Letters To The Editor

SPOKANE MATTERS

Health district in need of attention

It’s no wonder Initiative 695 was voted in. The Spokane County Public Health District, from what I’ve heard, has always been managed poorly hasn’t charged people who should’ve been, employees did house calls but could only do two a day, no proper paper trail on inventory, endorsing checks received, etc.

And now, to find out it hasn’t collected $190,000 in fees - just what have those people been doing?

This was a long time accumulating and I know that a privately run business would not have been that much in arrears because of the computer. It’s good that agencies always now have the computer to blame. What would have been wrong with hiring some temporary help to get the billing out by hand, the way it used to be done 10 to 15 years ago?

Of course, it would follow now that the administrator should be given a raise in pay! They are only using public funds, so why not? Maybe some more administrative people should be hired rather than nurses, as was asked for awhile back?

The district board should be looked at or fired. Shirley Meyer Veradale

Viewers don’t want moral supervision

Cindy J. Omlin’s Aug. 22 letter on the failure of the Cable Advisory Board to recognize that more than 2,000 petition signers just wanted to forward their concern to AT&T about the moral downgrading of our community is interesting.

There are presently 20,000 area subscribers to the digital network who can receive this channel - a lot more than signed the petition (although some may not have known about it). Maybe most or all of those 20,000 subscribers decided they could make up their own minds about what they want to watch.

Adolf Hitler did a very effective job with censorship when he and his brethren decided Jewish works were not good for their communities and staged book burnings.

I don’t want this channel at my house but it is my decision. If, from what I have read in the recent past, the concern is that your children could be exposed at a neighbor’s house, get to know your neighbors better.

If you are so concerned about your children’s future and the growth of a wholesome community, you had better pay more attention to what our City Council members are doing to Spokane, not AT&T. The impact of their whims, infighting and just plain bull is gonna get you before any adult channel will. John Anderson Spokane

Sign mischief is stealing, vandalism

This concerns political yard and street signs and the belief of “opponents” that it’s just part of the political game to tear down, pick up or knock over all such signs they disagree with.

I just drove the length of Government Way and found that some cleanup “citizen (s)” had picked up every political sign next to the right of way, including those I had placed there for John Powers.

I suppose I have placed and lost as many such signs in this city as any other person. In my last race for the City Council, one of my supporters followed a pickup up Grand Avenue and across 29th, and watched a person in it pick up every political sign except those of their candidate. These ordinary signs cost the candidate from $2 to $5 each. They are private property and the opposing citizen has no more right to pick them up or destroy them than any other piece of personal property belonging to another. Of course, a candidate would not be a good sport if he objected. Robert D. Dellwo Spokane

EVENTS Our car shows help students

I read with interest the Aug. 25 article covering the front page picture, “Going for the gleam.” I suppose that in fact the more than 300 special interest cars, not just street rods, were there as part of Live After 5. But the fact is the Scholarship Car Show, previously called Night Before The Nats, is promoted and operated by the Inland Northwest Car Club Scholarship Fund. The Aug. 24 show was our fifth downtown and the first with which we’ve had any financial assistance from the promoters of Live After 5, the Downtown Spokane Partnership.

My reason for writing is not to diminish the assistance we have received from the Downtown Partnership but to finally let anyone interested know why all the cars come downtown every year at this time.

The INCC Scholarship Fund is a committee of 28 local car buffs who have very quietly over the past several years raised thousands of dollars to help our youths in further their education. Through raffling engines and quilts, holding car shows and a very successful dinner and auction in November every year, we have, with no fanfare, given away over $50,000 in scholarships. This year at our scholarship car show we honored eight year 2000 students and their parents by handing out $8,000 for their continued education.

Our little committee certainly is not the biggest in size or dollars generated but we are dedicated to a fault. Maybe it’s time for us to be recognized for our extraordinary efforts. Jack L. Rountree, chairman INCC Scholarship Fund, Spokane

GOVERNMENT AND POLITICS

Big GOP picnic unreported

The annual Washington State GOP picnic, held in Puyallup on Aug 26 for 40,000 people, was completely ignored by your newspaper. Why?

The picnic, a celebration of Republican unity, promoted two outstanding candidates for governor, John Carlson and Harold Hochstatter.

