Letters To The Editor
SPOKANE MATTERS
Wal-Mart - some good neighbor
Re: the Wal-Mart debate. I don’t live in one of the neighborhoods affected by the proposed store. I do live near Mead and shop in that area frequently.
Wal-Mart has asked its suppliers to stuff the ballot box, so to speak, by sending positive letters to Spokane County commissioners and The Spokesman-Review. Evidently, the company thinks the hicks here in Spokane can’t see through the propaganda to note that these people all have a vested interest in the new store.
Commissioners: Don’t let big business lure you with the promise of large tax revenues. They will be offset by the decline in property values and of quality of life for your constituents.
Lastly, there’s Wal-Mart’s erroneous claim of being a good neighbor. How can Wal-Mart be a good neighbor when it’s already trashing its prospective neighbors? The company acquired that property knowing it was not zoned for heavy commercial use. It made a mistake - we shouldn’t make it ours. Wal-Mart doesn’t care about the effects of development, it just wants to make money, regardless of the true cost.
We already have ShopKo, Target a new Fred Meyer super store built on properly zoned property and, now, a new Home Depot north of the Y. We don’t need to add more congestion and traffic to the area. We don’t want or need Wal-Mart. Kay Meracle Spokane
Spokane Club should try cooperating
How valuable is a view of the Spokane Falls? When the concern was the view from the Spokane Public Library, it seemed no price was too high. Now, another view of the Falls is being threatened by the Spokane Club’s proposed river bank parking structure. The proposed garage would affect the view from many buildings along the Riverside Historic District and would wall off the river from the residents of Peaceful Valley.
In 1974, Spokane adopted a Shoreline Management Act that makes building the proposed garage illegal. There are many other solutions to the club’s parking problems.
The Masonic Temple and other neighbors have offered to work with the club. Spokane Club management should stop flexing its muscles and start becoming a good neighbor to the Spokane Historic District.
Cooperatively working out the parking problems for this historic district could be a wonderful opportunity for all those who use these magnificent old buildings and for those who choose to live in this area.
We all want the same thing: convenient parking. Let’s work together to build something to benefit all. Maxine Alloway Spokane
LAW ENFORCEMENT
Finke better prospect for sheriff
While Lt. Jim Finke was attending the prestigious FBI Academy for Law Enforcement Executives learning to be a better cop, Mark Sterk, a part-time Spokane police officer and part-time legislator, was voting against bills that would help working men and women or for bills that would hurt them.
Republicans are trying to put their people into county offices that have long and ably been held by Democrats. Unfortunately, their ultimate aim is to cut programs that benefit the public and cater to people who funnel money into their campaign coffers. Sterk has proven himself a very good Republican, so his war chest is immense.
We so-called common people must band together in self-protection and prove that money can’t buy this election.
If you are a Labor member, insist that your organization endorse and support Lt. Jim Finke. If you’re a minimum wage earner, do whatever you can to ensure that a competent sheriff occupies that office. If you’re a renter, help protect your neighborhood by supporting Finke. If you’re a homeowner, give what you can and do what you can to protect your property and family by supporting Finke.
Sheriff John Goldman has done an excellent job of improving his department and reducing crime. He supports Finke as the best candidate to succeed him. How can we do less and still sleep at night? Jared Akers Spokane
Where are all the Brady law arrests?
The story on background checks for handgun buyers (June 15) doesn’t go quite far enough. The article says the Justice Department is claiming pre-sale checks blocked 69,000 handguns from getting into the hands of felons during 1997.
It’s a federal felony carrying a prison term of up to 10 years for a felon to even attempt to buy a gun; how many criminals were prosecuted?
In the first 17 months of the Brady law, the feds claim 70,000 felons were blocked from obtaining handguns. Of that 70,000, only three ended up in jail because of their actions.
This miniscule action is no action at all. What good is it if we are not going to prosecute and incarcerate the offenders?
