Letters To The Editor

Idaho viewpoints

Talk to the unconvinced legislators

I applaud The Spokesman-Review’s effort to report on Highway 95. However, as the reporting was clearly designed to whip people into a frenzy so they would call their legislators and the board, it might’ve been more effective to list the contact information of legislators who didn’t support the previous attempts to provide funding to fix the problems.

With the exception of one or two in the districts 1 through 7 listed in Sunday’s paper, we all supported the efforts for change. All of those mad people now are contacting us, which is singing to the choir and doesn’t accomplish much.

Contacting the board is good. Contacting the rest of the legislators is good.

Until us legislators in the north can build some coalitions with other legislators who have equally bad road conditions (and in some cases - unbelievable but true - worse) we aren’t going to move this effort very far. Do the math: only 10 districts on Highway 95 out of 35 districts. Any way you add it, you don’t get the majority.

Our complaining hasn’t fallen on deaf ears. As a result, we have more projects and money now than we have ever had. And you can bet that the Sen. Evan Frasures in the south have noticed that, mentioned it to us northerners and are trying to get their projects funded instead.

So, my position is to be tough as nails to keep our money (which is long overdue), keep our projects on the program and work to find coalitions and funding sources for the other problems: on Highway 95 and the others, too. Sen. Shawn Keough Sandpoint

Our daughter is lucky to be alive

In August 1998, my daughter was stopped, and had her left-turn signal on, at the intersection of U.S. Highway 95 and Elder Road. The intersection is located on a curving highway with no shoulder or turn lane. A middle-aged North Idaho couple not familiar with the highway were returning home. As they came around the turn, they did not have enough time to stop and rear-ended my daughter’s car at 55 mph. Fortunately, my daughter survived with only minor injuries, even though the car was totaled. Since that time, the Idaho Department of Transportation has made some improvements to that particular section of highway.

The articles in The Spokesman-Review Sunday made me think how lucky our family was that our daughter’s picture was not among the ones of those who have died on Highway 95. Highway 95 is truly a goat trail and not something the state of Idaho can take any pride in.

How many innocent people must die before politicians (particularly those in the southeastern part of the state) recognize the value of safe highways? Will it be their daughter, son, mother or father who has to die before they will allocate the necessary funds to improve Highway 95? Bill Brannan Spokane

Needed: tie in to Hagadone interest

If the Coeur d’Alene Resort was a little closer to Highway 95, do you think the highway department would be more enthusiastic about getting it fixed? It seems to be working for Northwest Boulevard, aka Highway to Hagadone. Marsha Dornquast Post Falls

Private funding for private project

If developer John Stone agreed to pay for certain infrastructure improvements to Northwest Boulevard as reported by The Spokesman-Review, why would the Urban Renewal Authority even consider his request to pay for them from property taxes? Stone has stated that “If we don’t get public financing, it will really slow things down.” Perhaps to speed up his development project the Urban Renewal Authority should pay for the entire project with public funds.

Unfortunately, City Council member and URA board member Nancy Sue Wallace seems to believe that the URA should help to pay for the infrastructure improvements. Why?

The nationwide history of urban renewal and other economic development is littered with projects aided by public financing that failed. For many reasons, Coeur d’Alene’s best interests lie in allowing projects such as this to take place as part of the free market system of which we are so justly proud. If it is an economically viable project, it will be financed by private funds. Philip Waring Coeur d’Alene

First, prevent teen pregnancies

It is because I care about teens who are innocent victims of parental incest that I oppose the proposed Idaho legislation requiring parental consent for abortions. Not all teens belong to healthy, communicating, supportive families!

I strongly feel the state’s resources should be directed to positive, proactive measures that will help families, prevent teen pregnancy and reduce the need for abortions. It is time for lawmakers to focus their energy on prevention of teen pregnancies and health care. Joan Brogan Post Falls

Schools and education

Idaho, nobody does it like you

It was a rough week for teachers in Idaho. It began with an out-of-state think tank ranking them as a pack of failures. Worse and more wounding, this F grade opened the door to a barrage of negative mail from Idaho residents regarding teacher quality. Teachers were blamed for incompetence, moral decay, the imminent downfall of the Republic and the advent of totalitarianism.

I teach, and I’ll tell you, it wasn’t easy picking up the paper last week. By Friday, I was beginning to wonder if the critics were right. I began to question if it was right for me to accept my paycheck when my fellow citizens told me in no uncertain terms that I was underworked and overpaid.

