Support other groups

With regard to The Times’ article this morning, [“Komen controversy hurts Race for the Cure,” page one, May 25] I think it’s important to remember that just because someone no longer supports Komen, doesn’t mean that their financial support is gone all together.

In lieu of a Komen donation we gave our pledge to Planned Parenthood, with the specification that the money go to a clinic that does breast cancer screenings.

The Republican Party has made it clear they are waging a war on women’s health-care, and Komen has made it equally clear that they are on board. I won’t support Komen. I will continue to support women.

— Amy Harris, Seattle

Not sweet news for candy makers

The excitement for the Cottage Food Act by home food crafters is not shared by all. [“New law sweet news for at-home bakers,” page one, May 18.]

The fine print reveals that not every one is included. If you make homemade fine chocolates, caramels, toffee, fudge, or other candies that are stovetop cooked and dipped in “tempered chocolate” you are out of luck. This makes no sense, since every candy shop and candy factory in the state uses the same stovetop methods as the home-cook; the only difference being the licensed kitchen, which is the very point of the Cottage Food Act. Also the finished product of all candy shops is never refrigerated and can be shipped all over the country. So why am I not included?

This smells of special interest. Does some one not want me making candy and cutting into their market?

— Timothy M Wean, Bellingham

Correcting the record on my special election campaign

On May 24, The Seattle Times published an editorial from its board misrepresenting my reasons for entering the special election. [“Hobbs stays above 1st district money grab” Opinion.]

I have been clear all along: I am running because there will be major issues addressed in the December session of Congress, including the next debt ceiling fight, the extension of the Bush tax cuts for the wealthiest Americans and likely attacks on Social Security and Medicare. These programs have been paid for and earned by working Americans, and they belong to those Americans. I will fight tooth and nail to ensure nobody cuts either Social Security or Medicare.

The decision to participate in both elections was one we carefully considered. My campaign has been funded by more than 6,000 contributions from normal Americans; the average contribution size is only $40.26. We don’t have big money, and I’m not a multimillionaire. We will have to work harder to talk to people in both the old and new districts — but the issues at stake are too important to ignore.

— Darcy Burner, candidate for Congress running to represent Washington’s 1st District, Seattle

Police and society are responsible

The estimates are coming for the costs of complying with the proposed Department of Justice consent decree regarding the police department’s pattern of excessive use of force, and questions are being raised on how to pay for it. [“Feds mad over city’s cop-reform response,” page one, May 25.] I suggest the following:

50 percent to be paid out of Seattle’s general budget.

50 percent to be paid by across-the-board salary cuts within the police department.

Perhaps individual police officers will begin to understand that there are consequences for actively or passively supporting an abusive system. At the same time, the rest of society needs to bear costs for having allowed it to happen at all.

— Eric Bell, Seattle

$41 million?

News of the Seattle Police Departments problems is now nationwide, thanks to the Internet. The 20-step plan and $41 million-price estimate to comply with the U.S. Department of Justice plan are both being derided.

C’mon Mr. Mayor — how much does it really cost to tell your employees to stop beating and shooting people?

— Harry Petersen, Bellevue

Doesn’t represent all Christians

Joseph Backholm’s statement that Christians and Muslims have a place of commonality in supporting marriage between a man and woman does not include all followers of Jesus Christ. [“Opponents of gay-marriage law get unexpected aid: from Muslims,” page one, May 25.]

For example, a week ago, the Northwest Washington Synod of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America voted to support Marriage Equality in the state of Washington by 81 percent.

One of the strongest biblical arguments in favor of marriage between a man and a woman has been that traditional interpretation of the Adam and Eve story in Genesis 2. However, I recently have concluded that the names of Eve and Adam are simply metaphors for Israel and Judah and have nothing to do with being real people, let alone personifications of all women and men (see “The Mystery of Eve and Adam”). Take away this biblical premise for the definition of marriage, and there is very little left in Scripture, especially in the testimony and witness by Jesus, to substantiate that marriage is solely between a man and woman.

