Letters To The Editor

Fri., June 16, 2000

SPOKANE MATTERS

Clue for council: lawsuit bait

Regarding the traffic light at Fifth Avenue and Freya, imagine this hypothetical scenario: busy weekday, hot summer afternoon, young children trying to cross at Fifth and Freya. Two kids dart out into the street; the slamming of brakes, tires squealing. Blood, sirens, ambulance. One child dies, the other is in critical condition.

Result: two more lawsuits for the already-overwhelmed city of Spokane to deal with because Steve Eugster, Steve Corker and all the rest of the lobotomized council puppets don’t want to spend the city’s money “wastefully” on traffic lights.

I really do not believe there is half a brain among the whole City Council, making a wise decision very hard to reach.

Ending on a high note, I am glad the issue of dog crap in parks has been resolved. Vern Cox Spokane

Eugster high output, low yield

Just like Aladdin rubbing his lamp, City Councilman Steve Eugster has called forth all manner of ideas to fix what ails Spokane. Proposals are hitting the table so fast that even the mayor has suggested stanching the flow.

But Eugster labors on, claiming that if his colleagues don’t like his ideas, they can vote them down. Changing the current parks board to elected positions is an example of his flawed thinking. Change it for the sake of change? He doesn’t care how much time and energy is wasted, he continues on.

Is this how we want our city to be governed? Good public policy isn’t generated when one member of the council proposes and all the other members are left to dispose. Eugster claims that partnership are necessary for the system to work but he clearly has no clue how to operate in one. Christine T. Marr Spokane

WASHINGTON STATE

I-745 an all-around bad deal

Leo Fagan (“Support tax initiatives,” Letters, June 5) says that Initiative 745 will reduce taxes and improve our roads. Sounds like a great deal, doesn’t it? How can such a good thing happen? Let me enlighten you.

I-745 would require 90 percent of all transportation funds to be spent on roads only, taking local and state funding away from transit and ferry systems. It will cut up to 90 percent of bus service.

Add that to the 40 percent cut created by Initiative 695 and we would have a negative 30 percent bus system here in Spokane. Simply put, in order for us to have better roads Spokane Transit Authority would have to be eliminated. Hundreds of people who work there would lose their jobs. The elderly, disabled, poor and teens without cars would have to give up going anywhere. Commuters must start driving their cars to work and park them there for eight hours. There would be more cars on the road, creating more air pollution and congestion.

Gee, such a deal. Do not sign for I-745. Margaret Kelley Spokane

SCHOOLS AND EDUCATION

Teachers showed poor judgment

I am amazed that Riverside teachers would disrupt school to demonstrate against a disliked administrator. It seems to me that people with this level of education would choose to use due process to remove Superintendent Jerry Wilson, assuming they can show cause. If, in fact, Wilson is not fulfilling the conditions of his contract there would be reason for action against the board members for not representing the best interests of students, teachers and parents.

I have no opinion about Wilson’s conduct or performance. I have, however, seen in The Spokesman-Review a picture of a young Kiefer Hollowell demonstrating against Wilson. I believe in the right to assemble, but for educators to involve impressionable children in an issue of this magnitude indicates that perhaps the teachers are not intellectually astute enough to teach children the lessons of life. Young Kiefer does not appear to be old enough to judge Wilson’s performance. Yet demonstrating teachers allowed this youngster to carry a sign representing a cause a child his age cannot understand.

Shame on the teachers for exploiting unknowing youths in an issue well beyond their comprehension. Educators should be consistent in how they instruct the children entrusted to their care.

The activities of this demonstration leave me with serious doubt about the teachers’ ability to do an adequate job of educating the children of the Riverside School District, with or without a contract. Joel Rogers Spokane

Wilson’s bad attitude unacceptable

The ongoing strife between Superintendent Jerry Wilson and the teaching staff of Riverside School District is a gross travesty. The unwillingness to work out an agreement only hurts our students and the Riverside School District as a whole. It is hard to believe some type of compromise cannot be made by Wilson and the school board in order to reach a settlement on the issues.

To risk losing some of the state’s best teaching staff will only hurt our students and the community. For those of us who work in a public school system, we should all be working for our students and having their best interest in mind. This should also include the superintendent.

To make a statement that you could “just hire another English teacher” to replace Marv Sather is absurd. Sather is a rare jewel who has a special gift in providing quality education as well as touching the hearts of all who have received his gift.

Because of the distress placed upon the district, staff, students and community, it would be in the best interest of the board to replace the superintendent. The board could also change policy to remove the authority of the superintendent to make these decisions. Sandra Davenport Chattaroy

Overpaid Wilson underperforms

He just doesn’t get it. We are referring to Riverside School District Superintendent Jerry Wilson, a man with a pay-benefits package of $140,000 per year to administer a school district only slightly larger than the high school we attended.

Wilson thinks the issue with the district’s teachers is all about money. At his salary it is obvious why money is his focus and why he doesn’t want to leave. However, the problem is Wilson. The problem is his lack of leadership. His refusal to deal with the district’s problems - problems he is being paid well to deal with.

He has stated that dealing with the teachers is not his job. Well, what is his job?

The last thing on Wilson’s mind is the most important thing to this district: the education of our children. The bizarre and cavalier manner in which he deals with not only the teachers but also the parents has created a situation where education is in second place on his priority list. Wilson is not concerned with the teachers, parents, students or anyone else. His only concern is preserving his position.

Even if Wilson were to do a complete turnaround, the damage has been done. The hard feelings, low morale and distrust cannot be overcome as long as Wilson remains as superintendent.

It’s time for Wilson to go. It’s time for this district to get back to the business of education. We hope our new school board member, Rande Kummer, can do what’s right for Riverside School District. Bruce and Laurel Van Fossen Colbert

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