Letters To The Editor

BUSINESS/LABOR

Kaiser has failed real employees

Shades of 1930. Prior to the Kaiser strike, the company prepared for “good faith” bargaining with its employees by building a fortress around its factories, advertising nationwide for replacement workers, offering to pay the replacements more than the current employees, building housing for replacements and hiring company guards. It was clear from the start, Kaiser’s plan was to destroy the union and the lives and careers of their employees along with it.

This shameless corporate giant has now implemented their plan. This was done despite the fact that when times were tough the union steelworkers negotiated numerous concessions to the company and sacrificed their blood, sweat, tears and lives to make Kaiser successful. On an hourly basis, Kaiser runs nearly empty buses of replacement workers (with the windows covered) across the picket line - an obvious calculated effort to provoke, enrage and demoralize its striking employees.

Those on the picket line - our brothers, sisters, mothers, fathers, sons, daughters, aunts, uncles, friends and neighbors - are the backbone of Spokane and its economy. The outsiders on the bus are being used to steal and destroy the jobs and lives of thse who make Kaiser. Those managers who continue to work and condone this injustice, especially those who live in this community, should be embarrassed and ashamed.

Anyone who witnessed the strike support rally held on Oct. 26 knows Kaiser has failed in their mission against their real employees. Justice will prevail. Bill Keenan Spokane

Fair contract only answer

Yes, there will be a reckoning with Kaiser by the U.S. Steelworkers. No, it won’t be by a vote of no confidence due to a concerted effort (orchestrated by Kaiser) to tempt the union into an early walkout strike due to the increasing disregard of the unions’ current verbal and contractual agreements. No, it won’t be by corporate posturing during negotiations; creating confusion, anger and a sense of betrayal. Nor will it be by wasting away 15 years of renegotiated language, job combinations, benefit and wage sacrifices, all while increasing production to record levels with superior quality and safety improvements.

Yes, the only reckoning with Kaiser and the U.S. Steelworkers Union will be a fair and honorable contract. Vincent E. Blindauer Spokane

ENVIRONMENT

Forest belongs to everyone

It’s not your forest, Guadalupe Flores (Letters, Oct. 22); it belongs to all of us. I’m sure you don’t have a clue what motorcycling in the forest is all about. Most trail riders are honest, hard-working, taxpaying, family-oriented Americans who have a deep respect for the forest. We also hike, camp, hunt and bird watch. Without motorcyclists, most of the trails wouldn’t be there for birding, hiking, camping, etc. We are the ones who do most of the annual trail clearing.

A motorcycle trail has very little impact on the forest. Our trails affect only a small fraction of the entire forest. There are many areas in the Coeur d’Alene National Forest where you can go and never see or hear a motorcycle.

The forest belongs to all of us. There is plenty of room for all of us to enjoy the forest in the way we choose.

We are not a small number of Americans trying to dictate how the majority should enjoy our national forest. We area very large group of Americans trying to protect our rights as taxpaying citizens. We respect the forest and should not be closed out of any part of it that we have been using with respect for years.

Send your comments in support of keeping area 1 open by Nov. 30, to Coeur d’Alene Range District, 2502 E. Sherman, Coeur d’Alene, ID 83814. Eric K. Holt Newman Lake

IN THE PUBLIC EYE

Whale-killing culture or excuse?

When Europeans first arrived in North America, the natives had not invented the wheel.

Do you suppose the Makahs want to return to this culture of theirs, or do you suppose they are just seeking an excuse for killing whales? C.F. Brenton Spokane

Immorality comes in many forms

While President Clinton has used very poor judgment, I am sure that the embarrassment he has put his family through has been punishment enough.

There are many types of immorality in this world, and I really believe if the people in office and/or voters - be they Democrat or Republican - fail to pass legislation that protects and helps the poor, the elderly and minorities, they have an even more serious morality problem and one that harms large numbers of people. They are going to have to answer to that, at some point in time. B. Jean Rice Spokane

Impeach GOP, not president

“Voters look ready to impeach the GOP.” That is the best headline I have seen all year.

The article, written by Will Lester of the Associated Press (Oct. 13) is a good one. Let us impeach the GOP instead of President Clinton.

