Letters To The Editor

Tue., May 26, 1998

WASHINGTON STATE

Ecology should reject mine permit

The Department of Ecology will decide on May 27 whether to grant a water permit for the Crown Jewel Mine in north central Washington. This area is lightly populated, yet increasingly used for recreation and tourism. Citizens come here to enjoy the fishing, wildlife and water quality that has deteriorated in other parts of our state.

Here would be the first large-scale, open-pit cyanide leach mine in Washington. BMG Mining plans to blast the top off Buckhorn Mountain, crush it up and mix the powdered rock with cyanide to leach out microscopic particles of gold. Nine million tons of cyanide-tainted tailings would be dumped behind an earthen dam at Marias Creek. BMG can’t guarantee against a cyanide spill or groundwater leak of toxic minerals. Equipment failure, miscalculation or human error would result in cyanide or toxic minerals poisoning downstream fish and water.

Marias Creek flows into the Kettle and then the Columbia rivers, which would impact the residents of Okanogan, Ferry and Stevens counties and the Colville tribes. They realize the long-term cost of replacing clean water far outweighs the short-term gain of 10-year mining jobs. Idaho rivers contaminated by mining decades ago carry toxic metal wastes into Spokane.

Residents here face the impending degradation of water, fish habitat and property values. State residents face further decline of Columbia River salmon, tourism and recreation. For these economic and environmental reasons, we urge DOE to deny the water permit. Cleveland O. Ives Republic, Wash.

So-called managers kill hunting sport

My heart bleeds for the so-called wildlife managers. The problem with wildlife funding doesn’t stem from lack of revenues from licenses, tags, permits. The problem is pretty obvious, at least to avid hunters and sportsmen throughout the Pacific Northwest: these so-called managers couldn’t manage their way out of a paper bag if both ends were torn open.

I’ve been an avid hunter for 30 years and a member of many sportsmen organizations. These managers have managed to alienate many lifelong hunters and sportsmen through their ridiculous number of tags, permits for tags, stamps, permits for stamps, permits for permits, stamps for tags and permits, etc. Sure, people are out buying hiking boots, backpacks and cameras because they are a heck of a lot cheaper than buying all the permits needed for hunting and fishing, and they can be used anytime without a permit. Also, you don’t have to be a Philadelphia lawyer to know when to wear them and the dates, places and times they can be used.

I think the managers should start placing limits on how many new managers they’re allowed to hire each season, and be required to buy a tag for each new one. That would really bring the revenues up.

The current “management” system is creating a whole new generation of poachers.

They need to be realistic about the requirements to enjoy the sporting life. Come on, people, get real. Cut management and cost, and watch revenues climb. Monty K. Thomas Hartline, Wash.

Bureaucracy cause of foster home crisis

Perhaps the Division of Children and Family Services wouldn’t have such a foster homes crisis if the Division of Licensing Requirements was disbanded immediately, forcing its power-hungry employees to put down the hatchets they’ve been wielding so gleefully the past couple of years in all foster homes, good or bad. Then, they could go back to being the decent DCFS workers they once were. Nancy B. Plourde Spokane

HEALTH AND SAFETY

Child abuse prevention need neglected

Recently, several of our community’s children were forced to enter the national statistic catalog of sexually abused children. Two men, which our society labeled “citizens,” sexually assaulted several female youths. My heart and prayers go out to the innocent victims and their families, for the road ahead is paved with turbulence.

What alarms me is that this tragedy could have been prevented. Abuse prevention curriculums have been present on the school board voting ballots for the past few years, but many of our school administrators vote down the importance of educating our children in protecting themselves and place math or science above the security of our children. An abuse prevention curriculum focuses on a child’s self-esteem, the understanding that they alone govern their bodies and the importance of communication with a trusted adult.

Many may argue that children are too young to be taught this type of subject, but abuse prevention curriculum material is administered at a level of comprehension according to the youth’s age.

Our children are our most valuable natural resource. If we intend to protect this precious commodity we must start safeguarding the innocent from harm. Through education, we as a community would possess the strongest weapon against criminals who prey on our children. A mandated abuse prevention curriculum in our school system would place us one step ahead of these vicious predators.

Our community needs to take a stand against sexual aggressors and arm our children and ourselves with the most powerful weapon available: education.

Parents, please talk to your children as young as possible. Jeanne’ Ashlock Cheney

Chamber in league with Big Tobacco

The National Chamber of Commerce has joined in common cause with the tobacco industry to fight Sen. John McCain’s (R-Ariz.) anti-tobacco bill.

It seems they believe trail lawyers are a curse in our land.

I think the tobacco industry is the curse. The executives of these companies perjured themselves in front of Congress a few years ago. Anyone remember?

Health insurance costs are exorbitant for small businesses, partially due to the cost of tobacco-related illness. Is the chamber concerned about these small businesses or their employees? Aren’t they concerned about teenage-directed marketing?

Spokane is a health care center. Hospitals and clinics belong to the Chamber of Commerce. Part of local chamber dues are forwarded to the national chamber. Are the local health care providers aware of the support? They are implicitly providing support to the tobacco lobby. J. Patrick McFarland Spokane

License reform needed, not a penalty

Re: May 5 Teen View editorial by Scott Siera.

I’m a 40-year-old father of two teen drivers and I’m afraid for them.

Driving is serious business. New drivers, of any age, lack the skills an experienced driver has. I received my driver’s license when I was 17. By the time I was 20, I’d been the driver in five non-serious collisions caused by mistakes due to lack of experience. Every funeral I’ve attended for someone younger than 25 has been the result of a motor vehicle accident. We can do things that reduce the property damage, injuries and death caused by driver inexperience.

I appreciate Siera’s protest about stricter licensing requirements. However, I believe that the proposed graduated license system will help accomplish the objective of reducing motor vehicle accidents. It’s not a penalty. Driving is a privilege and society has every right to set the standards required to obtain that privilege. This proposal isn’t intended to impose penalties for driving-related incidents. That responsibility lies with traffic laws and enforcement agencies.

The graduated license system accomplishes Siera’s stated objective of “preparing teen drivers to avoid hazardous driving behavior.” Experienced drivers can serve as unpaid instructors, reducing the overall cost of drivers education. The intermediate license has taken the most hazardous conditions out of the equation - night driving and the distractions of fellow teens.

I’m all for a less heavy-handed approach, as long as it promotes better driver training. We need to raise the bar for demonstrating competence in operating a deadly object. John F. Driscoll Spokane

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