Business as government

In response to the Jan. 31 letter, “Government is not a business”: What if a business followed a government model? If the business ran out of money, it could print more or borrow endless sums from China. Or, it could just poke a gun at someone’s chest and demand money. Such a business would never lay off any paper-shufflers or bean counters.

If anyone got laid off, it would be the line workers actually providing services. Raises going to management and professionals would always be huge while the raises for most workers would be a pittance (liberals would have you think this only happens in the private sector). Bosses could get lifetime pensions after working as little as two years, with raises and full medical benefits included.

Company rules for employees would not apply to bosses. There would be no incentive to improve services with lower cost. Has there ever been a government anywhere that has not been seriously corrupted by its rulers?

Craig Detmer

Spokane

Spay and neuter your pets

I saw a sign that said “Free Kittens” as I was driving home from SCRAPS (Spokane County Regional Animal Protective Services) after a day of volunteer work. Do you know how many “free” kittens grow into breeding machines that fill our shelters? Many have to be humanely euthanized because there aren’t enough homes and rescue facilities for them.

Some people point their fingers at the shelters that have to put animals down, as if killing animals was what they live for. I say go volunteer at these shelters, see how hard these people work to find placement for animals. See the sadness in their eyes when all options run out for the precious creatures they have been caring for. Learn that the so-called no-kill shelters take only as many as they have room for, whereas SCRAPS has to take all animals.

Right now in the United States, for every baby born, seven kittens or puppies are born. Since there are about 10,000 babies born daily, finding homes for 70,000 kittens and puppies, on a daily basis, is a daunting task. Don’t be part of the problem. Be responsible, spay or neuter your free kitten or puppy.

Wanda Tenner

Spokane Valley

Marriage is a civil matter

When the state of Washington authorizes a marriage by issuing a marriage license, it is for a civil contract. All couples who receive a state marriage license, and who return it after a ceremony to be recorded by the government, are united under a legal and binding contract with rights and responsibilities defined by the state.

If a religious group does not want to authorize or sanctify gay marriage, that is perfectly fine. They don’t have to within the context of their religious beliefs. However, it is the civil contract through the state that makes the marriage legal, not religious approval.

Valerie F. Adams

Spokane

Article misleads on issue

In regards to a Jan. 28 article that appeared in The Spokesman-Review:

1) I specifically spoke to the reporter about my Senate committee testimony, making clear I was addressing only a provision of the bill defining “standing.” Because legislation often covers multiple subjects, I attempted to make clear I was not speaking to another section regarding fees. Not only do I feel that my account was inaccurately reflected in the story, I believe the headline, “Mielke testimony in Olympia favored land-use appeal fee,” misleads the reader by implying my testimony was specifically to support the fee. That is not true, and normally I would seek a correction. I believe my letter can address that correction.

2) I rarely respond to letters to the editor. But as an elected official, I can often be the target of misinformed attacks. As you know, it is much easier to make an attack (factual or otherwise) than it is to provide an informed response.

Todd Mielke

Spokane County commissioner

Nine Mile Falls

Almighty buck is in control

National politicians sound like religious preachers and say they believe in the almighty. It’s not God, but the money behind the politician that keeps them in office. I really do envy ultra-rich people who have the money to buy their place in heaven and a mayor, governor or member of Congress.

It’s interesting to see the faith in walking on water and eternal life mixed with trickle-down economics. Excessive wealth or greed is seen like religious devotion. Our corporate souls are owned by the rich and powerful money handlers that Jesus drove out of the temple. That’s what later got him nailed to a cross.

When a politician says “God bless America,” they mean God bless their view of America. That’s the America that funds their campaigns and attack ads. The benefactors behind a politician dictate what the politician believes based on polling likely voters. Those voters have been brainwashed by corporate media and the poll just verifies the effectiveness of the brainwashing.

The code words of political ads mimic religious worship. Faith and political ideology are mixed to deceive and manipulate voters. We are being duped into political submission by false prophets that run for elected office.

Pete Scobby

Newport, Wash.

Play crossed racial line

Fans can always anticipate hilarity at the expense of those Texans from Tuna, so I expected a pointed but lighthearted romp through many of the preconceived notions held about small-town whites when my wife and I attended a performance of “Tuna Does Vegas.” I tend to wince whenever entire groups of people are reduced to caricatures (rural Southerners, urban Northerners, Christians, atheists, conservatives, liberals, etc.), but I was ready to be entertained nonetheless.

