Letters To The Editor

Spokane matters

Relief may be an abra cadabra away

The conduct of City Councilmen Steve Eugster and Steve Corker at council meetings is a disgrace. Apparently, they did not get the message sent by voters by Mayor John Talbott’s defeat at the polls last week.

The message is clear: The voters want an end to constant bickering, personal attacks and irresponsible and costly conduct by Eugster and Corker. If these two don’t realize they are the next to go, maybe David Copperfield, the famous magician about to appear in Spokane, can just make them go away. Robert L. Simpson Spokane

Powers flogs a straw man

Do we want a mayor who gains the office by deception?

John Powers has continually cast aspersions on Mayor John Talbott’s policy of open government by making claims outrageously untrue. Recently, Powers has said a group that formed in 1998, called the Spokane Policy Research Council, was a secret group put together by Talbott to run Spokane from behind the scenes. His socalled evidence was an invitation to certain citizens to attend a meeting in which the mayor was to participate.

As the president of that now-defunct organization, I can testify that Powers misled the voters. The Spokane Policy Research Council was a private group of known community activists organized to investigate the issues and problems facing Spokane and possible solutions. We welcomed everyone. Talbott encouraged our interest and attended two meetings. Out of this group came council representation by district, which passed by a wide margin in 1999. David Bray Spokane

Talbott has made a mess of things

Good grief! Our downtown library is already closed Saturday and now the city’s financial crisis is making further cutbacks seem likely. The reserve fund is so low that it can’t be touched for short-term help. In fact, our bond rating, lowered only a few months ago, may sink even further, costing us millions more.

How could we be in such a mess when state and national coffers are bulging and neighbors such as Boise are experiencing unprecedented growth and financial vitality?

In a word, it’s the Talbott tax we are all being forced to pay due to our mayor’s misguided decisions. In an era of problem solving and mediation, he has taken a sue first, think later approach.

Ironically, weak Mayor John Talbott was elected three years ago because a majority of voters agreed that the city might have cut a bad financial deal over the downtown parking garage. He was not elected to pursue a myopic crusade and bankrupt our city in the process, however.

His actions since achieving a City Council majority have only highlighted his lack of ability to bring people together and deal effectively with all of Spokane’s challenges and potential opportunities.

John Powers can not only straighten out our city’s financial woes but can provide the kind of leadership that will bring competing interests together and move us all forward. Maybe I’ll even be able to spend a Saturday morning in the downtown library again. Mike K. Dirks Spokane

County needs managers like Wilbur

I have worked in the Spokane area for 25 years. I spent seven years as a permanent employee of Spokane County and later as a temporary in the Elections Department for two elections. Until I worked for Elections Superintendent Tom Wilbur I never thought such integrity, expertise and fiscally responsible management existed within Spokane County.

Wilbur handled both the public and his personnel with respect, honesty and professional ability. He had operated the department for 18 years within the same budget using temporary workers, a statewide practice to eliminate excessive staff year around.

His department worked tirelessly with no complaints through each election with high morale, due to his leadership and their respect for him. Why after 18 years, working successfully under two or three different auditors, was he put in a position where he chose to resign?

Knowing it would be impossible for anyone to alter an entire precinct, Wilbur answered the questions satisfactorily for the state as he had for 18 years. So why did Vicky Dalton question him? Dalton made errors, not checking policy, allowing auto licenses to be sold at emission test sites and violating state policies. Wilbur made the error of not informing Dalton of a problem solved.

Managers like Wilbur should be commended, not forced out. Spokane County could use more managers like him. I only hope the rest of the staff stay; the new non-certified acting manager needs their expertise! Sharon Etheridge Spokane

Washington state

I-745 no good, especially here

The campaign season is here and the Washington Citizens for Congestion Relief (Asphalt Pavers’ Association) seeks to enrich its members’ lives at the expense of the poor, elderly, and disabled. These forces are smooth and heavily financed. They make it seem easy to justify the stripping of public services. After all, who uses public services? They would have you ignore the overwhelming good these services provide. Think about how greedy and selfish it truly is in a country as bountiful as ours.

Initiative 745 promises new roads free of financial pain because existing taxes will be diverted from public transportation funds. As projections now stand, this initiative will eliminate public transit as we know it, including any opportunity for a light rail.

