Letters To The Editor

Thu., Sept. 28, 2000

5th Congressional District

Proud to have Nethercutt in Congress

I am one of thousands of voters who approached George Nethercutt and asked him to consider re-running for Congress regardless of his self-imposed three-term limit. Nethercutt is a man of the people and had no interest in becoming a professional politician. A professional politician would have been slick and polished and would not have made the mistake of committing to something which ultimately became an obstacle of his ability to serve the people he has sworn to serve.

Nethercutt is a straightforward man, one we have been able to trust and be proud of his behavior in Washington, D.C. Nethercutt kept his word to go to Washington, D.C., and represent our community. I am grateful for the real results on real issues Nethercutt has delivered to our community. Nethercutt has done what he said he would do and he has done it with integrity and grace.

I am proud to have Nethercutt as my congressman. If there is a need for criticism for his renewed commitment to continue to serve the people, it needs to go to the individuals like me, who asked him to please continue to represent us in Congress.

It is a tragedy when an honorable man like George Nethercutt is made mock of by special interest groups, while Nethercutt is merely responding to the will of the people.

Please vote for our good friend and congressman, George Nethercutt. Martin Burnette Spokane

America brought low, by George

Have you ever wondered why we have evolved from having a George (Washington) who could not tell a lie, to having a George (Nethercutt) who cannot tell the truth? Now I ask you, is that progress or what? Alex Croswhite Spokane

It’s Clear that I got it wrong

I apologize for my vote and support for Richard Clear for congressman of the 5th Congressional District. I thought I knew Clear and respected his views on the important issues that face this state and nation. I was wrong. I didn’t give him my vote for him to throw his support to the Democratic candidate who, if elected, will faithfully follow the dictates of the Democratic leadership.

I urge the people of the 5th District to vote for and support Rep. George Nethercutt. He will have my vote. Floyd L. Wakefield Colbert

Government and politics

Gore just another high taxer

Well, that’s it; as Vice President Al Gore nodded approval, President Bill Clinton vetoed relief from the alternative minimum tax. This follows similar vetoes of relief from the marriage tax penalty and the inheritance tax. These guys definitely like high taxes!

Of course, how can we forget the huge tax increase in 1993 that Gore broke the tie on in the Senate and Clinton happily signed into law. That one included jacking up the gasoline tax and, along with Gore’s widespread drilling restrictions, helped get gas prices where they are today.

Of course Gore does have plans for the budget surplus. His Social Security Plus program is a completely new entitlement and has nothing to do with Social Security reform. I think a reasonable 75 percent participation in this program would cost $120 billion per year but Gore claims it would only cost $35 billion so we won’t think it will spend the surplus. It will.

Now Gore says we should tap our emergency oil reserves. Heck, he said right in his book that he prefers high gasoline prices. How could anyone want to experiment with this guy as our president! Jim A. Powell Spokane

Reimporting drugs `a bad idea’

Reimportation of prescription pharmaceuticals is a bad idea.

Amendments soon to be considered by Congress on drug importation could open the door to counterfeit drugs, which pose a significant safety threat to U.S. consumers. The intended outcome of this legislation is to reduce pharmaceutical prices, unintended outcomes are also certain to result. Investigations in the 1980s led to current laws which ban prescription drug importation on the grounds it poses a safety risk to U.S. citizens. The FDA recognizes the value of the current law, which protects consumers. The current FDA commissioner and several former commissioners do not support this legislation, which is quietly passing through the halls of Congress. The FDA has argued against the amendments because of the significant impact these amendments will have on the FDA’s ability to protect the public health.

The FDA also stated that opportunistic criminals may introduce counterfeit drugs into the U.S. by disguising them as approved U.S. pharmaceuticals. This shortsighted approach will harm consumers and there is absolutely no guarantee cost savings would be passed on to consumers. Michael R. Freudenthal Spokane

Republican values only dollar wise

I am very disappointed in the lack of leadership, morals and community support I see in the Republican Party. Its position on the issues is to do nothing. More disgusting than that is its reason for doing nothing to save money.

The Republican criterion for making decisions goes something like this: Will this legislation cost me money? If the answer is no, the party supports it. But, if the answer is yes, the party fights against it. How grotesque that its most important value is how much money something might cost.

I understand that moving our society forward and improving the quality of life for everyone will take time, effort and money. Most anything worthwhile does. I believe a good citizen should be prepared to sacrifice and support all efforts that seek to improve our world, regardless of how the costs and benefits affect him or her personally.

How selfish and small-minded the Republicans are to think only of short-term profits for themselves over the long-term benefits for everyone. Curtis Durrant Spokane

The media

Critique of Cheney `scurrilous trash’

Re: “GOP anti-candidate all resume, no style,” News, Sept. 1.

I was puzzled when I read this headline on an article purporting to analyze Dick Cheney’s style of campaigning. Doesn’t substance govern over form in the election process? How much does style count?

I read the article. Rather quickly, I concluded it was intended more to deride Cheney than analyze his campaign style. For example, Cheney is described as snippy, grouchy, visibly irritated, a mumbler, barking responses to reporters, unwilling to read stories to children (a real meany).

The writer also attacked Cheney’s smile “as if his lips were sewn shut.” But, in all fairness, would one want to smile if one’s lips were sewn shut?

