Letters To The Editor

SPOKANE MATTERS

Honor agreement and enjoy progress

Permit me to observe how warped the view of our City Council has become. The current City Council is stalling on a promise made by our previous council to stand behind the River Park Square redevelopment project. Sadly, personal aggrandizement and vendettas on the part of some council members are eroding the economic fabric of our city.

Infighting among the council members is further hampering their ability to lead our city and destroying our confidence in city leadership.

Our council seems incapable of seeing the economic benefits which derive directly from the River Park Square redevelopment. Sales tax revenues are increasing drastically; downtown property values have risen dramatically, thus greatly increasing property tax revenues to the city. Hundreds of new jobs are attributable to the addition of new and existing stores as well as to spin off increases in commerce throughout the downtown district.

Businesses such as The Gap, Eddie Bauer, Boehm’s and Anderson and Emani remain open in the city instead of closing down, and Nordstrom has stayed instead of moving to an outlying suburban mall. Support from parking meter revenue, whatever the cost, is small in comparison to the positive economic impact of the redevelopment.

The goal of the redevelopment was to revitalize downtown Spokane. It’s happening, so make good on the promise and give it a chance. Jonathan Ferraiuolo CEO, The Pacific Holding Corp., Spokane

WASHINGTON STATE

Teen driving restrictions unwise

As a teenager, I strongly oppose the new law that prohibits teenagers from getting their license at 16 and puts many restraints on their driving capabilities in the meantime. Being able to drive at 16 is more than a sign of independence, it gives us more freedom so that we may prepare for our adult lives yet still have our parents to guide us. We learn to manage time, money and responsibilities well.

They are not aging us to perfection here; we will turn 18 and suddenly have all kinds of freedom but possibly not know what to do with it. Our parents will no longer tell us how to manage gas money or teach us how to be responsible drivers.

Teenagers are going to experiment - whether they do it with parental protections at 16 or on their own at 18.

Beneath the small layer of wild drivers there is a responsible teenage community of people who get good grades and are responsible drivers. Yet those in this group are being punished for an act they didn’t commit.

Adults who drive drunk often keep their license, yet they are showing irresponsible driving habits. Adults who speed get tickets, yet are allowed to drive again. How fair is that?

Go ahead and take our licenses away if we abuse them but we deserve the same opportunities and the same trust as adults - the trust that is magically granted on our 18th birthday. Devon Smith Mead

GOVERNMENT AND POLITICS

Freedom requires toughing it out

In the interest of buying votes in November, both the Republicans and Democrats in Washington, D.C, are searching for ways to solve the current gas crisis. We must step back and consider what this means.

We now have independent truckers, the epitome of the rugged individual, pleading at the feet of big brother to find a way to reduce the cost of fuel. Petitioning the federal government to address such a basic issue runs counter to the very structures that have built this country.

At present, the federal government does not control the oil industry relative to the supply, demand and price equation. This is as it should be. The only constructive means we have to alter the supply, demand and price equation is to increase supply or reduce demand.

As individuals, we cannot expect to increase supply, so I suggest we reduce demand. For example, if the price of gas goes up, I use less gas. If the price of beef goes up, I eat less beef. If the price of beer goes up, I eat less beef. The ability to make these choices results in the individual American having exercisable control of how these daily issues are addressed.

We should not want the federal government to play a greater role in our day-to-day lives. Incremental increases in federal control inevitably result in incremental reductions in personal liberties and the stifling of the human spirit that has served our capitalistic society so well.

We would all be better off if the truckers and their fellow travelers would look inward, not eastward, to solve this problem. Don McManus Spokane

Bush would move us to a higher plane

As a young Republican, it would be a breath of fresh air to see George W. Bush become president.

I am not proud of my country because I am not proud of who is leading it. Over the past six years, I have noticed our nation being more corrupt than ever. It’s suddenly a walk in the park to have or promote abortion, lie or commit adultery. If the leader of our country does, why can’t we? I don’t know how our country can stop going down the tubes if Al Gore is maybe a notch less corrupt than Bill Clinton. The only way we can change is by having a leader who wants to set an example, by rebuilding a foundation for collective values and moral standards.

Bush will offer support for private and home school tax credits and will open federal after-school programs to community groups, churches and charities. He wants to help clean up the communities.

America is hungry for morals and values, even in schools. How can banning guns teach children how to change their behavior patterns or not take drugs? If it’s not allowed, they will find something else to shake America’s tabloids.

I believe Bush will put an effort into setting an example that will eventually change our nation. Colleen Grove Spokane

OTHER TOPICS

Make gasoline situation work for us

The rising price of gasoline is getting a lot of attention. Maybe I’m the only one who cheers every time it goes up.

Adjusted for inflation, the average price per gallon is about the same now as it was in 1950. (Washington Department of Community, Trade, and Economic Development, www.energy.cted.wa.gov/Indicators99.)

Our cheap gas has inspired consumers to choose bigger, less fuel-efficient vehicles and drive them more miles per year.

One trend can be expected to lead to another. Demand for gasoline goes up, the price goes up. Consumers cry foul instead of rejoicing at the wonders of market dynamics. Many of us have seen the “gas out” campaign which intends to force down the price by not buying gas for three days next week. Just fill up before or after those days. That’s not asking much.

But a meaningful gas out would be to actually reduce your consumption, not shift your fill-up schedule. Instead of crying out for lower prices, it would mean crying out for development of dependable, renewable energy sources and of vehicles using the best available technology. It would mean driving less and riding your bike more. Rebecca L. Smith Spokane

Same old gender bias

Again, The Spokesman-Review has demonstrated concretely why Spokane will continue to stay mired in the past. The boldest headline on the top front of the March 10 Sports section was “Ferris tastes defeat.” One more loss and the Ferris boys’ basketball team will be eliminated from the state 4A high school basketball tournament.

However, if the reader flips the paper over, near the bottom below the large photo of the Ferris defeat is the smaller headline, “CV girls early arrival,” next to a small photo of their victory. Why are boys’ athletic defeats far more important than girls’ athletic successes?

I recall writing a letter so similar to this 15 years ago. And, I suspect, I will be writing another one 15 years hence - “ deja vu eternellement.” Jan Strobeck Deer Park