I will vote "yes" for the March 11 Tumwater School District technology, modernization and capital projects bond as a simple matter of trust.
Every day I entrust my children's education, welfare and safety to the Tumwater School District. I know that their best interests are the driving motivator of all whom they come into contact with, from the custodians to the administrators.
I know this as a fact. I also trust the Tumwater School District administration and school board.
When Superintendent Nick Brossoit says that the upcoming bond is the right thing to do for our district right now, I believe him. For me, some things are that black and white. Some things are that simple. I urge you to show your trust in our district and vote "yes" also.
Pam Ulm, Olympia
Nation's budget priorities are all mixed up
The fact that I'm 54 years old may have something to do with my writing this letter. I would hope, however, that it is not self-serving to be concerned about the plight of the elderly in our society today.
Having just opened a business that provides service to the elderly, I have become aware of certain facts that leave me shaking my head in disgust.
There are currently 35 million people over the age of 65 in this nation, and that number will skyrocket to 70 million in 20 years. What has me more than mildly concerned is that as that population increases, our local and national governments have shown an inclination to decrease services available to the elderly.
Recent cutbacks in social services have directly affected our city's elderly, and the outlook does not look rosy under the current Bush administration.
It is inconceivable to me that those who have served this country over the last 40 or 50 years as laborers, teachers and professionals now have a difficult time simply finding the funds for food, shelter and medical attention.
How is it possible that the greatest nation on earth can find funding for military buildups halfway across the globe, but cannot find the funding to provide the basic needs for its citizens? Is it just me, or are our priorities just a tad distorted?
Bill Holland, Olympia
If North Korea had oil fields, we'd go there, too
Secretary of State Colin Powell went before the United Nations to drum up support for an immediate invasion of Iraq. Having been a career military man, Powell knows all of the ins and outs of a well-tuned "dog and pony show," and his performance was nonpareil.
And yet, after all of the props were put away, nothing had changed.
The administration's mad rush toward war with Iraq, it seems, cannot be explained rationally.
Yes, the world is fully aware that Saddam Hussein is a despot of the worst sort, and, yes, the world is fully aware of the need to disarm his regime. It is also true that Saddam has had weapons of mass destruction and is unstable enough to want to use them overtly and/or covertly. But Hans Blix, U.N. chief inspector, has said, "Successful disarmament of Iraq was possible without Baghdad's active cooperation, but it would be faster with Iraq's help."
This does not mean that the United States must rush into Iraq, killing thousands of innocents and destroying the infrastructure of an already weakened state, based on intelligence that smacks of fabrications and misrepresentations.
Ask yourself this: What danger is more imminent, more likely -- an attack by Saddam Hussein or a further weakening of an already shaky U.S. economy? Was Powell's performance meant to bring to light Saddam's chicanery, or was it meant to hide the real plans of George and his 40 thieves?
I'm certain that if North Korea had oil fields, we'd be heading there, too.
Timothy Hilf-Barr, Olympia
Bush and administrators trying to manipulate us
Ever since Sept. 11, President Bush has been looking for a way to link Iraq to those attacks.
A link would allow the president to direct the nation's fear of al-Qaida against Iraq -- an easier target for military action. But despite enormous efforts in the CIA and FBI, not a shred of real evidence has emerged.
In a recent article, the New York Times reported that some CIA and FBI staffers have even made complaints that sketchy intelligence was being employed for political purposes.
"'We've been looking at this hard for more than a year and you know what, we just don't think it's there,' a government official said."
President Bush and his administration are trying to manipulate us. They are trying to use fear of terrorism and anger about Sept. 11 to strong-arm a war that has nothing to do with either. We will not let them.
And we will not let Colin Powell distract us from the possibility of a peaceful resolution through continued strong inspections.
In a recent speech, chief weapons inspector Hans Blix said, "Successful disarmament of Iraq was possible without Baghdad's active cooperation, but it would be faster with Iraq's help."
Even if Saddam continues to play games, in other words, we can win this one without war.
Teri Swanson, Olympia
Tumwater school facilities would benefit from bond
I am writing in support of the Tumwater School District bond on March 11.
No matter what the economic climate, our best investment for the future is in educating our children. This bond calls for critical upgrades in technology, modernization of six facilities including the district stadium, as well as safety enhancements to all primary playgrounds.
The facility improvements qualify for state matching funds as the buildings have reached or passed their 20th anniversary. This brings the value of the bond up to approximately $50 million from about $38 million, thus providing a unique opportunity to increase the scope of work. After this, newer facilities will have to wait until their 30th anniversary in order to qualify for state matching funds.
Children who are involved with co-curricular activities traditionally achieve more.
Nowhere is this more evident than with music involvement. Music students tend to score higher on standardized tests, and greater proportions attend college. Three of the schools with the district would receive upgrades to their music facilities. This would allow for more students in the music program, positive learning environments and storage of musical equipment.
Additionally, artificial turf for the stadium would greatly enhance the musical experience for marching band students at both Tumwater High School and Black Hills High School. A clean, mud-free stadium would improve practices and half-time performances.
Students, parents and the Tumwater community would benefit as the district could then host marching band competitions, as well as other spectacular revenue-generating events.
Please vote "yes" on March 11 to support our children. They are our future!
Hannele Buechner, Olympia
Let the weapons inspections continue
As our president-elect prepares to declare war on Iraq, many people in this country and around the world are raising their voices in protest. Corporate media tries to minimize coverage but cannot silence peacemakers.
One doesn't have to look far to see that this proposed war has nothing to do with Iraq's weapons of mass destruction. It's 11 percent of the world oil reserves that Bush wants!
Dick Cheney's refusal to release names of key energy policy advisers reminds us of his former employment as CEO of Halliburton Pipeline. He is now carrying out oil corporation policy. Halliburton's subsidiary, Brown and Roote, has won military base construction contracts throughout the Mideast.
The billions being spent on this war are stolen from our domestic programs: Medicare, schools and unemployment. Sixty percent of the federal budget goes to war, and the percentage is growing.
So why the rush to war? Are the American people willing to kill innocent citizens in Iraq who love their children as much as we love ours in a war to steal their oil?
Ten years of sanctions have already caused the suffering and death of thousands of the common people of Iraq. Osama bin Laden, Saddam Hussein and the Shah of Iran are all CIA-installed operatives. Maybe our government should stop meddling!
Let the weapons inspectors continue working, and let the international community decide his guilt or innocence. The people of the world would respect us, and the International Criminal Court could try Saddam under the rule of law.
Kim M. Dobson, Olympia
Police have a right to protect themselves
After reading Larry Grigsby's letter to the editor on the Kent DeBoer case, one question came to mind: Does he know what police do?
Police are always the aggressor. If they are not, they are not doing their job. There are a couple of points that need some attention. The parents called the police to help their son; once they got there, police had to help.
DeBoer threatened to kill himself. The police had to do something to avoid the lawsuit if he did kill himself. You cannot blame the police for the actions of someone else.
As far as I am concerned, the parents should never again call the police to help their son. The officers were protecting themselves when they shot Kent DeBoer. What is wrong with that?
Mike Brooks, Olympia