Letters to the editor, Dec. 24, 2008


Amazing community, loving people
I would like to rave about our Sequim community.
During the year 2008, so many economic changes have taken place. Like many people, I lost my job earlier this year. I am nearly out of unemployment funds that I worked to earn. Our family has been humbled and we are so thankful for the food bank, which we've been to a few times now, during desperate times.
It is so hard for us to ask for help and most of the time we haven't had to ask - it's just been offered because they know our situation. We've also been offered a basketball scholarship so I can keep my children active and involved in sports - Thank you Larry Hill! Steve and Mary from the Sequim Boys & Girls Club actually missed our children being there after school while we were at work and have offered a scholarship so the kids can still visit there.
My husband and I are so grateful for such an amazing community and such loving people. We have both truly been moved to tears over the last couple of months. Thank you so much.
Merry Christmas to all of you!
Donna Porrazzo and family
Sequim
 

Insist on criminal justice reform
Aside from the moral issue of being the country that locks up more of its citizens than any other country on the planet, it takes millions of tax dollars to achieve this. We seem to have an addiction to incarceration for all of our social ills. To deny someone their freedom because they have an addiction or to lock people up who need intensive mental health care just does not fit the idealism of America.
With all the money going to the criminal justice system, we have less money for schools, health care and other social services. This should certainly be scrutinized when our lawmakers ponder over spending cuts in our state budget. It is definitely easy to see that "tough on crime" has done little other than be tough on us. It is way past time to look at what works. Let's get smart on crime and insist on criminal justice reform.
Lou Krewson
Stanwood


Christians lead the way
Another editorial. This one will probably get no further than the editor's desk, but this is my attempt to save the world. This has got to be the veiled provocation of every other conscientious editorial written. But they don't have the audacity to state it. I hope I have stimulated your curiosity enough to continue.
There was a man born 2,000 years ago that died on a cross and said he not only had a message from God, he was the son of God. Everything else we know about him, except for what he said, is the testimony and opinion of other people. I doubt if many people will disagree too much with what I have said so far. From here on, the world disagrees.
We have other religions that disagree, have "intellectuals" that disagree. We have factions in the Christian community that disagree. Too bad. That's the way the Christians lose their power. Not presenting a solid front and proving it by living it. If all religions are filled with hypocrites, then this editorial is a waste of time. This is just a philosophical restatement of fact.
But if there are still a few people who really believe what the Bible is attempting to do, maybe, all of us, can at least show the world the kind of courage and belief shown by the Christians who went to the lions in the arena singing and the Romans couldn't understand that one.
But if you study what Christ wanted, he wanted the ideal state of democracy. He wanted a fair chance for everyone. In his opinion, it was their inalienable right. And there has got to be a few people still around who want the same thing. I know it's hard to share what you work hard to get. But unless you recognize what Paul is saying in Chapter 13 of Corinthians about charity, you will never get there. I think there are still people all over the world, fair-minded and generous. I would like for Christianity to lead the way. Surely, with the world falling apart, you can recognize the need.
Hugh McGee
Sequim


