Letters To The Editor

EDUCATION

Let’s fix the problem not the blame

Re: “Teachers seeking more for less” (Letters, March 22).

Oh, Victoria Carlile, it’s with such a wide brush you paint!

I’m a teacher and most, if not all, of the teachers I work with are in favor of doing away with all eight of the so-called professional planning days.

I’ve been unable to find out where the idea of professional planning days originated. A colleague and I contacted the Spokane Education Association and the District 81 School Board president in an effort to find out. Apparently, it was a mutual thing that came up when the district and the union were negotiating.

Most of my colleagues are dedicated, hard-working people who really care about kids. Yesterday was a very typical day for me. I arrived at school shortly after 7 a.m. and left shortly before 5 p.m. When I arrived home, my wife and I took a walk with our dog. Then we had dinner and I corrected papers until about 9:30 p.m. When I went to bed I was tired, but it was a great feeling. I love what I do and even if our Legislature decides not to give us the raise we deserve, I’ll still be there at seven and leave near five.

Social promotion, children who can’t read, write or spell, and low test scores are topics for another day, but you need to be careful where you splatter the paint when you wield your indiscriminate brush. There’s plenty of blame to go around, but as I tell the kids, let’s fix the problem not the blame. Patrick W. Carroll Spokane

Critic ignorant about education

I am responding to Victoria Carlile’s letter to the editor of March 22 regarding teachers seeking more pay for fewer days.

It amazes me how ignorant some people can be about education. The letter depicts teachers wanting a 15 percent pay raise and one less day to teach. What the author is failing to see is that we would still be teaching the same amount of time. Instead of having so many early release days to attend workshops to sharpen our teaching skills, we would replace them with one full day. Therefore it is a wash: either several early-release days or one full day.

As for wanting more pay, I have one question: Would you demand an increase in pay for inflation from your company if they were 15 percent behind? Melinda Kenney Spokane

Higher wage will keep more teachers

The future of our children, education employees and public schools will face grim realities if our elected legislators don’t soon assume responsibility for some disturbing facts.

Research conducted by the Washington Education Association confirms that in 1996, one out of six teachers left the teaching profession after only four years of teaching. Further alarming news is that educators new to the profession are choosing employment in other states.

Currently, the average salary paid to Washington’s classroom teachers is $3,847 below the average for all far-west states. Washington college educated education graduates are able to leave our state and accept teaching positions paying higher beginning salaries in our neighboring states. This situation must be corrected. We are having a teacher shortage in this state and need to keep our education graduates here!

Our reality? Our children deserve quality. Parents and members of the community have repeatedly stated their support for public education. The overwhelming passage of levies and bonds in our area, plus the continued growth of community and parental involvement in schools and school decision-making, are a few examples that reflect that support.

It is time we all reach out to our elected officials and demand the Legislature respond to the need of providing a living wage for all education employees. Maureen Ramos Spokane Education Association vice president and teacher

IN THE PUBLIC EYE

Clinton still not doing his job

President Bill Clinton said he wanted to get on with the job the American people elected him to do. Well I don’t believe it is to spend $20 billion on Bosnia, $2 billion on bombing a factory in the Sudan and rocky hillsides in Afghanistan, or to give $1.3 billion on Latin America relief when our Social Security system, the Medicare system and other critical programs are verging on bankruptcy. Clinton is jeopardizing the security of all those who have contributed.

Now he is entangling us in the Kosovo money pit with no end in sight, and all for his aggrandizement. It is too bad that this sudden humanitarianism didn’t surface for Rawanda, Sierre Leone and China. Fred Malstrom Spokane

American national interest lacking

President Clinton says we must save the children. Vice President Al Gore says we must prevent the slaughter. Others say that the “integrity” of NATO is at stake. And still others say we must protect our national interests. I’ve heard it all before.

It is reported that 100 people were killed with machetes today in the Congo. What are we going to do about that? Is every instance of brutality in the world a matter where the U.S. military must be hauled in? Shall we risk American lives for all nations? What is our interest in Kosovo? Why can’t the Europeans handle the mess in their own yard?

