Letters To The Editor

LAW ENFORCEMENT

Speak up and ante up for better service

I have read many complaints over the last several months regarding the poor service of Spokane’s law enforcement agencies. I agree with the complainants that the service is less than ideal, and the situations that each has described are unfortunate. However, the people of Spokane must realize that they are getting what they asked for and what they paid for.

If the people want better service, we need to pay for it. We need better equipment and more officers. The sheriff’s office is 20 years behind the rest of the country in its use of technology. City police are not much better off. The county only has enough officers to cover a population half the size of what it is today, and the situation only continues to worsen.

It is a daily routine for officers to run from call to call, rushing through each call because there are people waiting in line for service. When all of the police are running and chasing bar fights, domestic disputes and serial killers, such things as purse snatchers, loud partygoers and possible drunk drivers become less important or even petty.

If we want better service, we need to let our public officials know. And as taxpayers, we need to be willing to pay for the better service. Now is the perfect time to voice our desires. We have a new police chief and a new sheriff will be elected in November. Tell these people, along with the commissioners and other city and county servants, that we want a higher level of law enforcement, and that we will pay for it.

I am sure they will give us that we ask for. Paul B. Morgan Spokane

WASHINGTON STATE

Park closures wrong way to go

I am deeply disappointed regarding the possibility of state and county park closures (“Cutback may close state park”). Why close parks? With an ever-increasing population and strong interest in outdoor recreation, maintaining and enhancing our parks seems a better course of action.

Why does Gov. Gary Locke want to decrease the budget of the Washington State Parks and Recreation Commission by 7 percent next year? The article states, “The parks commission also is expecting to earn $2 million less than a revenue target set by the Legislature.” What was the revenue target? Was it realistic? Are parks supposed to be money makers? What is the rationale for having Moses Lake State Park on the short list? Aren’t 340,000 visitors enough to justify its continued funding?

Washington state has many fine state and county parks that enhance the quality of life for Washington residents. Perhaps the parks budget suffers because there is no special interest group lobbying for the parks. We need to become that special interest group.

Parks offer historical, geological and environmental learning opportunities as well as lots of recreation. Our parks are wonderful, and I find it appalling that our elected representatives so discount the value of our state and county parks that they are willing to cut funding.

I encourage everyone to write to Gov. Locke and your state congressmen imploring them to fully fund our state and county parks.

Brian Miller Liberty Lake

With traditions like this, God help us

I was amazed at what I saw recently on the Northwest Cable News channel. I thought I was watching the outbreak of World War II at Neah Bay. I saw film of 800 National Guard troops and makeshift jails set up on tennis courts.

All this to stop protesters from disrupting the Makah whale hunt!

Perhaps our governor, Army and our Coast Guard are unaware that there is an international ban on whaling. Whales are on the verge of extinction.

If we really want to chase down the last survivors and shoot them in the name of tradition, then God help us. Roya L. Franz Spokane

My, how things have changed

They called it Eastern Washington College of Education and we were the savages. The Korean War was on and tuition was $27 a quarter. No one was worried about whether we would be forced to merge with Washington State University, only if we could graduate before the war was over. Yes, we called it a war not a police action.

There were no classes on women’s studies or minority cultures, just reading, writing and arithmetic. We were looking at $5,000-a-year teaching contracts after a two-year stint for Uncle Sam and smiling all the way.

Some of us lived to see better days and now the political correctness folks say we should be called Eagles. I don’t really care because I had soared with eagles and much of it was because I was an Eastern graduate.

So, all the politicians who say we should merge, purge or whatever, remember there are still a lot of savages around and we’re proud of it. James A. Nelson Spokane

BUSINESS AND LABOR

Don’t dismiss union movement’s value

In his letter crying for the recognition of nonunion labor, Stephen W. Foster (Sept. 6) gravely omitted mentioning the debt he and others of his ilk owe the labor unions.

It was through the sweat and blood of union organizers and workers that our great American middle class was created. If they hadn’t answered the call to courageous action, the greedy rich would have continued to rule with tight, iron fists. We would still have a two class - servant-master - society.

Yes, we can thank the unions for dramatically raising the status and standard of living for all workers. Their tireless demands for humane working conditions and higher wages ensured the emergence of the middle class.

