Letters To The Editor

EASTERN WASHINGTON ISSUES

`Big mugs’ there for a reason

Loved to see the wonderful photo and story regarding the “big mugs” about town! Unfortunately, your article missed the critical reason for the mugs’ placement.

These mugs mark the bus stops for the Spokane Transit Authority buses serving the Spokane Visual Arts Tour (a project of the Spokane Arts Commission). The entire community is invited to join in a visit to more than 34 art galleries, museums and alternative spaces and to hear live music on Friday from 5 to 9 p.m.

We are partners with the galleries, Cheney Cowles Museum, Live After 5 project of the Downtown Spokane Partnership and the Asian Cultural Festival in providing one of the largest cultural partnerships Spokane has seen.

Don’t miss out. Come out for the Visual Arts Tour. For more information, call the Spokane Arts Commission, 625-6050. Karen Mobley Arts director, city of Spokane

Look to Colorado for answers

As the “Blair witching” by opponents of Initiative 695 continues, you won’t hear from any of those doomsayers regarding what the state of Colorado (39th-highest-taxed state) has accomplished.

The citizens of Colorado faced the same rhetoric from government, labor and business back in 1992 when they passed the “voter’s bill of right,” allowing citizens to vote on state and local taxes and fees. Since that passing, 678 tax issues have been passed by Colorado citizens, not to mention the fact that Colorado’s state government has saved $450 million this year.

On the flip side of that, in the next biennium, Washington state’s (sixth-highest-taxed state) budget will grow by 11 percent or over $4 billion dollars. Since 1995, Washington state’s employee rolls have grown by 10.5 percent. Our Department of Transportation has more than 6,500 employees who have nothing to do with construction and maintenance of our roads. What’s wrong with this picture, folks?

It’s high time for an honesty call in Olympia. I-695 is the way to do it.

Vote yes on I-695. Michael Fagan Spokane

Here we have a lose-lose loser

In response to Betty A. Button’s Sept. 23 letter and her not understanding the “flap” over Rep. George Nethercutt and his term limit pledge.

There’s nothing very complicated here. In repudiating his pledge of three terms only, Nethercutt now claims he just never really understood what term limits actually meant. If we accept this, in effect, we’re accepting the fact that Nethercutt is an extremely stupid person. But if that isn’t so and Nethercutt isn’t that empty-headed (which I for one don’t believe he is), the only other option is that Nethercutt not only lied to us when he first ran for office, he’s still lying to us now.

And there you have it, Button. A vote for Nethercutt means a vote for either stupidity or duplicity. Robert J. Rogers Spokane

EDUCATION

Computers need to be used

I sincerely wish you would do a follow-up report on the article, “Schools caught in Web.” As a parent of children attending Spokane’s District 81 schools, I am greatly disappointed with the district’s use of computers as a learning tool. Though the district has spent millions of dollars on computer systems for our schools, just as your article points out, this technology is not actually being used for the students! Our older daughter is a freshman at Lewis and Clark/Holly-Mason where there is a computer in each of her academic classrooms. Even though she is in advanced placement sections for all of the courses for which they are available, she hasn’t used a computer at all in school so far this year. Our younger daughter is a third-grader at Hutton Elementary School, where there are two computers in her classroom. Yet they’ve had little use in class yet.

It seems to me that, unfortunately, District 81 teachers are content (and allowed by the district) to continue using the lesson plans that they carved in stone when that was the popular communications technology. Mike Czechowski Spokane

Search was justified

I recently watched a segment on KREM News about a boy in Chewelah, at Jenkins Middle School, who claims that his personal rights were broken when he was searched for drugs. It went on to say how the school received a tip stating that this boy might be smoking marijuana in class. He was pulled out of class and taken to the principal’s office, where he was searched.

This is the part I can’t understand. He complains about them making him empty and pull out his pockets and take his shoes and hat off. Some of this stuff happens at the airport, does it not? Do we make a fuss over this?

What would have happened if the tip had been about a gun at school and the school hadn’t gone about this search. If a shooting had taken place then everyone would have been livid because a search strenuous enough to find the gun hadn’t been done.

Now the boy claims that something “personal was taken away” and he can’t go back to this school. Give me a break. At least he wasn’t strip-searched.

Personally, I think the search should have been done no matter what. We need these searches when tips are reported. I mean, aren’t we supposed to be cracking down on drugs and guns on the campus? I don’t think this person has a case. We pull out our pockets and take off our shoes every day. Robert J. Welsh, age 15 Spokane

EWU deserves our support

Thank you, editor Chris Peck, for your fine article of Sept. 19 (Perspective) about the excellence Stephen and Ruthie Jordan have brought back to Eastern Washington University. The Jordans’ competence and graciousness have made it possible for harmony to return to the campus and for enrollment to soar. As you so wisely suggested, all of us in Spokane should be supportive in every way.

Years ago, I served on the board of trustees at Eastern and in a brief commencement address I told the graduates that I had cherished every educational institution I had known, but I had never felt the devotion to any one that I felt for Eastern. I feel the same way today. Mary S. Wilson Spokane

OTHER ISSUES

Extreme measures not needed

The recent shooting by New York City police of Gidone Busch, a person with a psychiatric disability, and the recent decision of a Spokane jury exonerating Spokane police officers of a similar act, should call out for our attention as informed and caring citizens regarding the handling of such emergency situations by law enforcement officials.

In both cases, the persons killed were extremely agitated and threatened the officers at the scene. In both situations, the police subdued the individuals by shooting to kill. The questions asked by mental health advocates in both the New York and Spokane instances are: Is killing an agitated person with an identified psychiatric disorder the appropriate action to take even in emergency situations? Are there any less restrictive and life-threatening ways to deal with these citizens, neither of whom, in these cases, were threatening police with firearms? And, if there are other methods for dealing with such emergencies, are law enforcement officers receiving the appropriate education and training needed for them to recognize and employ these alternatives? John Plimley, president National Alliance for the Mentally Ill, Spokane

Protester hasn’t learned lesson

Re: “Police arrest anti-abortion protester” by Bill Morlin (Sept. 18).

Teresa Van Camp has a constitutional right to protest in a peaceful manner. She does not, however, grasp the fact that those who oppose her also have the same rights. This woman, arrested several times in the 1980s for her intolerance of differences in creed, belief or opinion, has not learned from her experiences.

Many who have visited the building at 123 E. Indiana since February have been harassed by Van Camp. Her tactic is to shove her camera into their faces and photograph them against their will. They respond with anger, frustration or derision. She doesn’t learn.

Planned Parenthood’s mission is to promote safe, affordable and effective birth control methods along with age-appropriate education in their use for both men and women who request them. The clinic at Indiana also offers counseling, medical care and information for thousands of patients with limited funds. “Who would dare claim it is their place to purge the world of those seeking help?” (Rob Callahan, Sept. 17 editorial, the Gonzaga Bulletin). Van Camp doesn’t learn.

Those who have witnessed her aggressive efforts to force her personal dogma on others, and revolting stage props displayed opposite a child-care center, are sickened by her presence.

Van Camp has failed to learn that whatever problems arise, love and compassion are the answer, not hate. Joyce M. Paris Spokane