Letters To The Editor

SPOKANE MATTERS

After Bulgarian foreign aid, Talbott?

If the state of our city is as dismal as Mayor John Talbott is telling us, why is he off again on another junket, this time to Bulgaria? It was Romania a few months ago. What happened to his main priority, fixing our streets?

Before he was elected, he talked about all of this excess money available in City Hall for fixing streets. In his state of the city address, all he talked about was the need for a fuel tax, user fees and, worst of all, a business and occupation tax.

Taxes and trips - those seem to be his new priorities.

Don’t be fooled by our tax-and-travel mayor, and the special interest group he is beholden to. Just say no! Anne E. Ashley Spokane

Way to go, Mayor Taxbott

The City Council approved salary increases for top managers last Monday night. The money for the higher salaries was set aside December 1998, when City Council members, except Councilwoman Cherie Rodgers but including the mayor, approved the 1999 Spokane city budget.

Kudos, Rodgers, for your consistent vote in favor of the taxpayers.

Mayor John Talbott, the horse is out of the barn. You voted to set aside the money. You voted to increase our property taxes, over four times the cost of living, so you and the rest of council that approved the budget could give pay raises. Why would you now join with Rodgers against the increases, when you already approved of the expenditure under the 1999 budget? Think about it, Talbott, while you’re over in Dobrich, Bulgaria. Hi, ho, Silver. Dick D. Adams Spokane

Reconsider LC annex decision

When the citizens of Spokane voted on the recent school bond issue, it was for the remodeling of the Lewis and Clark High School. It was not for the demolition of a part of the high school and remodeling the rest of the building.

This is a difficult problem for the school board. It will be best resolved by a second and perhaps third opinion.

The administration building, which is now part of the main building at Lewis and Clark, should be saved and remodeled. A creative approach by one or more architects seems to be a viable option.

It’s time for the school board to reconsider its decision. Dr. George M. Witter Spokane

HEALTH AND SAFETY

Easy opt out of disease protection

In my book, not telling the whole truth is the same as lying. A newspaper should not lie. In your front page article on hepatitis A (Jan. 22) you printed, “If the state’s Vaccine Advisory Committee accepts that recommendation (that children be vaccinated for hepatitis) when it meets in April, children who aren’t vaccinated could not attend public schools.” This is a lie. Even if hepatitis A vaccine were mandated for entry to school, Washington state still has all three exemptions: medical, religious and philosophical. Philosophical is simply signing a paper.

So the truth is, children could in fact attend public school even if they don’t run out and get a hepatitis A vaccine, or any other vaccine, for that matter. Dawn Winkler, vice president Concerned Parents for Vaccine Safety, Cheney

Editor’s note: According to the Spokane Regional Health District, while parents can readily avoid having their children immunized, unimmunized children may be required to miss school for the duration, should an outbreak of a disease for which they’ve received no protection occur.

Ill-maintained vehicles everywhere

I am tired of dodging junk vehicles all day, every day. Some problems are because owners honestly don’t know the problem, but most are because of purely negligent owners.

I’m talking about the huge number of vehicles - automobiles, trucks and motorcycles - with serious equipment faults (i.e. dragging exhaust, inoperable lights, equipment falling off and bald tires).

Why can’t we reinstate the policy requiring vehicle safety inspections?

We currently have an excellent opportunity in that vehicle safety inspections could be easily done at the time of emission testing, taking about five minutes. The inspection could be a simple visual walk around requiring the driver to operate the horn, lights (which would be the driving, turn lights, hazard lights, back-up lights, and brake lights) and wipers. This could be done while the inspector follows a simple checklist of basic observations, looking for broken glass, loose exhaust and fenders, and checking the tires for wear.

