Letters: Mar. 1, 2018

Teacher with guns?

In all the discussion about gun control, an idea has been put forward by the President. He is proposing that some teachers at each school be armed in case of a school shooter. It would have been instructive for him to watch the Olympic Biathlon athletes compete. These Olympians race on cross-country skis carrying a .22 caliber rifle, stop at fixed targets to fire single rounds at the target, then continue skiing.

These Olympians practice for years in their home country then practice on the specific Olympic course for days or weeks ahead of competition. As I watched them begin the target phase, I was struck by the amount of time the marksmen/women took to still their bodies before firing. Surprisingly, they did not always hit the bullseye.

In contrast, a teacher with a gun in a classroom or hallway, or playground for that matter, will not have practiced daily, will not know where or who the shooter is, will not have time to quiet mind and body before deciding on whether or not to act.

Teachers are not police, security officers, guardsmen, or biathlon marksmen and women. They are teachers.

The only way to stop the massacres where assault weapons are used is to ban the purchase and ownership of assault weapons. Age is not an indicator of who will be a mass murderer. Think “Las Vegas.” Children died there, too.

Carolyn Cress,

Pullman

Carbon tax?

Families and communities that rely on the land, like farmers, vintners, ranchers, and those in the timber industry are directly impacted by climate change. Examples of impacts are extremes of temperature and precipitation and fires. Heat stress reduces crop yield and unseasonably wet weather impacts when one can go out on the fields. Of course, fires directly destroy timber and impact our health.

So what do our Reps Dye and Schmick feel about carbon tax to combat climate change? They were asked about Boeing getting a “carve out” from carbon tax at their Telephone Town Hall. Dye said that there were several “carve outs” but couldn’t name the exemptions that would benefit her constituents.

An important exemption for herself as a farmer and to many of her constituents is that for diesel, biodiesel or aircraft fuel used for agriculture. Additionally, many manufacturing facilities involved in agricultural and timber processing, and iron, steel, and aluminum production are exempt.

Aircraft manufacturing is also exempt but it is a far cry from a special “carve out” for Boeing. Indeed, Spokane and Whitman counties rank 3rd and 4th in counties with the most employees in that industry.

The bill also provides 15 percent of the revenue from the carbon tax for rural economic development. Dye stated that places that adopted carbon tax like British Columbia have terrible economy due to the tax.

However, that is false. BC adopted carbon tax in 2008 which resulted in over 5 percent reduction in greenhouse gas emissions despite over 8 percent increase in population, and resulted in GDP increase of 12 percent. Due to the carbon tax, BC has reduced tax on personal, corporate and small business tax rates. That does not sound like an economy that is tanking.

Our representatives should read bills carefully and consider its impact on their constituents.

Charlotte Omoto,

Palouse

Frank Watson: Save the Planet

Frank Watson (Feb. 22, 2018,) you are right to be concerned about what you witness while traveling across our land. The "environment" is us. Shrinking glaciers and current extinctions are warning signs, what goes around, comes around. The solution is not acceptance and growing more crops. The solution is becoming aware of our place on this planet we call home and significantly reducing our consumption and rate of reproduction.

Mark Olson,

Seattle

Abandoned vehicles

I am writing in response to Mr. Kirk Suess’s letter to the editor in the Feb. 22, 2018, Whitman County Gazette regarding what he terms abandoned vehicles. The Commissioners have met with Mr. Suess a couple of times in the last year and have individually discussed the matter with him over the phone several other times. The issue isn’t abandoned vehicles on county property (which the County deals with in a prompt manner) or vehicles left on your property without permission (which you can take legal action to get removed.)

We are also not talking situations which create a public health threat as determined by our Public Health Department. Mr. Suess is asking the county to create an ordinance regarding vehicles on private property which are not legally abandoned, but may be disassembled or in some state of disrepair. Mr. Suess would like them removed. I don’t believe the citizens of Whitman County want county government to be peering into their back yards and deciding what should be there. And therefore I’m not in favor of creating such an ordinance.

Please don’t confuse this issue with auto storage or junk yards, as those businesses are already regulated under county code. However, if you disagree with me and believe we should consider such an ordinance, I’d love to hear your thoughts and reasoning. My email address and phone number are below

[email protected]

509-397-5247

Art Swannack,

Whitman County Commissioner