Letters to the Editor

Here's an anecdote from Saturday's Democratic caucuses that readers might find interesting. About 20 of the 60 people in my precinct originally voted for John Kerry. During the discussion phase, I asked these voters: "If you knew that whoever you vote for today would definitely become the next president, how many of you would still vote for Kerry?"

Four of them raised their hands.

Don't get me wrong, George W. Bush is one of the worst presidents in U.S. history, and if Kerry gets the Democratic nomination, I will definitely vote for him. I sincerely hope that he will stand up strongly for his beliefs and show me and the rest of the country that he has a backbone. However, this whole thing should concern all Democrats, because it is going to be very difficult for us to get elected officials with backbones if we don't start showing ours when we vote.

Henry Perrin
Vashon

Kucinich should be included in P-I's list

I take issue with your Friday editorial "Bring on the caucuses." We have four viable candidates? Excuse me, where is it that you mention Dennis Kucinich?

Kucinich has more honesty and integrity than the four "legitimate" candidates you mention all totaled. His issues are issues that address the people's needs, such as single-payer health insurance, education from K through college, jobs and honoring civil liberties.

To leave out Kucinich's name as a viable candidate is an outrage. He is a breath of fresh air in a den of greedy power-hungry individuals who have forgotten who they represent. I call him another Abe Lincoln.

Jan Aszman
Goldendale

PRESIDENT BUSH

Commander in chief has made up his time

It's time to lay to rest these questions about President Bush's service record. Is it not true that he probably made up most, if not all, weekends that he missed?

David Rupel
Olympia

WILD SKY

Congresswoman has unfinished business

U.S. Rep. Jennifer Dunn's announcement to not run again was a surprise. While a mad scramble has already begun to succeed her, let's not forget that Dunn still has some unfinished business to attend to.

One of the most important agenda items is to move the Wild Sky Wilderness bill forward. A public opinion poll last fall showed that more than 70 percent of registered voters in the 8th District support the Wild Sky Wilderness proposal. Dunn has shown her support by co-sponsoring the legislation, which passed the Senate in November. She now has an opportunity to use her influence with her House Republican colleagues to add to her legacy.

The Wild Sky Wilderness would be the first national forest wilderness designation in Washington in 20 years.

Curtis von Trapp
North Bend

ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS

Federal government is just doing its job

Regarding Friday's article accusing the feds of using delinquent kids to lure their illegal immigrant families:

If the family violated the laws passed by Congress to sneak across the border, and the kid compounds the issue by breaking laws while in the United States, wouldn't it be stupid to ignore the possibility that the family is a prime candidate for deportation?

The Constitution assigned only a few important jobs to our federal government. One of those priorities is protecting our borders. Failure to enforce the laws that protect us is societal suicide.

Kudos to those immigration officials who investigate anyone who demonstrates unsuitability for inclusion in American society.

Eric Sandbo
Burlington

Family had time to pursue U.S. citizenship

It made me ill to read the article concerning authorities using juveniles to catch illegal families. The sister of the young man you profiled said, "We wouldn't have been in all this if it wasn't for something childish." No.

You wouldn't have been in all this if your family hadn't spent the past 15 years in this country without bothering to become citizens.

What is so difficult for people to understand here? There is a process by which people not born in this country can become citizens of this country. If you choose not to do that, and you are caught, you go back where you came from. You are not facing deportation for "something childish"; you're facing deportation because you didn't play by the rules although you had a decade and a half to do so.

And why does the article chastise the investigators for questioning this young man in the first place? They had a suspicion, they followed up on it and they found exactly what they thought they'd find. That sounds a whole lot like they were doing the job they're paid to do.

Michael Katt
Seattle

EDUCATION

Locke's proposal will make better start for kids

I was pleased that Gov. Gary Locke, working with the League of Education Voters and others, put forward a proposal calling for a 1-cent increase on the sales tax to create an education trust fund in our state. I have three children in the K-12 system, but there is an entirely different reason why I am interested in this proposal. I am an infant caregiver at a Seattle child care center. I am also a member of the advocacy group, the Child Care Workforce Alliance of Washington.

Many people have recognized for some time that our system for delivering quality early childhood education is unstable and inconsistent. It's hardly a system at all. An underpaid work force causes a high turnover rate. At the same time, parents are already paying too much. Those programs that are a little more stable become unavailable, due to high cost, to families seeking quality care. Those programs that even come close to this must rely on additional funding sources, in addition to tuition.

According to our state constitution, "It is the paramount duty of the state to make ample provisions for the education of all children ... ." We now have irrefutable scientific evidence that a child's cognitive development in the early years is crucial and will actually determine success in later life.

It is my hope that Washington's citizens will get behind this proposal. In recent debate many of those who opposed Initiative 77 agreed there is a great need for support of early learning, but I-77 was not the answer. If not this trust fund, what are they looking for?

Mike Sheehan
Seattle

WAR IN IRAQ

Proponent has a change of heart over the matter

As a proponent of the Iraq war, I now concede that those on the left were correct. It turns out that documents obtained by ABC News reveal a lengthy global list of war opponents who were effectively on the Saddam Hussein oil payroll. They were given sweetheart allotments of oil to "broker" as part of the corrupt U.N. oil-for-food program. They never had to take possession of any oil or do any real work. They were given the right to buy hundreds of millions of barrels of Iraqi oil at a discounted rate, only to turn around and sell it at market rates, reaping millions in profits.

The vociferousness of their opposition was proportional to the oil profit they received. Close friends of the Russian and French leadership benefited greatly. The full list of war detractors who were oil beneficiaries is lengthy and revealing.

It seems that "it was all about oil" after all.

Roger Connolly
Kent

THOMAS L. FRIEDMAN

Pundits seemed to be behind the rush to war

Thomas L. Friedman is correct when he points out that President Bush's budget is irresponsible and will imperil the country in the long term (Feb. 3). Friedman is also right that the Bush team is disconnected from reality vis-�-vis the deficit. Yet, when it comes to the Iraq war, Friedman is guilty of the same irrational or "faith-based" support.

He claims "most Americans believe in their guts that removing Saddam was the right thing to do." I do not believe that most Americans would have supported the war had the administration's reckless rush to arms not enjoyed near unanimous support among mainstream pundits.

Friedman will have to decide whether he is in favor of empire building, which is expensive, or a fiscally responsible budget. He cannot have it both ways.

Imad F. Abi-Saleh
Seattle

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