Letters To The Editor

Thu., April 13, 2000

SPOKANE MATTERS

Quit quibbling and get on with it

I have worked in downtown Spokane for the past 21 years. I love this city. I moved here in 1969 and have watched the downtown area grow, blossom and then deteriorate. I want our downtown to shine again.

The first steps have been taken with the beautiful River Park Square development. Soon, several more fabulous stores will arrive. These stores have not yet appeared in Spokane. They would not have agreed to come without first carefully analyzing their ability to be successful. They have a positive attitude toward this development and our wonderful city. The City Council should as well!

Just think - 800 new jobs, increased property values, increased property taxes, increased sales tax revenue. It is time to stop focusing on what went wrong and concentrate on developing a plan that will make this project a success so that the energy of this development will spread east toward Washington Street and south toward the Davenport Hotel.

Julie A. Rector Spokane

Exchange builds better community

April is Child Abuse Prevention Month. “Making a difference in the life of a child” is the motto adopted by the North Spokane Exchange Club, a community service organization, for the month of April. Exchang members are busy this month delivering 20,000 brochures to local medical facilities, offices and other organizations that stress child abuse prevention.

I would like to commend this group of people who come together weekly to serve Spokane. Committed to the youths of Spokane, Exchange members give time, money and energy to various organizations and schools.

Well done, Exchange! Melinda J. Denton Spokane

PEOPLE IN SOCIETY

Women must come to the computers

“Girls rejecting computer age” was just another male scalp hanging off the women’s “I’m a victim” belt and it left me steaming. It reports that male-dominated computer culture must change to attract girls and women to technology. Unless that happens, the nation’s shortage of skilled high-tech workers will continue and women will lose out on opportunities for high-paying high-tech jobs.

How can women lose out on an opportunity if they don’t make that choice in the first place? Equal opportunity is about choice, not forcing a specific field to provide a specific type of work for a specific person.

This idea that the computer world must change so women can compete is an absolute insult to me and to every accomplished woman in the computer industry. Juli Coen Spirit Lake, Idaho

Parents’ involvement crucial

Lately, I’ve noticed an increase in articles concerning school shootings. People say we need to put metal detectors in every school and have gun lock polices. The only thing I haven’t heard much on is why aren’t parents looking after their kids?

I have a close relationship with my parents and it’s easy to tell when your parents aren’t paying attention. But for them, to not care hasn’t happened, and I’m hoping it never will.

When something tragic happens, like a child going out and shooting another person, parents tell themselves, “My kid wouldn’t ever do that.” Parents, you obviously don’t know your kids.

You’ll really know your kid if you talk to him or her and become part of his or her life. That’s what every kid needs and wants. Max B. Shiva Spokane

Intolerance made perfectly clear

What do Richard Butler, David Duke and Rick Miller have in common? They all believe that if LatinoHispanics cannot speak English they should leave the United States.

Hmmm, let’s think about this. It ignores the fact that from Texas to California was conquered by the United States - meaning they did not come to the United States, the United States came to them. It ignores the fact the same requirement was never asked of Germans, Swedes, Danes or Russians. And shall we ignore the fact that over 50 percent of Americans are illiterate or semiliterate? Shall we deport them?

What is the use of such vitriolic statements? I conclude such statements are either made out of ignorance and stupidity or made to breed intolerance and hate. But one thing is certain about people who make such statements - it shows their true colors. Angel Manuel Fitzpatrick Fairfield

GOVERNMENT AND POLITICS

Vaccine deal toxic itself

Re: “Safety of anthrax shots unclear, researchers say” (Spokesman-Review, April 5). We would like to commend Rep. George Nethercutt for sponsoring legislation to study the long-term health effects of the anthrax vaccine before the Department of Defense (DOD) vaccinates America’s military personnel. As the proud parents of two U.S. Marines, we question the vaccine’s effectiveness and safety in the absence of scientific research and in light of some troubling information.

The vaccination’s manufacturer, BioPort Corp. of Lansing, Mich., is DOD’s sole supplier and is currently in financial straits, steeped in debt.

DOD’s original contract with BioPort was for $4.36/vaccination. That figure was recently revised to $10/vaccination after BioPort complained that it was unable to meet expenses.

BioPort has also received U.S. authorization and financial support to sell 70,000 doses of the vaccination to Israel, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait and South Korea before it supplies DOD.

But what is perhaps most interesting is that President Clinton’s former chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff and ambassador to Northern Ireland and England, Adm. William J. Crowe, owns 58 percent of BioPort. Adm. Crowe purchased his majority share in BioPort in 1998. Shortly thereafter, BioPort was awarded its defense contract. Now, whose interests are being served?

Every year, a new crop of men and women join our armed forces. They are young, earnest, impressionable and committed to defending their country to the death if necessary. But they do not expect to be sacrificed in vain for somebody else’s gain. George and Leslie Herion Lt. Col., Army, retired, Spokane

Some need review in civics

Re: “No good deed goes unpunished” (Letters, April 6) by Carl J. Burke.

To define “privilege” and “right” according to Webster.

“Right: adjective, not able to stand alone; dependent.”

Privilege: noun, 1) a right, immunity or benefit enjoyed by a particular person or a restricted group of persons; 2) a special right, immunity or exemption granted to persons in authority or office to free them from certain obligations or liabilities … ”

So, where do we separate privilege from right?