Like it or not, Spokane Transit Authority provides over 8 million rides a year. Without this vital public service, livability will decrease. Those who can will begin to drive, making roads even more congested. Those too old, young, poor or infirm to drive will be out of luck. That’s 30 percent of our population unable to access work, school, shopping or medical appointments.

If this initiative passes we lose our local option sales taxes and our transit system. The money will be pooled in Olympia and the most powerful legislators will decide its destination. Do you really think Spokane roads will be high on the priority list?

Please consider carefully and vote no on I-745. CJ Tyler-Watson Cheney

Tap ex-urbanites for fair share

In the matter of Initiative 745, you can borrow from Peter to pay Paul but you leave poor Peter impoverished. Is that fair and equitable?

Eighty-five percent of the transportation budget of the state currently goes to roads. Now they want 90 percent, taking away money spent on public transportation which serves the poor, elderly, handicapped and anyone else concerned about air pollution. Car drivers may hate buses but they do us all a favor by reducing the necessity of more cars on the streets.

The reason the city cannot afford to fix our streets is because many of the people who can afford to pay property taxes have moved out of the city. But those people continue to use, and abuse, our streets daily. They are not paying their fair share of street upkeep. If you want to borrow from someone, target this group. Dorothy E. Carter Spokane

Eyman brainstorm is others’ headache

On Nov. 7, Washington voters will encounter several ballot initiatives. For the people’s sake, I encourage everyone to vote no on Initiative 745.

Written by Tim Eyman, author of I-695, this initiative calls for the building and improving of roads statewide. It does not tell voters how the project will be funded.

I-745 requires that 90 percent of the state transportation budget (up from 80 percent) be sent to Olympia for statewide road construction. Even our local sales tax that Spokane residents voted to spend on the Spokane Transit Authority will fund the roads. This would leave only 10 percent of state transportation spending for public transportation - half what it receives now.

This cut would eliminate STA in a very short time. Countless individuals who are disabled or without a car would be stranded. Those who do drive would face increased traffic congestion on account of the influx of additional drivers who normally ride the bus for environmental reasons. Even commerce would suffer due to loss of workers and shoppers who can only ride the bus.

What’s more, Spokane would not receive the benefits of the road repair, as Eyman himself has admitted that the construction will take place on the other side of the Cascades.

It is interesting that every group that monetarily sponsored Eyman is in one of three businesses: asphalt, construction or petroleum. I wonder who stands to gain with the passing of I-745 - and at whose expense? Renata L. Rollins Spokane

We see consequences of high-handedness

Perhaps voters are, indeed, to blame for sponsoring and/or supporting such misguided initiatives as Initiatives 695 and 745, and for having voted in a council majority which initiated policies allegedly inimical to the public’s best interest. Indeed, I tried to dissuade both the city and developers from suing each other over the River Park Square garage.

Seldom, though, have I seen that blame or responsibility lies all on one side or another. So, too, have I seen that solutions often require cooperation and trust on both sides.

I guess we have to trust ourselves, first, before we can trust others. Therein lies the key to addressing budgetary shortfalls that diminish worthwhile services most of us would rather keep. I believe voters would gladly vote sufficient revenue for all worthwhile services if they did not feel left out and disenfranchised by our political leaders at every step of the process. This is well illustrated by taxpayer revolts in the form of citizen-based initiatives.

I beg all our political leaders to work for more-open government that brings the public through the front door, instead, and gives them more of a stake in the decisionmaking process. It’s like the Chinese proverb, “Tell me, show me, to involve me (so that I may truly understand).” Philip J. Mulligan Spokane

Don’t disperse, lose our transit money

Spokane County voters authorized the Spokane Transit Authority to receive three tenths of 1 percent of sales tax in the Spokane County Transportation Benefit Area. This tax is intended solely for use by the local transit system.

However, if Initiative 745 passes, 90 percent of this local tax will be transferred into the state road improvement fund. It’s unclear whether the remaining 10 percent will stay in Spokane or be placed in the statewide transit fund to be divided among all transit agencies. Most of your local tax would then be used to improve roads in the western part of our state.

STA has wisely built up a sizable cash reserve to ensure a healthy transit system for people here in the event of unforeseen circumstances, such as loss of revenue to $30 license tabs. If I-745 passes, 90 percent of this cash reserve will be transferred to the road improvement fund. Again, it’s unclear if STA will retain the remaining 10 percent or surrender it to be used in statewide transit funding.