Should items fail, the inspector would issue a fix-it ticket requiring the to be corrected, before proceeding to the emissions testing. Many drivers would benefit by learning of deficiencies in their vehicles and we would have a safer road. William G. Nesbitt Spokane

Check to see if others need help

Here I sit, a member of one of the wealthiest countries in the world, and within my county’s limits two people die needlessly of hypothermia. I implore everyone to take a moment to look within their hearts and approach their neighbors, to make sure all is well with them.

How is your neighbor down the street? Have you seen her lately? Have you called on your way to the store to see if all is well and if she might need anything? How about your child’s classmate? You know the one he never looks quite taken care of. How are his shoes? Does he have a coat? Does he need someone to touch him, to show that someone cares?

We can have all the safety nets money can buy, but if we do not reach out to one another to ensure we are well and safe, it will do us no good.

February should be dedicated as Take Notice Month - 28 days to become more aware of those in need. You never know, you might save a life, even two. Mollie J. Dalpae, executive director Spokane Valley Center

REMEMBRANCE

Somehow, King critic got it all wrong

Re: Steve Tanner’s letter of Jan. 22.

Sir, I hope you’re not as ignorant as your letter makes you out to be. You seem to have no idea what Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day truly represents and why it is a day to be celebrated by all of God’s people.

The nation does not give honor to this man because of his color. Those of us who “promote this so-called equality” do not have an agenda of lies. The nation honors this man because he was driven by God’s love for all people, a humble man whose life and legacy represent the very brotherhood he so struggled for, and a man who simply symbolizes truth and freedom.

On Monday, Jan. 18, I was not “too busy…proclaiming equality.” Rather, I was absolutely marching in celebration of King’s life and message of equality, justice, and peace. I am thankful to God for the opportunity to do so.

You may want to consult your dictionary, as mine defines lowlife as: “(n.) One of low social status or moral character.” Clearly, your reference to King in this manner was an oversight on your part.

We don’t “hate the haters,” my friend. As Christians, we do our best to love, educate them and pray for them, as we know King would have done. May God bless you. Kym K. McCrea

More heroes than you may know

Each time a military aircraft goes down, those of us who have flown feel for the families of those who fail to survive. We all know when the engines start, today could be our happening. We accept the duty and mystique of our job to faithfully defend to the best of our ability.

Please add to the list of lost airman, but not reported by the press, Bill Auvill, Dick Repp, Larry Grosse and Bob Boucher, who all perished at F89J Fighters, Washington Air National Guard, Geiger Air Force Base (Spokane International Airport). Perhaps all who reside in this area now know that these men, along with David Fife, Kenneth Thiel, Matt Laiho, and Rich Visintainer, have defended to their ultimate ability. Because of them and others, we are free. God Bless - you are missed. Bob Lalonde Ret. Lt.Col. Wash. Air National Guard

IN THE PUBLIC EYE

Clinton not fit to lead great country

Terry Morehouse (Letters, Jan. 10) caused me great indignity. He clearly stated that anyone who opposes the president and thinks he is no longer qualified to hold office is a “conservative, Bible-beating, white male Republican who considers himself above, and therefore better than, the rest of us.”

Morehouse is wrong. I am not afraid of change, I am not a male, I am not of legal voting age, so I can’t be a Republican, and I don’t think I am better than anyone. Yet I am quite confident that it is time for President Clinton to be dismissed.

This is not a matter of “throwing stones.” I am talking about trust, integrity and the president’s responsibility to his people. The grounds for impeachment are not based on his affair, but rather because he lied under oath. There is no way around it. Sexual relations are sexual relations, no matter how you define it. Clinton had more than his share and lied about it to the grand jury.

I cannot serve or feel secure under the governing of someone who has proved insidious and lacking integrity. Everything Clinton does reflects on our country, in which I take great pride. Our president should be the best person America has to offer. That is not Bill Clinton. Tiffany A. Keller Chattaroy

Correction

Washington state’s voters last fall approved an initiative raising the minimum wage. A letter that appeared Friday, “Minimum wage too minimal,” indicated otherwise.