If you choose to be nonunion, you should at the very least pay homage to those brethren who made it possible for you to reap and enjoy the fruits of your labor. You are kidding yourself if you think you got where you are on your own. You are further fooling yourself if you think you can stay there if organized labor ceases to exist.

So, support it even if you are not a member. Tom M. Bellinger Spokane

Wage gains just hurt small business

Striking unions are primarily in semi-monopolized industries. When they finally extort what they want from companies they strike, the public and small businesses generally end up paying the price.

When the United Parcel Service workers finally settled and UPS raised prices, small businesses paid the price. Now that the US West workers have settled, watch our phone rates go up, and small business pays the most.

Small business is overwhelmed with government mandates as it is and even more are coming down the pike. Small business owners are working 10 to 12 hours a day because they can’t afford to pay for the help they truly need due to the costs of labor and subsequent taxes. After all, when you raise wages, you also raise the taxes small business pays against those wages.

The person who thinks all that is necessary to raise the minimum wage is to force small business to pay more knows nothing about the financial workings of a small business.

Small business must have profits and increased production in order to pay any wage increase or it won’t survive. Price increases by small business, already inundated with competition, will not result in more money or profits. Price increases only mean that the small business will do less business for the same money it earned previously. If you don’t believe this, I challenge you to have the guts to start your own small business and risk your home and money to create jobs for other people who think you owe them a living. Gary Challender Spokane

Take time to ponder farmers’ plight

Something is happening in Davenport and other farming communities that is not receiving media attention. There is concern about 61 home runs, about what’s happening at Swackhammer’s and whether Clinton has finally apologized. There is no mention that the prices of wheat and cattle are low.

The current price is $2.07 for wheat and $.60 per pound for cattle. There have been years when there was a good crop and price, and it was given attention. It might benefit the farmer if people paying $1 to $2 for a loaf of bread and $2 to $3 per pound for beef knew how much return the farmer is actually getting. If it doesn’t change, some farmers will not be able to continue.

This Labor Day, as people drove through Davenport on their way to Porcupine Bay, Two Rivers Casino and Fort Spokane, it would’ve been nice if they had looked out their SUVs and thought about the golden fields and the return the hard-working farmers are getting for their labor. It does affect the economy of our region and deserves some attention. Carolyn A. Olson Davenport

IN THE PUBLIC EYE

Starr did important job extremely well

Many indignant critics of President Clinton lament that he is a terrible role model for their children. To me, however, it’s obvious he in fact is a superb negative role model - a glaring example for both young and old of how not to live a life.

Didn’t Sir Walter Scott hit the nail squarely on the head when he penned, “O what twisted webs we weave when first we practice to deceive”? Can’t all of us learn and re learn that tragic lesson from the belated revelation of Clinton’s shenanigans?

One more thing. Would we even be aware of the duplicity and sordid secret life of our errant “leader” had not the special prosecutor diligently pursued the truth? What a stellar fact-finding performance!

For my money, Ken Starr should receive a distinguished service award for moving doggedly onward, despite the relentless, vicious abuse heaped on his head by the White House spinners. Ken Marlin Spokane

We’ve been had all right - by Starr

It’s about time that we realize we have been taken to the proverbial cleaner’s by Kenneth Starr’s so-called presidential investigation. It sure sounds to me like we taxpayers have been taken for a $40 million fund drive by the Republican Party. How else could they get so much free publicity at the expense of all the taxpayers?

May only God protect us? Tom D. Highland Spokane

Roosevelt said it well a century ago

I recently read a letter written by Theodore Roosevelt in 1898. He stated in part, “No community is healthy where it is ever necessary to distinguish one politician among his fellows because ‘he is honest’. … “Unless a man is honest, we have no right to keep him in public life. It matters not how brilliant his capacity. It hardly matters how great his power of doing good service on certain lines may be. …

“The weakling and the coward cannot be saved by honesty alone; but without honesty, the brave and able man is merely a civic wild beast who should be hunted down by every lover of righteousness. No man who is corrupt, no man who condones corruption in others can possibly do his duty by the community… If a man lies under oath or procures the lie of another under oath, if he perjures himself or suborns perjury, he is guilty under the statute law. Under the greater law of morality and righteousness, he is precisely as guilty if, instead of lying in a court, he lies in a newspaper or on the stump; and in all probability the evil effects of his conduct are infinitely more widespread and more pernicious.”

