Letters To The Editor

Spokane matters

We can transform this place

It is essential that the downtown area have abundant and low-cost parking, and that the public perception is that this is the case. Otherwise, we can write off the core of the city. Downtown will become known only for second-rate office space, subsidized low-income housing and abandoned buildings. We won’t need to worry about growth management, the need will be for decline management.

What we need is leadership and action. Let’s get rid of the one-way streets except for Division-Browne, Lincoln-Monroe and Second-Third. Build roundabouts, with fountains, sculpture and flowers in the middle. Abandon some streets and convert others to diagonal parking.

Connect every building in the Terabyte Triangle to fiberoptic cabling. Build more parking lots. Clear space for events every week such as car shows, square dancing, arts festivals, laser light shows, political rallies, parades, international cultural exchanges, etc.

Create a green belt around the downtown core between the remaining one-way streets with grass and trees connected to Riverfront Park.

Provide space for out-of-town guests to park their motor homes near downtown Spokane. Decorate the entire downtown with hanging baskets of real flowers with drip irrigation. Schedule fireworks every weekend. Build public restrooms for the crowds. Build on the success of Bloomsday and Hoopfest to make Spokane the place that everyone within 200 miles will want to be on the weekends.

Refurbish the Davenport. Restore the Fox Theater to the art deco gem that it was when new.

Working together, we can do it. Will Murray Spokane

Cooperation could solve problems

It seems to me that there are two major problems with parking in downtown Spokane. The first is Riverpark Square has a problem with financial deficit and underuse. The taxpayers are being asked to pay for it.

The second is the Spokane Club has a parking problem of the exact opposite nature, not enough! They want to either destroy a lovely view of the river or demolish a historical art deco building, the Fox Theater, to build a parking lot. I can imagine that the demolition of that beautiful building would cost a pretty penny plus the cost of building a parking lot.

It would make a lot of sense for the Spokane Club and the River Park Square parking authority get together. With a little cooperation and support I am sure that they could work something out and help each other, save everyone a lot of money and save valuable resources to the people and city of Spokane. Perhaps a floor at the River Park Square Parking garage could be dedicated to Spokane Club members. The River Park facility is only a stone’s throw from the Spokane Club (a lot closer than the Fox Theater and a lot safer walk, too).

It seems to me that this is a viable solution where everyone can have his cake and eat it, too. I sure would like to see some effort put into this. Terry Novak and Spokane Club, how about a look at this option? Katie Bender Spokane

Clean up Fox, don’t tear it down

We four brothers have spent many hours watching a variety of films in one of Spokane’s coolest art deco era-theaters, The Fox. We are heavily opposed to the thought of the destruction of such an architectural marvel, especially to build a parking lot.

We ourselves are members of the Spokane Club and take great joy in using their facilities. We also have no trouble parking. It would not hurt someone to walk a few extra blocks, as we do. Much parking can be found in the garage, on Riverside and in the parking lot on Riverside.

Why not clean and restore the theater so it can be used for concerts and plays, as was done with The Met? We know that the Spokane Club holds conventions and luncheons. Why not host them at the deco behemoth? There is plenty of space.

We hope this grand building will be spared so future generations will also be able to remember it as simply the “dollar” theater. Julian, Nathaniel, Henry and Ben Hagood Spokane

Other topics

Not enough Priggee for some

Re: “Milt Priggee’s cartoons continue to appear several times a week on the Opinion page.”

There are many Priggee fans who want you to know you missed the point of the authors’ letters. Three times a week is not enough for those of us who have learned to read and reflect on his cartoons.

He has the ability to sum up in a few words his perspective of local and national news. Priggee uses ethics to guide his opinions on issues, often causing us to think about fairness/justice in current issues. He has been the topic of letters on many occasions, mostly because he doesn’t wait for an issue to die down before commenting. That’s the best thing about him, he forms his opinion swiftly and let’s us know what he thinks. He can be funny.

He can be somber. He can be annoying. He always makes me think.

I rarely read the editorial cartoons that are featured in The Spokesman Review when Priggee is not featured. I did at first but they are not as interesting to me. What’s going on down at the Review? First you pick up the Simpson’s comic strip and then you cut down on feature time by a first-class editorial cartoonist like Milt Priggee. Go figure. Dana M. Myers Spokane

Ranchers not casino mainstay

I found the two articles by staff writer John Craig last week on Colville Tribal grazing interests to be misleading and deceptive. First, cattle ranchers don’t make up the majority of casino patrons. The suggestion of losing patrons at the casinos is rather far reaching.

The articles also suggest that they are giving both sides of the story but dwell overly on the ranchers’ point of view.

The articles portray Council Member Lou Stone incorrectly. As chairman of the elections committee, he has remained neutral. Furthermore, Stone wishes that the tribal members should decide for themselves. Apparently, he believes the tribal members can make these decisions for themselves.

As the son of a white rancher from Nespelem, I am appalled that people would say that Stone has prejudices against nontribal members. That is extremely far reaching! Ben Heizer Republic, Wash.

Added-in tip on bill annoying

I have a big gripe. Recently my husband and I went to a local restaurant for a leisurely dinner. Most of the food was mediocre, the service was average but my prime rib was excellent. We had a pleasant evening.

When the meal was over, the waiter handed us the bill and stated that a 15 percent tip had already been added to the total amount of the bill. My husband paid the bill as I sat annoyed and bothered at this gesture.

I was very upset, angry and irritated that this establishment had the nerve to add a tip without our consent. I thought tipping was the choice of the customer based on the service that was received. Obviously it was just taken for granted.

I would like to hear from other readers concerning this gesture of tipping. I’ve lost interest in future tipping to anyone! And the return to have a meal at the restaurant in question is next to nil. Lynn L. Jones Spokane

Cuban refugee

Family’s behavior warranted action

It was astonishing to read the April 27 letters regarding the removal of Elian Gonzalez from the home of his so-called American Cuban family.

Perhaps the writers would have preferred the fullblown riot that was virtually guaranteed with any other scenario.

Elian’s “family” had already defied the courts repeatedly. Does anyone really think they would have meekly changed their minds and handed Elian over to his father under any circumstances? Come on, folks. Get a grip. Rose Dempsey Spokane

Congressman’s words ring true again

The child Elian Gonzalez has now been effectively consigned to the care and custody of agents of the communist dictatorship of Cuba, the same government that has controlled his father since the day of his birth and continues to do so even while ostensibly he is a guest of the land of liberty and free speech. Wherever Elian and his father may be sequestered during their sojourn within the borders of the United States will be treated de facto as sovereign territory of the Cuban state, with access to its occupants controlled by agents of the Cuban government.

Henceforth, and until he has been reliably reprogrammed, young Elian most probably will be heard and seen only through words and photographs provided to our free, unfettered and selectively curious press by Clinton lawyer Greg Craig, acting as advocate for and defender of the interests of dictator Fidel Castro.

Those of us who have been paying attention can now better understand why Michigan Democrat Congressman John Dingell once described certain agents of the U.S. government as “jack-booted American fascists.” In that specific instance, cited on a May 4, 1995, New York Times editorial, Rep. Dingell was speaking about warrentless home invasions committed by heavily-armed agents of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms, but his description aptly applies to the terrorist government raid of April 22 on a private home in Miami. Leonard C. Johnson Troy, Idaho