Letters To The Editor

FLUORIDATION

Flouridation is a sound investment

What is the real cost of adjusting the fluoride in Spokane’s public water system to prevent disease? According to the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the annual cost of fluoridation is about 50 cents per person. In Seattle, it’s 31 cents per person a year. But there are individual and public savings that also occur through fewer dental visits and reduced Medicaid expenses.

A recent state and federally sponsored study in Louisiana found a significant reduction in cavities in children living in communities with water fluoridation compared to those from communities without fluoridated water. They were three times more likely than Medicaid-eligible children in communities with fluoridated water to receive dental treatment in a hospital operating room. And, the cost of dental treatment per eligible child was approximately twice as high.

Similar savings were found in a study requested this year by the Texas Legislature. For an initial 1 part per million increase in water fluoride level the average cost of dental care per child declined $24 per year.

In 1998, Medicaid dental expenditures in Spokane County were about $7.8 million. Adjusting the fluoride in our water to an optimal level will save much of this expense to the public and even more in private dollars spent on dental care. Robert R. Shaw, D.M.D. Spokane

Reject forced fluoridation

Dr. Mary Smith and her friends at The Spokesman-Review characterize foes of fluoridation as paranoid wackos, rabble and myth peddlers. This kind of name calling should make everyone wonder where the truth of this issue lies.

Instead of going to Smith’s group’s web site, as the Review suggests, just type in “fluoride” on the Internet and read both sides. You will find as I did that water fluoridation is far from a no-brainer decision, as Smith suggests.

I was surprised to see Dr. Hardy Limeback, president of the Canadian Association of Dental Research, completely opposed to fluoridation. He said Canadians are spending more money treating dental fluorosis than cavities. Toronto, which has had fluoridation for 36 years, has a higher cavity rate than Vancouver, which has never fluoridated. I also found that only 250 million people in the world drink fluoridated water. Western Europe is 98 percent unfluoridated.

With such abundant evidence pro and con, why not let everyone continue to choose for themselves? Forced fluoridation will deny me that choice. That’s why I’m voting no on fluoridation. Deborah A. Dunham Spokane

Fluoride was helpful to us

When our four children were young, our family was lucky to be living in an area with a high amount of fluorine in the drinking water. All four children are now middle aged, never have had cavities in their teeth and are in excellent health. The two of us are now in our late 70s, still in possession of our original teeth and have few health problems. None of the six of us has had cancer or any of the physical problems that are being touted as dangers from adding fluoride to Spokane’s water.

For the health of our 6-year-old Spokane grandson, as well as all Spokane children, we’re hoping the citizens of Spokane will vote for fluoridating the water as recommended by dentists and physicians. Ann and Bill Aldworth Spokane

Consider cumulative dose

Holly Robinson’s Sept. 25 letter stated, “The reason why children and parents are cautioned against ingesting fluoride toothpaste is because it is not good to have too much at one time.”

A huge point that has not been made is how much fluoride are you getting already? If you are buying food processed in an area that fluoridates its water, you are getting fluoride. The average fluoride content in juices is 0.20 to 2.80 parts per million; this varies according to fluoride concentrations of water used in production. An analysis done in 1998 found Coca-Cola Classic contained .98mg/liter of fluoride; Lucerne 2 percent milk, .72mg/liter; Sunny Delight, .31mg/liter; Fruit Loops cereal, 2.1mg/kilogram; and the list goes on. The range of water fluoridation is 0.7 to 1.2. As little as 0.04mg/kg of body weight per day has been proven to cause adverse health effects.

Fluoride is also the primary agent in many pharmaceuticals intended to affect brain activity, such as Prozac. Jamie L. Smith Dalton Gardens, Idaho

Some are allergic to fluoride

My wife is allergic to fluoride. Her skin burns and blisters when toothpaste touches her. She can’t brush her teeth with toothpaste that contains fluoride. The last time she went to the dentist he applied fluoride treatment and she quit breathing. Her doctor said 1-2 percent of people have the same allergy.

Also, for low-income people the costs are too high; my wife will have to buy bottled water to drink, cook with and bathe in. I urge voters to vote no on fluoridation. Robert D. Baker Spokane

GOVERNMENT AND POLITICS

Hood ornament in chief? No thanks

The consensus about the presidential race seems to be that Al Gore is very well informed and intelligent but he’s lacking in personality, while George W. Bush is seen as a nice guy but not the sharpest knife in the drawer.

