Letters To The Editor

BUSINESS AND LABOR

Economic incentives perverse now

Re: Insurance company executive bonuses.

Most reasonable people recognize that financial compensation in the world of business follows certain rigid principles and expectations. Individuals deserve to reap the benefits of a job well done, and people realize that decisions about who earns the most is almost always unfair. Thus, we have situations where those who produce the least-tangible output earn the most, while those who work with their hands earn the least.

Despite this inevitability, it is no less disturbing - no, reprehensible - that executives of insurance companies and HMOs are earning record-breaking bonuses while asking consumers to put up with less. Industry analysts insist compensation packages only reflect administrative realities and business achievements, and that in order to attract the “best,” that pay and bonuses need to be attractive.

It is ironic, however, that the productivity being rewarded reflects successful efforts to make health care resources more expensive and difficult to access.

The Group Health official who observed how “odd” it was for people to focus on these remarkable compensation packages shows the bankrupt nature of doing business the “old-fashioned way.” Jeffrey A. Fong, Ph.D. Spokane

Striking workers due extended benefits

I was very sad to read the column by Don Brunell, head of the Association of Washington Business, in which he sided with Kaiser Aluminum and against 2,400 locked-out Steelworkers and their families. Brunell says the Legislature shouldn’t get involved in passing a bill to provide unemployment benefits to our families and us. His position is not just a slap in the face to every worker in our state - it is plain wrong! This bill is about basic fairness for workers who want this labor dispute settled and who want to go back to work. In fact, on Jan. 13, 1999, the Steelworkers made an unconditional offer to return to work. Kaiser Aluminum responded by locking us out of the plants that we have worked in for decades.

The State Senate already passed the bill and the House has the bipartisan votes for passage. The real outrage is that Co-Speaker Clyde Ballard refuses to allow the bill to the floor for a vote.

Even Brunell and big business should believe in basic democracy. Shame on Brunell and shame on Ballard! It’s not too late for the Legislature to do the right thing for working families in Spokane and across our state. Carol Ford Duncan locked-out Kaiser Steelworker, USWA Local 338, Spokane

LAW AND JUSTICE

Level of charge seems questionable

Re: “Long term for candy thief stuns the world,” (April 7).

All judges and prosecutors take an oath of office “to uphold and defend the Constitution.” The Constitution gives no authority to the judicial branch to make or change laws. If the law states theft under $500 is a misdemeanor, they are to abide by that law. What statute allows the judge and prosecutor to bump the charges from a misdemeanor to a felony? Or are the judges and prosecutors out of control?

Floyd Howard Coeur d’Alene

GOVERNMENT AND POLITICS

Census just another conspiracy

Right now in Washington, D.C., our elected representatives are spending millions of our hard-earned tax dollars in a giant conspiracy to do one thing: make our lives better!

Curse them for sending out a census so they can find out how many people there are, what they make and other information so they can best apportion money to give our kids a good education, provide emergency services and adequate police protection, establish proper representation and other such amenities.

We don’t need no education! Let our kids stay dumb. We don’t need emergency services or medical care, either. I’ll be dead in the cold, cold ground before I let some fancy-pants doctor tell me how to stay healthy.

As for police protection, ha! I think that’s a conspiracy, too. There really isn’t any crime anywhere so we don’t need police. They just make up crimes and stage robberies to make the public think we’re in danger.

I’m not going to take it any more! Contact your representatives and demand that they stop this conspiracy at once.

We don’t want our children to grow up in a world with education, health care and police protection.

Bah! The government should concentrate on the real important issues: covering up the alien landing at Roswell and faking space missions. Joel Preuninger Spokane

OTHER TOPICS

Salmon fishing must be reduced

Regarding Salmon recovery. The No. 1 problem is not the dams, although they undoubtedly contribute. The problem is the Department of Fish and Wildlife’s management of sport fishing.

We have more fishermen and fewer salmon every year. We have to cut back on salmon fishing until we turn it around. If that means cutting down salmon fishing altogether, so be it. In addition, we need salmon sanctuaries that consist of gravel beds developed about a mile apart where conditions are favorable for spawning. The beds should be identifiable by buoys and closed to boats and fishing. A barge full of gravel should be able to establish several salmon sanctuaries a day, very inexpensively.

This, along with good environmental disciplines, would succeed. Harold Meili Cheney

Cougar hunting law change helpful

Thanks to partial repeal of Initiative 655, hound hunters can again cull cougar populations that threaten people and livestock. (“Governor signs bill partially repealing 1996 ban on hunting cougars with dogs,” April 1). Hopefully, cougar and bear may some day be fully restored to their proper status as valuable game resources. The bill’s downside is its justification based as animal removal, rather than improving hunting opportunities.

I first learned about hound hunting while fighting I-655 in 1996. Training and deploying hounds in the field is a finely honed skill, which I wish I possessed. I have shot many deer and other big game animals, with no cripples. The challenge of ethical hunting is getting within clean killing range of your game. That means shooting a deer or elk should be as easy as shooting a bear or cougar out of a tree. Trick shooting is for the firing range.

Hound hunters have good reasons for pride in the skills required by their sport. So do hunters in general.

Increasing the quantity and quality of hunting experience should also be a proudly stated goal of wildlife managers; consistent with other goals such as conservation, public safety and nonconsumptive wildlife use. A growing urban population and efforts by professional animal advocates have weakened public support for hunting. Hence, the need to fight bad laws, such as I-655, with arguments like public safety. Hunters and other supporters of responsible wildlife management have work to do, to change those attitudes. Robert L. Stokes Spokane

Pedophile sleuth has right idea

Re: “Small-town cop hunts the Web for sex predators,” Region, April 5.

Hurray for Sgt. Ray Williams! Tracking down pedophiles that utilize the Internet in order to prey on young children is prevention at its best.

This is just one way people can change things and it is an incentive to become involved in your child’s life.

Unfortunately, parents no longer have the luxury of sitting on their tush and letting life happen. In this modern and scary world we must invent some barriers in order to shield our children. People must seize every opportunity that presents itself to protect our children’s lives from being destroyed.

Williams’ actions just prove that people can make a difference. Lola S. Cogswell Spokane

Biology wonderful to learn about

Sometimes one hears misunderstandings about biological evolution in this newspaper.

To me, biology is a great subject to study - almost an education in itself, with branchings softly entering into basic physics, chemistry, anthropology, geology - even human psychology. Anyone, even parent and child, can study biology together with reputable books to be found in numerous places, including Internet sites. Classes are available that do not require a major overhaul in one’s schedule. Advanced learning centers worldwide sometimes give lectures on the topic.

Likewise, since Charles Darwin’s superlative early work, much additional information has been acquired and all of the scientists and researchers I have spoken with endorse biological evolution as a central aspect of biology. Within that realm actualities must match exactly with evidence and experiment which is appropriate for an endeavor that strives to garner and pass on correct information.

Furthermore, technology is improving, which enhances abilities to look outwards for newer frontiers. A different question that I occasionally ponder is if indeed there are to be trillions of other planets (some with life), are the physical and chemical origins similar or different than here on Earth? Just one of so many questions to be asked and hopefully answered, at least to a degree, in the future. Gordon Sanders Spokane