Online-only letters

A striking thought

Improving teacher pay

is a critical first step

I have watched with interest the ongoing strike by Bellevue teachers, as my niece has proudly taught in that school district for nine years ["Striking Bellevue teachers reject offer," Times, Local News, Sept. 9].

As a teacher in Texas' largest school district, I am all too sadly aware of the fallacies society has about teachers. I am forever hearing about those "long vacations" teachers have in the summer and holidays. The truth be known, statistics show that 60 percent of teachers leave the profession after their fifth year.

Why is that, I wonder? How about 12-hour days, ongoing papers to take home and grade in our "spare time," summer continuing-education classes and low salaries? There is not a teacher on Earth who teaches for the pay, because they have a great curriculum or their school district is supportive. We all teach because we love children.

That is it in a nutshell. Shame on the citizens of Bellevue and Seattle for not seeing that their schools are good because you have teachers who care and are committed.

Where would you be without them? If society keeps on paying the Microsofts and the sports figures of the world these astronomical salaries, and devalues teacher pay, you are going to see fewer good teachers stay in the profession. Put any one complainer in the classroom for a year and they would come out a believer that teachers are worth a much higher salary.

They say the only way to understand an educator is trial by fire, but I don't see many people doing that — going into the classroom. I teach in an inner-city high school where our turnover rate is 35 percent or more a year.

I put in 14-hour days and then work on Saturdays. My state test scores are high and I do many, many extracurricular activities with my students. I would give an arm and a leg to come home to Seattle, but what teacher can afford to live there?

As for the curriculum, a teacher spends days, weeks and months developing their own, and then those higher-ups change it with the stroke of a pen. Yes, it happens all the time, all over America!

Perhaps you had better look at the old saying, "Those who teach can, and those who can't go into administration."

— Diane Radel, Houston, Texas

McIver's condo stay

Councilmember almost escaped

a slap on the wrist

I'm sorry, but I think that the $1,000 fine levied on Seattle Councilmember Richard McIver for awarding a no-bid contract wasn't even a slap on the wrist ["McIver pays fine from his pocket," Local News, Aug. 29]. I would presume that staying in a crony's condo for his vacation in the Virgin Islands was worth a lot more than the fine.

One-bedroom motel rooms at resort destinations start at about $250 per night. A two-week stay of 13 nights adds up to $3,250. I work for a public agency and I can't even accept a fruit basket at Christmas.

The Port of Seattle just got slam-dunked for behavior that was merely questionable. This isn't just questionable; it's a clear case of McIver favoring a business with public funds in exchange for personal favors. The Ethics and Elections Commission's ruling that "McIver did not intend to violate the code or receive any private benefit" is ludicrous.

What would you call a free condo stay in the tropics for your vacation? Public service?

— Greg Dawsey, Everett

The price of a Bumbershoot

It's getting harder

for families to afford

Thanks for the Bumberblog and your newspaper's other recent coverage of Bumbershoot.

One thing I didn't see covered by your paper, or anywhere else for that matter, is that the skyrocketing cost of Bumbershoot tickets has made it virtually impossible for many families with young kids to enjoy the illustrious event.

For a family with two adults and two kids between the ages of 6 and 10, single-day tickets would total $110. Given the limited attention span and endurance of children that age, that's a hefty sum for spending a few hours at the festival.

Between One Reel, the festival producer (also the promoter for the "WaMu Family 4th") and major sponsor Starbucks (which touts its "family-friendly" stores and products), I would have thought that some consideration would have been given to family accessibility.

I understand the principle of supply and demand, and the need to control Bumbershoot's crowd size, but the current pricing policy essentially discriminates against families.

— Larry Wechsler, Seattle

Some Mutual appreciation

New WaMu chief

has solid credentials

I enjoyed your articles on Washington Mutual and Alan Fishmen. However, I believe that you should have researched further back in Alan Fishman's career ["Saving WaMu won't be easy," page one, Sept. 9]. I knew him 25 years ago when he was the CFO at Chemical Bank, a relatively large New York City bank-holding company. Alan was a very talented and astute CFO who exhibited insightful and analytical planning, management and strategy skills, part of the reason Chemical Bank was rather successful and Alan's career took off. He was highly regarded in the industry at a young age.