E.L. Mattfeld’s letter (Oct. 25) makes a point other savvy conservatives have also voiced, that although Bush “doesn’t have command of the details,” if elected he will surround himself with cleverer advisers who will help him govern. All presidents consult advisers, of course, but Bush clearly will need to depend on them a lot more heavily than most. Heavy reliance on advisers raises a serious problem.

Voters have no input at all about who presidential advisers might be. A candidate so weak on specifics that he offers mostly generalities and who must surround himself with smarter people in order to make decisions diminishes the public’s power. How can we feel confident about choices that will be made and what paths the country may eventually follow if our government is directed by a collection of individuals we’ve never voted to have represent us? Joanne V. Hirabayashi Priest River

Gore’s special interest: working people

It is very important to remember who has the majority of the votes in this country: working families. As a working man, the most important issue to me is the ability to provide a decent living for my spouse and children. Having enough money to live on is one thing, having enough to provide a quality life for yourself and your dependents is another.

Why anyone working for a living would vote for Gov. George Bush is beyond my comprehension. He certainly has not done anything for the working people of Texas and he will not do anything for us.

Vice President Al Gore has a long history of supporting the working class and has stood up for our rights time and time again. Gore will listen to us on all our issues, as he has in the past. Bush has spoken out against labor and has done what he could to crush any kind of a labor movement. He thinks a $3 minimum wage is fair. That shows what he thinks of working folks.

We the working class have the votes to elect a president who will represent us. Don’t let this opportunity slip by. Your vote counts. Vote for working families, vote for Gore. Paul “Bill” W. Carter Newport, Wash.

Will-ful ignorance no way to choose

George Will, an alleged intellectual columnist, implied in a recent column that we should turn off the sound on the presidential debates to determine who should be our next president!

Does Will believe that what our next president has to say is less important than the way he delivers it? Is it better to smirk with an Alfred E. Newman grin and mumble semi-coherent platitudes the candidate himself does not fully grasp, rather than speak intelligently about the critical issues our next president must resolve? Seems like a lame argument to get voters to choose the “dumb”’ candidate. Perhaps the “intellectual”’ columnist believes voters are not bright enough to understand the issues, hence, we should elect leaders because of their demeanor.

I encourage all undecided voters to listen carefully to what the candidates have to say, not how they say it. Let’s judge and elect them by their words, not by whether they appear presidential (by Will’s standard or anyone else’s). Then let’s hold them accountable for their words. That’s how we elect a qualified leader. Harvey D. Westford Davis Lake, Wash.

Vote for Democrats, for fairness

The Spokane Labor Council has endorsed Maria Cantwell, Tom Keefe and Vice President Al Gore because they support not only labor but working people and retired people as well.

It’s no coincidence that these same three candidates are Democrats. They will work for you, not big business. They will work for you because it is the right thing to do.

As a working person, I’m not looking for the whole pie; I only want a piece of it. Vote for Cantwell, Keefe and Gore so we can all have a piece of the pie. Mike Rapp Spokane

`Greatest generation’ will elect Bush

Is Vice President Al Gore really trying to scare the greatest generation? My folks were brought up on innovation. During the Depression they made do.

Gore says to change Social Security is risky and he might have to renege on Democratic promises over the last 65 years. I think he doesn’t even know the definition of risk. Those of the greatest generation weren’t afraid of risk in World War II and Korea. They were not afraid to require service from their children or grandchildren in Vietnam, Desert Storm or even Kosovo.

When Nov. 7 comes, our seniors will relish the fact that once again the greatest generation will come to our aid by voting for Gov. George W. Bush to return honor, decency, integrity, respect and truth to the White House. No flip-flop for them! Bush will truly be America’s leader in the 21st Century. I know Bush won’t let them down. Stephen K. Peterson Liberty Lake

Bush would be bad for environment

If you care about the environment, do not vote for Gov. George W. Bush.

Bush supports turning over environmental regulatory authority to state and local governments, which would allow for increased water and air pollution. If local governments are strongly influenced by local businesses or if local governments feel jobs are more important than controlling air and water emissions, the amounts of pollution will increase. Remember the Silver Valley 30 years ago, when Bunker Hill ran the show, to see what can happen. (Gore favors regulations that would reduce emissions from power plants.)

Bush opposes the Kyoto protocol to combat global warming - he wants more studies. Recent studies show global warming is occurring at a rate much faster than previously predicted. (Gore supports ratification.)

Bush supports drilling for oil in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge in Alaska, even though the supply of oil is minimal when compared to current consumption. (Gore opposes this.)

Bush supports market-based incentives to encourage environmental responsibility. This means pollution problems, environment and habitat destruction will never change or improve until money can be made doing so.

