Letters To The Editor

IDAHO VIEWPOINTS

Mayor Judy states positions

The recent article by Tom Clouse regarding the city of Coeur d’Alene’s budget retreat demands a response. I would like to go on the record to state the facts. My position on the budget and tax situation is as follows:

1. The city has been put into this position over time by refusing to raise taxes to keep up with rising costs and growth.

Fact: Since 1990 the city of Coeur d’Alene has grown by 36 percent in population and 30 percent in road miles - both requiring us to provide basic public safety and maintenance needs to meet those demands.

2. I do not support a large, one-time tax increase to resolve our current funding situation.

3. I do support cuts in projects and programs with the exception of public safety needs.

4. I also believe, as recommended by our recent finance audit, that a small levy increase of 1 to 1.5 percent should be strongly considered every year.

My reason for the fourth point is that over 70 percent of our tax fund (general fund) budget is personnel costs. Those costs increase by an average of 2 to 3 percent per year because our wage and salary system automatically elevates pay based on years of service. This is without the bargained cost of living increases. However, I will go on record with my belief that while these may be the facts of the city wage and salary system, our employees, your employees, deserve proper pay and recognition for having done more with less for many years.

5. Finally, we have a substantial fund balance; it is currently close to $2 million.

We need a fund balance; it gives us flexibility on a “rainy day.” I believe we have reached that rainy day. Rather than raising taxes $500,000 I believe we should use the fund balance. Steve A. Judy Mayor, Coeur d’Alene

Daily use doesn’t make smut-talk right

Recently you printed an article about a woman who used inappropriate language when she picked up her daughter at school, “High court gets an earful” (April 4). The article went into some detail about the common use of such words by our society.

There used to be a distinct line over which we were careful not to step. One of the greatest basketball coaches was very careful of what he said. The worst thing was “Goodness, gracious, sakes alive.” Yet he produced the best teams of all time! He didn’t use vulgar language with his players to motivate them to exert effort and skill which was almost beyond themselves.

A significant part of the citizenry uses offensive language. Does that make it right? We break traffic laws. Is that right? Of course not.

Why use words which are ribald, loathsome, smutty, vulgar, profane, scatological, unrefined and rude? The entertainment industry has so cheapened the language by not producing anything unless filthy language or thought is included. We get used to hearing it, though we don’t appreciate it.

Long ago it was said that “a soft answer turns away wrath” and that every man should be swift to hear, slow to speak and slow to anger. Our speech should be characterized by an absence of filthiness. In our lives, speech and actions we should strive to be pure and undefiled. It’s important for each of us to bridle our tongue. Foul language is due to laziness, poor education or a desire to shock people and we could all do without it. George W. Rodkey, M.D. Post Falls

Senator’s words a lot of baloney

U.S. Sens. Larry Craig and Mike Crapo’s column on April 29 stated the reason they did not fight hard to acquire funds to adequately improve and repair U.S. Highway 95, to bring it up to minimum safety standards for new highway construction. They wanted to save taxpayer dollars and not fund a large pork project - their words, not mine. What a bunch of bull, I say.

I’m sure this comforts and calms the families of the current and future accident victims and their survivors.

I’m sure they sleep better knowing their U.S. senators are saving them money. Baloney.

U.S. 95 is designated a national highway, not a state highway. Why were they sent to Congress? To represent all the citizens of Idaho and bring home the bacon when and where needed. Maybe they don’t know that highway funds are already paid for by our gasoline, fuel and user fees. No new taxes required.

They must exert their power as senators to obtain funds as needed to meet this critical need for all users of U.S. 95. This is not pork.

They just admitted they don’t have the inclination or influence to solve the crisis. Remember that when they are up for re-election. When they, or any other national candidate asks for your vote, tell them: “No pork or bacon, no thanks.” William L. Peters Kellogg

IN THE PAPER

Stage event during summer

Re: “Girls, parents work it out” (April 28).