Nearly 70 percent of Americans do not want the president impeached. How do we impeach the GOP? Come on, Democrats, vote the bums out of office! That is how to “impeach” a politician.

The brick-hearted, bottom-line, anti-worker, ultraconservatives think that they can get their way if only the Democrats stay at home and do not vote, and then they can pass their tax decreases for the wealthy and use the first budget surplus in years for a “tax cut.” Never mind the Social Security, schools that need repair and expansion, the HMO mess, tobacco money and campaign reform -just stay at home and they can have their way.

Don’t let ‘em do it, Democrats. Go vote even if it hurts, because if you don’t, it is going to hurt. Let’s get out and vote and “impeach” the bums out of office. Richard Menke Spokane

Politics don’t have to be dirty

Citizens become interested in politics at any age. So-called dirty politics won’t be dirty if we clean them up.

On the Oct. 26, Our Generation page, phone numbers were given for only two of our political parties. There is a third one called the American Heritage party. They can be reached at 467-0912 or (888) 396-6247 to learn more about getting involved in clean politics. Louise McCabe Spokane

MEDICAL/HEALTH

Abortion/breast cancer link avoided

During October, we hear a great deal about breast cancer; its incidence, prevention, treatment. What seems to be carefully avoided, however, is any discussion about the physiological relationship between abortion (especially of a first pregnancy) and increased susceptibility to breast cancer later in life.

The first time a female mammal becomes pregnant, her breast tissues undergo a hormone-initiated process of change in preparation for the most important task of her life: the nurturing and feeding of her baby. If this process of mammary gland maturation is not permitted to go to completion, the breast tissues are left in a condition of much greater susceptibility to cancerous growth. This has been demonstrated by numerous studies, showing a nearly doubled risk of breast cancer development among women who had aborted their first babies.

Failure to warn young women and girls contemplating abortion about the increased breast cancer risk associated with the popular and assiduously defended lethal procedure is irresponsible. Fortunately, the legislatures of several states have enacted laws requiring that females contemplating abortion be so warned, and thus enabled to make fully-informed choices. Leonard C. Johnson Troy, Idaho

Why can’t HMOs make ends meet?

Re: “Insurers boot seniors” (Oct. 23).

What’s wrong with this picture?

In 1996 we enrolled my mother in an HMO which included as service providers her preferred clinic and hospital. There were no premiums. We canceled the Medi-gap policy for which we had been paying $145 per month, thankful for the opportunity to use that money for other rising costs.

The Oct. 23 article reports that “next year, HMOs will be paid an average of $426 per month for each Medicare recipient in Spokane County.” Now, I know medical costs have risen, but an increase of almost 200 percent in less than three years? And the HMOs say they can’t make ends meet?

If the federal government would just add that $426 to Mom’s monthly Social Security check, we’d be happy to pay any charges not covered by Medicare - but it looks like we’re going to be doing that anyway. Ken C. Beck Spokane

SPOKANE MATTERS

What constitutes an emergency?<

Here in Spokane, we have heard over and over how shorthanded the police department is. To encourage us to set up our own Neighborhood Observation Patrols (where citizens patrol late night and early morning hours during weekends) the patrol officers have told us they will not respond to non-emergency calls because of a shortage in the department.

Recently, a citizen wrote that her house was burglarized, and she and her husband had informed the police of a possible suspect. The couple were told that due to a shortage of police, this could not be given attention.

I am puzzled, therefore, that valuable police time and energy is wasted on monitoring teenage smokers. Since when does this minor offense take priority over an actual crime?

The next time I am asked for a donation to the Police Department, or there is a plea to the public for more funding, I will say no. Susan Moran Spokane

Being black not a crime

It was a small story that appeared in the Oct. 6 Spokesman-Review, but the actual incident had a devastating effect on two young black men.

The robbery, according to the news account, happened at about 9 p.m. At about 11:15, two young black men were shopping at the Albertson’s grocery store on Sprague and Pines, near the location of the Subway that had been robbed. One of them regularly shops there.