Bush opposes even considering removal of the four lower Snake River dams that harm salmon. Unfortunately, salmon extinction in the Columbia-Snake River system is a real possibility. (Gore does not favor dam removal but hasn’t completely ruled it out.) Ray Newcombe Coeur d’Alene

Gore, Lieberman fail to value life

I was quite surprised recently when reading about the voting record of Sen. Joe Lieberman. He’s voted five times to keep partial-birth abortion legal and has voted pro-abortion 67 out of 68 times in the Senate. And Lieberman has been termed “moral” by the Democrats and our liberal media. I’ll vote to save babies. I’m voting for George Bush and Dick Cheney. Diane N. Brown Veradale

Vote Nader to avoid regret

People are saying that those who are thinking about voting for Ralph Nader will waste their vote if they do.

I feel sorry for all the people who will vote for Gov. George Bush or Vice President Al Gore and spend the next four years complaining about what happens. I feel sorry for all the average people who will vote for these two and work harder and longer for less but get more debt.

Unlike them, I will vote for a candidate and know why I did, and be able to look back and say I’m glad I voted for Nader. I will know that I did not vote for a candidate who got millions upon millions of dollars in campaign contributions from big corporations, and had to spend his time in office repaying them.

I will get to vote for a candidate who said what he meant and proposed things that might help the people. I will get to vote for a candidate who wanted to take away the excessive power used by the corporate-welfare state and restore a more democratic balance between private and public sectors.

Do yourself a favor and vote for what is correct instead of what is popular. John Mifflin III Spokane

WASHINGTON STATE

Vote Carlson, for a change

During the past eight years Gov. Gary Locke and his Democratic cohorts presided over the demise of the individual health care industry in this state. When I wrote of my concerns, his office responded with a form letter referring me to the Insurance Commission. They gave me the wrong phone number.

The most recent legislative session tried to address the problems but it’s doubtful coverage will ever be accessible again.

Meanwhile, Locke’s administration has presided over the attorney general’s office while it can’t even appeal a Department of Social and Health Services lawsuit and complained about lack of revenues while accumulating huge surpluses. The only tax relief provided has come through citizen initiatives (601, 695 and Proposition 47). The response has been to cry about insufficient funds and to look for new ways to tax us, circumvent 601 or overturn 695 and 47.

With union backing he fights privatization and school reform. Any state employee who has experience in private industry recognizes the inefficiencies in government. Why can children in private schools get a good education and small class sizes for $4,000 when the state fails to accomplish the same with more than $6,000 per student?

John Carlson coordinated our most successful attempt to get violent criminals off the streets and he wasn’t even in office. He will offer creative solutions to reduce costs while improving services. Most of all, he is willing to express ideas that aren’t always popular with people who have grown comfortable with the status quo. It’s time for a change. Kathy Nagel Greenacres

Ahern given short shrift

Opinion editor John Webster’s Oct. 24 endorsement of Jack Geraghty would’ve been just as good without the sentence, “John Ahern is a friendly salesman with no governmental experience.”

First, Ahern has been a successful business owner in Spokane for 17 years. His business is copiers and copier supplies. He has served as president of several organizations and a board member of others. As for experience, I could name Bud Pardini and Duane Sommers, both from the 6th District, who had no government experience, yet became very effective legislators. Just because a person is a former mayor doesn’t necessarily qualify him for the role of legislator. They require different skills.

It would seem that a better preparation for the legislator would be the values one has learned and used throughout his life. Honesty, integrity and leadership skills no doubt prepare a person for the Legislature as well as other occupations.

My husband John has the above qualities. I certainly wish Webster had not characterized him in such a flippant manner. Nancy K. Ahern Spokane

CITIZENSHIP

Exercise right bought at great cost

It concerns me greatly that fewer people vote, of late. I understand that many are growing tired of the options they are presented with, feeling they are stuck in a no-win situation. However, avoiding the polls is not the remedy for this.

I was in Washington, D.C., recently. On one of the buildings there is this quote: “The price of liberty is eternal vigilance.” That haunts me, in light of the sacrifice our forefathers made for the liberty we so casually enjoy.

In one of the closing scenes of “Saving Private Ryan,” the lieutenant’s dying words to the young private were, “earn this.” I wept at this point because I knew that if those who have paid the ultimate price for our freedom could say anything to this generation, it would be just that.

In the song, “God Bless America,” we gallantly sing about standing beside this great nation and guiding her, but attendance at the polls reflects the fact that we have other priorities. May we turn the tide at this election. May we “stand beside her, and guide her.” Gregory J. Korthase Spokane