Letters To The Editor

Sun., Nov. 26, 2000

SPOKANE MATTERS

Now, it’s browbeating volunteers

I just happened to tune in on the Monday night City Council meeting as Councilman Steve Eugster was interrogating the library director and two volunteers who serve on the board. Eugster’s incredibly terse and demeaning treatment of those being interrogated might’ve been justified had they been insolent or dismissive of his probes. But it was completely out of place when dealing with citizens who have volunteered to help out in a cause they clearly believed in.

At one point, Eugster pressed with a question about whether they had used an arcane procedure (relate usage to investment) which might have resulted in a decision more suitable to Eugster’s liking. The volunteer explained that she had not and when Eugster persisted, she finally said that if he would like an explanation of their reasoning she would be happy to meet with him to chat. Eugster coldly replied, “I don’t chat, I ask questions.”

The chill in the meeting room was palpable.

Eugster clearly owes the library board and people of Spokane an apology for his rude and uncalled for behavior. The fact that that is his “style” doesn’t excuse his uncivil treatment of these people - unless his goal is to ensure that no self-respecting person will volunteer for any city positions. Donald N. Fitzgerald Spokane

LAW ENFORCEMENT

Let’s avoid scapegoating

In “Three accused of sexual assault” (Nov. 21) a statement was made by a member of the community which I feel may have been made in haste or by strong emotions. In that statement, the speaker described the police response as “incompetence and gross negligence” and urged the council to “seek the resignation of the police chief as soon as possible.”

The person who made this statement sounds like a community member with strong feelings, one who is passionate about this horrific criminal case. I hold strong feelings about the persons who will be judged for the crimes committed against these young visitors to our community.

Let’s not judge those who did not commit the crimes. Let’s not judge a person who, by the very nature of his job, cannot immediately oversee every operation in his organization. Some would think so but it is impossible.

Many thanks to the individual(s) whose tips helped bring this serious crime to the attention of the police and the public. It is an example of how our system of laws is enhanced by police-community partnerships. We need to work together for the safety of the many against the few who prey on us.

Now is the time for the system to judge those accused of committing these crimes against the victims and our community. We will come away from this wiser, stronger and a better place. Mark Knight Spokane

Language barrier must not be excuse

I have been following, with sadness and disbelief, the recent reports about Japanese women in the Spokane area being kidnapped. Last week’s horrific events might have been avoided if the initial abductions had been thoroughly investigated.

For the police chief to even admit that a language barrier was partially responsible for the lack of an investigation is totally unacceptable.

Having gone to school for a few years in a foreign country, I have tried to put myself in the position of these young women and their families. Should foreigners be afforded less protection because of the language they speak? We may never know exactly why these perpetrators were given the chance to strike again. What we do know is that we, in this community, have a responsibility to raise our level of consciousness when it comes to people of other races and cultures. Kathryn B. Brenize student, Gonzaga Prep, Mead

Police lapse not cause for kudos

I read the Nov. 21 article on the alleged kidnapping and rape of the two young women and was ashamed for our city. The Spokane Police Department did not do its job when the first attack occurred, which allowed the second attack to occur. I am very upset that the police chief and department received praise for solving the second attack.

City Councilman Steve Eugster is wrong to be thankful for having a chief who runs a department that lets a major crime go uninvestigated. Terry Brown is correct - the chief should resign or be fired. The officer who dropped the ball on the first attack and his or her supervisor should be disciplined quickly to show that this city will not tolerate incompetent work by public employees. Robert P. Hopkins Spokane

GOVERNMENT AND POLITICS

Bipartisan childishness on display

We Americans are receiving an excellent lesson in the fruits of partisanship.

Two candidates struggle to continue campaigning in the court of public opinion after the ballots have been cast. The candidates and their supporters have displayed amazingly shameless examples of hypocrisy in the last couple of weeks.

On Wednesday, Gov. George Bush accused the Florida Supreme Court of changing the rules after the election. He then went on to advocate changing the rules to allow military votes to be counted, votes previously disqualified because the voters hadn’t followed the rules. Bush even complained that the court “cloaked” its decision in “legalese.” Aren’t legal procedures, their legal arguments and the final decisions usually worded in legal terms? Bush attempts to imply a sinister plot that benefits the Democrats.

