Larch inmates help in many ways
I am a member of the local Columbia Mothers of Twins Club and am concerned about the possible closure of Larch Mountain Corrections Facility.
For a couple of years, our club has relied on the generosity of the inmates’ handmade jewelry boxes that we raffle or auction, monthly and annually. This facility has been more than gracious in donating two of these boxes at a time, usually within days of a phone call request. The funds we have acquired based on these donations have assisted in the planning and preparations for a convention that our club is hosting in Vancouver in 2011.
Our club could not have committed to hosting a convention without the help of Larch Mountain and its inmates. They have contributed so much to the success of our program.
Our wish is that this local corrections facility remains open so the community can continue to enjoy their contribution.
Cindy Steiber
VANCOUVER
Mayor urges support of schools
As a community, we have an obligation to insure access to a quality education for our children. If you are in the Vancouver or Evergreen school district, you should have received a ballot that asks for your vote to continue the current operating levy. I urge you to vote “yes,” and send it in.
Times are tough, and as mayor of Vancouver, I’m aware that we need to make our services more efficient, and make better use of your tax dollars. But let’s remember our responsibility to our children and future generations. A good education fosters an active, engaged citizenry and a prosperous community.
These levies are simple replacement levies; our schools aren’t asking for new tax monies. They are asking us to continue support for operations and maintenance. For some, due to the tough economic times, your taxes will decrease with the continued levy. Our community is strong now because of historical support for our schools; they are widely recognized as top-notch, and one reason people move here.
I’m proud to be a product of the Vancouver School District, and many other community leaders say the same. Let’s keep our schools strong and our children ready to succeed — please vote “yes” for schools.
Timothy D. Leavitt
VANCOUVER
Donnelly represents the party of ‘No’
Ann Donnelly’s Jan. 28 column, “Brown’s win helps Washington state,” gloated over Scott Brown’s senatorial victory in Massachusetts and how it would block health care reform. Granted, there are faults with the current bill, but Republicans have ignored the issue for 10 years and seem content to never deal with it. Americans who have employer-provided health insurance don’t realize the difficulties millions have trying to purchase their own. How many seniors could buy insurance with pre-existing conditions? That is why Medicare was created.
It’s time for Republicans to address issues like this. It’s insane to have 50 different health insurance regulations. Americans should be able to buy insurance anywhere and move to a different state. Also, Americans should be able to buy health insurance with pre-existing conditions at the same rates as others.
The reason we’re the only developed country in the western world with millions of uninsured citizens is that we allow the insurance companies to set the rules by bribing politicians. There are problems in the current bill that need to be addressed, such as tort reform and subsidy costs. Will Republican politicians help Americans have access to health insurance or continue to be the party of “NO”?
David Miller
BRUSH PRAIRIE
Corporations are now ‘persons’
Thanks to the Jan. 21 U.S. Supreme Court ruling regarding corporate “personhood,” corporations are now “persons” and money is “free speech.” With the law now clearly on their side, and with nearly limitless resources, mega-corporations can now steamroll their agenda through the political process and into place with impunity.
In light of recent taxpayer-funded mega-bailouts on Wall Street, continuing outsourcing of jobs overseas, endless undeclared “no-win” wars, and co-opting of health care legislation in Congress by mega-health conglomerates, this ought to be a huge wake-up call.
As an analogy, one is reminded of the Dred Scott decision that led up to the Civil War, in which black slaves (read “Main Street Americans”) were accorded the status of property (read “marginalized citizens”) with respect to white persons (read “corporations”). As in the quote from George Orwell’s book “Animal Farm” — “All animals are equal, but some are more equal than others” — reader take note!
Michael T. Carver
RIDGEFIELD
Core of education is rotten
As Peter Callaghan pointed out Jan. 24 (in “Washington finally enters ‘race’ for education funding”), “Even more than most states, Washington’s school establishment is change-averse.” This was made clear when the state of Washington legislated against the creation of charter schools, settling for compromise over courage.
Part of the problem with school reform is that it is assumed that the core of education is sound, while it is rotten. There is a nationwide failure to recognize that the essential student need is to experience rather than to be told. An example of this is in mathematics, where textbook reading matter has yet to be coordinated with problem-solving and classroom activities.
Borrowing from the principles of incremental learning, a day in class should follow the previous evening’s assignment being to read the textbook’s presentation of the several ideas of the lesson and to answer a workbook’s questions and problems that help to develop the understanding of each idea. The classroom session would feature intensive interaction between teacher and students that ensured understanding. Thus the tie-in between reading matter and problems would be obvious and the students would have had an opportunity to develop their ability to read and understand technical material.
Gene Dombrowski
VANCOUVER
Americans are needy, too
The earthquake in Haiti destroyed much of the country with deaths and misery of unmatched proportions. Many people throughout the world have come to their rescue in a most generous way.
But Haitians are not alone in misery. Although by no means as distressing, people in our own country are abandoning their homes and living on the streets.
A recent concert netted millions of dollars for Haiti. Why can’t our entertainers raise money for the unfortunate in our own country?
