Letters To The Editor

SPOKANE MATTERS

Parochialism is not EMS’ way

I’m not really interested in Spokane County’s problem with the assessor’s office but feel compelled to correct one of Doug Floyd’s statements (editorial, April 9). He asks, “Should taxpayers countywide have to pay for EMS programs that function only inside the City of Spokane?” and answers no.

EMS programs serve anyone in need, without first asking the address of the patient. EMS will respond whether you are in Spokane, the Spokane Valley, Moses Lake, Seattle or even little Edwall when you collapse with chest pain or run your car off the road. When the fire department or rescue squad arrives to help, nobody will ask where you paid your taxes. When a major incident happens, crews from different districts and different counties cooperate under mutual aid agreements for everyone’s benefit because it’s the right thing to do.

You still need to sort out the assessor’s office problem but do keep in mind that EMS in the city does serve county residents visiting, working and traveling through the city. Perhaps that knowledge will make it easier to come to an agreement. Sue Lani W. Madsen Edwall Fire and Rescue

Noise abatement law needed

I would like to ask our county officials to do something about the loud radio noise that is blasted out of the cars in our community.

Some of these radios produce such a loud noise that it rattles the dishes in our home, two to 300 feet from the road. A person should be allowed to use their equipment as much as they want, as long as it does not assault the people around them. I live next to a car wash and in the summer these people drive me and my family out of our back yard into the house.

The cities of Portland and Kennewick, as well as other communities, have strong ordinances concerning this problem.

Am I the only person afflicted with this problem? Would the commissioners even consider this problem? Jim Wilbur Spokane

Property tax processed in Seattle?

What a shock I recieved when I decided to pay our property tax by mail, to save my husband the hassle at the courthouse. Mail them to Seattle!

I thought that had to be a typo so I called the information number given on the tax notice. No typo. Send them to Seattle. Why? Because that is where they are processed.

I dare bet there have not been any layoffs locally. I’m sure gossip and coffee are still being done. What a rip-off! Another example of our tax dollars at work. Shirley A. Morin Spokane

We are grateful to so many

We want to express our deep gratitude for the overwhelming support and generosity the Spokane community has shown us during the past few months.

The community’s concern for our family has been of great comfort in helping us get through these very difficult days.

The thoughts, prayers and comments from this community that has been showered upon our family has brought tremendous encouragement as we face this new path in our lives.

Tom is making remarkable progress in his rehabilitation. He is experiencing some movement in his arms and legs, he is breathing on his own now and he can sit by himself, unsupported, for short periods of time. This progress may seem little, but to all of us, particularly Tom and his doctors, this progress is more than anyone expected.

Soon, Tom will be in a wheelchair, using his head to direct it. His rehabilitation will continue at St. Lukes and his progress, we hope, will continue to improve as it has up to this point.

The doctors treating Tom are not certain how far he will progress with his recovery. With his condition, anything is possible. Doctors tell us it is too early to determine the final outcome of his rehabilitation.

Your prayers and thoughts are most welcome now as we continue the rehabilitation process. The Tom and Loretta Higgins family Spokane

Concern for animals set the tone

I am responding to Brandy Dossett’s April 7 letter regarding the Shrine Circus and lack of enthusiasm by the audience.

Even though the human performers were working their hearts out, perhaps those spectators realized that it is unnatural and even abusive to have elephants dancing and having ladies hang from their mouths, and wildcats performing tricks.

I support the Shriners and admire them for their work with children in need. But I cannot support a show where animals are shipped from city to city in cages and forced to perform. Take out the animals, though, and I would gladly cheer on the human performers. Betsy Ressa Spokane

HEALTH CARE

Mess made of mental health services

Will Spokane finally wake up to the growing disaster in public mental health services? The Spokane County Regional Service Network forced through a catastrophic change in the system of care that gutted staff and programs within Spokane Mental Health.

Now, mental health care has collapsed to a point of dangerous inadequacy. Individuals wait three months for an appointment, the RSN failed to provide for family reconciliation treatment, providers of psychiatric care in the hospital have refused to renew their contract under the new system and there’s no legally adequate oversight for mentally ill individuals in court-ordered treatment.

It is typical that Casey Kramer and the RSN now pretend they depended on Spokane Mental Health’s expertise to design this system. In reality, the RSN persisted in perceiving all of Spokane Mental Health’s genuine concerns about the changes and recommendations for the future of treatment resources as “self-serving” or even “sabotage.”

