Letters To The Editor

IDAHO VIEWPOINTS

Sandpoint needs stand-alone fire chief

Two years ago, as a member of Sandpoint’s City Council, I voted to approve a public safety director as head of both the police and fire department. The reasons at the time seemed good ones. One department head could be the administrator for both departments, arranging for training, daily duties, scheduling employees and preparing the budget. I felt at the time there would also be better coordination of emergency response for both departments and joint training sessions.

While cost savings would be significant, improved coordination of both departments was my primary reason for agreeing to this.

The objective has not been met.

Sandpoint is the county seat, with most schools and school activities occurring here. We have an enormous amount of truck, car, train and plane traffic. We provide a city beach for recreation. We host many large-scale events, such as the draft horse show, the Festival, Fourth of July activities and Lost in the ‘50s. Providing for the safety of the citizens of this town is our No. 1 responsibility.

Our current public safety director is an experienced administrator. If any one individual could oversee all aspects of both police and fire departments, he could. But, it’s a good idea to return our fire department to the oversight of a fire chief. We need to provide for the citizens’ safety by recognizing the fire department’s needs as different from those of the police. Susan R. Haynes Sandpoint

TV report on fire grossly misleading

This letter is a direct result of a television news story about Sandpoint Fire Department volunteer firefighters and a recent structure fire in Sandpoint. The reporter’s interview was conducted and edited so that it appeared that fire damage at regionally known entertainer Beth Pederson’s home occurred because 10 volunteers did not respond.

That was simply not the case. I was appalled at how the story was slanted, apparently to fit the station’s “needs.”

As a professional firefighter for 20 years and the commander at the fire, I know the results could have been the same if I had had those 10 volunteers. Several issues relating to safety surfaced as a result of that fire. They have all been brought to the attention of the mayor and council. I hope they will be addressed. As with all fires, we always feel fortunate when there are no injuries or fatalities. Capt. Robert Tyler Sandpoint

Fire Department Critic only hampering jail efforts

Fred Metzler’s Jan. 27 guest column is a blatant interjection of a personal and partisan political agenda into the issue of jail overcrowding. He said the Kootenai County Criminal Justice Citizens Advisory Committee is composed of “personal friends of the county commissioner who put the group together.”

Really? Then how did he and Jerry Shriner, Democratic Central Committee chairman, get on the committee? They got on like the rest of us who don’t know the county commissioner, aren’t government officials and don’t work in criminal justice - we attended a public meeting. Metzler doesn’t like the committee’s composition because most on it don’t agree with his views. What happened to honest differences of opinion?

Metzler has said there are too many people in jail for drug offenses and has advocated that certain controlled substances be legalized to reduce inmate population. His personal agenda and reason for being on the committee are clear. It’s his right to have such opinions; it’s other peoples’ right to disagree.

Contrary to Metzler’s unsubstantiated, partisan and absurd claims, the issue of funding expansion of the current facility came after the committee concluded there is a dire need for more jail space.

If Metzler doesn’t want to participate, that’s his option. By stopping holier-than-thou grandstanding and the interjection of personal bias and partisan politics into the jail crowding issue, he could end a disservice to everyone. Tad Leach Coeur d’Alene

Veterans service office badly situated

I am writing as a combat veteran of World War II. When I was called to serve my country, I did not hesitate to travel to foreign soil to help protect our nation against its enemy. I think going to war or serving your country in the armed forces at any time should lead to a certain amount of earned respect.

The veterans of Kootenai County are extremely lucky to have Veterans Service Officer Ben Keeley. The respect he holds for veterans is with honor. The only problem with seeing Keeley is that his county office is in the welfare office. I’m not indigent, so when I’m going to the Veterans Service Office, I’m getting my “earned” benefits, not a handout.

Kootenai County’s veterans deserve a service officer who knows his job and Keeley does. But we should be able to go into our service office without others thinking we are indigent because we are in the welfare office. Milton R. Stafford Coeur d’Alene

City workers won, fair and square

Congratulations to the Lake City Employees Association. Tuesday, voters made a choice and you won by a good margin. It was well covered by the media, and you campaigned for what you wanted and won. Even though I disagreed, I believe the voters spoke and the matter is settled. Good luck and let’s hope this issue is behind us. Hale Ashcraft Coeur d’Alene

Tangled web invites circumnavigation

The Coeur d’Alene city shuffle. Is this a new dance class? No, this is just an experience that greets a person applying for a building permit in the city of Coeur d’Alene.

