Letters To The Editor

Health care

Words don’t heal squat, Nethercutt

Rep. George Nethercutt, whom I’ve praised for supporting health care improvements for older military retirees, sent an e-mail report on April 14 claiming full credit for the Republican Party for a budget resolution that woefully underfunds health care for these retirees, many of whom saw combat in World War II, Korea and/or Vietnam and who are dying off at a rate of about 3,500 per month.

Enlistees before June 7, 1956, were promised free lifetime medical care if they served to retirement, a promise unkept. The budget resolution he praises caps funding for proposed improvements at a mere $50 million for fiscal year 2001 and a cumulative $400 million for fiscal year 2001 through 2005. Official government estimates are that keeping the broken health care promises will cost $2.5 billion in 2001 while the budget resolution calls for at least $150 billion in tax cuts through fiscal 2005.

Since he claims credit for Republicans, I ask, why did Republicans put such a low funding priority on health care improvements for older military retirees? Do Republicans not regard these health care promises as an obligation of the federal government coming before tax cuts?

In the same e-mail, Nethercutt reported the House passed a non-monetary resolution naming the American G.I. as the “Person of the Century.” In a House speech, he said, in part, “I join my colleagues today in recognizing that we owe the American century to the steady, faithful efforts of the American GI, the Person of the Century.”

Our older military retirees don’t need words. They need health care promised by the country they fought for. Charles E. Latimer Lt. Col., Air Force, retired, Spokane

Drug prices: May Gorton prevail

Something is wrong, folks. How can it be that prescription drugs that are produced in the United States sell for so much less outside our borders? The producers claim that they must seek high costs in order to cover start-up costs. We understand that. But why aren’t buyers outside the United States also contributing?M Thankfully, Sen. Slade Gorton is aware of this and is doing something about it. Go get `em, Gorton! Charles F. Dayley Spokane

Restoring families the best goal

I appreciated staff writer Jonathan Martin’s April 8 article regarding mental health services. The emphasis on having services available so the department can terminate parental rights was unfortunate.

A better focus would have been on having services available so parents could successfully parent their children and have them returned to their families, to the benefit of the parents, the community and, most of all, the children. With 30 years in the field, I’m aware that removing children from abusive families is often the start of the child’s problems, not the end.

During my 28 years at the Mental Health Clinic, I and others created the Child Abuse Project and SCAN because it was absolutely clear that the country’s major mental health problems result directly or indirectly from child abuse and neglect.

The Mental Health Clinic has undergone five years of discounting of clinical expertise and work, and discounting of programs for children, all toward promoting various layers and types of management.

The managed care focus on brief, efficient and shorterterm treatment would be viable with adequate support for clinical experience, competency and training. Unfortunately, the opposite occurred. What’s most amazing is that the center has continued to keep some well-trained, dedicated staff despite this administrative neglect.

The squabble between the county and the center administration over who’s going to run mental health programs and who’s at fault for various failings is ludicrous, considering that neither has shown the maturity or skill to manage mental health services. E. Clay Jorgensen, Ph.D. Spokane

Spokane matters

Eugster, stay the course

City Councilman Steve Eugster feels he is alone as he cultivates, weeds and nourishes the city of Spokane for us, the people. He is doing a good job. We have been watching and listening, waiting to form new opinions of this very serious, practical and intelligent man. We appreciate his watchful eye and the positive things he is trying to accomplish. We know that it takes an anguishing amount of time, patience and fortitude.

Eugster, keep it up! We support your efforts. Neil Von Holt Spokane

New on-ramp not best way to go

The secret to pollution is dilution?

The decision by Washington Department of Transportation and other local agencies to build a new on-ramp at Division Street and “detour” the air monitoring station sounds a lot like how industry used to deal with environmental problems. The funds allocated, $4.5 million, could be better spent on alternative transportation - especially underwriting Spokane’s light-rail project and reducing traffic. Gerald Schuldt Spokane

Symphony getting out and about

Most of the news about Spokane is good, and one of the truly good stories recently is the outreach of our great symphony orchestra to new venues, in addition to the Opera House and the Met.

Several months ago a performance was hosted by Eastern Washington University at the beautiful, renovated Showalter Hall on campus. Then, with organizational work by the Logan Neighborhood, on April 6 the symphony and conductor Fabio Mechetti matched up with another wonderful “music hall,” that being Fourth Memorial Church. At least 800 people, including a lot of children, mostly from the neighborhood and church, enjoyed a spirited concert. This is all part of a plan to eventually have performances in a variety of halls and rooms. Each new site, like Fourth Memorial, will provide its own unique sounds and views.

