grisly form of hardball politics. I have a video of one of these necklacing parties if you would like to see it. Is this too much for you liberals there at The Spokesman-Review? Dick M. Bond Spokane

Slanderous statements resented

I am writing in response to the disturbing statements from President Clinton in the March 29 Week in Review section, titled “Mea culpa, mea culpa.” In this article, Clinton apologizes to President Mandela in South Africa for American peoples’ actions.

I resent our president traveling abroad and openly slandering the American people. I do not appreciate being used as a scapegoat for our leader’s actions. If our country has done another country wrong, then our entrusted leaders, such as himself, are fully responsible.

Why do his foreign policies appear to benefit other countries at the expense of the American people? Why does it seem he is bent on gutting our country? Is he using the American tax dollar to travel the world for the purpose of gaining support for the United Nations’ presidency when he leaves office as president of the United States? Esther L. McDonald Spokane

Clinton part of people’s misery

It was disgusting to watch Bill Clinton talk about genocide while in Africa. While hundreds of thousands of Africans thronged to see the great white hope from America, you could only wonder if they knew what he was really bringing them and the world.

Clinton, with his rabid support of government-funded abortions and contraceptive distribution world-wide, has contributed mightily to the misery of people everywhere. He has helped force sterilizations and abortion upon coerced or unsuspecting women worldwide. And if these countries don’t march to the order of his eugenics/ population control buddies (UNICEF, Planned Parenthood, Ford and Rockefeller foundations) their U.S. tax-funded IMF won’t help the poor countries’ economies (in return for loss of control of some of the countries’ sovereignty, of course). The death rate is now surpassing the birth rate in many countries because of abortion and sterilizations. Many countries’ economies are declining because of the lack of births. It’s become strategic western policy to help other countries kill themselves off.

How much longer can democracies everywhere endure this corruption and dishonesty? How much longer will the president’s allies (NOW, Democrats, media and entertainment industries) lie for him, lie to themselves, lie to America and lie to the world in return for American tax dollars helping the world’s mothers and fathers kill their own children?

Tell Congress no to Clinton’s worldwide abortion funding, no to the tax-dollar funding of IMF bailout of Clinton buddies in Indonesia. Don’t make the world hate the last great hope for freedom everywhere - America. Mike D. Carpenter Spokane

Sen. Murray deserves thanks

Sen. Patty Murray spoke out for all Spokane residents and businesses recently when she stated her opposition to the phony cleanup bill introduced by Idaho Sens. Larry Craig and Dirk Kempthorne. In the face of region-wide pollution, a legacy of 100 years of irresponsible mining practices, which has polluted waters, affect more than half a million residents, 80 percent of whom live in Washington, Craig and Kempthorne would have placed complete authority over cleanup with the governor or Idaho. This bad idea would put the fate of us downstream residents in the hands of the elected officials of Idaho. The present Superfund status of the region is largely due to the ineffective management by those same officials.

Spokane citizens and the state of Washington must have a share in the decision-making role for cleanup of the mining pollution that threatens our shared waters. Sen. Murray deserves the support of the entire Washington delegation. Unfortunately, Congressman George Nethercutt is more loyal to his Republican colleagues in Idaho than he is to his own constituents. Congressman Nethercutt has been reluctant to exercise the same sort of leadership which is necessary on this issue. Thanks to Sen. Murray, somebody is representing our interests in this matter. Terrence V. Sawyer Spokane

IN THE PAPER

Peck’s column crossed line

On March 28, Rebecca Nappi, writing for the editorial board, used innuendo and not a little bias to paint a distorted picture of Mayor John Talbott (Our View). However, I think everyone knows what the Cowles’ cartel thinks of reform-minded politicians, and how they use their monopoly of the Spokane print media to get their views across. Therefore, I doubt that too much damage was done.

However, on March 29, Editor Chris Peck crossed the line of decency. Peck used almost every scurrilous tactic he could in besmirching the character of Mayor Talbott. He accuses Talbott of being in some sort of conspiracy with “his pals from Seattle” against the revitalization of downtown. In this tired old litany, Peck has resurrected the provincial, jingoistic, anti-Westside war cry that has been endemic for so long to Eastern Washington. Pretty pathetic. Peck’s use of time-honored propaganda techniques would do Josef Goebbels proud!

