Letters - Oct. 28, 2010

Appreciate

I have not been involved with the situation involving the city of Colfax and the volunteer firemen and ambulance. There is one issue, however, that I have heard about which I would like to address. The issue is whether or not an employee of the city should be going on ambulance runs, as a volunteer, while on duty as a city employee.

If anyone is bothered that the volunteers are “compensated” while on an ambulance run, I would like to point out that the last two audits by the Employment Security Department consider the payments to be reimbursements of expenses, rather than compensation.

I have worked full time in Colfax for 28 years, and I believe this community is very fortunate to have our quality ambulance crew.

There is only one person who is a full time, paid employee for the ambulance crew, and the rest are volunteers.

It takes usually three people in an ambulance to respond to an emergency, and others need to be available for additional calls.

This type of volunteer systems works best if there is a large pool of volunteers available.

That would require many employers in town to allow their employees the freedom to be volunteers able to respond to emergency ambulance calls.

It seems to me, that since the city employees are located near the ambulances, and since many towns and cities levy taxes to pay for their ambulance services, the city employees would be the most logical ones to respond first to emergency calls.

If our volunteers do not have the support of the city, how can the community expect private employers to support the volunteer program?

My office has one person who is an EMT volunteer for our ambulance crew.

I admit, it can be inconvenient, sometimes, when he is gone.

We are willing to allow him to volunteer on business time, because the community needs him, and more like him.

If more employers allowed their employees to be volunteers, there would be less time required of each volunteer.

If we do not have enough volunteers, our ambulance crew will eventually require an additional paid employee, which would stress the finances of the volunteer organization.

The Colfax ambulance operation is self-supporting, paid for by donations, very reasonable (as compared to private competition) charges for their services, and the time of its volunteers.

The city is the best employer to support community ambulance services, in my opinion, if for no other reason, than the alternative would be a tax levied on the citizens of the community. I believe the city should set an example to the other employers in town. It’s a shame that it is hardest to gather a crew between the hours of 8 a.m. and 5 p.m.

We are fortunate to have the volunteer firefighters and ambulance crew we have. They are professional, have a great response time and perform their duties extremely well. It logically follows that they must be well run and managed, since they have been very successful over the years. Let’s appreciate them.

Sally Bishop, Garfield

Dialogue

Since the spring levy, I have done everything in my power to advocate our community working in partnership as outlined in Colfax school’s vision statement.

Though inclusion is long and painful, I believe in a public dialogue wherein every voice is heard and diversity is celebrated as the strength and balance of our community at large.

My recommendation for intervention was trumped Monday night by a stronger, more respected, and admittedly wiser voice than my own.

Don Cox, long time public servant and friend, encouraged the board to take a position of strength and limit their accessibility as individual board members.

He encouraged them to receive all future dialogue as a quorum and renew the superintendent’s contract without further input.

His comments resonated strongly with the board and those who shared his opinions.

In my mind, the primary concern was never about an individual contract or procedure. It is about principles of communication. I can only hope there is some wisdom in Dr. Cox’s suggestions that I cannot understand. The pendulum of power swings without mercy. This model suggests to me that the path forward requires either submission in the name of professionalism or an all out fight. I expect a fight.

My real fear is that in our fight over education, the children we are supposed to be teaching will not learn to love democracy.

I was sad to know that while we met Monday night with the school board, other good friends were convened in a totally unrelated meeting to discuss negative perceptions of Mormonism and everything I hold sacred. But, I would fight for their right to do so and help them find a location to have the discussion if needed.

If we don’t foster and encourage free and open dialogue, coupled with the rights to assemble and worship according to the dictates of our own consciences, what is left? I apologize to those who trusted my leadership and are left disappointed. I renew my commitment to support the school board and administration in behalf of educating our young people. I hope, in spite of my disappointment, that we somehow learn as a community to resolve our problems with kindness, forgiveness, and patience.

Where did it go

The problems with the “books” in Whitman County go way back and haven’t been in balance for years. And I’m sorry, but money doesn’t walk out the door on its own.

There’s people who’ve tried to look into these problems with the books in the past and were put on a fast train outta town for their efforts.

I find it inexcusable that our employees and “public servants” in the courthouse have proved to be so inept they’ve lost almost a 1/2 million dollars or so of taxpayer money. They should all be banned and booted out the door!

Turn the books over to a credible accounting firm out of Spokane and let them do it. It would be cheaper in the long run and save our county the embarrassment of having the state auditor come in to clean up the mess. So when is someone down there going to admit defeat and call in the state? When is someone at the courthouse going to tell us, the citizens of Whitman County, what have you done with our money?