I have personally watched the RSN struggle to cover its errors with bullying tactics in meetings and letters, totally false public vilification of Spokane Mental Health, questionable statistics and political double talk. The RSN then comes privately to Spokane Mental Health to alternately beg or demand help from Spokane Mental Health to fix its mistakes. Recently, the RSN admitted it is spending the same amount of money and serving half as many individuals.

Place the blame for this disaster where it belongs - on the Regional Service Network. The county commissioners need to take action before our mentally ill community members die from lack of care. M. Jennifer Allen Veradale

Restore Spokane Mental Health

Re: “Lack of counselors ties CPS hands”

I’m not amazed to hear that a program that could help so many has been cut and that the powers that be are scrambling to put a temporary fix in place. That seems to be happening a lot lately with the mental health system here in Spokane.

I am grateful for Child Protective Services. Many years ago when I had a mentally ill, out-of-control child I was woefully equipped to parent, CPS literally saved my family. There was no program called the Child Abuse Project - just a lot of caring individuals who knew my daughter and my family needed help.

Those were the days when Spokane Mental Health was an umbrella agency. Then, there was community-based mental health treatment here in Spokane, not managed care. That started as my daughter turned 17. Thank God. Had it started sooner we wouldn’t have gotten the help we needed.

My daughter had an outstanding CPS case manager through the Division of Children and Family Services. We found the most wonderful, caring mental health care professionals through child and family service at Spokane Mental Health. When they no longer could help, we found a phenomenal staff at both Tamarack Psychiatric center and Excelsior Residential Treatment center.

My daughter has bipolar disorder. If it hadn’t been for all I learned because CPS helped me get the parenting skills I needed through treatment, I wouldn’t be able to help my daughter by practicing letting go like I am now.

It’s time to put Spokane Mental Health back to the umbrella agency it once was! Helen Wilkerson Spokane

HEALTH AND SAFETY

Answer is to outlaw stupidity

In a recent news article, a letter writer referred to automobile drivers using cell phones as “idiots.” With due understanding of the emotions of the writer, who apparently lost a child in an automobile accident allegedly caused by one such cell phone user, I suggest that it’s time to get some perspective.

It has become the current psychosilliness to blame traumatic outcomes on the object, rather than the perpetrator, of the tragedy. It’s a convenient way to substitute the sphincter for the brain.

Hence, guns are evil. They kill! Cell phones are evil. They kill! Tobacco is evil. Kills too. Alcohol also, all you who are by nature abusers. Spanking children is a criminal offense.

What, in the name of God, has become of common sense? Cell phones, guns, whiskey and spanking are not culprits. Stupid is a culprit. So let’s prosecute the stupid.

I have a cellular phone. Occasionally, I use it while driving, to call in short messages to my wife. I use it with common sense. I do not become distracted. I carefully watch traffic as I use it. In short, I am not an idiot.

The misuse of cellular phones by car drivers is attributable to exactly, precisely and directly to the inattention of some drivers whose attention to traffic is diverted by small children, pets, cosmetic applications, shaving, passengers in the car, eating, drinking soft drinks, the radio or simply mind-wandering.

So, why not ban them all? The only problem being identifying the real `idiots.” Paul G. Wilson Hayden Lake, Idaho

FIREARMS

Trigger locks not whole story

The National Rifle Association is getting bashed a lot over its objections to the Smith & Wesson agreement. It appears the media are practicing “iceberg reporting” on this issue, i.e., only telling part of the story (the tip) while the part untold (beneath the surface) is far larger and more dangerous than that above the surface.

By only mentioning the less objectionable items, like trigger locks, large grips, stiff triggers and large-capacity clip bans - the tip of the iceberg - things that most people would grudgingly accept in the name of child safety, readers are being misled about the real content of the agreement. At the same time, a false impression of the NRA is being projected.

Not mentioned are the more restrictive items - the unseen part of the iceberg. Many of these unmentioned items should be cause for great alarm to all gun owners, sports persons and business people dealing in guns, ammunition and sporting goods.

The NRA, with access to the entire agreement, should object. The organization would be derelict in its obligation to its members and all other gun owners if it did not object. Since local newspapers and TV stations don’t seem inclined to give the complete story of the Smith & Wesson agreement, people interested in the matter should make a concentrated effort to get the complete information from other sources, such as the website of Gun Owners of America at http://www.gunowners.org/ or call them at 703-321-8585. Another website is http://www.hud.gov/ pressrel/gunagree.html Arthur Wachtendorf Addy, Wash.

