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Letters to the Editor

Sunday, February 11, 2001

SUPREME COURT

P-I makes pre-emptive assumption about Bush

The P-I's Feb. 6 editorial "Look to center for Supreme Court" reads as if it were taken from the latest Democratic Party "talking points."

Must we again read the tiresome implication that the court stole the presidential election, which we still hear from Democrats?

The P-I continues its repetition of the Democratic Party line and its threat that any Supreme Court nomination by President Bush must come from "the center" or face filibuster by the Democratic minority in the U.S. Senate. "The center," in the parlance of the P-I and the Democratic Party, would be represented by a nominee who is pro-choice on the troubling issue of abortion. Anyone who is pro-life is characterized as being on the "extreme right." That characterization would include approximately half of the American people. Bush promised to be a "uniter," the P-I says, again parroting a theme we have heard over and over since the election from Democratic lips. The president did indeed promise to unite. He did not promise to abandon his principles.

The president has proposed a plan to reduce taxes for all Americans. The P-I will doubtless follow the party line and publish an editorial which will label the Bush plan a "tax cut for the rich," a mischaracterization that could be lifted directly from an old Al Gore stump speech. There will be an accompanying clever David Horsey cartoon.

The P-I is, of course, entirely entitled to its opinion, which reflects the left side of the political spectrum so predictably that the paper has practically become a Democratic Party organ. One does wonder, however, if a daily newspaper does not posses a higher duty to examine more than one side of the important issues facing us all. It would be refreshing if the P-I had both the fortitude and the good foresight to employ someone who might contribute a column offering a conservative perspective on the critical local and national issues that will shape this young century.

Bill Cruchon Jr.
Seattle

COUNCILWOMAN'S EXIT

Fimia's vacancy leaves room for another worthy candidate

Clydia Pappenfus wrote of her dismay at learning of Maggi Fimia's decision not to run for re-election to the King County Council (Letters, Thursday). I share her disappointment, but I think she might feel some consolation when she considers that Fimia has demonstrated an ideal of representative government that is much too rare: A concerned citizen of intelligence and integrity enters public life with no other goal than meeting the needs of those who elected her.

Having served her time in public life, she returns to private life, creating a vacancy to be filled by a similarly wise and capable leader who has no other allegiance than to the people who elected her.

Mark J. Anderson
Seattle

OVERHOLSER COLUMN

All benefit if more media members join News Council

Geneva Overholser's column "Washington News Council worthy of emulation" (Feb. 6) was a welcome endorsement of our organization from a respected expert on media ethics.

However, the "leading editors" she cited -- Joann Byrd of the Seattle Post-Intelligencer, Mike Fancher of The Seattle Times, Chris Peck of the Spokesman-Review and Dave Zeeck of The News Tribune -- made some comments that must be answered.

First, Overholser said their "consensus" was that John Hamer, our executive director, is "a media-bashing, conservative ideologue." That characterization is incorrect. Since helping start the News Council in 1998, Hamer has been professional, non-partisan and unbiased. We and other council members would not continue to participate had it been otherwise. Besides, he has no vote at our complaint hearings.

Second, "some" editors suggested that several of our founding board and current public members had "an ax to grind." Many of us have been in the media spotlight. But to imply that anyone is trying to strike back through the News Council is not supported by our record. We've dealt with all issues and complaints in a neutral, fair-minded way.

Third, editors "rapped the funding" of the News Council, citing the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. The Gates Foundation supports many non-profit groups with no "strings attached." Moreover, they provide only about half our annual budget. The rest comes from other foundations, individuals, associations and corporations statewide. We recently received a major donation from a leading newspaper publisher, Peter Horvitz of the Eastside Journal. If media leaders want us to diversify our funding, we'd welcome their contributions.

Finally, Fancher of The Times is quoted as saying a news council can "only work if it originates from within the press and is supported by the press." Given current public mistrust of the media, confirmed by many national surveys, we think the opposite is true. To be credible, a news council must be an outside, independent, organization with some media members and support, but not controlled or primarily funded by the press.

We repeat our invitation to media leaders to join with the Washington News Council and help us shape it. If they would "embrace the council," as Overholser recommends, we would indeed "all be better off."

To learn more, visit our Web site at www.wanewscouncil.org

Eddie Reed
President/Public Member
Herb Robinson
Vice President/Media Member
Washington News Council
Seattle

ENERGY

Hydrogen will be nearly impossible to find

Fuel cells sound great, but I have one question: Where are we going to get the hydrogen (Wednesday, Op-Ed)?

A filling station? Where are they going to get it? A hydrogen plant? Where are they going to get it?

The last time I checked, hydrogen was not a naturally occurring element. The only way I know of to make hydrogen is to pass an electrical current through pure water. The U.S. Navy has been doing this on submarines for decades (to make oxygen to breathe; the hydrogen is an unwanted byproduct).

In other words, it takes electricity to make this "fuel."

Where does the electricity come from?

It comes from the same polluting sources we are all familiar with, and of which we have a shortage.

Bottom line, fuel cells are no cleaner than the original source of energy supply.

Tim Mauch
Tacoma

MAYOR'S RACE

Instant runoff voting will avoid two trips to the polls

The announcement that Charlie Chong is considering a campaign for the Seattle mayor's position raises the nightmarish prospect of having at least three candidates running for that position. It is nightmarish not because Chong wants to run (he is, after all, a worthy candidate), but because of the nature of our election process.

When three or more candidates run for the same office, our election process has two major defects: We must run a "primary" or runoff election to reduce the field to two finalists. That, of course, means that we must suffer through two campaigns and go to the polls twice.

There is a good chance, when there is such a runoff election, that both finalists will be candidates the majority rejected, either of whom will be a very unwanted mayor.

Lester Goldstein
Seattle

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