Letters To The Editor

SPOKANE MATTERS West’s motives preferable

I followed the challenge Jim West made to his two strong-mayor opponents, to accept a realistic wage for that job, with great interest. John Powers questioned West’s motives for running for mayor. Why would Powers let a salary, as an attorney, of over $100,000 go and accept a much lower wage? What is his ulterior motive? He can’t be putting Spokane first or he would have signed the pledge.

As for Talbott saying West was looking for a job and he, Talbot, all ready had one, if Talbott was fulfilling his job maybe West wouldn’t have felt he needed to come home and help Spokane regain its pride.

Grace E. Bostrom Spokane

West as mayor last thing we need

Before the people of this wonderful city even consider Jim West as a candidate for mayor, they need to consider the consequences. Our city, county and region are trying to attract high-tech employers that pay a family living wage - good corporate citizens who will be sensitive to environmental concerns. The management of companies like these seem to look for local governments that demonstrate wisdom, restraint, high regard for the quality of life of its citizens and a preference for collaboration rather than conflict.

West, unfortunately, enjoys quite a different reputation. His divisive performance regarding mayoral salaries earlier this week bears out what many of us already knew. The uproar a few years back over his vague threats against a political activist triggered an official investigation in Olympia and the resulting negative press that still taints the image of our area. This hurts our prospects as a city and the way our businesses, people and institutions are viewed throughout the state, the region, nationally and internationally.

Our future is far too valuable to hand it over to someone so obviously unable to control his ego, his tongue or, I daresay, his own mind. Barry R. Smith Spokane

Incredible shrinking swim times

When I found out what the pool hours were for this summer, I was angry because they had already shaved off an hour the year before! Because of my work schedule, it is extremely difficult to get my daughter to the pool for more than 15 or 20 minutes of swim time. Since they close so much earlier this year, I actually have to have someone else take over my job so I can occasionally take her swimming for a few minutes. I am busy weekends, helping take care of my grandmother, doing household chores and trying to get a business started, so pool time is also limited.

I pay plenty of taxes for the privilege of using the pool. I still have to pay $2 every time I use it (even if we get there with only 20 minutes left to swim). Today, (July 15) was the last straw. We have been using the pool every Sunday since it opened for the summer. Today, we managed to get there at 4, knowing we had at least thirty minutes to swim. Not so! The whistle blew at 4:20 and when I asked why the pool was closing early, I was informed that the pool always closed at 4:20.

Upon arriving home, I called the pool hotline, just to make sure I wasn’t hallucinating for the last month. Guess what? The pool closes at 4:30.

Next, they’ll be closing at 4, so none of the taxpaying and working citizens will ever be able to use it. Paula D. Hall Spokane

Washington state GOP, this is where I get off

I hereby add my voice to those of all the good people whose conscience, morality and intelligence would preclude their ever conceiving such ideas and thinking such thoughts as expressed in this shameful Republican Party resolution (on Native American sovereignty).

In a recent letter, a local Republican, lamented the sad fact that a few misguided cretins (my characterization, not his) could manage to get so heinous a resolution included in the party platform. He asserted that not all Republicans are of like mind on this issue, which no doubt is true.

However, this little political faux pas actually reveals just the tip of the iceberg that is the real Republican Party. In the GOP the interests of big business, big oil, big mining, big timber, etc., take precedence over all else, including individuals, ethnic groups and the environment.

Here, in the year 2000, we find the little we did leave the Indians has great value. This attempt by John Fleming and his greedy ilk to take it from them is just a manifestation of avarice-driven members trying to take advantage of the Republican Party’s philosophy of always backing enterprise, regardless of the human, moral and environmental issues involved.

I have been a registered Republican since Ronald Reagan first ran for office, although I have always voted the issues and the candidate, rather than any party line. I will continue to do so. Today, my affiliation with the Republican Party ends. I no longer want my name associated with a party which, as this resolution that would result in abolishing Indian sovereignty shows, is driven largely by corporate and personal greed. Jim Greer Spokane

GOP resolution justified

Milt Priggee’s July 12 cartoon not only missed the mark, but it was also highly offensive and inappropriate. I don’t necessarily support the actions of the Washington state GOP but I believe its intent was to further the cause of liberty, not genocide. How can you argue that a person should not have a say in decisions that affect him and his family?

Also, an end to tribal sovereignty would not be the end of the world for Native Americans. They would still have the massive funding from various government agencies. I think they should have one or the other, not both. Let them keep sovereignty, but stop the massive funding. Somewhere we need to draw the line.

Before someone labels me a racist, let me defend myself. I am not anti-Indian and I am ashamed of what previous generations of settlers did to them. But I don’t believe past atrocities should be used to justify current ones.

If tribes want to throw their future away on gambling, let them. If they want to raise bison, let them. If they want to celebrate their culture by hunting whales, let them. If they want to govern themselves, let them. But if they want to run a government of taxation without representation that exploits non-Indians, we cannot allow them to do so. Dan Robinson Usk, Wash.

GOP guilty of haste, not hate

Delegates to the recent Republican state convention must be puzzled, if not stunned, by all the controversy arising from one never-read, never-discussed resolution about taxation and regulation of non-Indians on reservations.