After all, teachers earn pretty good money by local standards and it’s obvious that anyone could do their job! How dare I earn more than anyone when I’ve got it so easy?

Then my faith in economic parity was restored when I picked up Saturday’s paper and discovered that the highest-paid state employee was a football coach! Yes, University of Idaho’s Tom Cable could earn $198,480 this year - twice what the governor makes. If his players win enough games, his salary will equal what it takes to lure almost 10 new teachers into classrooms that are overcrowded and falling down around their ears. Truly, Idaho and its taxpayers have their priorities straight.

It’s Saturday, and I don’t know whether to laugh or cry. I guess I’ll just go grade papers so I’m ready for Monday. Charles Kenna Post Falls

For starters, demolish the status quo

Want to improve teachers in Idaho? Here’s how:

Eliminate teachers’ salary schedules. Teachers are now paid on the basis of experience and credits or degrees in “education.” Predictably, they have responded by becoming credit counters and spend their time on Mickey-Mouse “education” courses rather than getting ahead by performing better. PE and basket-weaving teachers get paid the same as those in science and English. Thus, we have lots of the former and a shortage of the latter. We should hire and reward teachers who perform and possess important academic skills regardless of their pedigree.

Reduce teacher certification burdens. Most teacher certification requirements are irrelevant to teaching. The late Rep. Jim Stoicheff, D-Sandpoint, a retired teacher and administrator, said it best: “An education degree has about the least value of any degree they give out. All you need to get a master’s degree in education is glazed eyes, stuffed ears and a hard bottom.” Amen. These courses, together with salary schedules that fail to reward teaching excellence, act primarily as a barrier that keeps the best college students out of teaching.

Close our colleges of education. With reduced artificial demand for college-level education courses, Idaho’s colleges of education could be closed and reduced to much smaller department status, saving some higher education dollars to boot.

For what it’s worth, I am a retired professor of economics at the University of Idaho. John T. Wenders Moscow

Teachers behind school failures

I agree with Mike Pierce, “Treat education like a business” (Handle Letters, Jan. 19), get rid of the tenure and then “hire and pay teachers based on the performance of their students.”

The bottom line is that we have children from kindergarten through high school level being passed on without learning basic communication and mathematical skills. For this, the responsibility must necessarily fall upon the teachers!

Apathy, excessively high salaries, tenure, retirement benefits, health care benefits and a safe, warm, comfortable environment is what most teachers have come to expect for their rite of passage as a professional student. Many, who fear the competitive nature of the real world, have found a home. There are other folks who have the knack of transferring information to another successfully. Not all of them demand such mollycoddling.

Generally speaking, teachers make more money than do our public safety personnel and therein lies a great inequity. Responsibility, authority and daily life-threatening situations are much more demanding for those who put their life on the line. It may be true that the state of Idaho does not pay their teachers very well. However, there is a mindset of professionalism, such as that of a paramedic, emergency medical technician, fireman or police officer that overrides the salary issues, it is the commitment to our community and its children. Teachers need to be a part of that commitment or find another line of work. Ken Rawlinson Coolin, Idaho

Notions about teaching faulty

Re: Mike Pierce’s letter of Jan. 19, “Treat education like a business.”

Pierce’s generalization about teacher tenure is mere conjecture. As a teacher for almost 30 years, thereby tenured, I am better prepared, have tremendous experience and do not rest on my laurels, as he suggests. Isn’t probation in the business world akin to tenure in our “business?”

Regarding connecting teachers’ salaries to student performance, I disagree. The business world uses the best available materials and quality control to ensure a good product. Public education accepts all levels of students and cannot control outside influences such as drugs, home life, the media, etc., to guarantee student excellence. Also consider that some teachers have advanced classes in certain academic areas. Should these teachers only receive reward for good results?

I wonder, when was the last time Pierce was in a school? I suggest he stop by some day and observe.

Is our country doing so well because we’re not doing our job? R.A. Kramer Spirit Lake

More than money is needed

Re: “Study flunks Idaho on teacher quality,” (Jan. 13). Let’s just say that people don’t go into the teaching profession to make money!

Fifty years ago, my mother was appalled to discover that Idaho teachers were being paid about the same as teachers in Mississippi, which was the lowest-paid state.

Twenty-five years ago, my brother left teaching in order to make enough money to put his children in private school.

The only thing that has changed in the Idaho schools is that the classrooms are more disorderly and teachers have to do more record-keeping while living with more rules.

