In their words …

“His perception of a public safety threat and ours was different.”

— Spokesperson Madonna Luers of the Washington state Department of Fish and Wildlife after a Spokane County sheriff’s deputy shot and killed a moose that was running toward Highway 395 near Mead.

“It’s better than getting blown up.”

— Central Valley High School junior Melody McCombs, reacting to backpack searches at school following bomb threats.

“The entire campus looks like an ashtray.”

Student senator Andrew Gibbs, describing the Spokane Community College campus where student government has approved his proposal to provide outdoor shelters for smokers.

“That is a recipe for dysfunction.”

— Former New Jersey Gov. Thomas Kean, chairman of the 9-11 Commission, after hearing from Secretary Tom Ridge that the Homeland Security Department reports to 88 congressional panels and has provided testimony before Congress 145 times.

“You can’t have a real community of Spokane’s size without a bus system. It’s unimaginable.”

— Greg Falk, director of the Arc of Spokane and co-chairman of the Save Our Transit organization which campaigned in favor of a 0.3 percent sales-tax increase to avoid substantial service cuts by the Spokane Transit Authority.

“I tried at 6:30 in the morning, I tried at mid-morning. I tried in the afternoon, the evening. I tried after 10 p.m. and I got the same thing.”

— Marge Ellenberger of Onaway, Mich., explaining her frustration in trying to get through to Medicare’s toll-free telephone number to get information about a prescription discount card for her 76-year-old mother.

“The honor and value systems of our armed forces are solid and the bedrock of what makes us the best in the world. There has been no catastrophic failure, and America’s armed forces will never compromise their honor.”

— Army Lt. Gen. Ricardo Sanchez, senior commander of U.S. forces in Iraq, appearing before the Senate Armed Forces Committee to discuss the prisoner abuse controversy.