As usual, the Clinton administration is all talk and no action. Unfortunately, most of the talk is nothing but a pack of lies. Mike Scalera Spokane
LAW AND JUSTICE
It’s official - campaign lying is OK
Batten the hatches during this 1998 political campaign season. Last week, our state Supreme Court possibly suffered a mental lapse when the members ruled that it’s not illegal to lie about a candidate during a campaign.
You can only shake your head in total amazement at that so-called brilliant decision.
U.S. Senate Republican candidate Chris Bayley couldn’t wait to pollute the air with his political manure. His early radio ads in Spokane this week accused Sen. Patty Murray of trying to shut down area dams. Simply ‘tain’t true, but thanks to the State Supreme Court decision, the lie is legal. Sally M. Jackson Spokane
And what of ex-cons from Spokane?
Your special series directed concern about nonresidents entering the Spokane area when released from prison.
It may be timely that as a well-known commentator once announced his program by saying: Now to look at the other side of the coin.
Unless 100 percent of those committed to prison from Spokane return to Spokane upon release, they have gone to live as nonresidents in some other county. Can we suppose residents of those counties have welcomed them with open arms? They were former Spokane residents but probably treated in a manner similar to our reception of their nonresidents.
In the absence of the controls possible under an indeterminate sentence and a Washington Parole Board (Abolished July 1994 by the Legislature), I doubt it will be possible to determine where all of Spokane’s convicted residents are now living. This may be another example of the the need to consider the other side of the coin before rushing to judgment. A. LaMont Smith Spokane
WASHINGTON STATE
The point is, we don’t need a hothead
Opinion editor John Webster’s editorial comments about Sen. Jim West (Friday, June 19) missed the point.
Spokane residents need and deserve a senator who can think twice before leaving a flagrant, inflammatory, name-calling message on an answering machine.
We expect senators to solve problems of Spokane’s transportation, health, education and other needs. Energies spent on getting even, wheeling and dealing, and high-pressure name calling simply do not cut it. Dwight Pace Spokane
West’s behavior indefensible
Opinion editor John Webster evidently doesn’t realize that “angry bluster” by a 12-year-old child cannot be equated with a murder threat by an adult (June 19 editorial). Yet, when that 12-year-old gets hauled off to the principal’s office, he learns the hard way.
Evidently Sen. Jim West hasn’t mentally advanced beyond the 12-year level as he doesn’t seem to have learned that there is a large gap between the age of 12 and his juvenile attitude toward another adult.
On June 18, the television program “48 Hours” graphically depicted the tragic consequences road rage, or loss of one’s good sense even for a few seconds, can cause.
West’s attitude would have had him tossed off an airplane. Why then endorse him for a position that can drastically affect over a million voters? If West can’t control his temper, perhaps the voters had better do it for him. Andy Kelly Spokane
HEALTH CARE
No need to sacrifice freedom for care
Re: “Free market not a fair or kindly healer,” Letters, June 18.
When Alan Gnehm says health care is a right, does he mean to imply that doctors, drug company stockholders and medical researchers should be compelled, on demand and without compensation, to serve anyone who claims their right? I’m not sure slavery is the means to provide his health care right (talk about human rights). Without profit, few doctors would spend years learning their trade, and investors would shun drug manufacturers.
Is he saying that government should acknowledge our health care right by compensating medical providers with tax money, thereby enslaving every taxpayer to pay for this right? How much right do I have to my own income?
I hope Gnehm has the wisdom to decide what is fair and just for each of us, because the reality of his position is that government should be in charge of our incomes, our doctors and our individual choices and behaviors to ensure that his system won’t be lost to unfairness and abuse.
Of course, Gnehm would agree that Gingrich and Clinton always work in our best interest, and, of course, we do get to vote once every few years.
An unregulated, completely free market wouldn’t leave tens of millions unable to pay for inflated medicine of ever-declining quality. Compare China and Russia to America. Free markets provide far more goods and services for everyone, without the unfairness and injustice on nonexistent rights. Greg D. Holmes Spangle
HEALTH AND SAFETY
Argument against Viagra specious
In her June 15 letter, Teresa Robertson attacked the continued availability of Viagra. She compared it to fen-phen, which was removed from availability. She claimed some form of bias must be involved because it was “about men and sex, not just some overweight, lazy womenfolk, like me.”