One young black man was in the checkout, the other was in an aisle, when about five of the sheriff’s patrol rushed into the store. One of them approached the young man at the checkstand, hand on gun, pepper spray out. Another patrolman came up from behind, wrestled him to the floor and handcuffed him. They didn’t ask for identification or say anything but loud orders. The other young black man was accosted in the aisle and handcuffed. They were both taken to the back of the store, separately.

After a while, a young woman came into the store and said something about the Subway robbery. The policeman released the two young black men.

Twenty-five years ago, when my family moved to the Valley, there were very few black families here. My young sons, my sons-in-law, my sons’ friends and even my husband at various times all have been stopped by the sheriff’s patrol.

There are a vast number of black families in the Valley area now. Law enforcement officials need to stop treating them like criminals just because they are black.

These two young black men will never be the same. Jerrelene Williamson Spokane

Express concerns at council meeting

Like Alice Johnson (“Police lax in enforcing rules of road”), I am very concerned about traffic on our roadways. She is correct about speeding being the biggest problem and it is the cause of other related traffic offenses. She is also correct about the number of Americans killed on our highways - more than 3 million, as opposed to the 1.2 million killed in all of the wars this country has been involved in.

I can assure you that traffic control is a high priority to the Police Department.

Johnson asks, where are all the police? A better question is, why does Spokane have fewer officers per capita than Seattle, Tacoma, Everett, Yakima and Bellevue? Why does this city choose to spend less for public safety than these other cities? The officers the taxpayers are paying for are out there, we just don’t have enough to do the job that needs to be done.

The general city government budgets will be reviewed by the City Council tonight at 6. That would be a good place to express your concerns. Harry Kennedy corporal, Police Traffic Investigations

OTHER TOPICS

Pro-lifers don’t condone murder

Ellen Goodman’s column, “Doctor’s Murder no real surprise” (Opinion, Oct. 28) attempts to prevent any response to her anti pro-life sentiment by saying that all pro-lifers are terrorists and cannot attempt to claim innocence or dismay at Dr. Barnett Slepian’s murder. Well, I guess that makes me - a 17-year-old honor student with a clean record - a terrorist and a killer. I oppose abortion in all forms. But I do not condone in any way the cruel and unnecessary murder of someone who disagrees with me. And neither does the majority of the pro-life movement.

No, I’m not surprised that he was killed. I don’t feign that. I will not deny there are terrorists out there who act in the name of pro-life. But the majority of us see violence in all forms as a horrible crime. Someone who kills cannot in all honesty consider themselves pro-life. I certainly do not consider them to be so. They do more harm to the movement and to society than they do good. They are a minority.

I believe that the murder of an innocent child is a terrible thing. But I also have the right to oppose the death of a man who made a poor choice but did not deserve to die for it. I don’t feign dismay. I don’t feign disgust. I am pro-life, and that means I condemn all unjust deaths - including that of Dr. Slepian. L.E. Conley Liberty Lake

I’m happy to answer pollsters

On the bus recently, a fellow passenger sang a refrain heard frequently in the past few months: Who are these people being polled? I haven’t been polled. No one I know has been polled. Who are the pollsters interviewing?

The answer to that question is: the pollsters are interviewing my husband. They are interviewing me. And they are interviewing others who, when the phone rings at dinner time, answer it. And when they think they hear a telemarketer, they continue to listen. And sometimes that telemarketer turns out to be a pollster who says, “I am not trying to sell anything. I would just like to ask you a few questions.”

When I hear those words, I listen to the questions and I am eager to answer them. I am happy that my views are reflected in the daily newspaper. I like being that phantom - that person you don’t know who represents the majority of Americans who support our president. Deborah Lawrence Hale Greenacres

Election process confusing

Many people wonder why so few vote. There is so much mud-slinging of she said/he said, no one knows that the truth really is. The amendments and referendums are also confusing. If things were simpler, it seems more people would be interested. Lorraine Lease Spokane

Chicago example could work here

Re: “Academic standards in school today too low.” I went to a Chicago school where there were usually 48 children in each class. The solution there was to divide each class into three groups and work with each group according to its ability. This was advantageous to both teachers and students.

All school meetings were held after school hours, enabling the teachers and students to have learning experiences five full days of each week. These things worked well then and they would work well now. Bobbie Cullitan Spokane