Letters To The Editor

SPOKANE MATTERS

Public health nurses vital to community

Re: Cutting of public health nurses.

The Post Falls child abuse case (Spokesman-Review, Jan. 6) shows hands down the importance of our public health nurses’ jobs of making home visits. We question why a public health nurse was not sent out to do a home visit when you have a 23-year-old mother with five children under the age of 3. These are the situations that will be missed by not allowing public health nurses to do home visits. People like this do not come into public health departments for parenting classes, basic hygiene classes or any other type of classes. One home visit by a nurse after the birth of the twins would have picked up on this situation and possibly avoided such a tragic result. Public health nurse visits are sometimes such children’s only chance of survival.

Sheryl Terris, R.N., and Jill M. Adams, R.N. Spokane

Support Bragdon for police chief

Twenty-seven years of experience, integrity, excellent leadership skills, popular with the citizens of Spokane and the Police Department - all ingredients needed to be an excellent leader and citizen. This we have in the man known as our “acting” police chief, Roger Bragdon.

I thoroughly dislike the word “acting,” as I have always stated there is no “acting” in that Bragdon has been our chief since the day Terry Mangan accepted a position with the FBI. Even during our nine-month turmoil which cost the city $65,000 (money taken out of the police budget) he was there helping hold the department together.

Keep in mind the above qualifications are far superior to any bachelor’s degree. Two years ago he was not allowed to even apply for the position and now he is still being held in limbo.

Let the mayor, city manager and City Council members know your support before Jan. 24, the date he will meet with the Public Safety Committee. Marie E. Yates Spokane

Degrees not measure of success

Corporate America, government and other Dilbert-run entities should take note of Steve Eugster’s police chief appointment proposal. If common sense, experience and judgment are included when considering leadership qualifications instead of degrees only, we would have a better society. I am for education, but it is only one of many factors that should be considered when determining an individual’s qualifications. It should not be the only or major factor.

I have personally witnessed many organizations “managed” by educated people with minimal common sense, experience and logic. I have also witnessed many organizations managed by people with minimal education and much common sense, experience and logic. The latter is much better.

If the city chooses to ignore Eugster’s proposal, I must assume that we have some Dilbert “educated” pointy-haired bosses in charge. Unfortunately, the Dilbert world is alive and well. Spokane has an excellent opportunity to change that in the Police Department. Spokane, be a leader and consider Eugster’s proposal seriously. Many successful people have degrees and many do not - including Bill Gates. David Young Greenacres

Spokane’s emergency services excel

While visiting our daughter and husband over the Christmas holidays in your good city, my wife experienced excruciating chest pains, and we deemed it necessary to call 911. Within five minutes the Fire Department responded. Each of the men demonstrated sensitivity, efficiency and a high degree of professionalism. Then, when the paramedics were called, their response time was also exceptionally fast. Their activities, too, were marked by seamless teamwork, revealing competency, astute timelines and a large dose of personal consideration. They recommended taking my wife to a hospital. I chose Sacred Heart Medical Center. Once again, we received the utmost care in the emergency room: promptness, efficiency and tender loving care.

After my wife had been admitted to the hospital for observation and tests, Dr. Kunkel and his staff, lab technicians and nurses of the sixth floor provided her with the best care possible. She was discharged the next day and instructed to report to her doctor within 10 days. I am certain that without the prompt and diligent care she received the results could have been much different.

The citizens of Spokane can be justly proud and grateful to have such excellent emergency services and fine doctors, as well as outstanding hospitals.

We thank all those professional and dedicated men and women who treated my wife so well and cordially. Donald F. Monroe Vacaville, Calif.

IN THE PAPER

Liberals carry responsibilities, too

Re: Jan. 9 Street Level column. Peter Dolina talks about arbitrary borders we put up between ourselves and how it hurts our collective futures. Somehow, he believes that conservatives are responsible. Without sounding too hateful, I think he has it backward.

Tax cuts. Conservatives want cuts across the board and equal flat taxation (all of us together). Liberals want targeted tax cuts and higher taxation if you work harder (building fences).

Education. Conservatives want school vouchers so every parent in America can choose freely (no borders).

Liberals have to protect their special interests (such as teachers’ unions) so they characterize private schools, especially religious schools, as hatefully exclusionary (building more fences).