What Peck totally fails to grasp is that the vast majority of the populace are behind what Talbott and Cheri Rodgers stand for, and that is open government. People are sick and tired of a secretive oligarchy of wealthy business interests calling the shots in Spokane. The people are crying out for change, and change shall come. The days of the Cowles cartel and their minions enjoying carte blanche in ruling Spokane are numbered.

Indeed, River “Pork” Square could well turn out to be a monument to the demise of their shadow government. I suggest Peck’s column be used in schools of journalism as an example of what not to write in a responsible, civic-oriented, fair-minded editorial. Roger Erdman Spokane

News editor’s bias blatant

A Spokesman-Review editor’s bias has seldom been clearer than in the “Week in Review” by News editor Kevin Graman (March 22). Over half of it, and both photos, was about two items.

The first was not that Kathleen Willey, a woman most people found credible, went on national television and accused President Clinton of what the head of the National Organization for Women called sexual assault. Instead, Graman simply repeated accusations about Willey by the White House in its now familiar defaming of any critic.

The second item was not that yet another independent counsel (the fifth?) had been appointed to investigate evidence of crimes by one of the most corrupt federal administrations in this century. Instead, Graman reprised the story about Republican contributor Thomas Stewart without mentioning that many prominent Democrats have openly taken part in the crime of which Stewart was convicted - notably Vice President Al Gore accepting money laundered through Buddhist nuns - without even being charged.

Other items were about a suggestion that the “whole language” approach be used to teach reading, also, and not just the phonics favored by the Republican state Legislature, and a critique of our failed drug policy without a hint that the Clinton administration is at fault.

Objective journalism is a skill that must be learned and consciously practiced. It also requires integrity. Graman obviously lacks one or both of these, and he is not alone in this at The Spokesman-Review. Edwin G. Davis Spokane

SPOKANE TOPICS

More development information needed

I have just finished reading the explanation of the financing for River Park Square development. A few thoughts come to mind.

How can the city of Spokane and the developers justify guaranteeing the loan with Block Grant monies? These are monies intended to be “directed toward low income neighborhoods.”

If public monies are to be used in part to finance the project, it seems only fair and proper that Nordstrom should make public the appraisal documents and lease agreements that are used for collateral for the loan.

Last but not least, Betsy Cowles states there is a limit to how much money any developer can borrow. This of course is true, but nowhere have I seen the amount of assets available to the developers. Nor has the public been shown any documents that indicate that the developers attempted to enter into this “business venture” using their own resources and were turned down by lenders. Had that been the case, their stated need for public monies/guarantees would carry more weight. John A. Waddington Spokane

Don’t stop Spokane development

Our garbage is piling up, and as a result the citizens of Spokane are about to suffer the stench and financial backlash of it.

On April 7 the Spokane County Board of Commissioners will explore the Solid Waste Management Plan and the imminent possibility of restricting local landfill expansion. Such a decision would negatively impact the economic development and environmental health of the Spokane region.

First consider that businesses in the area rely on safe, cost-effective and convenient waste disposal options. Facilities like the Graham Road facility offer just that. Yet, if the board passes the restrictive proposal, businesses will consequently be financially burdened with costly county facilities or the inconvenience of traveling great distances to dispose of waste.

Additionally, such burdens are likely to incite illegal dumping actions, harming the environment in which we live.

Don’t let our county commissioners pass policy that stops development in Spokane. Matthew D. Lonam KLM Dreambuilders, Spokane

Keep beloved city alive

I can’t understand the attitude of a mayor and City Council members who don’t want to revitalize their downtown area. If these people had been in office in 1974, we never would have had Expo ‘74, one of the best things that ever happened to Spokane. The town was alive; it was just great! Now, it is dangerous to walk the streets of downtown.

Get on with the River Park project. It’s been studied to death. Also, why would anyone care about a Sabey survey? Not everyone likes huge malls. As far as I’m concerned, Sabey helped ruin downtown by taking J. C. Penney’s away and putting Frederick and Nelson out of business.

As for the Cowles family, they have done many great things for Spokane, many that you never hear about. If it wasn’t for the Cowles family, there wouldn’t be an Inland Empire Paper Co. or a town of Millwood.

Spokane wants to be a medical center and a convention town. In order to accomplish this, downtown has to be improved. Otherwise, we will have a crime-ridden town that no one will venture into. Some people may think I shouldn’t have anything to say abut this, but Spokane is my town, too, and I love it and don’t want to see it die. Jeanne Batson mayor of Millwood