The symphony is a treasure for all of us and now it will become more accessible to more people, while continuing its great performances in the larger concert halls. Dave Broom Spokane

Volunteerism

Volunteers deserve `superb’ good words

Thanks to Fern Christenson for her superb commentary on volunteerism (“Volunteers crucial in fulfilling needs,” April 10).

As an AmeriCorps Volunteer in Service to America volunteer in Coeur d’Alene, it was refreshing to see acknowledgment of the good work that volunteers are doing in our area.

In my capacity as a VISTA volunteer with the Panhandle Health District, I’m in continual contact with volunteers throughout North Idaho. In recognition of National Volunteer Week, I’d like to thank the multitude of volunteers who keep our communities strong. From members of adolescent pregnancy prevention coalitions, to Health District nurses who donate their own time and money to a youth program I coordinate, to junior and senior high school teachers and counselors that make the program possible, to all of my VISTA colleagues who are selfless in their pursuit of stronger communities, to members of our local injury prevention, to the volunteer staff at the Dirne Community Health clinic, and to members of the business community who are always generous when we ask for their help, I’m consistently impressed.

Perhaps even more remarkable are the youth volunteers I work with: the members of the Citizens Against Tobacco youth coalition who take a very active role in tobacco prevention, and the Peers Encouraging Abstinent Kids mentors who give tirelessly of their time and talent in promoting healthy life choices to younger kids.

These youths genuinely inspire me. They and other volunteers throughout our community may not be overly visible, but the good they do is immeasurable and invaluable. Curt Wozniak Coeur d’Alene

GU volunteers’ help invaluable

Congratulations to Gonzaga University! Yes, the trip to the Sweet 16 for a second year in a row was spectacular and, as an alumni, I am very proud of our Bulldogs.

Interestingly enough, though, on March 19, at 9 a.m., while many other fans and students slept off the celebration of the previous night’s victory, seven students representing Gonzaga’s QUAKE program were carrying out an even more important part of Gonzaga’s mission.

QUAKE is a student volunteer organization at Gonzaga and they have come to the rescue of Center Pointe often. Center Pointe is a nonprofit agency serving disabled adults and we have called on QUAKE for help numerous times in the last three years. They have always come through for us.

On this particular Sunday, seven young ladies joined me at the center to clean out our basement to make room for a new tenant. Eight years worth of junk had accumulated so it was no small task. They worked extremely hard for five hours with enthusiasm and tenacity.

Their names are Amy VanderVennet, Shannon Jordan, Erin Machtolf, Tara Sullivan, Mary Wetzel, Emily Bassier and Kari Kubalanza.

These students represent the true Gonzaga spirit. I thank them, the QUAKE program and Gonzaga University for all that they have done for Spokane. Bill Arnold Center Pointe board of directors, Spokane

Cuban refugee

We can’t give what Elian needs most

Little Elian Gonzalez won’t be subject to physical deprivation here in the United States. Relatives will make sure he’s not wanting for material things. But because his head will be brimming with what they want him to think and feel, he won’t know the genuine concern a father shows for his child’s own thoughts and feelings. At 6 years old, Elian won’t understand what’s involved in such a compromise but he’ll hunger and thirst the rest of his life for the love that only his father could have provided.

He won’t long for political freedom, but for the freedom to be himself rather than the poster boy for Cuban refugees.

America is a great country. But lately we’ve been sacrificing our children’s emotional health for things that, in the long run, don’t matter. We ask ourselves what’s wrong with our country, what’s wrong with our kids. We know many of our kids’ lives are in disaster mode but we’re in denial. Maybe Elian’s father could give us a clue.

Elian’s plight confirms the narrow-minded ethnocentricity in our society. Can we truly define freedom for the rest of the world? Years ago Mother Teresa said, “In India, people are dying of physical starvation. In America, people are dying of emotional starvation.”

In our drive to have all, do all and be all, we’re bankrupting ourselves emotionally and spiritually. Building character is more important than having toys. Being with Daddy is better than going to Disneyland. Being loved is more important than being free.

What Elian’s father has to give him is infinitely more valuable than the advantages available for him in the United States. Elizabeth Staeheli Spokane

`Stupid saga’ is getting old

I take my hat off to Mary McDonnell (Letters, April 17). She has hit the Gonzalez solution right on the head. Send the whole clan back to Cuba. I, too, have had it up to my eyeballs with this situation. It has dragged on far too long. Just like the O.J. Simpson trial.