Fishmen has a heavy arsenal of skills in asset/liability analysis, interest-rate sensitivity matching, funding, credit analysis and risk management, disciplines that seemed to have been lacking at Washington Mutual over the past decade in the apparent pursuit of exaggerated, short-term profits from underwriting lower-quality loans.

Sometimes you have to go back in a person's life to discover the "Rosebud" that determines who they are and what they are capable of. Do not underestimate Fishmen by his modesty. If WaMu fails, it may possibly be because its board of directors took too long to realize the irresponsibility of its lending practices and replace its management, not the capability of its new CEO.

— Harvey Gillis, Bellevue

Forgetting one's domain

Sound Transit flub a bad sign

as it asks for more funding

Very often, small things reveal greater, more profound truths. So it is in Monday's Times with a tiny snippet buried on page B3, recounting how Sound Transit's Web site crashed for several hours over the weekend because the agency had allowed its domain-name registration to expire ["Sound transit Web site is back up," News, Sept. 8].

An agency spokesman, per the scant inches of insight, revealed that, "He didn't have an answer as to why the agency didn't figure that out on its own."

And we're being asked on November's ballot to fork over $18 billion to an outfit that can't send a $10 check to cover a routine expense? Figure that out.

Lucky for Sound Transit some wag didn't catch on, cop the domain name by sending in his or her own check, then create a Web site filled with mischief and Lord knows what else. But that would have been wrong, very wrong.

Yet the greater meaning remains: If Sound Transit cannot be trusted with the smallest of details, why should it be trusted with $18 billion of our money?

Its checkered track record of honoring such trust speaks for itself — this most recent flub is but sour icing on a bitter cake.

— Scott St. Clair, Kirkland

A "feisty" response

Use of adjective to describe

Palin politically unfair

In my opinion, the selection of Gov. Sarah Palin as Sen. John McCain's running mate was a shallow, ill-conceived and hypocritical choice. It's a decision I feel will probably backfire on McCain and his party in a huge way come Nov. 4, which does not fill me with too much sorrow.

However, in this time of "great steps forward" in both parties — and in a time where said steps open doors to even uglier attacks than seen in previous elections based on race and gender — do you really feel it is raising the bar on debate, or even consider it responsible and adult journalism, to run the headline "Feisty Palin slams Obama, D.C. insiders" [page one, Sept. 4]?

Would you ever use that adjective to describe a male politician in a headline or a story?

But perhaps I am overreacting. I'm sure I've blown it out of proportion, and the next headline I see referring to "Spunky Cheney stands firm on Iraq" will put it all into perspective.

— Christine Fish, Shoreline

Times' headline was sexist

I am no supporter of Gov. Sarah Palin, but I am disgusted by the sexism displayed by your headline describing her as "feisty" on Sept. 4's front page. To even the score, maybe you can describe Sen. Joe Biden as "pert" next time he makes the news.

— Wendy Ashmun, Seattle

Hats off to McCain's pick of Palin

I am thrilled with Sen. John McCain's selection of Gov. Sarah Palin. I'm excited that the person with whom McCain decided he had the most chemistry also happens to be a woman.

There is no doubt in my mind that the United States is ready for a female vice-president. I am a 22-year-old man and I remember having a conversation with my mom long ago in which she told me that in the 1980s, many women couldn't buy a home without the signature of a man. I remember how angry that made me.

Today, we have the opportunity to elect our first female vice-president. I admire how she became governor by defeating the Republican incumbent in the primary and a former two-term Democratic governor in the general election. Palin is truly an independent Republican. When people talk about how Palin has distanced herself from ineffective and corrupt Republicans in her own state, it's true!

She didn't just avoid being photographed with corrupt Republicans: She ran against them and beat them! I think Palin is extremely impressive, and my mom and I can't wait to cast our votes for the McCain/Palin ticket!

— Camron Barth, Renton

Walking the "values" walk

As a mother, I view family values as providing the support and nurturing of special-needs infants and pregnant teenagers by both parents, rather than exposing them to the indignities and disruption of political campaigns and media feeding frenzies.

Anyone who believes that Gov. Sarah Palin truly endorses and embodies "family values" should think carefully about whether she walks the walk or just talks the talk.

— Diane Matlock, Seattle