Letters To The Editor

IDAHO VIEWPOINTS

Animal shelters handed a bum rap

Re: “Selfish irresponsibility must end” (Letters, Jan. 14).

Cherie Graves’ bitter diatribe against animal shelters was long on self-righteousness but short on solutions.

Her letter demonstrates complete ignorance of the dedication and commitment shown by shelter workers in the Spokane-Coeur d’Alene area. These people work tirelessly to find homes for our community’s unwanted pets. Graves claims “the vast majority” of our area’s shelter animals are put to death and that every shelter’s primary goal is to reap profits by providing an easy-out for deadbeat pet owners. These statements are slanderous and false.

Thankfully, there are some people in our community who believe in supporting shelters in their efforts toward humane animal treatment. Kootenai Humane Society’s shelter in Hayden receives no government support and is funded mostly by private donations. Because of these contributions, nearly 3,000 pets found new homes or were reclaimed last year. How many of these would have roamed homeless, starved or become roadkill if this shelter did not exist?

Graves is correct that people are to blame for the cruel neglect and abuse of pets. But she has missed the boat in targeting our shelters. Perhaps a more introspective look is in order since, as a breeder, Graves is contributing to the pet population in our area.

Please, Graves, consider that each dog you raise eliminates a potential home for another, and give some credit to our area shelters for fighting an uphill battle for the animals. Carole Richardson Rathdrum, Idaho

Short-circuit electricity rate hike

Attention all Idaho Avista (formerly Washington Water Power) customers! Avista is requesting an 11.6 percent rate hike in electric rates for its Idaho customers. This is outrageous, as nobody I know has received a pay or income increase anywhere near that amount.

If you don’t mind paying that rate hike, sit back and do nothing. However, if this amount is not acceptable, please write or e-mail the commissioners at the IPUC in Boise: IPUC, P.O. Box 83720, Boise, ID 83720-0074. Put the case number WWP-E-98-11 in your correspondence along with the reasons you think PUC should deny this rate increase.

If you have e-mail, go to the Web site: www.puc.state.id.us. Choose the e-mail form highlighted in blue, put the case number in the subject heading and send your comments. They will not take comments over the phone, so please write soon. Otherwise, don’t bother complaining when your rates go up!

There will also be a public hearing on this rate hike in our area as well. Keep your eyes open for dates and locations, and show up! R. Wayne Bailey Post Falls

Bill is another federal land grab

In December 1998, Rep. Don Young (R-Alaska) introduced HR 4717, The Conservation & Reinvestment Act ‘98. Traditionally, the federal government spends $300 million per year to purchase private land. This bill would up that amount to $1 billion per year.

I oppose federal land acquisition (Forest Service, Bureau of Land Management), let alone more of it. Already, the federal government owns 66 percent of Idaho and 30 percent of the United States.

It takes that land out of the county tax base. Increasingly, productive land has been idle for timber and forage production, virtually shutting down the economy of timber- and grazing-dependent counties nationwide. We only have a third of Idaho. The other states collectively own two-thirds and can dictate how we operate on the two-thirds of Idaho. We, as Idahoans, the locals, have little authority over our state. This is inefficient, long distance government.

Idaho people know best how to run Idaho. Year by year, a little at a time, Young’s bill, if passed, would remove our rights even more. Washington, D.C., will completely take us over. I urge you to let your senators and representatives know your feelings on this issue, as the media are silent about it. John J. Ferris St. Maries

Sidestepping law can be ruinous

We may be facing a dilemma the dimensions of which we have not thought to measure. I direct your attention to the people who are today serving time in American prisons for perjury.

In the event that Clinton, clearly guilty of perjury, gets off scot-free, which is probable, should those in prison for the same crime be turned loose?

Think about it. If perjury is no longer considered a punishable crime, the American justice system, which is based on the search for truth, will come apart overnight and we will have no option but to gather truth through the use of force. That never works (it is not meant to) but it does generate versions of “truth” that accommodate those who apply force (torture). Throughout history, democracies, all of them fragile, have provided the cause of their own downfall. Always, the rule of law was abandoned to accommodate a charismatic figure. Let’s think about that. Robert Russell Coeur d’Alene

PEOPLE IN SOCIETY

Founding principles still valid today

The Jan. 19 Spokesman-Review reports that the Boy Scout Handbook is changing again. To me, the Boy Scouts of America will never improve upon earlier editions authored by William “Green Bar Bill” Hillcourt and illustrated by Norman Rockwell. But change it must.

A merit badge in blacksmithing isn’t nearly as valuable to today’s young man as one in computers.