If the Cold War is over and Russia (the late USSR) is no longer a threat, why do we need NATO? Why is the European “community” unwilling to act unless American lives are on the line? Is this a ploy to distract attention from the emerging scandal over Chinese espionage (which may affect Clinton’s poll numbers)? Is war being waged for President Clinton’s political gain - for him to leave a legacy besides his impeachment?

Facts. All of the ethnic groups involved in Yugoslavia, Bosnia - or whatever we call it now - oppose our taking military action there. Only Congress has the power to declare war. There is no American national interest.

The abuse of power taking place now is impeachable. Proceedings should be opened immediately. Congress should take away the president’s toys. It’s too dangerous to let him play with American lives. Janice M. Moerschel Spokane

No serious threat posed to U.S.

As a wounded veteran of World War II, I do not understand how a lying, draft-dodging perjurer can give the order to our service men and women to start a war against a small sovereign country that poses no serious threat to the United States of America. Have we gone completely mad? Donald B. Morrison Spokane

GOVERNMENT AND POLITICS

Departure now good for constituents

I play a game with the letters to the editor supporting another term for Rep. George Nethercutt. The rules go like this: Wherever you see the name “George Nethercutt,” do a mental global search and replace with the name “Tom Foley.” It’s amazing - deja vu all over again!

Remember the letters so many of us wrote arguing that we would be “shooting ourselves in the foot” to vote out a congressman who had so much experience? There’s the letter which argues that we shouldn’t allow an organization like U.S. Term Limits, which is not a local organization, tell us how to vote. And there’s the letter which reminds us that we have a “highly respected” Congressman with a leadership position in Congress - it will take years to get someone with that kind of clout again.

I still believe that we have term limits and that those of us who vote get to make the choices of who leaves and who stays in Congress. I thought Nethercutt would realize serving only three terms would mean he had to leave Congress just as he arrived - at a position where he could do his constituents some good.

Now Nethercutt either has to break his promise, which wouldn’t be a political first, or he has to admit he was wrong about term limits. Now, that just might be a first! Deborah Lawrence Hale Greenacres

Nethercutt addicted to power

I applaud the efforts of term limits and all of the local activists who demand that our congressman keeps his word. If we wanted a career partisan serving the 5th District, we would have kept Tom Foley.

In 1994 George Nethercutt was a different man than I see today. Nethercutt was once a man who let his independence shine. He spoke out against a federal government that panders to lobbyist and special interests. He referred to his entrenched challenger as “Pork Barrel Tom.”

Early into Nethercutt’s first term, I heard him say on local radio that he “Didn’t get into pork style issues” when asked what he’d do to stop the HUD 108/CDBG money for River Park Square.

I wish I were wrong, but I believe Nethercutt has turned into another partisan politician who has become all too addicted to the power and influence of the beltway.

Nethercutt had a chance to live up to his campaign message of 1994. The Contract with America was filled with several important reforms that I believe are valid today. Had Nethercutt been true to his word and not abandoned this contract, I believe that he would have gone down in history as one of our best ever representatives, one who demanded accountability not only from our government, but our political process. Steve E. Thompson Spokane

Changing his campaign cornerstone

How refreshing it is to see these same Republican voters making excuses and apologies for George Nethercutt and his campaign statement regarding his commitment to only serve three terms. Was not this the same Nethercutt who viciously attacked the most gracious and influential congressman the 5th District had ever known - Tom Foley - on this very issue?

I think I have it figured out. If you are a Democrat and serve a number of terms in Congress in order to gain the influence and power needed to represent your district’s needs on par with the rest of the nation, you are considered a Washington insider and must be removed for being out of touch with your constituency. But if you are a Republican who promised that he will only serve three terms as a campaign pledge to uproot this insidious Washington insider, then turns around and considers changing his mind now that he’s been there awhile, that’s OK with the voters because it takes time to gather the necessary power to chair important committees in Congress.

I truly cringe when I now hear that Nethercutt would even consider changing his mind when this was his key cornerstone in his campaign against Foley. This would be laughable if it was not so pathetic. Steve Hintyesz Spokane

Group for better government

As the discussions over limiting terms elevate, let’s focus on better government. Some people wanting a smaller, less intrusive government believe limiting terms is the first step towards better government.