Next, he found Cheney’s demeanor as that of a “high school principal in a rural school district.” Apparently, country folk’s behavior is questionable. I wonder how many rural principals the author has met.

Then, the writer divines that “no one who knew Cheney thought he’d be any great shakes as a campaigner.” Does he actually know all who knew Cheney? Or does he claim poetic license as a Clintonesque journalist?

The article closes with a Washingtonian, pseudosophisticated remark, “They know that white-fringed bald head from the proud hours of the Persian Gulf War.” In contrast, Sen. Joe Lieberman is described as an “ebullient pistol of a running mate.” Is the article scurrilous trash or what? Bill L. Scott Liberty Lake

Lack of coverage makes statement

I went to the Department of Veterans Affairs Hospital rededication program recently. There were Gold Star Mothers and 101-year-old veterans from the world wars and various other wars. Of course, there were also the many patients, countless volunteers and workers who keep the hospital running. But not one TV station was there. How soon they forget. Jan Lease Spokane

Bush photo outrageously bad

Citizens of Spokane are continually subjected to the strong liberal bias of The Spokesman-Review. The photograph selected for the Sept. 26 front page, of the George W. Bush rally at Spokane International Airport, was undoubtedly the poorest and most unflattering of all from which they were able to choose. The composition would be rated terrible by any professional standards and is an insult and embarrassment to the people of Spokane.

Many remember when The Spokesman-Review was an excellent, fair newspaper that would not stoop to this unprofessional, blatant level of political manipulation. Irene E. Beeson Veradale

Business

Downtown parking lot inhospitable

There has to be some way to improve the parking lot situation for event parking in downtown Spokane.

Looking forward to an evening with the Canadian Brass recently, we pulled into our favorite parking lot, which is just west of Auntie’s Bookstore. Regretfully, there was no attendant in the booth but we noticed a familiar tin box just north of the booth. After parking, we approached the box only to find the glass cover either so dirty, or it had smoked glass, that we couldn’t see the slots to find the proper spot for the $5 dollar bill. At the time we all agreed that this was the absolute bottom of the barrel as far as parking is concerned.

I’m sure that putting attendants out there to take care of these lots would cause great deal of financial stress on the owners. But surely in this world of high-tech expertise there must be a better way than groping in the dark, trying to find a slot under a dim glass cover in a tin box. Howard B. Davis Spokane

Tech leaders rip public off

Companies such as Microsoft, Apple, America Online and many others have taken great advantage of the capitalist system. They have mismarketed their products and taken advantage of a computer illiterate public

For instance, in the two years of time they had between Windows 98 and 2000, Microsoft owned by the richest man on Earth made only three major changes : a new TCP/IP stack, removal of the command prompt (not entirely a good thing), and menus that appear with a neat dimming effect.

I am to pay over $90 to upgrade to this? Linux has been developed mostly by developers in their spare time, for free, and yet it is more stable and secure than Windows NT Server, which costs several thousand dollars more. This is ridiculous and shows Microsoft’s idea of good business: advertising first, product second, customers last. David Simon Cheney

Events

Powell wrong man for GU appearance

I wonder about the choice of retired Gen. Colin Powell as keynote speaker today at Gonzaga University’s Executive Ethics Forum. Powell has been a strong supporter of the U.S. Army’s School of the Americas at Fort Benning, Ga.

SOA, funded by U.S. taxpayers, trains military personnel from Latin American countries under the guise of developing democracy. However, there is strong evidence its graduates are directly responsible for many far-from-ethical activities.

In 1996, the Pentagon declassified an SOA training manual that advised students about the efficacy of blackmail, beatings, torture, false imprisonment and executions. SOA graduates include notorious human rights abusers implicated in military coups, civilian massacres and assassinations. The latter includes the killing in El Salvador of Archbishop Romero, in 1980, and of six Jesuit priests and their coworkers, in 1989. Recent graduates are said to be involved in state-sponsored terrorism in Colombia and southern Mexico.

Powell has been a primary lobbyist in Congress this year to keep this school for assassins open. And he has been invited by Gonzaga University, a Jesuit institution, to speak at their Ethics Forum? Teresa O. McCann Spokane

Day dedicated to farm animals’ care

As the election approaches, a candidate’s position on laws governing the treatment of animals has become an important issue for many voters. In observance of world Farm Animals Day on Oct. 2, animal, consumer and environmental protection groups will hold vigils at the national capitol and all 50 state capitols.

These events will memorialize the suffering of animals raised for food and expose the devastating health and environmental impacts of animal agriculture. The focus of this year’s World Farm Animals Day is on raising candidates’ awareness of, and demanding reforms for, factory farming practices.

According to a 1995 survey conducted by Opinion Research Corp. of Princeton, N.J., 93 percent of Americans oppose making farm animal suffer. A 1999 Peter Hart Research poll found that 85 percent of Americans oppose raising farm animals in tight confinement. Numerous studies have demonstrated that animals experience many of the emotions that we do, including frustration, boredom, depression and pain.

Candidates for public office would be wise to pay attention to the words of Mahatma Gandhi, the world’s foremost moral leader and champion of humane farming, whose birthday is honored on World Farm Animals Day. Gandhi said, “The greatness of a nation and its moral progress can be judged by the way its animals are treated.” Jeff Caldwell Spokane

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