All state offices were represented by candidates who spoke from the platform. The climax, however, was hearing from Bill Bennett, former U. S. secretary of education and drug czar, and radio talk show host Rush Limbaugh. This was Limbaugh’s first public appearance and speech in over seven years. Clearly, he was excited to be in Washington state.

Carlson declared this gathering “the largest political gathering in Washington state’s history.” (Twice as large as the last political event in the state, for Bill Clinton).

Our Eastern Washington legislators participated on stage. I know of several dozen Eastern Washington and Idahoans who attended.

Could it be the media are afraid to tell Eastern Washington readers that 40,000 enthusiastic Republicans are working hard to defeat the current governor? Lorraine L. Halverson Liberty Lake

Texas-size boasts, Bush-league schools

We all have been watching and listening to George W. Bush tell us how good the educational system is in Texas since he’s been governor. Well, the truth is finally coming out.

Texas is about the lowest-performing state in educational achievements. For example, in overall performance, Texas was rated at 49 out of 50 states. The only state with a worse performance record was Alabama, which ranked 50th.

Since Bush has been the governor of Texas, its rating has risen to 40, not something I would boast about. Texas still has a long way to go to even get into the top half. Texas has the lowest pay scale for teachers in the country. It is even lower than Alabama or Idaho. And to this day, Texas doesn’t offer medical insurance for teachers, which is scandalous.

Yet to hear Bush brag about Texas schools you would think it’s one of the best states in the country.

When you vote for a president this November, remember who is talking about facts and who is telling you election propaganda, and you will vote for Al Gore, not Bush. Tom Akren Post Falls

So, the man changed his mind

Isn’t it interesting that the U. S. Term Limits campaign can afford to send out thousands of anti-Nethercutt materials and TV ads in our state from Washington, D.C.? Where is their money coming from?

Their ads are full of half truths. Yes, Rep. George Nethercutt changed his mind about running again. But he found out how long it takes to get legislation through and gain the seniority necessary to get the job done in that atmosphere.

If the worst he can be charged with is a change of mind, for which he has openly apologized to the district, we think in all good judgment he can serve the district well. He is a man of integrity. Let’s re-elect Nethercutt in November. Bob and Willy Stuhlmiller Reardan, Wash.

IDAHO VIEWPOINTS

Voters can fix state’s image problem

The Spokesman-Review recently reported that Idaho State Senate Education Committee Chairman Gary Schroeder, apparently an enlightened Republican, asked Gov. Dirk Kempthorne to call a special session of the Legislature to repeal its latest imbroglio of requiring the state Board of Education “to monitor any potentially controversial Idaho Public Television program.”

Schroeder also explained that the governor’s “work to enhance Idaho’s image and markets is being tarnished by this program of intolerance and censorship.”

In the same article, the speaker of the nation’s most Republican House of Representatives, and the only state to censor public TV, Rep. Bruce Newcomb, lamented, “It makes him (Schroeder) look good and everybody else look bad.”

Yes indeed, the Republicans of Idaho look bad!

Newcomb is correct, of course, but the only way to improve Idaho’s image is to elect more Democrats. Even thoughtful Republicans know that. Larry M. Belmont Coeur d’Alene

Subsidize the well to do? No way

Coeur d’Alene’s Urban Renewal Agency is ready to give welfare to the wealthy. Spokane developer John Stone wants $1.5 million from us to make his Riverstone property more valuable.

Sue Ann Wallace, City Council and agency member, says she’s ready to sign on. No surprise, given her track record. (Spokesman-Review, Handle, Aug. 25).

The claim is that tax-increment financing is free because future taxes pay. Baloney! It’s a handout to those who don’t need or deserve it.

You add a garage or your street gets sewers and the URA won’t help. But your taxes will increase.

Since 1977, I’ve seen the Coeur d’Alene Resort and golf course, Coeur d’Alene Honda, Parker Toyota, the auto dealers along Highway 95, Hecla and others build, improve and succeed without handouts.

Stone’s success results from his efforts and the rewards of the free enterprise system. Let’s help him continue in free enterprise by keeping him out of our pockets.

If we choose to finance business, let’s help single moms, the downsized and deserving persons - not the wealthy and their lawyers.

We need to stop city officials and the Urban Renewal Agency from bringing socialism to our city.

My daily prayer: “Lord, never let me understand a bureaucrat. And please, take me before I think like one. Amen.” Vern Westgate Coeur d’Alene