Those who feel the Constitution is “old and obsolete” need to take a refresher course on what constitutes the Constitution! First, read the articles and then the amendments. Some of the first 10 amendments were ratified as recently as 1939.

And for those who enjoy paying taxes, amendment 16 was ratified in 1913.

And if owning a car is a privilege, there are a few car owners who need need this “privilege” revoked before any more innocent people are killed or maimed. Ruth E. Green Spokane

Include Clinton downside, too

Wanda Constantine (Letters, April 8) and Leroy A. Harbours claim that Bill Clinton is responsible for the great economy we have. If that is so, then he is also responsible for all the school shootings, for health care almost out of reach for most Americans, for $2-per-gallon gasoline, for the moral decay that is destroying everything decent in this country. You cannot go on national TV and point your finger at the people of this country and lie to them day after day and not expect anything to happen.

It is the people of this country who are responsible for the economy, not Clinton and his lies. So please don’t take that away from them. Joe Wollman Odessa, Wash.

Keep Senn in insurance post

I have been here for more than 30 years and believe Deborah Senn is the best insurance commissioner this state has ever had. Without her vigilance over the health insurance and pharmaceutical providers, seniors and working people would have to choose between food or health care.

The health insurance providers would love to pay their top executives annual salaries of a million dollars or more, plus super-size bonuses, then cry for higher premiums from the people who can least afford them.

We know that Senn would be a fabulous governor but we the people need her to keep a leash on the health insurance providers in our great state.

Yes, Insurance Commissioner Senn, you are our real crown jewel. W.C. “Bud” Gaston Spokane

It’s not Clinton but the economy

Re: “Let’s give credit where it’s due” (Letters, April 8).

Wanda Constantine’s letter was spent defending the one “responsible” for our economy: President Clinton. If it is fact she is looking for, Constantine may want to give credit to one, Federal Reserve Chairman Alan Greenspan. Greenspan and the rise of technology are the real reasons for the great economy.

And in regard to Constantine’s search for factual information on Clinton, here are some pesky facts one should remember:

1. Our married president had sexual relations on taxpayer time and money.

2. He lied about the whole thing under oath.

3. He took illegal money from a communist nation.

4. He gave the same communist nation nuclear and cruise missile technology.

And in regards to President Reagan, he gave pride to this nation and ended the Cold War. Didn’t Clinton say we would be out of Bosnia by Christmas of 1996?

Be careful of what you wish for, Constantine. You bleeding heart liberals disgust the rest of us real Americans. James Barnett Spokane

Wait until census people see this

I got the long census form. I must admit that the question regarding the status of our plumbing facilities (indoor or outdoor?) seemed a bit odd, but loyal American that I am, I answered as truthfully as I could. Had they asked the brand of toilet paper we use, I might have balked at answering. I definitely would have avoided any question concerning the flushing capacity of our toilet (1.6 or 3.4 gallons per flush).

I became slightly paranoid at questions regarding my emotional stability. Truth is, I’ve been emotionally distressed ever since President Clinton’s election and expect even more distress if Hillary goes to the Senate. However, after some deliberation, I concluded that this wasn’t what the question had in mind and answered the question “no.”

The race questions troubled me the most. I was born Caucasian. However, as a result of adoptions, marriages and births, we have eight dark-skinned Hispanic sons, nieces and nephews, a black niece, a Chinese sister-inlaw, a Puerto Rican ex-sister-in-law, a Japanese-Mexican-American daughter-in-law and some mixed offspring.

Given this family configuration, I could only conclude that we’re either mutts or mongrels. Since mongrel sort of rhymes with Mongolian and could get me in trouble with the political correctness police, as a perceived ethnic slur, I identified myself on all such questions as a mutt.

So, If I’m put away by the census cops, don’t send my mail to the federal penitentiary. Send it to the dog pound. L. Jim Shamp Cheney

Clinton gets credit for crimes, period

Re: Wanda Constantine’s letter of April 8, “Let’s give credit where it’s due.”

As one of those disgusting conservatives who, due to his beliefs, is saddled with the concept that right is right and wrong is wrong, I would only ask Constantine if she could name one single policy that Bill Clinton has implemented that has led to this our present day robust economy.

Now, let me address the credit-giving aspect of this lady’s letter. I think that Clinton should be given credit for everything he is responsible for, such as: turning a once-proud military into a demoralized hollow shell that is today; disgracing and demeaning the office that he holds; selling out his country for campaign contributions; preying on and harassing subordinates; committing perjury; obstructing justice; demonstrating his contempt for our judicial system; tampering with witnesses; and, last - only due to the constraints imposed on letter writers - giving the demonized tobacco industry a reason to produce a product that doesn’t necessarily have to be smoked. Bill R. Klein Nine Mile Falls

Embargoes put the hurt on us

The Miami Cuban distant relatives of Elian Gonzalez who are trying to prevent his reunion with his father give as a reason that the father will take him back to Cuba. There, the Miami Cubans say, Elian will fall under the domination of Castro, against whose country we have an embargo.

Ours is the only nation with an embargo against Cuba and it hurts us more than it does Cuba. For example, Cuba was a principal market for our lentils, peas and beans grown in our Columbia Basin and on the Coeur d’Alene Indian Reservation. With the embargo against Cuba, our farmers lost that market.

The same can be said for other embargoes around the world leading to the farm recession that plagues the Western United States. Robert D. Dellwo Spokane

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