Letters To The Editor

Spokane matters

Change happens - go with it

Being disheartened with all our negative publicity about downtown Spokane, I was very happy to read the column by Fern Christenson on May 6. It’s a keeper. It’s great to be reminded about all the wonderful things we can do and see there, plus a good reference when out-of-town company arrives.

When will it ever be peaceful again, or would it be better if the whole place was boarded up?

It’s amazing to me that no one seems to mind handing over $5 or more at a parking lot to see a two-hour show at the Opera House or at some other garage to visit their attorney, broker, etc. But they are not about to pay the same to use the River Park Square garage. The Crescent used to deliver, at no charge, a jar of cold cream all wrapped up in a box but times change. Let’s go along with it. Lorna Stevenson Spokane

Parking lots can be overdone

Last week a letter writer pointed out that it is essential to have abundant low-cost parking in downtown Spokane.

First, downtown Spokane does have abundant low-cost parking. Not counting monthly parking spots, there are more than 6,000 parking opportunities in downtown and many cost less than $1 an hour.

Adequate parking is an important part of a successful downtown mix. However, turning every other downtown city block into a parking lot the size of Wal-Mart is not the answer to what ails downtown Spokane. Too much parking in a downtown limits opportunity for development of the things that make downtowns great: the shops, restaurants, aesthetically pleasing buildings and the ability to experience all of these things in close proximity to each other. Providing a way for people to quickly and conveniently access the great things downtown without degrading it with too much parking is the solution.

To do this we need to increase the number of people in downtown Spokane. Other cities have accomplished this by actually limiting the number of parking spaces in their central business district. Simultaneously, they’ve encouraged residential development, increased access to downtown through mass transit, and minimized barriers for those wishing to walk or bicycle downtown from adjacent neighborhoods.

We have a choice in the way we revitalize our downtown. Is a parking lot on every corner the ideal downtown Spokane? R.J. Keetch Spokane

Forum will skip a few traits

Re: “Forum to discuss best traits for leaders” (Region, May 7).

OK, Leadership Spokane is attempting to start a “community dialogue” of types of behavior that citizens should be able to expect from their leaders. Hmmm. Principles of civic leadership? This sounds familiar. Didn’t we try this once with Character First?

Developing qualities of leadership is important for everyone, not exclusively beneficial to those who lead in local government. Qualities such as collaboration, responsiveness and stewardship benefit children and adults alike. Therefore, every person - regardless of age, social status, race or religion - can benefit from developing these principles.

I agree with Fyodor Dostoyevski, one of the world’s greatest novelists, as well as social and political philosophers, when he stated, “It is not the brains that matter most, but that which guides them -the character, the heart, generous qualities, progressive ideas.”

People from around Spokane will gather to discuss integration of principles of civic leadership. I hold out hope for a positive outcome. But let’s not discuss eliminating school violence, building community teamwork, increasing productivity in the work force or developing a spirit of giving and serving among youths. Nor should we discuss responsibility, thoroughness, dependability, self-discipline, resourcefulness, truthfulness or integrity. After all, these principles were presented to our community and dismissed by various “leaders.”

Principles of civic leadership? I think it can’t help but do good. It certainly can’t do any harm. But let’s not get ahead of ourselves.

One question. Has this been cleared by the Human Rights Commission? Cynthia M. Nelson Spokane

Washington state

Utility seeking steep rate increases

Are you aware? If the Washington State Utilities and Transportation Commission approves Avista’s proposed residential rate increases for electricity and natural gas, the typical residential electrical customer using 1,034 or fewer kilowatt hours per month will see an 18 percent increase in their monthly bill.

You can check your Avista bill by looking under energy used to see if you will be one of those paying 18 percent or more. This is considerably more than the 14 percent average Avista quotes. It will take a lot of customers paying 18 percent or more to arrive at a 14 percent average.

Avista was granted a 17.09 percent purchase gas cost adjustment on Dec. 29. If the commission approves the proposed natural gas increase Avista is seeking, the typical residential gas customer using 80 therms will see a bill increase of 7.98 percent, for a total increase in natural gas costs of 25 percent in less than a year.

A typical customer using electricity and natural gas will see a combined bill increase by 43 percent in one year.