“Is this the city or county? Go to another building.”

“Does this involve this or that? Go to another building.”

“Go back to the first building; It’s not my department.”

“You need to go to the second floor to answer that question, and the basement to answer the rest.”

I don’t mean to make building inspectors look bad. The two inspectors I talked to were very friendly and knowledgable. The clerks were the problem. They had no knowledge of building, and I wonder whose bright idea it was to divide up the building departments in different buildings and floors.

I thought two of the clerks were going to have a cat fight about who should have sent me to which department.

I think I will just build my shed without a permit and break every code in the book. Then, I’ll invite them out one at a time and tell them the other guy said it was OK. Iris J. Byrne Kellogg

BUSINESS AND LABOR

TV program on strike most revealing

“Spokane Week in Review” on KSPS recently aired a program dealing with the Kaiser strike. The program covered issues that led to the strike and what could be done to settle it.

It was hard to watch Ray Milchovich in his segment. He honey-dripped all over the place.

It made me recall the meetings he held at Trentwood with the union and company people. These were slickedup to get the union sympathy on how hard times meant the union had to “give back.” Thanks, Milchovich, for telling the public how the union gave back. I wondered why you never mentioned people like yourself? But one look at your paycheck and stock portfolio would have taken care of that, wouldn’t it?

You mentioned that the company offered a last-minute extension to the old contract and the union refused it. You failed to mention to the concerned public that if the union had accepted the extension, it would’ve had to give up the right to strike later on. What a deal for you.

Susan Ashe complains about the union not being able to vote on the contracts we’ve been offered. Bring her to the hall and explain the contract to the union in person, then ask us to vote. Of course, you would rather be told “no” by 10 to 15 union officials, rather than 3,000 Steelworkers who would love to tell you to your face. C. Dave Lamphier Coeur d’Alene

Hazard at strike-area intersection

Drivers, beware at the corner of Sullivan and Euclid. The trucks hauling metal from Kaiser are running the lights, as they don’t want to have to stop and look at the people who are peacefully picketing on the corner of Euclid and Sullivan. One of these days there could be a major accident at this intersection because of people trying to run a red light.

I was on the picket line there today and watched three of the trucks run red lights. I was told that sometimes the buses hauling scabs to and from Kaiser also run this light. The sheriff’s department should put an unmarked car at that corner to stop this foolish act before someone is killed. Dale R. Broadsword Rathdrum, Idaho

U.S. AND THE WORLD

Free trade costs many plenty

Our federal government’s policies on free trade could lead to serious problems in the United States, especially for working class people.

While we are now in a global economy, this free trade policy, as it stands, is a double-edge sword. Free trade sounds good and there are good arguments for it, but so far, international corporate business is the only beneficiary.

It is of very little help to Third World countries because of the low wages. Of course, these corporations market their products to consumers in the wealthier nations. The end result is a loss of jobs in the United States and anti-Americanism among Third World workers who know they are being exploited.

Congress failed to consider the ramifications of our free trade policy and the dangers it presents. The workers at Kaiser and Key Tronic have already felt the bad side effects.

Exploitation capitalism is bad business here in America or anyplace else, for most people. Edward M. Doherty Spokane

U.S. hurts population control effort

In 1994, 179 countries agreed to implement a 30-year Program of Action, placing women’s needs and rights at the center of population and development programs. This month, international leaders are meeting at the Cairo 5 Conference to evaluate their progress in providing access to family planning and reproductive health services, increasing access to education and reducing infant and maternal mortality.

These are the ways we can help stabilize world population and reduce the pressure on our environment.

World population today stands at 5.9 billion and is expected to reach 6 billion late this year. Depending on how successful the world is in implementing the Program of Action, the latest U.N projections show that by the year 2050 (in our children’s lifetime), the word’s population could be as low at 7.3 billion people or as high as 10.7 billion. The latter figure is getting beyond the planet’s carrying capacity.

We need to support international initiatives. Congress has decreased funding to USAID family planning programs by 35 percent and cut funding for the United Nations Population Fund. Denmark, the Netherlands and Norway have exceeded their fair share of donor assistance, but the United States has not fulfilled its commitment.

