Your|Letters
Published on Mon, Mar 22, 2010Read More Letters to the Editor
Recovery Act jobs not worth the price paid by stimulus bill
Dear Editor,
I have reviewed the database which documents Snohomish County’s part of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (Stimulus Bill) and noticed some strange job creation projects.
The STOP Grant II (Stop Violence Against Woment Act) award of $95,000 will create one part-time job.
The Snohomish County Comprehensive Drug Court Sustainability that is receiving $3,000,674 will create three to eight full or part-time jobs.
The Homeless Prevention and Rapid Rehousing project getting $1,261,714 will create one to three temporary or full-time jobs.
I am not saying these are not worthwhile needed programs, but should they be funded by the stimulus bill that was designed to create jobs?
The total of these three projects will create 12 temporary, part-time, and/or full-time jobs for $363,115 per job.
You can take a look at Snohomish County’s stimulus database at http://recovery.snoco.org.
Todd Welch
Everett
Teachers and education funding need to be better looked at
Dear Editor,
Mr. Jaime’s recent letter about teachers and how our money is being allocated for education is very encouraging. Looks like we the people are becoming more well informed. More money has never fixed education, just wasted.
Look at our Postal system, or anything run by the government. It’s been a huge mess. We do need safe and healthy schools for our children to learn, but we can do it if we use our money wisely.
I went to a middle school in California during mandatory busing. Had to attend a school in East Los Angeles, at least built in the 1940s. Anyway, it was hard to learn in an old four-story building with poor air conditioning, heat system, and circulation throughout the classrooms. No student should be under those conditions.
As we know the government will only do the bare minimum regarding fixing roads, and updating school facilities.
We need to hire experienced high quality teachers, and utilize our strong military men and women into the teaching direction, who have finished their service. Currently our students are in control of the schools, and the students have out of control foul language daily in the school halls.
Yes, not everyone can be a professional athlete or have a guaranteed sports scholarship. Education is the key to a positive future, not sports.
As more people get well informed, the government will be forced to work for the people of America again.
Call your Representatives and Senators and vote.
Annette Green
Lake Stevens
Too much spending and not enough cost reduction
Dear Editor,
Did everyone notice in the March 3 edition of the Everett Herald that the Lake Stevens property tax assessed value of $11.11 per thousand is the highest rate of any city around us? Now, what are they doing to us?
Oh, we don’t have any big box stores to pay for all the lawyers and consultants so the working stiffs just get mauled.
Here is an idea. Have the town vote on the priorities, save for the priorities over a number of years, and then spend. This is conservative economics. What we are doing today is utter destruction.
An example, did the library fund get paid back yet from the new round-a-bout on Lundeen? Has the city paid back the Fed for the round-a-bout on Lundeen? Here are my ideas. No more fighting Snohomish for big box land at Highway 9/U.S. 2. No more Grade Road Taj Mahal spending. No more consultants for downtown. No more annexations till we can afford them.
I am sure the list goes on. What is the city doing to reduce spending? What is the sewer, library, schools, fire, state doing to reduce spending?
I bet the actuals would show spending is increasing faster than inflation in all of these organizations. Accordingly, just mark us down for two no votes on any future tax or levy.
Brad Thayer
Lake Stevens
Teen Center needs community help to stay open
Dear Editor,
I’m writing about my family’s personal experience with The House Teen Center in Lake Stevens featured in your recent article.
My husband and I live in Lake Stevens and are raising our two small boys here. We love this area and the people; it’s truly special and unique.
We’ve worked with the Director of The House, DJ Rabe and his wife, Dottie since day one and have seen this Teen Center become an incredible resource for our teens.
On any given night there’s an average of 65 kids “hanging out”; playing, reading, skateboarding, playing instruments; just enjoying a fun, wholesome atmosphere.
What’s amazing is approximately 85 percent of the equipment was donated by the community; game tables, skate ramps, computers, stage, lighting, weight-lifting equipment, labor. Something good is happening here.
Yesterday, while in town we were wearing our sweatshirts featuring ‘The House’ logo and people stopped to talk to us about it. They’d read about it and were excited to have the doors opening on this wonderful facility.
Unfortunately, they didn’t realize The Center’s need for financial support.
Without continued support from our community the doors simply cannot open or stay open on this wonderful non-profit facility.
We still need funds for permits and regular supplies (cleaning, office, bathroom, etc.), plus monthly support to get and keep this incredible place going. The bathrooms need expanding; we need plumbers, electricians, etc.
This is a special place our kids need. Please help in any way you can whether a regular monthly donation, a one-time gift, services, materials, supplies, today.
Remember the kids. This is a non-profit and donations are tax deductible.
Cheryl Angeles
Lake Stevens
Health coverage in the U.S. can’t compare to other nations
Dear Editor,
I’m writing in response to your guest editorial (March 10) by Dr. Stark a policy analyst with Washington Policy Center. This group is not a non-partisan organization. It is a conservative think tank funded by wealthy right-wing donors.
It is shameful that the U.S. alone among advanced nations is without health coverage for all its people. We have 45 million uninsured citizens, one-sixth of those under 65.
Our health care system is ranked thirty-seventh yet we spend twice as much as Germany or France (World Health Org. 2004).
A 2008 survey of over 2,000 doctors published in the Annals of Internal Medicine shows that physicians support universal health care and national health insurance by almost two to one (Reuters, March 31, 2008).
Voters worry that health care reform will cost too much. But remember, “the government doesn’t need to make a profit. The private insurers must find millions extra to enrich their executives, pay back investors, and advertise their wares” (Harrup Providence Journal March 2010).
