Letters to the Editor

Snohomish Superior Court Judge Linda Krese's decision to fine the teachers $250 a day forced the teachers back into classes, but what incentive is there left to compel the Marysville School District to negotiate in good faith?

None. If Krese was equally critical of both sides for their failure to settle the strike, why didn't she compel them into binding arbitration?

Finally, those who have been critical of the teachers should ask themselves if they would like to work extra days with no pay or take pay cuts, which is what the school district is forcing on the teachers. Very few of us would.

Thomas Purchase
Gig Harbor

Who really lost in school strike

I would like to hear the teachers and the administration explain to the taxpayers how their strike was "for the kids."

Merle Lewellen
Burlington

Hooray for teachers, blame state Senate

Hooray for Marysville teachers having the vision, fortitude and persistence to strike! Place blame on and hold accountable the Washington Senate for callous disregard of Initiative 732, passed by 63 percent of Washington voters. It provides a cost-of-living adjustment for Washington teachers.

The Washington Senate voted to suspend funding for the teacher COLA, claiming no was money available. During the '90s, state teacher funding was 0 percent, 0 percent, 4 percent, 0 percent, 3 percent and 0 percent. Funding for the voter-approved COLA is less than 1 percent of the $22.9 billion general budget, or $210 million. Teachers are not worth less than 1 percent!

The Washington Senate is in large part the callous culprit forcing teachers to strike. The news media and the judge need to do their homework and "scold" while also holding the Washington Senate accountable for punishing teachers, forcing the strike.

Hooray for Marysville teachers!

Steve Piippo
Richland

COMMERCE

Trade gap starts where we spend

As the gap between rich and poor widens, more and more people are forced to shop at Wal-Mart. We noticed that Wal-Mart sales were up 6 percent in September. There seems to be a direct relationship between Wal-Mart's wealth and the increasing poverty in our country. Does anyone else see the irony?

Paul and Dorothy HenryRenton

Columnist exposes grocery store's behavior

I would like to thank Susan Paynter for exposing PCC Natural Markets' real face ("Java jolt: Grocery clerk canned for a cup of coffee?" Oct. 15).

As someone who worked for PCC for seven years, before being forced out some two years ago, I experienced firsthand the mistreatment of employees you have described in the article.

While I agree that changes had to be made in order to compete with other grocery stores in the region, it should be noted that PCC turned to the worst corporate behavior as its role model.

It is ironic that a company that claims to be consumer-friendly and supportive of organic family farms can't even treat its own employees fairly.

Raanan David
Seattle

IRAQ

Quagmire in Iraq is too much like Vietnam

As a veteran, I applaud Robert Jamieson's excellent column ("Let's not sacrifice more lives in Iraq," Oct. 13) to save the lives of our servicemen. As one who made many trips to Vietnam and began the first Christian Servicemen's Center in Saigon, I see the quagmire of death being repeated in Iraq.

Even though I disagree politically with Rep. Jim McDermott on most issues, he should be given the Medal of Honor for warning America not to go to war with Iraq. Iraq was not threatening our borders and had no weapons of mass destruction. Non-veteran George W. Bush's Hitlerlike pre-emptive strike against a nation at peace with us has brought us almost 400 dead American servicemen and over l,000 wounded.

Now that Saddam Hussein has been toppled, America has no national interest in Iraq. Bring the victorious servicemen home now before they are killed.

America's cities and seniors need those billions of dollars that President Bush wants to spent in nation-building and in rewarding his oil partners like Cheney's Halliburton Oil Co. The battle cry for peace should still be: "No American blood for Iraqi oil." Our servicemen need our support and our prayers.

The Rev. Eddie Karnes
Yelm

War sends U.S. deeper into debt

I do not understand why we are asking our children to finance the war and continuing occupation of Iraq. How can we, in good conscience, give the wealthiest Americans enormous tax cuts when the federal government is going ever deeper into debt to fund these huge expenses?

If we think this war is so important, then we, not our children, should pay for it. We do not have the right to squander their future when we can well afford to pay for the war/occupation by rescinding the tax cuts that were so generously handed out in 2001 and 2003.

Vicki King
Seattle

Why the story reads different east of Cascades

I think I finally figured out what differentiates Eastern Washington from Pugetopia. Rep. George Nethercutt, who just visited Iraq, decided to help the White House by saying: "The story of what we've done in the postwar period is remarkable. It is a better and more important story than losing a couple of soldiers every day."

Even with the too-blas� way that we have with accepting shootings and murders west of the Cascades, I find Nethercutt's statement mind-numbing. And I can add, with an absolute certainly, it will be a cold day in hell that I would vote for that man in any statewide election.

Alan Zelt
Kenmore

Senator's stand deserves thanks and praise

I am surprised the P-I has not as yet commented upon, or even reported, Sen. Maria Cantwell's outspoken stand last Friday in the Senate against making the administration's $20 billion reconstruction request for Iraq partially a loan instead of an outright grant.

Her remarks on the Senate floor, shown on Jim Lehrer's "The NewsHour" on PBS, strongly support the correct position for this country that since we broke Iraq we must fix it without increasing Iraq's already crushing debt. The $20 billion, after all, represents but a tiny part of the United States' multiple-trillion dollar economy.

In forcefully setting herself apart from other leading Democrats, notably -- and surprisingly -- John Kerry and Nancy Pelosi, Cantwell has chosen statesmanship over politics. She deserves thanks and praise.

Dean Claussen
Bellevue

SPIN

Finding humor in adult entertainment

Bill Radke's wonderful sense of humor is a local treasure ("Imagine Pageler discussing exotic dancers," Saturday). Thanks for the laughs as I try to stay abreast of adult entertainment issues at City Hall!

Margaret Pageler
Seattle

MIDDLE EAST

Reporting only one misses true picture

I was disappointed that you did not feel the need to give a full report that the latest Israeli attack in the occupied Gaza Strip that left up to 1,500 Palestinian refugees homeless.

Although I do not think that violence justifies violence, simply reporting Palestinian attacks while ignoring the much greater Israeli violence makes it easier for our government to justify a stance of complete support of Israel. Had a Palestinian managed to level 150 Israeli homes, one might wonder if that would have gotten more than a small blurb in your paper.

Salome Ray
Seattle

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