However, some words should never change, regardless how often the BSA revises its handbook. These are the words of the Scout Oath that begin with, “On my honor..” and end with, “… physically strong, mentally awake and morally straight.”

The 12 points of the Scout Law are: trustworthy, loyal, helpful, friendly, courteous, kind, obedient, cheerful, thrifty, brave, clean and reverent. They include the familiar motto, “Be prepared” and slogan, “Do a good turn daily.”

These carefully chosen words inspire young men to “duty to God, duty to country and duty to self.” They form a moral compass with a north arrow that always points in the cardinal direction. The scout may waver, but these words never will.

I became a scout nearly 40 years ago and earned the Eagle Scout award well over 30 years ago. Even today, the first thing I see when I open my wallet is a tattered Eagle Scout card. It reminds me daily that the same oath and law I pledged allegiance to so many years ago still guide me today.

Thanks to an organization that changes with the times but refuses to compromise its founding principles of almost 90 years. Bill Love, Eagle Scout Sandpoint

GOVERNMENT AND POLITICS

Kempthorne off to quite a start

Re: “Budget writers cool to adding 7 advisers,” (Jan. 20).

Gov. Kempthorne insulted us once by not bothering to discuss his plans for Idaho during the campaign. Now, he insults us again by hiring seven advisers to replicate what he or his department heads already should be doing. Let us know when he plans to leave for his fishing trip. JoAnna Williams Princeton, Idaho

Government not the solution

President Clinton wants more federal involvement in the schools and again wants to decide how to spend even more of our money for our own retirement.

I have spoken to educators and principals across the land. They almost universally feel the increased federal involvement that has already occurred ties their hands and makes their jobs much more difficult. The quality of our college teaching has not improved one iota secondary to government involvement. Many feel that the mandates associated with federal bucks subverted higher education.

Why make the same mistake with the earlier grades? Keep control of our schools local!

Clinton wants more money for other domestic programs. Many if not most domestic programs rob people of their gains for causes the government deems worthy. And then, after siphoning much of the funds off to bureaucrats and wasteful programs, many of which not only have failed but have made matters worse, causing even more funds to be spent in “reforming” the system, the government returns a little. In doing that, it acts as if it’s a benevolent response for the good of the robbed citizens.

Of course we “need” more money to care of the elderly. Folks can’t care for their parents as everybody is forced by government to maintain two-income households and work two jobs to make ends meet after withholding and income taxes. Foster W. Cline Sandpoint

OTHER TOPICS

Does religious bias skew policy?

After a successful ethnic cleansing campaign in Bosnia, back for a repeat performance is Serbian President Slobodan Milosevic and his military butchers on the world stage, this time in Kosovo.

Most recently, the performance takes us to an impoverished and remote village to witness the slaughter of 45 human beings. These innocent people were summarily murdered, execution style, and the killing was compounded with unspeakable atrocities such as decapitation and eye gouging. The world audience watched the performance as they did in Bosnia, strongly condemning the massacre. Milosevic must be shaking in his shoes as he continues his murderous campaign. Milosevic probably figures the world audience let him literally get away with murder in Bosnia, so why not get back on the stage in Kosovo.

Milosevic is defying the United Nations, NATO and the OSCE mission by not allowing an investigation into this heinous crime against humanity. What I can’t figure out is, why is it OK for Milosevic to perpetrate crimes against humanity and not OK for Saddam Hussein? In fact, when Saddam is a bad boy, we bomb Baghdad. When Milosevic is a bad boy, we condemn the Serbian government. If we bomb Baghdad for Saddam’s crimes, shouldn’t we also bomb Belgrade for Milosevic’s crimes?

Both butchers are equally guilty of crimes against humanity.

It’s interesting to note that we will bomb the Islamic nation with resolve and only condemn the predominately Christian Orthodox nation. Is this just a coincidence? Enver Apaydin Spokane

All in the timing

I don’t know why people are so confused about when the new millennium begins. It’s quite simple. On Jan. 1, 2000, 2,000 years will have passed since Christ’s birth. Jan. 1, 2000, will be the first day of the beginning of the 2001st year. I will use pregnancy as an example. When a woman is two months along, she is beginning her third month of pregnancy. On the day she is eight months along, she is beginning her ninth and, hopefully, final month. She is in her ninth month, not nine months along. We are in our 2,000th year, and on Jan. 1, 2000, we will have 2,000 years behind us.

Dec. 31, 1999, is the final day of the 2,000th year. Rachel A. Riggs Coeur d’Alene