Letters for Oct. 17, 2023
Infrastructure is inadequate in southwest Spokane
The infrastructure that supports the current population of southwest Spokane is and has been inadequate for decades. The lack of evacuation routes out of the West Hills/Grandview neighborhoods became glaringly apparent recently when a Level 3 evacuation (get out now) resulted in gridlock and confusion. These neighborhoods have no fire station; entry and exit onto and off of Interstate 90 and Highway 195 is already fatally dangerous; and utility work in these steep, forested, hillside neighborhoods presents its own unique challenges. Uncontrolled growth has created this untenable situation.
Plans for construction of 3,000-plus homes along SR-195 are already underway. Where are the children of these families going to go to school? What roads will safely handle the additional traffic to and from school, work, shopping and medical facilities? How will these families evacuate in the event of an emergency? The idea that first the homes need to be built, then the planning and construction to handle this growth will follow is like saying: “First we’ll build the cart, then we’ll figure out how to get a horse.”
Richard Kayne
Spokane
Who to trust with our children?
It might be stupid of me to try to speak logic to people in the reactionary, fearful far-right movement, but I was provoked by a couple of recent things in The Spokesman-Review on Oct. 4: Dennis Schilling is running for a Medical Lake School Board seat, and he wants to “downsize school use of a state-mandated student mental health program.”
He believes the social emotional learning program “is an overstep … like it is trying to move total support of students from the family to the state or government.”
He also opposes the Washington law that prevents schools from discriminating based on sexual orientation or gender identity.
So, he wants to be elected, in order to disobey the law, to help the school district be free to discriminate and to deny students mental health services.
Also on Oct. 4, Shawn Vestal reports that Kootenai County Sheriff Bob Norris has stolen two books from the Post Falls Public Library. The books are described as being “a book on sexual health targeted at older teens and the other is an adult novel with mature themes.” He considered the books “obscene” and “disturbing” and seems to think he is entitled to protect us in this way.
So, Mr. Schilling doesn’t trust government agencies with children, while Sheriff Norris doesn’t trust parents with their own children. Both gentlemen appear sure their morality is what must prevail, regardless of law or public sentiment or parental choice.
Daniel Rial
Spokane
Let’s talk about the policies
In the Sept. 26 Spokesman -Review, Bob Strong (“Demolition derby policies”) spends three paragraphs complaining about the failure of states controlled by Democratic Party politicians.
Read his letter again, closely: It doesn’t identify a single failed policy or program in any of the states mentioned. This is the same as Orwell’s masterpiece, 1984: “Oceania has always been at war with Eastasia.” Doesn’t that sound similar to “Democrats are awful”?
Thus Strong’s letter is emblematic of a large problem in today’s political discourse: refusing to discuss policies in detail and labeling the opposition as evil to avoid such discussion.
“Democrats ruin everything” or “Republicans ruin everything” are not issues. They’re just slogans.
John D. Sahr
Otis Orchards
Raves for city crews
This letter carries five stars for the efficient work done by several city crews enabling the replacement of our water service line. Watching the line occasionally leaking this summer we debated the wisdom of requesting its replacement given the extended timeline of construction work with material and labor shortages. We are so glad we did and that the project begun in late August was completed Oct 10.
The coordination and communication among the four crews was very impressive.
Carrie Anderson
Spokane