There are a few differences. Fen-phen was being used for weight loss, a problem that can be resolved other ways. If you don’t like your weight, change your diet, eating habits and add exercise. You didn’t put the weight on overnight, so don’t go looking for an effortless overnight fix.
Men with erectile dysfunction can change their diet, their eating habits and exercise until they look like Atlas, and they will still have erectile dysfunction. Viagra is the latest, cheapest way to correct some men’s problem. If a man is willing to accept the risk, albeit a small one in fact, that is his choice. Mark W. Harry Spokane
Point of gun measures is added safety
Charlton Heston and Curtis E. Stone (letters June 19) complain about the attitude of the media as being anti-gun. With our children being shot down in schools around the nation, the public views the National Rifle Association as opposing any gun control legislation designed to provide safety in the schools.
Gun control advocates support public safety and will try to have legislation on gun lock boxes and trigger locks so as to reduce the possibility that children can easily pick up a gun in their house, bring it to school and shoot someone. Walter A. Becker Pullman
OTHER TOPICS
CCS trustees should make distinction
In the process of hiring a new CEO, the board of trustees of the Community Colleges of Spokane, even though operating under an ends or outcomes style of board management, may be presently too close to the means or operations aspects of college governance.
The separation between the ends and means of an organization can be confusing for a board, whenever it is involved in the extremely important job of hiring a CEO who is the operations leader.
I ask the board of CCS to consider reflecting on this confusion openly. It would work to alleviate much of the hostile and foolish faculty-initiated “grading” of CEO candidates (and others) on the basis of what can only be characterized as poorly thought-out criteria. Larry Vandervert former School District 81 board member, Spokane
Anti-feminist should study facts
If Lee W. Grobroski is a man, his opinion is hardly new or original (“Feminist dogma unwelcome,” Letters, June 17). If she is a woman, it’s hard to believe she would be so misogynistic in her thinking as to push aside all those accomplishments that many generations of women fought for to improve the status of women to “bra burning.” Even so, this status is still imperfect and unequal.
As a retiree, I’m now too old to rally to the cause; my fight is over. But, if those complacent young women who feel their rights were always there don’t complete the mission - that of gaining full equality and representation in all aspects of government and society, they’d better get out their looms and start weaving the veils their daughters will be wearing. Those forces of the religious and political right that recently have been gaining visibility will start acquiring more power, if not held in check. And one day, it may be too late.
Editorial writer Jamie Tobias Neely presented an accurate assessment of the situation at hand and its historical basis (“Open your eyes to new danger” June 15). I suggest that Grobroski go to the library and look up the facts Neely presented, and while he or she is there, look up the words “unchaste” and “prostituted” for their accurate meaning and usage. Laura P. Sheehan Hope, Idaho
Far too many ice show no-shows
Re: the Review of Champions on Ice Tour.
I certainly agree that the skaters performing in Champions on Ice gave us a brilliant, professional and enthusiastic performance. However, there was one very negative aspect to the evening.
A review of the program and newspaper ads show that 12 performers were absent. Not only Elvis Stoyko, Tara Lipinski and Oksana Baiul, but nine other expected skaters.
When you pay $55 for tickets to a performance, I think you should expect to see at least a major portion of the advertised stars. I’ll have to think twice before buying tickets for the tour again. Lee R. Clement Spokane
Haters, you are outnumbered
Re: The crime in Jasper, Texas. Never have I been as sickened and disgusted at a crime perpetrated on another human being as I was with this horror.
If this example of depravity is the work of the Aryan Nations or any other “white supremacist” group, they have just shown our nation there is truly no limit to mindless, senseless, utter cruelty. It has made me ashamed to be a member of the human race.
I hope that when the Aryan Nations march in Coeur d’Alene, they will remember that they are outnumbered by people who believe their demonstration is not free speech as our forefathers intended free speech to be. Leslie A. Green Deer Park, Wash.