Don’t just go along with `Big Daddy’

After reading the editorials and letters concerning the Smith & Wesson agreement, I realized I was confused and needed to research all the facts. I looked up the complete agreement and studied it.

I wish more people would do their own research over issues that concern them. You will find the complete truth that way. We have become a nation of very lazy and complacent people. We read the paper, listen to the news and think we are getting the whole story, and we are not.

This particular agreement would put the government, namely the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms, as overseer in the gun purchasing business. The government is taking control of too many of our businesses and treating the citizens as though we are too ignorant and irresponsible to conduct business properly without Big Daddy watching over us. The establishment of too many laws and regulations causes confusion and rebellion. We as citizens need to become knowledgeable of what our government is doing. Go to the source of the laws and regulations and read them for yourselves.

I am insulted by the belief that the government needs to be my caretaker. We need to wake up and find out what all these laws are about. Do not be complacent. We are still a free country but if we don’t stay on top of what our government is doing we may wake up one morning and find our precious freedoms have been taken away under the guise of “protecting us” from ourselves. Kathleen E. Holloway Chewelah, Wash.

IDAHO VIEWPOINTS

Sales tax hike is still not the way

Re: “County considers sales tax increase” (April 4).

A sales tax increase will fund jail expansion on the backs of our most vulnerable population, the poor and fixed-income seniors. The voters of Kootenai County wisely rejected this measure last year. Why is an attempt again being made to shove this down our throats?

Commissioner Ron Rankin’s assertion that landlords don’t benefit from the homeowner’s exemption isn’t necessarily correct. The key here is homeowner’s exemption, not house owner’s. The houses landlords reside in do qualify for this property tax exemption. Rental properties are income producing. The “little guys” who don’t own their homes do pay the full property tax burden through rent. But does anyone seriously believe landlords will pass on property tax relief to their renters?

Those least able to afford it will have to continue paying the same tax burden through their rent and will have to pay the increased sales tax: double jeopardy.

Rankin also alludes to the idea that if property taxes are used to fund jail expansion the increase may never come off our tax bills. Then why not fund this correctly, through the use of a bond issue? A bond issue was the method used to build the jail.

Why aren’t our commissioners listening to their constituents again? We told them last year to find alternative funding. Now we must tell them again. Please vote no on May 23 to a regressive and discriminatory tax. Mary P. Jacobsen Hayden

Slow down on jail addition

In our rush to build and fund a new $12 million addition to the Kootenai County Jail, our argument has centered on how we are to pay for it. I feel there is a real question as to whether there hasty decision on the matter is needed.

What’s the rush? There is no federal court order pending now or in the immediate future. The so-called blue ribbon jail committee announced four months ago is just now recommending new changes to make our jail more efficient.

After the bail bondsman filed a tort claim against the sheriff for interference in bonding prisoners out of the jail the increase of bonded prisoners was approximately 700 percent. If we allow the bail bondsman to be responsible for the defendants showing up in court, that frees up the jail. That age-old system will save the taxpayers a lot of money for caring for the prisoners and diminish the need for a large holding jail.

Let’s not rush to build a big, inefficient jail and burden the taxpayers. Let’s fine-tune our current jail. Let’s look at our jail staff’s unbelievable turnover rate. Let’s look at citing and releasing on minor offenses. Let’s keep in mind that the taxpayer is supposed to dictate to the commissioners and not the other way around! Ted Pulver Post Falls

Publicizing unfortunate’s case wrong

Re: “Priest has parishioner arrested” (March26)

I thought the policy of a newspaper was to inform and benefit the public at large.

Suppose someone was lost or missing because of Alzheimer’s disease. I feel that would be a newsworthy service to the worried family to help find the missing person. I fail to understand, however, why it is beneficial to the public for a woman suffering from dementia to have her family name and personal problems on the front page of the Handle. I thought it was in poor taste. Notoriety does not help in this situation.

God willing, you’ll never have a loved one so mentally tormented. Marilynne G. Wachsmuth Coeur d’Alene, Idaho

Downtown cop shop `great idea’

Re: “CdA seeks downtown cop station,” March 31.

Great idea. I’d rather spend tax money on a substation than money on trying to make Coeur d’Alene look like Portland. Michael E. Prokop Coeur d’Alene