Please join me in writing to our elected officials about the importance of this issue. Jim Pritchard Ephrata, Wash.

Bombing Iraq is a war crime

It seems ironic that President Clinton has been impeached and is being tried for alleged crimes which, though legally serious, have little or no effect on most citizens, while constitutional breaches of far greater magnitude go virtually unnoticed. Clinton’s erotic escapades apparently are deemed more injurious to the nation than his usurpation of congressional authority regarding the war-making power.

There was no congressional authorization or United Nations mandate for Clinton to prosecute a war on Iraq in December. The United States wasn’t in imminent danger of attack by Iraq, whereby the president, as commander in chief, would’ve been authorized to deploy them. There was no legal authority for the president to launch buzz bombs against Iraq and there was no justification for U.S. warplanes to attack Iraq on Jan. 25, killing at least a dozen innocent Iraqi civilians.

Clinton acts as if Saddam Hussein is the only person in Iraq. In reality, there are 22 million people in that country and the U.S. has waged war against them, not Saddam.

International law, coming out of the Nuremberg and Tokyo trials, led in large measure by the United States, has held that waging war against civilians is a war crime punishable by penalties far more severe than removal from office. Yet Congress and the American people continue to play ostrich in the deadly game the president wages against Iraq, with its impact on people there.

Is there no sense of outrage? Al Mangan Spokane

GOVERNMENT AND POLITICS

Watch the rascals oppose term limits

All of us have been reading and listening to the Idaho legislators complaining about the term limit law that has been voted on here in Idaho. They are telling us that out of-state money was used to pass this law.

That is simply not true. This law was passed because the voters wanted it passed. We felt it was necessary to get rid of a lot of deadwood politicians, and this law prevents these politicians from staying in office way too long.

Now, legislators are trying hard to undo this law and keep their buddies in office, even though voters want them removed. It is a callous disregard of the voters’ decision and the legislators are trying hard to keep their old way of doing business.

When this or any legislature is mostly Republican, mischief will start. We are just seeing the tip of the iceberg. There will be an endless parade of further efforts to stop the people from getting what they want. It will be interesting to see what their next scheme will be. Tom Akren Post Falls

Social Security status confusing

As a seasoned citizen, I need your help. The president says we must save Social Security immediately, as it’s going broke. Therefore, he has proposed to use 62 percent of our projected federal budget surplus to save the program.

Yet, economic experts agree that 90 percent of the surplus is only a result of our current excessive Social Security withholding. Any guesses where the other 28 percent of our so-called Social Security trust fund is going? Obviously, the problem isn’t as serious as he says - or it is? Pat D. Kilpatrick Post Falls

Clinton defenders a deplorable lot

Great picture on the front page of the Jan. 28 Spokesman-Review. To make it even better, it should be hung in every post office in the country, with a sign underneath saying: “Wanted for aiding and supporting a known liar and obstructionist.”

To those senators it is more important to save Bill Clinton than that they care about the Constitution . They say it is indefensible what the president did, but they sure spend all their time defending him. Would they do as much for the ordinary citizen? Joe Wollman Odessa, Wash.

THE MEDIA

`Looking Back’ is a pleasure

I enjoy the “Looking Back” pictures you publish in the Good Paper. Having been born and raised in Spokane, one assumes they will eventually recognize someone they know. The photo of the 1919 banquet of the Spokane Florist Club pictured my grandparents, Harry and Ada Saunders, who owned the Coeur d’Alene Greenhouses until the 1940s.

If I remember correctly, the Bersons of Glenrose Green Houses were known for growing beautiful orchids. When my first child was born, in 1951, Mr. Berson sent me a stem of six beautiful, large purple orchids. They were certainly the hit of the maternity ward at the old St. Luke’s Hospital. Mollie Shane Spokane

KREM-2 memorial coverage excellent

Praise to KREM-2 TV for its excellent coverage of the Airmen Remembered memorial on Jan. 22. KREM-2 provided one of its finest examples of coverage ever, making everyone who watched from home feel as if they, too, were sitting inside the Opera House.

The individual profiles of these four exceptional men were so well done that even if you had never personally met any of them, you felt as if you knew them well. My compliments to Nadine Woodward and Charles Rowe, along with all the other reporters involved, for making this a truly wonderful tribute. Cheryl L. Beck Spokane