Some of us think a law or an amendment is required to bring this about. Others think that informing and motivating the public to participate in self-government is the answer. Realizing we have the same end result in mind, people from both groups are joining together under the banner of Eastern Washington Term Limits Action Committee.

As a member of that group and speaking for myself, I invite all who understand that limiting terms by law or ballot box is movement to better government, to join us in that effort. It’s requested that you not promote partisan politics within this group. That process belongs to the various party organizations.

I’ll not defend or apologize for the U.S. Term Limits TV and radio ads. By the same reasoning, I do not expect local party members to defend or apologize for ads produced and paid for by the national party organizations.

There’s no time for anger to have a place in our efforts. We don’t need to kiss and make up. Nobody has to say they’re sorry. But we do have to agree now to disagree later and work to bring an end to the new two-party system of the incumbent party and the part of the rest of us, before that system destroys what remains of our republic. Jon J. Tuning Spokane

IN THE PAPER

`Overzealous application’ by police

D.F. Oliveria is very quick to dismiss others’ constitutional rights in his editorial board’s dissenters column (Opinion, March 26). I wonder if he would still have that attitude if it were applied to his First Amendment right. Would he gladly surrender his rights to say or write what he thought was correct, regardless of what “political” expediency seemed to dictate.

I witnessed two of the so called “necessary” arrests and I have a totally different view of what took place on our streets the day of the infamous Aryan parade. A “jackbooted thuggism” (Oliveria’s term) comes close to a fair description of the actions that I witnessed. Two young people were accosted and given an unconstitutional order to submit to a warrantless search.

Regardless of Oliveria’s obvious broad-brush painting of everyone arrested as “troublemakers,” the arrests that I witnessed did not involve any such actions, except those of the overzealous application of what the police perceived as their duty at that time. Whether by direct orders from above or just being caught up in the moment, I do not believe that under normal circumstance these arrests would have occurred. To try and excuse them because of the presence of someone like Richard Butler or Irv Rubin does not make it right, nor does it relieve the wrongdoers of any responsibility for their actions.

Come on, Oliveria, you would be one of the first and loudest to complain if your First Amendment rights were violated for any reason. Dale L. Moody Coeur d’Alene

Will off in view of Kazan

George Will (Opinion, March 23) contends it was OK for Elia Kazan to protect himself and betray other people to unwarranted, unconstitutional - and therefore unlawful - persecution by the U.S. government in 1952 because Stalin was evil.

Will attacks Hollywood, stating outright that those attacking Kazan are defending Stalinism. No. They are defending the Constitution, and the rights guaranteed therein.

The people Kazan informed on likely had no more of a flirtation with the party than Kazan himself did. They just as likely hadn’t been members of the party for 14-15 years. Kazan’s (and Ronald Reagan’s) offense was that he sided with the oppressors in persecuting innocent people, people with whom he had relationships, in order to protect himself.

This is, quite simply, morally reprehensible.

Will goes so far as to call those offended by this self-serving amorality Hollywood Stalinists. He then says that had anyone in Hollywood who sympathized with Hitler for 15 minutes as they did with Stalin for 15 years that person would have instantly become a permanent pariah.

Aside from 15 years being an outrageous distortion of the truth, apparently Will doesn’t remember the Charlie Chaplin film, “ The Dictator,” nor the reason Chaplin was moved to create it. Chaplin was angered by the mindless support Hitler was receiving in conservative Hollywood, even among conservative Jews, even as the truth about the Nazis was emerging.

Stick to baseball, George. The prejudicial political logic is getting tiresome. Merrill Franklin Danford Pullman

OTHER TOPICS

In final hour, Zags No. 1

To Don Monson, assistant coaches and to the Gonzaga University basketball team: to win in the beginning is one thing, to attain No. 1 in the end is quite another.

Through your love of the game, team and community you have taken us to the heights of unity. Through your honesty, graciousness and respect for one another you have become what is most needed in this day - positive and powerful role models for all youths who had the opportunity to watch you play, inspiring future generations to understand the true meaning of being number one.

In the final hour, No. 1 in courage and grace at its very best! Joanne Henderson Spokane