Sadly, though, McDonnell, simplicity is not the forte of our government, Democrat nor Republican. But, in any case, kudos to her for a simple, cost-effective solution to this stupid saga. Edmond R. King Spokane

Other topics

Good questioning, young man

Nowell Bamberger (Letters, April 14), it is very proper that a young man should question things. You choose to question the Second Amendment. Good. After reading this letter, you might have other questions.

In the sentence structure used for the Second Amendment, the second clause opposes the first. A modern version might be, “We need a standing army even though we don’t want one, and so our individual citizens must also be armed.” Examples of this structure abound in the documents of that age.

If the Second Amendment gives the government the right to create armed forces, why was this right already given to Congress in Article 1, Section 8, before the Bill Of Rights was drafted?

Every federal court that has ruled on the Constitution agrees that “the people” always means individuals - not governments, not institutions.

The word “arms” was carefully used instead of “guns.” The arms then available, owned and operated by private individuals included ocean-going warships, with dozens of heavy cannon and many armed men. The authors knew this. These were powerful weapons, the functional equivalent of modern guided missile frigates.

So why has your education omitted these things? And, if the right to bear arms doesn’t mean I can own a missile frigate, then why does the right to free speech mean I can televise horrific pictures of violence and depravity?

With hopes that you will continue to question, I remain, dear sir, your most obedient servant. Alexander P. Brown Spokane

Kaiser brought on its problems

“Strikers have bad attitude” (Letters, April 15) shows the misconception the Spokane public has about this lockout from Kaiser.

The United Steelworkers of America is not anti-employer or anti-business. We were very loyal to Kaiser. The Steelworkers offered to go back to work under the old contract while continuing to work on a new contract but the company elected to lock us out.

Steelworkers are not trying to cause a financial loss to Kaiser Aluminum. The company is doing it all by itself by using scab replacement workers who are obviously not skilled enough keep the pollutants out of our environment.

If Kaiser suffers a financial loss by having to pay nondiscounted electric rates it should bring a skilled work force back into the plant. Kaiser could take care of our environment and air quality again by ending the lockout and turning a loss into a gain for everyone involved.

Obviously, the Spokane public isn’t aware of just how much electricity Kaiser uses. If the company can’t take care of our environment it doesn’t deserve getting an electrical power discount. If it can’t take care of its pollutants, then pull the plug.

Kaiser should be held responsible for its own actions or inaction. Otherwise, there are plenty of companies that could move into our area, utilize the discounted electric rates, provide jobs and not pollute our environment or air. Deb Miller Steelworker’s wife, Spokane

We’re foolish to give up rights

Ever notice how evil always uses deception by presenting itself under the guise of goodness? Anyone notice how subtle and deceptive this step-by-step movement is that is taking away our right to free speech as it attacks the First Amendment? How about all the things that were once considered a part of normal behavior that can’t be said or done any more?

Also a similar step-by-step movement is sneaking like a snake, conspiring to destroy the Second Amendment, which is the right to keep and bear arms. This movement is hiding under the guise of “protecting the children,” while using exaggerated facts, fabricated data and the demonizing of guns. Blindly we are being brainwashed into this mode of thinking like a straw manipulated in a hurricane.

It is sad to think that this freedom-based Constitution that has withstood the onslaught of tyrants for over 200 years now finds its life threatened by its very own. What a betrayal this is to our founding fathers who gave us this heritage and the Second Amendment as a means to defend it against a runaway government. (No, President Clinton, it’s not about hunting!) A betrayal also to the millions of men and women (using non-demonized guns) who gave their all so that this Constitution might live.

Anyone who believes it can’t happen here should be aware that those words were first coined by history’s greatest fools. What a blind generation of manipulated sheep-fools we’ve become. Andy Ferrera Spokane

Census leaving out older people

The April 10 Spokesman-Review has a front page article extolling the virtues of the census “Getting done!” In the story it says the Census Bureau spent $167 million on an advertising campaign. You also state that “the easy part is over.”

It could have been much easier if they had sent forms to everybody. We live in a retirement home which has more than 100 residents. A large number of us have not received a census form to fill out.

I even called a number which I was given, 1-800 471-9424. After an incomprehensible batch of recorded gibberish I did get a human being to talk to. She took my name and address, and said we’d get a form in about a week. No form has yet been received.

In spite of all their advertisements, TV pronouncements and media protestations, they really don’t want to count us old folks. Robert D. Spies Spokane