If this concerns you, you can write to the secretary of the Washington Utilities and Transportation Commission, P.O. Box 47250, Olympia, WA 98504-7250; e-mail: comments@wutc.wa.gov; or contact Public Counsel at www.wa.gov/utility to express your concerns or receive more information about the requested rate increases. Richard R. Olberding Spokane

Wildlife

Take a bear to protect elk

The Idaho Department of Fish and Game has finally acknowledged predators are killing a catastrophic number of elk calves in the Lolo-Selway zones. To reduce predation, IDFG belatedly restored a bear season there to about what it was before 1993 and authorized two bears, like pre-1987.

According to IDFG, the Lolo Zone elk population declined by more than 8,000 (56 percent) since 1989, Selway Zone Unit 16A declined 50 percent and Unit 17 declined 35 percent. IDFG states the Lolo-Selway herds are declining 10 percent annually due to catastrophic low calf survival caused by extreme predation.

Hunters harvest some 600 bulls and predators kill an estimated 7,000 calves annually. Predators kill an unprecedented 12 calves for every bull harvested by a hunter!

The ongoing 1997-2000 IDFG Clearwater calf study documented predation causes an unbelievable 95 percent of all calf mortality.

An IDFG Clearwater 1973-79 calf study proved that reducing bears doubled calf survival the next year. After four years, the elk population increased an astounding 76 percent, versus only 7 percent in the non-bear-removal area.

Unfortunately, IDFG ignored and denigrated its own calf study for 20 years, resulting in gross mismanagement of elk and habitat.

Sportsmen who want to protect what remains of decimated Lolo-Selway elk herds should try to harvest a bear before the bears begin their annual mass slaughter of calves in June.

Sportsmen need to support IDFG’s long overdue policy of balance between predators and prey while the IDFG and Forest Service finally work together to improve habitat. Rich Tuck Moscow

Makah blood sport makes poor lesson

Regarding “Teenagers spellbound by whaling tale,” I’m not sure that I saw much in the article about esteem- or culture-building, which the article states was the purpose of the camp.

A traditional Makah whale hunt didn’t involve the use of a motor boat pulling the canoe out into open water, a .50 caliber rifle blowing a hole into the whale “the size of a fist” or motor boats towing the whale back to shore.

As for Donny Swan, he watched a magnificent juvenile female whale being harpooned, fired the killing shot, leaped into the water to sew the dying whale’s mouth shut, on shore watched a little kid running past him with both whale eyeballs and after all of that blood and violence, he was freaked by whale lice, which he never knew were on gray whales? May I suggest a day of whale watching instead of harpooning?

The International Whaling Commission has been given the responsibility, by international agreement, to regulate whaling. The IWC has not approved Makah whaling, which means that Makah Tribe is currently involved in illegal whaling in a marine sanctuary - in a hunt funded by our tax dollars and supported by nations that want to resume commercial whaling!

Tradition? Culture? I don’t think so. From the Peninsula Daily News, April 19, 76-year old Makah tribal member Binky Thompson says it best:

“We don’t need to kill to remember our tradition.” Linda R. Henningsen Spokane

Fisheries agency has it backwards

The National Marine Fisheries Services apparently plans to adopt rules to protect salmon and then hold hearings to explain want they mean (The Spokesman-Review, May 6).

As happens too often, NMFS has it backwards. Government agencies are supposed to hold public hearings before they adopt rules. They are supposed to take into account what people have to say.

NMFS held a limited number of hearings in January and February, after the agency published its draft rules, and claims to have received “tens of thousands” of comments, including highly critical comments from state agencies in Washington, Oregon, Idaho and from dozens of organizations. Apparently, however, NMFS doesn’t plan to issue a revised draft before making the rules final.

The only conclusion we can draw is that NMFS was only going through the motions of holding public hearings. It seems clear that the agency didn’t listen to what people had to say, and never intended to take their comments seriously.

It’s time for NMFS to stop being so arrogant and involve people in a legitimate public hearing process that results in regulations that are clear, good for salmon and safeguard the rights of individuals.

According to published reports, Curt Smitch, Gov. Gary Locke’s special assistant for natural resources, calls the proposed rules “a piece of junk.” Let’s not base salmon recovery in this state on regulations that we know are junk from the start. Steve Appel, president Washington Farm Bureau

Don’t sign on for Initiative 713

Re: the trapping ban, Initiative-713.

Meaningful solutions to natural resource issues are reached when all parties recognize their responsibilities, refrain from blaming others and step up to the civic responsibility of solving problems in the spirit of cooperation and compromise. Avoidance of responsible participation in the public process by attacking others only delays and weakens real solutions, perhaps until it is too late.

