Vestal pushes agenda

No matter where one stands on the recent Planned Parenthood vs. Susan G Komen flap, Shawn Vestal’s Feb. 3 column made some outrageous statements that should be called into account.

Vestal refers to reimbursement of several hundred thousand dollars in fraudulent Medicaid billings as “sloppy billing practices” and “thin support” for an investigation into Planned Parenthood. Most people would call this fraud and criminal suit would follow.

Vestal also states that Komen will be “eliminating funding for, oh, merely tens of thousands of breast cancer screenings for women.” Komen has stated that the funding would continue just not through Planned Parenthood.

Vestal infers that the present investigation into Planned Parenthood is being used “as a basis to prevent poor woman in Spokane from getting checked for life threatening illness.” I guess there is no other provider where women without means can get checked for breast cancer.

Vestal accuses his adversaries of “phony, vile accusations.” Since Komen has already reversed its decision the point is moot. I do find it instructive and revealing that a journalist would stoop to this level of false rhetoric to push a personal agenda.

Tony Caruso

Spokane

Caribou recovery is nuts

Much has been made about the science behind the current caribou debate now raging in North Idaho. If you are really interested in learning what kind of science is behind this controversy, take 10 minutes and read this academic research document: “Woodland Caribou: A Conservation Dilemma” (just Google it). A few quotes:

“Our best efforts to ‘recover’ caribou in the Selkirk Mountains have not worked.” Agreed.

“It is unreasonable to expect populations to respond quickly to recovery efforts that do not first consider habitat restoration that may take decades.” We don’t have decades; our resort economy is dying before our eyes.

“The most obvious problem is that this will require a commitment of at least 100 years to habitat restoration before we can reasonably expect caribou to thrive in the Selkirks.” One hundred years? Clearly these people are nuts.

“Does it really matter if there are a few caribou south of an arbitrarily drawn international border?” Finally a common sense question, and, of course, we already know the answer to this one.

More than $4.6 million of our tax dollars have been wasted on this program. Enough is enough. It’s time for this grand experiment to be terminated.

Rod Stafford

Priest River, Idaho

God is not mocked

Well, well … what a sad day in our state’s (nation’s) history. I open the newspaper to find (on the front page!) that our leaders have blatantly defied God and accepted a willful perversion of what is right and natural (Genesis 2:20-24) saying homosexuals have a right to marry.

Surely, we have come to that place where God is allowing sin to run its course as an act of judgment against our nation (Romans 1:18); an age where every man does what is right in his own eyes (Judges 17:6).

God is not mocked, nor does he lie. Homosexuality is an abomination to God (Leviticus 18:22). Our nation is in grave danger! Christians pray. Stand up for the truth in God’s word.

I personally don’t care what you do sexually behind closed doors – it’s none of my business – but don’t put your perversions into America’s laws!

Jeanette Hagen

Spokane Valley