I’m all for letting children learn about and experience the work-a-day world of their parents. Would the Ms. Foundation be as enthusiastic if the “event” were held during the summer? Considering the state of our education across the United States, it seems absurd to pull kids out of school for something that by its very nature may not be available to all children. Ervin Koller Spokane

Take `em to work on a non-school day

“Take Your Daughter to Work” is anti-educational.

Why do we tell kids that schooling is important and then use every dumb excuse to take them out of school? Those supporting this holiday from school are doing kids a big disservice.

One-hundred-eighty days of school are important. When a child misses a day of school, most will never have another chance to learn what was taught that day. There are 185 days in the year when kids are not in school. Why can’t parents show kids that the work day is important by taking them to work on a non-school day?

Suzie misses six or seven classes when she’s absent. That’s six or seven teachers who must give her assignments separately, reteach them for her benefit and probably remind her several times of the lessons she missed on the fourth Thursday in April.

When teaching junior high school I often spent an extra hour each night making up lessons for students who were going to the dentist, taking a trip with dad, going shopping for mom, baby-sitting or making up some inexcusable absence. No parents offered to pay me overtime, and apparently did really care about the child’s education.

Please don’t lie to a student and tell him or her “School is your most important job” if you’re the parent who takes a kid out of school, who thoughtlessly gives the teacher extra work and who breaks that state law that says the only legal excuse for absence is illness. Robert D. Miller Spokane

Too bad these three aren’t from Cuba

Recently in Judge Alan McDonald’s federal courtroom the gallery witnessed a disgraceful adjudication of a case involving a mother and children - 2, 4 and 7 years old - all U.S. born.

The mother’s attorney presented a moving account of the father’s deceit and physical abuse in Greece. The mother asked the Greek police for protection and was told to “go home and be a good wife.” She also was denied help from the U.S. Embassy. She then took the children to the safety of America.

After hours of testimony, the judge took a 15-minute break, during which the gallery’s consensus was that the preponderance of evidence was definitely in favor of the wife and children.

Upon return, the judge stated that the wife and children should be sent back to the “loving and caring father” in Greece. The judge, knowing the wife is penniless and cannot speak Greek, directed her and the children to return to Greece without delay, seek a Greek attorney and utilize the Greek legal system. I was shocked and appalled!

McDonald admonished the father because of his past record of cruelty, to vacate the rented house and pay the expenses of the wife and children. Any first-year law student knows this admonishment is unenforceable and ridiculous.

It is unfortunate these three U.S.-born American minor children are not illegal immigrants from Cuba!

Please help. Contact your U.S. senator and representative. Jim McMahon Spokane

Judge got allusion wrong

Re: “Judge orders U.S. kids back to Greek dad.”

When public officials quote scripture, they need to be careful that they get it right.

U.S. District Judge Alan McDonald used an inaccurate reference to Ruth from the Bible in his hearing of an international custody case. He likened the mother, who had accompanied her Greek husband to Greece, to Ruth in the Old Testament. But he got the allusion wrong. Ruth did not say to her husband, “Whither thou goest, I will go.” She said that to her mother-in-law after her husband died and the women were left destitute. Ruth selflessly went with Naomi because she loved her.

I believe in most cases that husbands and wives need to stay together. However, if a judge is going to use scripture with this woman - who says she and her children were abused by her husband - the judge needs to quote carefully. He should also keep in mind the verses from Ephesians 5: “Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her…” and “fathers, do not exasperate your children…” Husbands and fathers have responsibilities just as wives and mothers do.