What I was not ready for was the portrayal of African-American males as lazy, oversexed and absent from the lives of the family – even without the physical presence of a character on stage. Charlene Bumiller Pugh made her only appearance as a harried, pregnant mother with distinctly African-American infants/toddlers (doll props) in her arms and attached to other parts of her anatomy. The dialogue between Charlene and her mother Bertha revealed that Charlene’s husband fit perfectly some of the worst stereotypes of African-American males that whites have conjured over the past 400 years.

I am sure that no malicious meaning was intended, but intent does not negate effect, and the effect is deeply destructive.

We still have so far to go.

Arlin C. Migliazzo

Spokane

Good job, Harry!

I read in the paper (Feb. 9) that Capt. Wales, aka Prince Harry, has graduated at the top of his class as an Apache helicopter co-pilot here in the States. As I remember way back in the day in the U.S. Air Force, the two training rules for co-pilots were:

1. Don’t touch anything.

2. Keep your mouth shut.

Congratulations, Harry!

Nancy Parker

Spokane

Nothing boring about Ritzville

Regarding the Feb. 6 feature article about Ritzville showcasing wheat as a strategy to help put the town back on the map. I suggest anyone interested read the book, “Amber Waves and Undertow,” by Steve Turner.

Steve and three friends from Middlebury College in Vermont drove a car that broke down a number of times in the summer of 1958 as they were on their way to their first Western experience working in the wheat fields of Adams County. Steve returned in 2005 to visit folks from that experience, and to do research for his book. The book, which chronicles a changing environment of place, culture, crops, economy and issues, would have made the great writer of time and place, Wallace Stegner, smile in satisfaction.

I spent a couple of weeks two years ago with Steve traveling in and around Ritzville, chasing history with his book in hand. We spent time with farmers and ranchers from his work summer and met an assortment of wonderful and talented characters, young and old. The Ritzville area has had to survive more than its share of hard and changing times. But there is nothing boring about its story or its people.

Lawrence Blakey

Sandpoint

System caused the controversy

On Feb. 7, Jeanie Wagenman wrote “Birth control mandate wrong,” a letter stating that it was a violation of the Constitution to force churches to purchase birth control coverage in their insurance.

While I think that Wagenman has a point, I also think that the opposite case can also be made. It’s unconstitutional to give religious institutions a special exception under the law, since this establishes some faiths as being exempt from the same laws as the rest of us. I’m no legal scholar, but I know that the First Amendment cuts both ways.

In fact, some faiths don’t believe in medicine at all and would rather let faith alone heal the sick! Where do you draw the line?

What I really want to point out is that if we got rid of employment-based insurance and allowed everyone to purchase insurance at group rates regardless of employment, this problem wouldn’t even exist. The grip the insurance companies have on our political process is a big part of this problem. So let’s not lay all the blame at the feet of President Barack Obama, shall we? He didn’t make the system that he is trying to change.

Paul Susac

Spokane

Verify political charges

In a Feb. 9 letter, “Put Obama on a bus,” I have to say I was amazed at how many Republican talking points were squeezed into such a brief article. The article blames the president for everything that is wrong with our country. How do I know these are Republican talking points? Easy. None of the accusations of wrongdoing or so-called failures by the president in this article were supported by facts, and each and every point has been articulated many times over by Republican talking heads, Fox News, and the Republican presidential candidates. Again, without providing any factual basis for the comments.

The letter goes on to say that the upcoming presidential election is the most important in decades. I agree with this statement and suggest that we, as voters, can’t afford to accept reckless statements and comments at face value in formulating our voting decisions. Spend the time fact-checking political comments and statements as the rhetoric increases in the coming months.

Bob Pritchard

Spokane

Jobs report underwhelming

Wow. The January jobs report is in, and the administration is taking bows left and right (mostly to the left). Things are really improving, and a rose glow is at the end of the tunnel or rainbow – whatever!

Does 243,000 sound great? Think about it: How many towns and cities are there in the good ole U.S. of A? Do you think there are 243,000 towns and cities? If so, that means that in good old Spokane, maybe, just maybe – one person got hired to a full-time or, possibly, part-time job (on an average).

Hopefully, come November, someone will get into a political office that wants to help our economy and security, not just their own.

David Darlow

Spokane