Health care. Conservatives want medical savings accounts so every American citizen has equal access to care. Liberals want free government-provided and regulated health care for only some of us, excluding those who pay for it themselves (yet more fence building).

Virtually every conservative/liberal disagreement comes down to openness and free ideas versus regulations that must be artificially propped up by intrusive governmental taxation of the working public, the majority of which are conservative. (Talk about fence building.)

Since their polices punish certain segments of the population, in order to make their ideas palatable, the liberals must chastise and separate those segments and argue against their lifestyles instead of for their own ideas.

I know that people of Dolina’s ilk think this letter makes me a hatemonger (even more fence building), but I simply just disagree with them. Michael G. Wiman Spokane

Thanks for `Luann’

I’m going to go against the grain here and say thank you for replacing the tired old “Cathy” cartoon with something fresh and unique like “Luann.” I became bored with “Cathy” way back in the 1980s when I realized that every strip was pretty much the same as the last one, just a few different words. “Cathy” is always depressed and insecure about something and in the last frame she screams out at herself. Done every day, this gets monotonous. However, I am disappointed that you’ve replaced “Herman” (one of my absolute favorites) with “Randolph Itch” (I don’t get it). Lesley A. Haskell Airway Heights

Letter writer lashes out

I cannot let Robert Ruby’s letter of Jan. 11 go unchallenged. He corrected Tim Giago’s column which explained the reasons for Native Americans to love Mother Earth and to retain their culture, including language, ceremonies, etc., at no loss of patronage for our country.

Ruby cited examples of beheadings, slavery, fighting among tribes, mutilation and inhumane punishment for the captured. For these vicious attacks upon our first Americans, I ask, what is the source of your information and what is your motivation? Being Native American, having done extensive research and given hundreds of cultural presentations, I have never heard of those atrocities. But I can cite many examples of cooperation and respect between neighboring tribes.

My intuition tells me that Ruby has no identifiable culture of his own, has no ancestral ties to retain, therefore lashes out at a durable culture which refused the melting pot theory but in fact lives the best of both worlds. Dan Iyall Spokane

Clark’s disrespect goes too far

I think Doug Clark should take his ear plugs out and get that new laser treatment done on his eyes.

It galls me that the media would take something positive like the Elvis Annual Birthday bash and make it out to be a laughing stock of the community. There is so much more to Springdale, their annual events and the many organizations to count than just the mayor and Town Council.

Clark said that Dennis Flynn was a “professional” Elvis impersonator, if going to Las Vegas makes you a professional, I am wondering if that is where Clark received his degree in journalism.

Larry Ellsworth has never claimed to be an Elvis impersonator. When he sings Elvis’ songs he is paying tribute to a man he has loved for a long time and wants to keep his memory alive. He sings Elvis’ songs from his heart and that is what makes him different from the socalled professionals. I have seen other impersonators and if that is what a professional is, then give me a bucket.

The house was packed all night long, the music was wonderful and everyone had a great time. It takes weeks to plan something like this.

Yes, it may have been a fluke that this event came about, but Judy, owner of Geronimo’s, does a great job.

Is Clark a fan? I think not! It saddens me that Clark referred to Elvis as “drug-addled, self-absorbed whale.” Can he show any more disrespect for the deceased? Linda Ritts Springdale

OTHER TOPICS

Gambling a serious problem

Over the last year or two there has been a large increase in the number of pawn shop, check cashing, payday loan businesses in Spokane. I believe these new businesses are gaining a greater customer base thanks to the efforts of the gambling industry and our elected officials.

Unfortunately, gambling has gone from being perceived as a social disease to social policy by our lawmakers. Because of commercial and government greed we are being tempted and incited to gamble and waste our hard-earned money. The poor and underprivileged suffer the most since they are more tempted to believe the lie of the get-rich-quick advertisements by government and gambling companies. Gambling among other things devalues the work ethic which in turn causes people of lose more and more confidence in work as a means of financial gain. This social disease is passing on a set of values to our children, the next generation of working Americans, demonstrating to them that we believe that a legitimate way to success is not through hard work, but through random chance.

See Dr. Dobson’s report on gambling at http:/ /www.family.org/docstudy/newsletters/a0005556.html for a clearer picture of how serious the problem is. Ron Belisle Spokane

Varied service shows pathways

Mike McManus understandably wanted to hear a great Episcopal church service in the National Cathedral on New Year’s Eve. I’m guessing that one of the purposes of the multi-religious service that did take place was to celebrate the common threads to be found in many religions of the world.