Charges so far include racism, fascism, frightened souls, bigotry, ignorance. A law school professor even calls it genocide!

At the convention, speeches from public officials and voting for delegates to the national convention took so much time that the entire 13-page platform and 29 resolutions were dealt with in the last half hour before adjournment. Delegates did have a chance to read the platform before voting on it but never did see or hear the resolutions. The platform chair presented the non-Indian resolution and six others to the convention in 15-second summaries. None was discussed by the 1,305 delegates.

Technically, the resolution was adopted, but it seems a bit unfair for the media to report it as the “considered opinion of the group.” Maybe 3 percent were vaguely aware of it and probably no one really understood it but its sponsor.

The resolution itself can be read and interpreted in several ways, from mild to wild. And, of course, wild (discriminating against Indians, ending tribal sovereignty, sending in the troops - none of which is mentioned in the resolution) is much more fun for the media.

There is a lesson here for all of us: Read a petition before you sign it and read a resolution before you endorse it! Don R. Peters parliamentarian for the convention, Spokane

LAW AND JUSTICE

Indian religions suppressed for years

I would like to make a correction and elaboration of one aspect of Valiera Smittle’s July 9 letter, “Your government set this up.”

On April 10, 1883, the government restricted the practice of Indian religions. In the published Regulations of the Indian Department, Section Four of Court of Indian Offenses, it was considered that native religious practices were “Indian offenses” punishable by withholding rations and even incarceration in agency prisons for up to 30 days.

Religious freedom was restored in January 1934, when Commissioner John Collier published circular 2970 guaranteeing Indians free expression of their religious practices and allowing them use of their “vital, beautiful, and efficient native languages” to do so. During the 50-year hiatus Indians kept their religions alive in secret. After Collier took action they could practice them in the open again. Robert Ruby Moses Lake

HEALTH CARE

Medicare, senators are dead wrong

Re: Betsy McCaughey’s July 11 letter.

I am very worried about the announcement that Medicare will remove the requirement for a supervising physician with anesthesia, leaving nurses on their own.

Nurse anesthetists receive less than half as many years of formal education and clinical training as an anesthesiologist. There is solid scientific evidence that anesthesia is safer when administered or directed by an anesthesiologist. Medicare does not pay more for anesthesia when a physician administers or directs the anesthesia.

Despite these facts, Medicare, Sens. Slade Gorton and Patty Murray all believe that our senior citizens do not deserve the highest quality of anesthesia care.

Shame on them. Lee F. Whithurst Spokane

Study underlines McCaughey’s point

Re: “Standard of safety going down,” Letters, July 11.

Betsy McCaughey is to be congratulated for her perceptive warning about the danger posed if nurse anesthetists are allowed to administer anesthesia without the supervision of a physician. Her arguments are further bolstered by the publication this month of a landmark study of 65,000 Medicare patients by Dr. Jeffrey Silber, a pediatrician at the University of Pennsylvania.

Silber’s scientifically sound study clearly shows 25 additional deaths per 10,000 Medicare patients undergoing surgery when the operating surgeon, instead of an anesthesiologist, supervised the provision of anesthesia by a nurse. Despite this, the government now believes nurses can administer anesthesia alone, without the supervision of even the surgeon, let alone a fully trained anesthesiologist.

Since the inception of the program some 35 years ago, every Medicare patient could take comfort in the fact that a physician, usually an anesthesiologist, was present to rescue him or her if catastrophe were to strike during surgery. Anesthesiologists have worked as leaders in medicine to reduce the death rate due to anesthesia from one in 10,000 to one in 250,000. A 25-fold reduction in mortality has been achieved in just 20 years. This great achievement in patient safety will be undermined if the government has its way. Steve E. Roberts, M.D. president, Washington State Society of Anesthesiologists

CHURCH AND STATE

Founders clearly men of faith

Re: “In the people we trust, thanks to founders’ wisdom,” (July 3). It was stated in Walt Aring’s guest column that Thomas Jefferson and Benjamin Franklin denied the inference of a Creator. Yet, Jefferson drafted the Declaration of Independence, a document that acknowledges a Creator four times. And Franklin said, on June 28, 1787: “I have lived, sir, a long time; and the longer I live the more convincing proofs I see of this truth - that God governs in the affairs of men.”

We all remember Patrick Henry’s famous speech. But Henry also said: “It cannot be emphasized too strongly or too often that this great nation was founded, not by religionists, but by Christians; not by religions, but on the gospel of Jesus Christ.”

This is further evidence by what the Founding Fathers put in their new state constitutions. For example, Delaware’s stated: “Every persons appointed to public office shall say `I do profess faith in God the Father; and in Jesus Christ His only Son; and in the Holy Ghost, One God, blessed for evermore; and I do acknowledge the holy scriptures of the Old and New Testament to be given by divine inspiration.”

It is history, not personal beliefs, that are at issue here, and I would encourage readers to research our nation’s heritage. “Blest with victory and peace, may the Heaven-rescued land praise the Power that hath made and preserved us a nation.” (Star-Spangled Banner) Lisa Tanner Bonners Ferry