I have a friend who teaches in Bonner County schools and she is a wonderful, loving, competent teacher the children love. They want to give hugs but she is told she cannot touch a child. Oftentimes, these children need a hug as much as they need breakfast. Lawmakers have so effectively protected children that the children are more needy than ever.

All of our grandchildren have been home-schooled, because their parents could not in good conscience turn them over to the government schools.

I don’t pretend to have answers. I do feel getting back to basics is more important than the facility. I do believe that schools should be dry, warm and lighted and ventilated well. But it doesn’t take multimillion-dollar buildings to create quality education, nor does a highly paid teacher ensure a role-model teacher. Shirley Hethorn Oldtown

An F for the parents, too

Re: “Study flunks Idaho on teacher quality,” (Jan. 13).

I agree that teacher quality is below average as a whole. I am quite proud of our school, principal and teachers here in Pinehurst. My son’s teacher is supportive, helpful, and is in constant touch with me. She has worked with me in home-schooling my son when we are out on job sites and he cannot be in school.

I don’t think that all the teachers should be lumped together. I would think that teachers are only as good as the parents want them to be. Since parents have to reinforce what the teacher teaches, maybe that means the parents should get the F. Terri Coak Pinehurst

Spokane matters

Reactionary ways limit our future

Lest we forget how detached the Inland Northwest is from the rest of the nation, especially in promoting old industries over healthy environments, a reality check from the Wall Street Journal might be in order. In its Jan. 21 issue, the Journal reported:

“Clinton wins broad public support for his plan to protect more than 60 million acres of national forest from logging and commercial development. In a poll the GOP firm American Viewpoint conducted for the Heritage Forests Campaign, 76 percent of Americans said they favor the plan, including 62 percent of Republicans.”

We live in a region peculiarly resistant to change. Towns to the north and east of Spokane, staunchly resisting the transition to a new economic paradigm, skew our views and produce reactionary leaders.

Even the Spokane Chamber of Commerce is resisting the national shift away from extractive industries. The Chamber seems resolved to back dams over salmon, logging over ecosystems, mining over water purity, and the railroad fuel depot over the aquifer. To hell with quality of life.

No wonder Spokane ranks so poorly as a place to do business. No wonder my best students yearn to move away after they graduate.

Maybe what this city needs is an alternative Chamber of Commerce. Paul J. Lindholdt Spokane

Try alternative to Spokane Club plan

Re: The Spokane Club’s desire to build a five-story parking garage on Main Avenue atop the Spokane River bank.

There’s no doubt the club needs more space. We know it would be easier and cheaper to build on property adjacent to the present club. But the club management appears to be thinking only short-term. Not only would the proposed garage be unappealing, but the club’s current building at the northwest corner of Main and Monroe already blocks a considerable view, especially for guests using the club’s main building on Riverside.

I have two ideas worth consideration.

First, the club could build a new athletic facility combined with a parking garage above its present parking site on the south side of Riverside. The lot is small but the new structure could be built higher and/or linked to the present parking garage above The Spokesman-Review’s printing plant.

My second idea would be to work jointly with Metropolitan Mortgage in developing the north river bank west of Monroe. A beautiful all-in-one club could be built there with plenty of room to spread out. It would complement Metropolitan’s plans. The club’s present building on Riverside could remain in use for luxury hotel rooms and/or apartments.

Either way, the current athletic building could be demolished and the land returned to its natural state, thus enhancing the view of the bridge and falls.

Both options are expensive and would take longer to build. But either would honor the club’s rich Spokane history and benefit everyone, not just members. Thomas J. Lee Spokane

Washington state

Locke’s plan is no good

I am absolutely astounded by the guest column written by Gary Livingston and Judy James (Jan. 15).

Livingston and James laud Gov. Gary Locke’s budget writing skills as “budget-writing at its very best” and creative outside-the-box way to spend the taxpayers reserve. Livingston and James say this “squares with I-601 spending limit because the money flows directly to local schools rather than to the unspendable state reserve fund.”

At best this plan is robbery of the taxpayers reserve or tax refund and, at worst, it is corruption to the very core of government. All up, the taxpayers will now spend $1 billion more than previously possible under I-601 ground rules. Isn’t this manipulation of rules/laws?

Class sizes may be a factor but I doubt it is as big as the schools like to make out it is. Until these factors are fixed, it is unreasonable to pour more money into schools with unknown or no benefits. Wayne Lythgoe Colbert