Loss of revenue to STA when the $30 license tabs was implemented was substantial and repercussions are still being felt. Passage of I-745 would further reduce transit funds, thereby further reducing STA’s ability to provide adequate service and taking away your transportation choices.

Let’s keep our local tax dollars here in Spokane, where they belong, and protect our transportation choices by voting No on I-745. Robert J. Lands Nine Mile Falls

Health care

Open book not what doctors need

The National Practitioner Data Base has been making the press lately. The subject is access to information by the public. I remember when the NPDB was created and access was a point of debate. The medical community adopted this form of oversight when it was guaranteed the information would be released only to appropriate people. Examples would be state licensing bureaus, malpractice carriers, hospitals and the like.

If the NPDB is to be an effective tool to track the practice styles of physicians, it must rely on the involvement of those responsible for submitting data. This is no different from the peer review that goes on every week in every hospital in the country. These data are safe from discovery, as they should be. Confidence that this information will not be given to inappropriate people is a prerequisite for the honest, open discussions that are necessary.

Medicine is one of the last true professions and we who are in it are able to police ourselves. We are not perfect but I challenge anyone to show me another profession that goes to similar lengths to keep a high level of expertise and honesty. Don’t judge us on a bad apple or two. Vernon J. Nelson, M.D. Spokane

Other topics

Roads: People have some odd ideas

In all of the debates over roads, I have heard time and time again from people that we should eliminate buses, trucks, and carpool lanes. Unfortunately, these people don’t realize the purpose for all of these.

Buses are used to transport people who either do not own cars or choose not to deal with traffic. Carpool lanes are an incentive to cut down on traffic by encouraging two or more people to ride in one car. Now, imagine everybody in every car in the carpool lane and every person on every bus being added to the traffic. Do people think that opening up the carpool lane will help traffic?

With the extra cars, the problem will become worse!

I have worked at a grocery store for over two years and have had the opportunity to get to know some of the truckers who make deliveries. They make runs that sometimes last over 12 hours to make sure all of the stores always have items in stock. I’ve heard people complain when a store runs out of a particular product. Imagine how much worse it would become if truckers were banned from the road during certain hours.

Those trucks aren’t just empty and running around to look nice. They are there to deliver products to different businesses. People should think more before being hasty with their road rage. They can always find a co-worker and take the carpool lane. Max Aquino Pullman

Such harm must be prosecutable

Re: “Girl treated for burns suffered in bathtub,” Region, Sept. 22.

I want to know when this so-called justice system is going to begin protecting and defending children who are victims of neglect, abuse and murder? I refer to the little 1-year-old who was left in the bathtub with scalding hot water running for 15 minutes - 15 minutes! What did the child’s father do, leave the house?

Why wasn’t this man arrested for neglect of his child? Where do we draw the line of child abuse or neglect? Some year-old toddlers can’t even walk by themselves, let alone be left alone for that amount of time. He is lucky she didn’t drown.

I am outraged at all these instances of abuse of children, especially at the hands of their parents. What more has to happen before the proper authorities act decisively? Jeanie Smith Nine Mile Falls

Movie not appropriate for IMAX

I recently viewed an IMAX film and was greatly disturbed by a movie promoted as entertainment. During the week of Aug. 4-11, Riverfront Park, KHQ TV, Toyota and KKZX presented the Third Annual IMAX Film Festival. I was very disappointed with the content of the movie, “Encounter in 3-D.” I believe the movie has a significant negative impact on society and primarily effects our children.

One of the greatest emotions we can experience is related to sex. It has been said in the marketingadvertising world that sex will sell anything. In the IMAX movie, sex symbol Elvira put on a very sexually alluring act. Tied in with the sexual scenes were satanic pictures and rock music glorifying Satan and death. Elvira and the IMAX movie were selling satanism. I found the combination disgusting, to say the least. What little educational and entertainment value the movie had was overshadowed by the sexual and satanic theme.

A major attraction to Riverfront Park is the YMCA. The YMCA is pro-active in promoting family values to build strong families and strong communities. I would like to challenge the decision makers of Riverfront Park to adopt the same code of ethics the YMCA has and bring the park and city a little closer to being a respected community to raise a family.

Riverfront Park has an obligation to inform the public about movies that have immoral and satanic scenes some may find offensive. Unless guidelines are adopted, I no longer plan to attend moves at the IMAX. Michael A. McKay Spokane