Of course, there will be disagreement as to what truly constitutes such common ground. However, it’s interesting to see what annoys people. McManus singled out the statement that “we belong to the earth,” countering with the familiar “Fill the earth and subdue it” passage from Genesis.

“We belong to the Earth” is a way of suggesting the interconnectedness of all beings. It’s hard to see how such a belief could be particularly threatening.

Personally, I believe that “The earth is the Lord’s and the fullness thereof.” God made it; did he mean to share it with man or to give it away? Figuring out how to use it and revere it at the same time has always been a Christian challenge.

Likewise, God made McManus and everybody else, even those who don’t believe that Jesus is the way. And he put us on a world not labeled “for Christians only.” We don’t always want to feel interconnected with some people. But neither did the Pharisees.

There may be a one true path. But you have to use some kind of path to get to the one true path. I wonder how often the Holy Spirit of God really uses exclusivity to open people’s hearts. In fact, it may be that finding common ground with other faiths is a way in which he does clear pathways to himself. Jennifer Hammond Pullman

OTHER TOPICS

It’s time to cut the fat

Enough already! We have heard upwards of $4 million worth of scare tactics, threats, half truths and, yes, I think even lies about Initiative 695. Now it is time to govern, legislate and cut fat, not essentials. The electorate has spoken. It is time to do your job and if you do it right you may be able to keep your job after the next election. Laurence Michaels Loon Lake

Liberals, look at true cause of violence

Do you think there is a possibility that some day you anti-gun, anti-violence and pro-abortion liberals might truthfully apply the law of cause and effect? This law states that in order to destroy an effect, you must eliminate the cause. If you are sincere about destroying violence, especially in our youths, then stop absolving yourselves from personal responsibility by putting the blame on guns. Guns are not the cause, but rather they are only a tool that can be used for good as well as evil.

Children become as they are because they are taught, and they learn far more from what we do than what we say. Now just who is the teacher with the most influence in this violence thing? None other than your new liberal culture in which you show no respect for life, as you hide behind choice and rights, allowing you to abort (kill) by the millions your unborn children, by ripping them apart in the violent act of abortion. Then you blame guns as the cause of our children becoming more and more violent as they show less and less respect for life.

If you ever delete hypocrisy and deceit from your agenda, you will discover the true cause of violence in our children, when you confront that image staring back at you when you gaze into the mirror. Andy Ferrera Spokane

Prosecuting criminals falling short

Your Jan. 12 article on Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco and Firearms gun traces should not be construed to indicate that the federal government is having much success on its own in enforcing federal gun laws. Despite calls for new gun laws by the president, his administration is not enforcing gun laws already on the books.

Federal prosecution of defendants who use a firearm while committing a crime has dropped 47 percent from 1992 to 1997.

It seems that the Clinton administration has boundless energy for dreaming up new ways to harass law-abiding gun owners, but little tolerance for the hard work of prosecuting criminals who use guns to commit crimes. G.L. Nelson Colbert

OVER THE LINE

`Timber state’ says it all

Re: Highhanded grab should be rebuffed (Our view, Jan. 5).

I call myself an environmentalist. And if a Republican president arbitrarily ordered a dramatic increase in timber harvest in national forests, I would certainly not be surprised - although I would not go so far as to chain myself to a bulldozer or live in a tree. I would probably file an appeal, which is entirely legal.

To draw a parallel between what President Clinton is proposing and a Republican president engineering timber harvest in pristine wilderness is really far-fetched. Has Mr. Oliveria flown over the forests around Coeur d’Alene lately? Is this patchwork of clearcuts the kind of “forest management” by the Forest Service that he would like to see in the remaining untouched acres in the Northwest? Our national forests already have thousands of miles of neglected logging roads that have destroyed fish habitats. Does the Forest Service really need more roads?

Also, who will be “locked out” of the wilderness? Oh, yes. Logging companies. The rest of us will be able to hike, ski and enjoy what is left of what used to be.

From past experience with Idaho politicians, I know what will happen to the wilderness if the land board has its way. When Mr. Oliveria calls Idaho a “timber state” it really says it all. Jo Austin Hayden