As followers of Jesus Christ, many of us in the evangelical tradition are very supportive of marriage equality and look forward to the day when people of the same gender can be united as one just as any woman and man can in this state.

— Rev. Ron Moe-Lobeda, Seattle

Court manipulated by politics

Kathleen Parker bemoans the campaign of certain politicians to influence the Supreme Court regarding the Affordable Care Act as “obnoxious, if not unethical.” [“Obamacare vs. the Supreme Court,” Opinion, May 24.]

She seems to be unaware that, at least recently, the Supreme Court has been manipulated politically from the start. Namely, the choice of nominations for justices by the president as openings become available is heavily influenced by the perceived liberal or conservative leanings of the candidates. The confirmation of candidates is similarly affected by the composition of the Senate at the time of confirmation.

For example, the last two justices nominated by a Republican president, Justices John Roberts and Samuel Alito, are undisputably conservative on most issues. The last two, Justices Sonia Sotomayor and Elena Kagen, were nominated by a Democratic president and based on evidence to date are liberal on most issues.

In fact, the only justice currently on the Supreme Court who doesn’t fit neatly into a conservative or liberal label is Justice Anthony Kennedy. Before getting further upset over politicians trying to influence the Supreme Court, Parker might want to study the history of the court a little more.

— Raymond S. Wilson, Bellevue

Attacking the president

Kathleen Parker assembles an impressive list of White House trash-talk about the U.S. Supreme Court.

But the president and his political operatives are not so stupid that they don’t know such attacks will not work — and might even alienate the justices — especially when they are a captive audience during a State of the Union address.

The only purpose of the attacks is to create a narrative for the re-election campaign after the decision comes down.

— Richard E. Ralston, Newport Beach, Calif.

Partisan propaganda

Allowing Kathleen Parker a continuing forum to distribute her partisan propaganda thinly disguised as informative commentary is demeaning to The Seattle Times and a disservice to its readers.

Her column “Obamacare vs. the Supreme Court” is the latest example. We are already under a constant barrage of “talking points” by political operatives in other media. It would be refreshing to have opinions by “real experts” that could help us make better decisions about issues by providing unbiased information.

— John Douglas Locatelli, Maple Valley

What is the cost of education worth?

Yes, there has been more discussion on our higher-education cost problem lately. [“Low tuition is the best student aid,” Opinion, May 22.] But there are no concrete solutions any legislators are willing to implement.

This is really one of the most critical problems our country faces, yet it seems that it will remain an issue that will remain untouched.

As a current undergraduate at the University of Washington, I know firsthand how large the burden of investing in my future is.

When I look around my campus, I see massive investment and renovations; new dorms being built, a new Husky Stadium, a new Husky Union Building, remodeling of our library, new research centers being built. On the side, I look at news reports about the egregious compensations of our president. Yes, the school is investing in itself, but I have to face the largest ever tuition hike for this fall: a whopping 20 percent increase.

With the total student debt reaching the atrocious trillion dollar mark, this is really an issue that should be a topmost priority. Education is the most important investment for our country. The innovations and new technologies that have helped make the U.S. such a powerful nation are inextricably linked to the great education system we possess. But in order to ensure the future of our country we need to allow for a more affordable system.

— Neelay Pandit, Seattle

Politicians abusing zoning

Does anybody else recall hiring the bike-riding mayor to redraft zoning throughout the city to please land speculators so that the home next to the one you live in can be bulldozed for condos and a salon?

Consider Capitol Hill, which the mayor thinks is lacking in adequate walkable businesses. [“Developer interests guide mayor’s growth proposals,” page one, May 23.]

Who thinks we should get rid of the remaining single-family homes as a means of improving the neighborhood? This is the same old game where politicians use zoning not for what it was intended, to protect citizens, but to pass out favors. The bike-riding mayor reveals himself as a handy servant of development interests and pro-ports.

— Joe Wall, Seattle