The Spokesman-Review might also encourage its reporters to double-check the accuracy of quotes and paraphrases. John Craig let this important misquote of scripture get past him. It really blew a hole in Judge McDonald’s argument. I’d think Craig as a journalist would enjoy pointing out a judge’s error in a case like this. Kyrsten S. Weber Spokane

Hurray for Spitzer’s stand

Three cheers for Father Spitzer! In this time of anything goes, including the Catholic Church of today, it is refreshing to see a priest with enough backbone to stand up for what is morally right and to have the guts to go up against Planned Parenthood. It shows me that Father Spitzer is not afraid to define Gonzaga University as a truly Catholic institution that still believes abortion is wrong. God bless his efforts. Anne Cysewski Mica

Liberals miss point of GU’s stance

Dr. Edward Parker Jr.’s April 16 letter is another marvel of the mindset of the tyrannical discipline of our liberal community. Of course the discipline is always meant for the other people and not for themselves.

If Dr. Parker truly espoused his rational educational freedom of expression, then he would approve having a religious counselor present at each interview of Planned Parenthood with an abortion prospect, and/or the training session of developing a young female into the mold of our now national whoredom by means of their brainwash on the mythical protection of birth control or prevention. Planned Parenthood was the sponsor of our now national restriction of outdoor counselors against abortion by restricting them to areas well outside earshot.

Another point missed by the rational headset of Parker is the so-called separation of church and state. Planned Parenthood has their hand in the government till up to their elbows, at least on the national level, and we wouldn’t want any of those benefits to penetrate a strictly religious campus, would we?

The Gonzaga academic prowess is well recognized on a national level. Joseph A. Bell Spokane

CUBAN REFUGEE

Violent act mars liberty

The letters praising Attorney General Janet Reno and President Clinton for their Elian abduction beg for another view.

I am for “father’s rights” but I can’t ignore that gnawing sense of Elian’s mom’s voice, if it could be heard from her watery grave. I believe it would be loud and clear, Why did those soldiers point weapons at my son in your free land?

Some questions to ponder:

With all the ostensibly intellectual minds having input in this decision, how is it possible for them to have fashioned such an insensitive, uncreative, unwise and violent method of accomplishing their goal? If negotiations had been put on hold until after Easter, what on earth did they think was going to occur?

Was Elian’s life in danger? Was Cuba going to attack us if we didn’t meet some deadline? Or was it too close to an agreement that would preclude Greg Craig from getting Elian to the father and Castro’s persuaders where they could have absolute control?

So, is it all OK, so long as we now see photos of a smiling Elian with his father and Castro’s official persuaders nearby?

Can we now just dismiss it and go back to our work, entertainment or whatever it is we do that takes advantage of the freedoms that those Cubans in Miami came here for and what Elian’s mother thought she might find here?

This repugnant act further marred the original pure beauty of our long and hard fought for liberty. Ken Van Buskirk Spokane

OTHER TOPICS

Opinion page missing garnish

Disappointments are a part of life: a hotdog without mustard, Easter without eggs, salsa without cilantro, a week with no Saturday - my morning Spokesman-Review with no Priggee!

Sometimes we take quality things for granted until they come up missing. I’ve been missing Milt Priggee’s amazing talents as an everyday garnish to the Opinion page - like popcorn without salt! Marie Toledo Spokane

Where’s Benson? Bring back Priggee

Why no more Benson from the Arizona Republic? His cartoons may irritate us sometimes, but they are far better than most of the others.

I also would like Milt Priggee back full time. Bertha Van Ryn Hope, Idaho

Factor in circumstances, Shamp

Jim Shamp, the fact that you equate strippers and prayers is interesting. I wonder how you would feel if you went to a ball game and a stripper went out and did a quick strip show before the game. Do you suppose you would object? Of course you would, because you went to see a ball game.

If I went to church I would expect to hear prayers. If I go to a ball game I expect to see a game.

The people who say the prayers at ball games are taking advantage of a captive audience of people who came to see a game. There are plenty of places to pray - in churches, in homes, in cars. I don’t think you need to force them on unsuspecting people who encountered you for some other reason.

The idea of equating free speech with prayer is only a smokescreen done to fool us onto thinking we must submit or be un-American. adelon C. Thomas Spokane