Vice President Al Gore, in turn, charges Bush is trying to rush the process. While it’s interesting that Bush seems to feel that counting votes hurts his position, he’s hardly behaving any differently than we would expect Gore to behave if the circumstances were reversed.

We have two individuals acting like children on a playground instead of proving themselves worthy of leading our country for the next four years. Maybe this will teach us to demand candidates with integrity, intelligence and a desire to serve. By narrowing this election down to Bush and Gore, we have already gotten what we deserve.

Let’s raise our standards, consider candidates from parties other than the two major political parties and do better next time. Joe Jacoby Coeur d’Alene

Why is ballot counting so flaky?

If the state’s lottery machines were as inaccurate as the state’s ballot counting machines, there would be a march on the state capitols the likes of which this country has never seen. Why can’t the technology that goes into lottery optical scanners be used in the ballot counting machines, thus eliminating this utter incompetence that is happening in every county seat in the country?

The politicians we elect do enough dumb things. We don’t need to add to the mess in government. E.B. Booher Airway Heights

We must rise above corruption

What is becoming of our United States of America? When pregnant, hanging, dented, dimpled or dangling chads in three counties, along with a liberal state Supreme Court, decide who will be the next president? What’s wrong with this picture?

Do we just sit here, do nothing and watch our country continue to deteriorate into a corrupt government? What has happened to our values? What has happened to our integrity?

I love my country. I’m proud to be an American. But I’m not proud of what is going to be a part of the history during this time of my life.

God bless America, I hope and pray we will survive this and that the God will answer my prayers. I pray every night that we will have a renewed and honest government - one we can trust and look up to with pride.

I am not proud of the administration we have had for the past eight years. I know that this administration will go down in history as the most corrupt administration in the history of our nation. Joni L. Tonkovich Pullman

Chad aware, looking for new talent

How many of you who voted with punch ballots checked for hanging (or whatever) chads? I know I didn’t, nor have I ever seen anyone else checking. I guess you can just consider me one of those ignorant grandmas. But not anymore!

And by the way, please give us a credible, middle of the road, third-party candidate next time around and I’m sure many of us will be happy to abandon those other two parties. Judy Layton Spokane

Nader part of problem, not solution

What scares me about this presidential election is the number of votes Ralph Nader got. I do not care if he is “clear” because he accepts no endorsement money, if he travels first class or economy, or if he has a black-and-white TV. Looking at his Web site, however, makes me believe he is biased and the only difference between him and Rush Limbaugh is that while Limbaugh thinks liberals can’t do any good, Nader thinks the same about the corporations. The level of bias is the same.

That’s why neither Limbaugh nor Nader belong in any serious debate, especially not a debate of presidential candidates. You can’t compare Nader to Ross Perot: Perot, an accomplished man in the corporate and public arena, brought up some issues that are as valid today as they were eight years ago. Nader, like Limbaugh, is repeating a mantra that only sounds good to people who love simple slogans to shield them from the complexity of the world.

Yet the popularity of this approach, the widespread belief that the world consists of us and them - them corporations or them liberals - is dangerous. It does not support cooperation or problem solving in today’s world. It’s a recipe for disaster. Peter C. Dolina Veradale

Meet Our Journalists

Jesse Tinsley

Meet Jesse Tinsley. As a certified drone pilot, this veteran Spokesman-Review photographer often can be seen capturing beautiful aerial photographs of our region. Sometimes though, the job requires getting down with the dogs.
Jim Meehan

Jim Meehan is no stranger to Zag Nation. As the lead writer covering the Gonzaga men’s basketball team, he tells the stories behind the game and gets fans a bit closer to their favorite players.
Molly Quinn

There is no artist in Spokane like Molly Quinn. Her whimsical style is instantly recognizable to readers of The Spokesman-Review. She has painted gorgeous illustrations that instantly elevate the journalism accompanying it. She brings to life the stories that defy photography. She makes our pages better.
Rob Curley

Spokesman-Review editor Rob Curley loves to talk with people and learn about their lives, whether it's a best-selling author or a stranger he meets downtown on his walk to lunch. It's that inquisitive nature combined with a playful sense of storytelling that helps make our newspaper different than most.