To reverse the direction President Clinton is leading our country, he must resign. To do anything else will cause enormous harm to law, order and morality in America from the evil effects of his conduct. Roosevelt’s words still hold true. Stephen Ghering Deer Park

Urge support of effort to impeach

There are enough grounds for impeachment without Ken Starr’s report. The actions of the president’s cohorts have been disgraceful in their malicious attacks on all who seek the truth. How many individuals has this president corrupted, intimidated or harassed? When do we say we’re finished with this relationship?

The Libertarian Party called for Clinton’s impeachment on constitutional grounds (which exclude all the sexcapades and don’t even consider what might be in Starr’s report) at its national convention on the 4th of July weekend in Washington, D.C. All too few politicians seem to recall what our Constitution and Bill of Rights represent. All too few politicians say it matters whether our president upholds these principles - or even whether he’s putting himself above the law.

Tell George Nethercutt it does matter. Ask him to support HR 304, Rep. Bob Barr’s resolution calling for a formal Congressional inquiry to determine if grounds exist for impeachment. Janice M. Moerschel Spokane

Greatness on field, not in White House

Baseball announcer, speaking of Mark McGwire after McGwire hit his history-making home run: “A class act, a man we can look up to. We have greatness in our midst.”

Isn’t it a shame that we can’t say the same for the leader of our country? Norma J. Hansen Spokane

Clinton fails visitor test

Visitors to our country must prove their eligibility to enter based on several factors, including “good moral character.” One reason for exclusion is a conviction or admission of having committed a “crime involving moral turpitude.”

Such a crime is one that is wrong, evil, depraved and offensive to society. Numerous crimes fall under this definition but I will list only those pertinent to this letter: oral sexual perversion, gross indecency, adultery and perjury.

Our president has admitted to or is implicated as having committed all of those. If we require visitors to our country to be of good moral character, should we not demand at least the same of our president? Michael Steinbaugh Northport, Wash.

Deny Clinton all future benefits

Most Americans probably believe Bill Clinton should experience consequences beyond verbal ones. I agree with those who feel impeachment is not the answer. It seems fitting to me that he should be allowed to finish his term, then leave office with no pension and none of the perks usually granted an ex-president. He has cost the country enough. Mamie Scott Spokane

Good to see Clinton support fading

I’m so relieved to see that some of the major Democrats are moving away from supporting President Clinton. It reassures me to know our leaders still value character and truthfulness. Clinton has lied to his party, his wife and daughter, his friends and co-workers and the American people.

If Clinton will lie under oath - a solemn vow before God that you’re telling the truth - don’t you suppose he lies at other times? If a man lies under oath, can you place any trust in him? Maybe he isn’t telling us the whole truth about his dealings with Russia. Maybe he isn’t telling us the truth about his real motives for closing that huge area in Utah to any mineral mining, which he said was to preserve it for America. Isn’t it odd, though, that his close friend has the only other major oil field in production and this preservation act would sure weed out a bunch of competition. How about his dealings with Red China?

Character is crucial and being a liar shows a serious character flaw. How sad that our president’s character has exposed him and his office to ridicule. But how truly wonderful that so many of our leaders have the strength of character to recognize the seriousness of the problem.

Lying under oath is an impeachable offense. I trust our leaders and all honorable American people will support impeachment. Jan A. Slama Spokane

Twisted morality on display

I am amazed and annoyed by the people who continue to write letters decrying President Clinton’s lack of moral leadership.

Instead of focusing on some poor boob who can’t keep his pants on, let them consider the lack of moral leadership that existed in this country during the 12 years that the Vietnam War was allowed to drag on. Now, that’s a lack of moral leadership worth griping about.

Anyone who expects Bill Clinton, or any other politician, to be a source of ethical guidance is hopelessly naive. I suggest they discuss their poor shattered dreams with a priest, minister or other personal guru who can help them through what they perceive to be some sort of national crisis. Robert Bordeaux Medical Lake, Wash.