What does a trillion buy?
Here are some interesting examples of what were talking about when the federales talk about a trillion dollars:
$6.70 ... the cost on Dec. 16, 2008, to haul a passenger across Puget Sound on a Washington State Ferry, Edmonds to Kingston.
$67 ... a typical cost for Internet, cable and one cell phone per month.
$670 ... The cost of a rebuild on the front end of a 1994 Buick or one complete tooth repair (grinding, filling etc.).
$6,700 ... the cost of 500 linear feet of smoothbore drain tile, installed.
$67,000 ... One half of the value of a one-bedroom condo in Sequim.
$670,000 ... A decent house in Seattle with a peek-a-boo view of Green Lake.
$6,700,000 ... The net official development assistance from Iceland to developing countries and multilateral organizations, in 2003.
$67,000,000 ... The cost of a 4 million-square-foot estate in the Dominican Republic or the amount Dale Chellis won in the Pennsylvania Lottery on April 28, 2007.
$670,000,000 ... (6-hundred 70-million) The sale price Sprint Nextel has agreed to for  nearly all its cell phone towers to a private-equity-backed firm called TowerCo. or, what ComScore says online shoppers spent in the U.S. on Dec. 17, 2008.
$6,700,000,000 ... (that's 6-billion 700-million) What Merrill Lynch plans to spin off in the way of year-end bonuses in 2008. (It was a good year for some.)
$67,000,000,000 ... (67 billion) That would be a brand new $10 bill and a $5 bill for every single person alive on planet Earth this Christmas. It is also about half of what the U.S. has given AIG on the last six weeks.
$670,000,000,000 ... (it's 600 and 70 billion) How about 558 B2 bombers or 394 brand-new space shuttles? Or perhaps you prefer envision it as 95 percent of what we have already spent fighting the "... darn, I could have sworn they had WMD's" Iraq war.
$6,700,000,000,000 (try 6 thousand 700 billion) The size of the U.S. deficit in 2004, just before your (and my) leaders voted to cut taxes.
Class is over.
Pat Clark
Sequim


Cut losses and move on
The article concerning the Clallam County Fire District and Capt. Peter Craig in the Dec. 17 issue of the Gazette caught my attention
for three reasons: First, I spent my working life dealing with labor prob-lems like this, secondly I know Capt. Craig and thirdly, I'm a taxpayer. 
First, let me say that I'm not here to defend Capt. Craig. Through my friendship with him I have  seen many of the papers the lawyers from both sides have presented. There is nothing unique about this case. Both sides agree on the facts. Simply stated, Capt. Craig was conducting a training session with the district's ladder truck, a fireman in the bucket sprayed water on those on the ground and Capt. Craig retaliated by shaking the bucket. There is some disagreement if and when follow-up reports were filed. Both sides have characterized the event as horseplay. The man in the bucket was not disciplined. It is true that someone could have been injured, but was not, and the truck could have been damaged, but was not. A disciplinary hearing was held, Capt. Craig accepted responsibility for his actions and the district terminated him. 
The problem is that the labor agreement specifies a maximum of a 10-day suspension for actions of this nature. Both sides agreed to have an unbiased mediator rule on the discipline handed out, termination or suspension. The mediator agreed that Capt. Craig was guilty as charged, something he never disputed, and could be disciplined. However, the mediator said that Capt. Craig should be returned to work and paid for all time loss in excess of 10 days. The district's leader, Chief Vogel, apparently could not accept this ruling and decided to appeal the decision in court. For some reason, Capt. Craig, who was a longtime district employee in good standing and who had been progressively promoted up through the ranks to positions of greater authority, had suddenly become a threat  to the department. So according to the article, we are now 19 months into this dispute with no resolution. Meanwhile, the district is running up tens of thousands of dollars in legal costs and liability for Capt. Craig's lost wages, which the taxpayers will have to pay. 
To further complicate the matter, somewhere in this process Chief Vogel and the district decided to thoroughly investigate Capt. Craig's life to see if there might have been an overlooked opportunity for other discipline. As a result, it appears they were able dig up some non-work-related issues upon which to generate additional charges to support another termination. A kangaroo court-type hearing, I've presided over many, was held and Capt. Craig was again terminated, even though he is already terminated. These charges and actions are currently winding their ways through the costly grievance process.
As a former principal labor relations officer, I have seen many cases of this type. For supervisors, these cases become an affront to their authority and a personal challenge. Unfortunately this usually involves spending someone else's money. The actions of Chief Vogel and his department are wasting our money. To continue to pay Capt. Craig, while withholding him from any productive service serves no useful purpose for the taxpayer. Furthermore, Chief Vogel's continued harassment of Capt. Craig and his family are only exposing the department to substantially greater liabilities. When Chief Vogel comes around to us pleading for more money, and he will, I hope he can explain why we had to pay for his personal vendetta. It is time for Chief Vogel to cut our losses, get this dispute resolved and move on to more constructive management.
Charles Lamb
Sequim