Letters To The Editor

SPOKANE MATTERS

De-icing critic simply uninformed

Recent letters by citizens criticizing city employees for their wasteful use of de-icer materials and their “blatant waste of resources” for sweeping and washing streets on a weekend occurrence, call for a response.

The chemical de-icer is a highly effective means of snow and ice control. Its most effective use is as anti-icing agent applied before a snow or ice event occurs, to minimize icing and prevent snow from bonding to the asphalt before plowing operations. This makes possible more-effective use of available personnel and resources in this effort.

Sweeping of the roadway is a year-round task. The city is obligated to sweep all paved roadways twice a year and arterials three times a year as our part in the regional air pollution control effort. Any sand used in the snow and ice control effort must be swept up as soon as possible. Wetting the roadway down minimizes dust from this effort.

Employee overtime and wasting resources by working weekends is a nonissue. Winter work schedules (November through March) consist of seven 24-hour days per week. This schedule places employees on emergency alert and restricts leave options in winter alert conditions.

The key issue is being informed before you criticize. Many efforts have been made to inform the public through the media and telephone numbers are readily available to those who have questions. People are also available to attend public meetings and we welcome opportunities to talk about programs and employee efforts that serve the city. Please use these resources. Larry J. Neil operations engineer, city of Spokane

Honor youth’s request

Alex Smith questioned why a city’s citizens and business owners refuse to invest in recreation for their youths (Letters, Dec. 26). Jayne Edens asks, “Does Alex think citizens or businesses owe him a place to skate?” before launching into a lecture on how Alex can start to battle the bureaucratic minefield (Letters, Jan 7).

Shame on you, Edens. Does not the good book say, if a child asks for bread, what father hands him a stone? Didn’t we long ago decide that it takes a village to raise a child?

We live near the skate park in Colville and seasonally, a daily pleasure is hearing the youths of Colville enjoying the park. A greater treasure is sitting in the grass on a long summer evening watching them, being proud to live in a town providing activities and recreation for our children.

We often watch them, seriously contemplating how much money and grief we are saving by having a well-lighted, easily viewable skate park that our youths can enjoy. We assume caring adults in this community made the park possible and no doubt at the urging of a few tenacious youngsters.

Alex Smith, we will find out how our village went about building this fine skate park in Colville and try to find some caring adults in Spokane who would be interested in taking on the legwork that Edens feels she shouldn’t have to do for her own community’s children. Chuck Armsbury and Nora Callahan The November Coalition, Colville, Wash.

PEOPLE AND ANIMALS

We let `best friends’ down

Staff writer Paul Turner did an excellent job of portraying the heartbreak of shelter animals (“Furry talk,” Dec. 28). He stated that the Video Pet Pages complicate channel surfing. Those pleading eyes should bother us.

An estimated 25 million animals become homeless each year. Of the 25 million, 16 million die in pounds or shelters that have no room for them and must kill them. About nine million live short, miserable lives on the street, only to die alone from disease, starvation, abuse or under the wheels of a car. Some will be shunted through a series of homes and heartbreaks in their short lives.

The millions of animals that die each year are mostly victims of overpopulation. It is up to humans to take measures necessary to prevent our companion animals from breeding. By spaying and neutering our companion animals before they have the opportunity to reproduce, we can literally save hundreds of lives.

Don’t adopt an animal unless you can make a lifelong commitment. Companion animal overpopulation is not an animal problems, it’s a people problem. Our companion animals rely on us for their safety, comfort, well-being and for their very survival.

Is this any way to treat our best friends? Kimberly Heroff Palouse, Wash.

Know and avoid puppy mills

I am concerned about the recent dachshund rescue at Newport, Wash. I’d like to know how many dogs the Spokane Humane Society had to put down to make room for this many incoming, seemingly well-cared-for dachshunds.

Yes, they needed to be pulled out of their environment to hopefully put these people out of the puppy mill business. More importantly, it was necessary to stop supplying the pet stores with so-called healthy, quality puppies. Pet stores do not require spay and neuter contracts. If the buyer decides not to keep the puppy, will they willingly take the puppy back, as a reputable breeder would? People who breed 200 to 300 puppies a year are not responsible breeders but are supplying a “product” for pet stores.

People, wake up. Anybody who sells or produces 200 to 300 puppies a year isn’t in it for the love of the breed. They are in it for the money. Marilee Earle Chattaroy

OTHER TOPICS

Why intrude into moment of grief?

I question the necessity of the picture on the front page of your Jan. 7 Region section. The picture shows the father and brothers of a fire victim in their grief. This is not the first time your paper has invaded the privacy of others in their time of personal crisis. Could the message have not been delivered without the picture? John Sicilia Spokane

Quit whining and cut the fat

You’d think the end of the world had come with the passage of Initiative 695. Like spoiled children who hold their family hostage after their favorite toy is taken away, our tax-and-spend politicians and bureaucrats vex the voters with I’m going to get you guys, exaggerating every loss and threatening a virtual Washington state meltdown.

Face it, I-695 is here and it is going to be around for a while. The days of politicians and bureaucrats having it strictly their way are over. You can’t cut essential services on one hand and give pay raises and inflated severance pay on the other. Quit trying to punish the voters, learn to live with less, cut the fat. Prioritize and quit your whining, guys, or let some men and women in there who can respond to the voters’ wishes without throwing a pity party.

Remember, “Son of 695”’ is coming down the highway and accountability is not far behind. Leo J. Fagan Spokane

Indulgences concept misunderstood

Your Dec. 24 article on the pope and the start of the Holy Year (“Pope to mark start of Holy Year today”) contains an inaccuracy - an unfortunate one, considering the disputes within Western Christianity beginning in 1517. Despite the gross caricature of Catholic beliefs in the film “Dogma” (a film gross in several other respects), a “plenary indulgence” is not a “Get-out-of-Hell-free” card. Sins are forgiven only through honest repentance and turning back to God.

Indulgences in their origin related to the severe penances that used to be imposed following confession in the premedieval church, and have developed since then as a remittance of the earthly consequences of sin. They do not, however, lessen in any way the need for a Catholic to repent and turn back to God to obtain the forgiveness of sins. Timothy J. Rolfe Spokane