Initiative 713 ignores established wildlife conservation and management practices that are based upon sound, proven scientific principles.

It is another attempt by animal rights extremists to find a political solution to a resource problem that does not exist. This emotional, political agenda, masquerading itself as sound public policy, contributes nothing to resolving the very serious habitat and pollution problems impacting our wildlife.

The management of Washington’s wildlife resources should be based on sound science conducted by professional biologists, not driven by uninformed political activists whose only agenda is to eliminate all consumptive uses of our natural resources.

I-713 is another ill-conceived attempt to manage natural resources from the premise of political rhetoric rather than from sound science and time-proven wildlife management practices.

I urge all citizens of Washington to Decline to Sign I-713. Let’s manage our state’s natural resources with science, not the ballot box. James A. Layman, executive director Inland Northwest Wildlife Council, Spokane

Idaho viewpoints

Judge waging a partisan campaign

From 1993 until 1999, I served as a member of the bipartisan Idaho Judicial Council, which processes the applications of judge candidates and has the responsibility of handling complaints against judges.

The Idaho Constitution provides that all judges and justices shall be nonpartisan. The canons of judicial ethics prohibit the solicitation or support from political parties.

Judge Dan Eismann, as a candidate for the Idaho Supreme Court, has blatantly violated these judicial canons. He has courted political and financial support of one political party and has attended and spoken at numerous partisan political gatherings all across the state. In violation of the 1998 opinion issued by the executive director of the Judicial Council, Eismann answered a detailed, loaded questionnaire from the Idaho Christian Coalition with the announced intent to curry favor with that special interest group with his extreme answers.

An unbiased, nonpartisan, open-minded, fair judiciary is essential to our system of government. By his campaign tactics, Eismann has clearly shown that he is unfit to sit upon the Idaho Supreme Court.

I urge voters to re-elect Justice Cathy Silak, who has worked very hard to keep this campaign nonpartisan and in strict compliance with the judicial canons of ethics. Sue S. Flammia Coeur d’Alene

Public money? Not in Coeur d’Alene

This is Coeur d’Alene, not Spokane.

I’m outraged! Jack Beebe (commissioned salesperson) says Riverstone’s investors need public money to ensure profits. He wants $1.3 million from Coeur d’Alene taxpayers, through Urban Renewal Agency gifts, to help John Stone’s project. They do that in Spokane, not here.

Evidence? Look at the downtown garage which Spokane citizens are asked to subsidize to protect real estate and commercial investments of the Cowles family, Nordstrom, et al.

Contrast that with Duane Hagadone. He turned the ugly Northshore Motel into the world-class Coeur d’Alene Resort. He turned the burned-out Penneys into the Resorts Mall and the Potlatch Mill into a world class golf course.

Hagadone got flak from the Cowles’ Spokesman-Review saying the hotel would be unprofitable, and from citizens who criticize his donations to improve Tubb’s Hill, etc. We’ve all heard it.

Hagadone invested his money, not ours, and he makes money. That’s great! That’s what America is all about.

Now a Spokane developer wants to make money but he wants us to “insure” his investment, and Beebe wants us to ensure his commissions.

Come on, guys. I hope you reap huge rewards from Riverstone, but do it the American way. If you want guarantees, buy CDs or bonds, or develop in socialized Washington.

And as you learn from Hagadone, note his Boardwalk that lets us all enjoy his largesse. Vern Westgate Coeur d’Alene

School board election `a farce’

Post Falls, shame on you!

In Post Falls there is one entity that has an especially great influence on our lives. It employs more people than any other. This entity serves more meals than our largest restaurant and its buses transport more people than any other carrier.

But more importantly, this entity is also entrusted with both the safety and the education of almost all of our young people.

And this entity can reach into your pockets, as it possesses taxing powers.

This entity is, if course, our public school system.

All of the district’s policy is controlled by your elected school board. In some cities, seats on the board are highly contested, having perhaps four or five candidates for each available position, with each spending $20,000 to $30,000 for the campaign.

Our recent non-election was a farce. No person or group even bothered to put forth any ideas, let alone field a candidate. Does this mean that everyone thinks the status quo is perfect or does it just mean that the people of Post Falls don’t give a damn? Charles Eberle Post Falls