Letters March 17

Not My Child!

Not too long ago, my son, Casey was hurt in a car wreck, and as a prevention specialist, I was most interested in the prescriptions―specifically, the type and amount of pain medications the doctor was proposing to give Casey. To my dismay, he was prescribed a very large dose of pain meds. Casey and I agreed that this prescribing practice was excessive, and he probably wouldn’t need most of the pills. Truth be told, Casey said, some of the people he knew at work would gladly take the surplus medication off of his hands.

From a doctor’s perspective, I understood why prescribing a large dose of pain meds made sense.

From a parent’s perspective, such a practice made me think of inconceivable consequences―not my child—―he or she would never share medications—―not my child–he or she would never become addicted to prescription drugs.

In this age of a “pill for every ill,” we live in a society where the potential for prescription drug abuse and addiction is ever-present.

Among teens and young adults, next to marijuana, Rx drugs are abused the most.

According to the latest National Survey on Drug Use and Health, 6.8 million people or 2.6 percent of the population were non-medical users of Rx medicines in 2012.

Out of this number, 2.8 percent represent young people, aged 12-17.

Data tells us that they’re abusing pain relievers, depressants and stimulants to go to sleep, wake up, stay alert and/or get high.

In our community teens report using prescriptions not prescribed to them higher than the state average and higher than other small schools like us. Some parents do not know where to drop off unused or aged prescriptions, have not talked to their teen about the risks of using prescriptions, or do not monitor their prescriptions at home.

The good news is that nationally, among youths aged 12 to 17, the rate of current non medical use of prescription-type drugs declined from 4.0 percent in 2002 to its current levels. While we can say, “great job,” we need to remember that

—Many teens and young adults still believe that Rx medicines are safer to abuse than illegal drugs.

—These medicines are easy to get,―about 54 percent of those abusing these medicines obtain them from friends and relatives.

—Approximately 2,000 teens misuse or abuse Rx drugs for the first time each day (NIDA FOR TEENS).

As such, some teens and young adults will fall down that slippery slope of abuse and addiction. And before you can say, “Not my child,” you may find yourself saying, “it is my child,―now what?”

Be a part of the solution. Start by locking up your meds and properly disposing them when they’re no longer needed.

Then, get involved. Talk with your teen or young adult. Dispose of unused medications through our local drop-box. There is one in Colfax at the Whitman County Sheriff’s office, one in Pullman, and one at the Tekoa Pharmacy. Best of all, this practice will create a foundation for your teen to establish healthy, medicine-taking practices that will last a lifetime.

To learn more about how to prevent Rx drug abuse and addiction, contact

dharp@tekoa.wednet.edu

Diane Harp,

Tekoa

Rail banking?

The National Trails System Act allows railroad corridors to be converted to recreational trails. However, land under the rails can be owned by the railroad or private citizens. If the land is owned by private citizens, easements allow for the railroad corridors.

Originally, rails converted to trails were to preserve corridors for potential future railroad reactivation.

In practice, this almost never happens.

In 33 years between 300 and 325 corridors have been rail banked and converted to trails, where a mere 11 have had any type of rail service restored.

In some cases just a fraction of the original corridor was reactivated.

So in 33 years, 95 to 97 percent of rail banked corridors have remained trails.

In my view rail banking is disingenuous because it’s setting aside rail corridors for one purpose - preserving a railroad corridor, when in fact it is stealing land for an entirely different purpose - trails.

One trail proponent maintains that the National Trails System Act is clear that reversion back to rail is a non-negotiable part of the bargain.

In the same paragraph a “rail-trail” solution is advocated; which unless I’m mistaken, requires negotiation.

If you look online you will find numerous trail advocates giving advice on how to make reactivation more difficult. At the website, vjel.vermontlaw.edu/file/2015/03/McGowan.pdf, a proponent states that reactivation will spark lawsuits and public unrest, and further advocates changing laws and contracts to strengthen trail standing. Trail advocates do not own the land the trails are on but these advocates are insisting on rights that are greater than are currently afforded the legal landowners.

The original National Trails System Act reads that the “entity which takes over the rail corridor is to assume full responsibility for repairs, upkeep, and any legal liabilities arising out of the transfer.” This never happens as trail proponents have made it so the federal government is responsible for compensation legally due to landowners and cities and counties liable for maintenance and upkeep of the trails.

So the local entities are not even responsible for following the terms of their own precious act. Instead they stick all taxpayers with the bill. Hypocritical?

As for assertions that railroad easements were fundamentally changed by the National Trails System Act, the federal courts don’t seem to agree.

The website mainjustice.com, gives a list of more than 15 cases in which the government lost concerning easements with the wording “for railroad purposes only.” In Buford vs U.S. and Toews vs U.S., the federal courts held that a recreational trail was outside the scope of the easement when an original deed to the rail grants an easement for railroad purposes.

Also in Brandt vs U.S., Chief Justice John Roberts makes it very clear that such easements are not reversionary in nature and are simple easements.

It doesn’t sound like the National Trails System Act altered the nature of these easements to me.

Dishonest?

As for litigation being a tool of obstruction, when the rightful owners of the land are left out of the decision making process of rail banking, what option do they have left open to them? Negotiating with WSDOT and trail proponents is like coming home, catching a burglar stealing your property, and having to negotiate with them on how much they get to keep.

Mike Hopson, Pullman

Effective rep

What would an effective Congressional Representative do to improve lives in the 5th District?

Be available, answer letters personally, attend important rallies and EIS hearings concerning the oil and coal terminals, visit the homeless, attend City Council meetings, visit schools and colleges, and live in the district, instead of visiting the Spokane area a few times a year.

Cathy McMorris Rodgers votes straight along Republican lines and does very little to help our people. Instead, her recent activities include cavorting with the rich and powerful at a weekend retreat at Sea Island, Georgia, sponsored by the American Enterprise Institute, and voting to protect corporations like Monsanto from lawsuits, such as the one the City of Spokane has filed concerning the illegal dumping of PCB’s in the Spokane River.

This coming Fall, it is time to remove her from office, and vote for a real representative that cares about the people of Spokane and District 5, Joe Pakootas. He lives here, his family lives here, and he will advocate for the people.

The absent McMorris Rodgers has lost touch with our people. She has represented us too long in Congress (12 years) with minimal results.

Nancy Street, Cheney