Letters for Sept. 21, 2022
How not to teach our kids
A recent guest opinion by Mandy Manning ( “We must value students’ identities and teach a complete and accurate curriculum,” Sept. 13), a 20-year tenured teacher and former teacher of the year is pretty surprising, given those credentials.
She first states the need for true and accurate teaching of our nation’s and world’s history, a promising start. It goes downhill quickly from there. Ms. Manning is actually far more interested in teaching the left’s playbook on equity and revisionist history than any actual facts related to accurate history, reading, or math.
There may be a place to discuss equity, diversity and other left leaning ideals, but our schools are not that place. Indoctrinating today’s grade school children has become a key tenet of the left and it is working very well. The fact that a teacher of the year espouses these views is proof.
American parents are finally waking up to this fact and they’re rebelling against it. If you have children in school, please pay attention to what they are being taught. Be active and examine their lessons. America used to be the leader in education in the world. Sadly, that is no longer the case. Ms. Manning wants you to believe that teaching a diversity-based curriculum will help our nation grow and thrive. I think teaching young people how to read, examine and learn from true history, learn algebra, geometry and calculus are far more important!
Hal Dixon
Spokane
Could have built five Albis
In response to the Aug. 26 article, “Out with the old, in with the new”:
The original name before Joe Albi Stadium was Spokane Memorial Stadium. It was funded and built in 1950 to be a permanent memorial to our war heroes who gave the ultimate sacrifice for our freedom. In the 20 months it will take Spokane Public Schools to build their tiny 5,000 seat playfield, construction workers in 1950 built a beautiful 28,000 seat stadium in less than four months! By the time the work is complete on the $37.9 million project, you could have built five Albis.
The original cost to build the stadium in 1950 was $600,000. This equals out to $21.42 a seat to build. Today’s cost is $37.9 million and soaring. This equals out to $7,580 a seat to build. It could easily reach $40 million, but we only voted on $31 million. Yes, you hit basalt, but it is clear sailing now. The completion is not expected until late September 2023.
The original cost to build the stadium was $31 million — $22.7 million to rebuild and $8.3 million to demolish Albi.
With all the $31 million going to the downtown stadium project, who paid to demolish Albi? Will Spokane Public Schools just hide the cost in the next bond? Who will fund the six to eight new fields at about $1 million each? Taxpayers are tired and taking a beating.
Just remember the five most famous words from Spokane Public Schools, “your taxes will go down!”
Craig Gerlack
Spokane
Why the new stadium?
With everyone who voted yes on the new stadium, I say bah-hum-bug. We voted that down. Does our vote mean anything anymore? I have wondered that for many years. What was wrong with Joe Albi stadium? Fixing it up would have been really good and not as expensive as building a new one downtown. Also, what about parking? There was a lot more at Albi and it will be hard to find enough downtown.
I am sick and tired of every time I vote, it seems not to count at all. Also, for those that love the Civic Theatre, what about them? Will there be a vote to keep it there or are they going to tear it down too? As it is, there is very little parking. Where will we park now? It’s always been a problem. Also, there are only two to four handicap spaces. Not enough. I could use one, but never get one.
Pat Tucker
Spokane