Letters to the Editor

by Inlander Staff
Stadium Stories -- My, my, Mike Stone and Dick Carson told a few tall tales in the article "Stadium Shuffle" (10/30/03). I guess that's what you do to push your agenda through. First of all, Bonnie Olson has been development chairperson of the N.W. Neighborhood Association since June of this year, not September, as Dick Carson had stated. The Vice President of N.W. Association has been on the board since April '03 and he wasn't notified about the letter that Dick Carson sent to the Parks and Recreation Department, which states we (the N.W. Association) endorsed the Southside plan.


Mike Stone claims he wants to work closely with neighborhoods. Not! Mr. Stone has been quoted saying, "We will not push the sports complex plan to Albi if the traffic is a problem." Well, the Parks and Recreation Department did a traffic study and the roads to and from this area are rated "F," which is the worst a street can be. Mr. Stone completely ignores that study and says the traffic from Albi won't be a problem. At our meeting on Sept. 10 with the Parks Department, we were told that our input and vote would be a big consideration to the location of the softball field and that they would work with the neighborhood. At the July and September meetings, Parks had told us that placing the softball field north or south would not make any difference financially. At the September meeting, the neighbors voted overwhelming to have the softball fields to the north.


Amazingly, Mr. Stone claims he's getting letters from neighbors on the south end of Albi in favor of the south side. When we have talked to the neighbors, 98 percent say they either want nothing all or to put the softball fields to the north.


If I had known that the neighborhood was going to get a screw job, I would've never bought a home here.





Janet Blumer


Spokane, Wash.





Negative Energy -- In reference to the article "Your Own Nuclear Idaho" (10/30/03), the Bush administration's pandering to big business never stops. Just when you thought companies like Halliburton were fleecing taxpayers enough, along comes the president's energy bill. I am wholeheartedly opposed to the energy bill going through Congress right now. It would give big oil companies over $10 billion in tax breaks and line the pockets of nuclear companies.


The president's energy bill takes two steps back for American taxpayers and 10 steps forward for big business.





Cathy Gage


Mead, Wash.





Publication date: 11/20/03