We need to speak up about interest groups trying to prevent us from making our society better.
Barbara Lyon
Lake Stevens
Dear Editor,
I have reviewed the database which documents Snohomish County’s part of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (Stimulus Bill) and noticed some strange job creation projects.
The STOP Grant II (Stop Violence Against Woment Act) award of $95,000 will create one part-time job.
The Snohomish County Comprehensive Drug Court Sustainability that is receiving $3,000,674 will create three to eight full or part-time jobs.
The Homeless Prevention and Rapid Rehousing project getting $1,261,714 will create one to three temporary or full-time jobs.
I am not saying these are not worthwhile needed programs, but should they be funded by the stimulus bill that was designed to create jobs?
The total of these three projects will create 12 temporary, part-time, and/or full-time jobs for $363,115 per job.
You can take a look at Snohomish County’s stimulus database at http://recovery.snoco.org.
Todd Welch
Everett
Teachers and education funding need to be better looked at
Dear Editor,
Mr. Jaime’s recent letter about teachers and how our money is being allocated for education is very encouraging. Looks like we the people are becoming more well informed. More money has never fixed education, just wasted.
Look at our Postal system, or anything run by the government. It’s been a huge mess. We do need safe and healthy schools for our children to learn, but we can do it if we use our money wisely.
I went to a middle school in California during mandatory busing. Had to attend a school in East Los Angeles, at least built in the 1940s. Anyway, it was hard to learn in an old four-story building with poor air conditioning, heat system, and circulation throughout the classrooms. No student should be under those conditions.
As we know the government will only do the bare minimum regarding fixing roads, and updating school facilities.
We need to hire experienced high quality teachers, and utilize our strong military men and women into the teaching direction, who have finished their service. Currently our students are in control of the schools, and the students have out of control foul language daily in the school halls.
Yes, not everyone can be a professional athlete or have a guaranteed sports scholarship. Education is the key to a positive future, not sports.
As more people get well informed, the government will be forced to work for the people of America again.
Call your Representatives and Senators and vote.
Annette Green
Lake Stevens
Too much spending and not enough cost reduction
Dear Editor,
Did everyone notice in the March 3 edition of the Everett Herald that the Lake Stevens property tax assessed value of $11.11 per thousand is the highest rate of any city around us? Now, what are they doing to us?
Oh, we don’t have any big box stores to pay for all the lawyers and consultants so the working stiffs just get mauled.
Here is an idea. Have the town vote on the priorities, save for the priorities over a number of years, and then spend. This is conservative economics. What we are doing today is utter destruction.
An example, did the library fund get paid back yet from the new round-a-bout on Lundeen? Has the city paid back the Fed for the round-a-bout on Lundeen? Here are my ideas. No more fighting Snohomish for big box land at Highway 9/U.S. 2. No more Grade Road Taj Mahal spending. No more consultants for downtown. No more annexations till we can afford them.
I am sure the list goes on. What is the city doing to reduce spending? What is the sewer, library, schools, fire, state doing to reduce spending?
I bet the actuals would show spending is increasing faster than inflation in all of these organizations. Accordingly, just mark us down for two no votes on any future tax or levy.
Brad Thayer
Lake Stevens
Teen Center needs community help to stay open
Dear Editor,
I’m writing about my family’s personal experience with The House Teen Center in Lake Stevens featured in your recent article.
My husband and I live in Lake Stevens and are raising our two small boys here. We love this area and the people; it’s truly special and unique.
We’ve worked with the Director of The House, DJ Rabe and his wife, Dottie since day one and have seen this Teen Center become an incredible resource for our teens.
On any given night there’s an average of 65 kids “hanging out”; playing, reading, skateboarding, playing instruments; just enjoying a fun, wholesome atmosphere.
What’s amazing is approximately 85 percent of the equipment was donated by the community; game tables, skate ramps, computers, stage, lighting, weight-lifting equipment, labor. Something good is happening here.
Yesterday, while in town we were wearing our sweatshirts featuring ‘The House’ logo and people stopped to talk to us about it. They’d read about it and were excited to have the doors opening on this wonderful facility.
Unfortunately, they didn’t realize The Center’s need for financial support.
Without continued support from our community the doors simply cannot open or stay open on this wonderful non-profit facility.
We still need funds for permits and regular supplies (cleaning, office, bathroom, etc.), plus monthly support to get and keep this incredible place going. The bathrooms need expanding; we need plumbers, electricians, etc.
This is a special place our kids need. Please help in any way you can whether a regular monthly donation, a one-time gift, services, materials, supplies, today.
Remember the kids. This is a non-profit and donations are tax deductible.
Cheryl Angeles
Lake Stevens
Health coverage in the U.S. can’t compare to other nations
Dear Editor,
I’m writing in response to your guest editorial (March 10) by Dr. Stark a policy analyst with Washington Policy Center. This group is not a non-partisan organization. It is a conservative think tank funded by wealthy right-wing donors.
It is shameful that the U.S. alone among advanced nations is without health coverage for all its people. We have 45 million uninsured citizens, one-sixth of those under 65.
Our health care system is ranked thirty-seventh yet we spend twice as much as Germany or France (World Health Org. 2004).
A 2008 survey of over 2,000 doctors published in the Annals of Internal Medicine shows that physicians support universal health care and national health insurance by almost two to one (Reuters, March 31, 2008).
Voters worry that health care reform will cost too much. But remember, “the government doesn’t need to make a profit. The private insurers must find millions extra to enrich their executives, pay back investors, and advertise their wares” (Harrup Providence Journal March 2010).
We need to speak up about interest groups trying to prevent us from making our society better.
Barbara Lyon
Lake Stevens
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