Support firefighters
Dear Editor:
The guest column in last week’s Methow Valley News, “Wildland firefighters need our support,” was particularly timely. Eight years ago this past weekend, three young, local firefighters died in the Twisp River fire. We should remember them: Tom Zbyszewski, of Carlton, Andrew Zajac, of Winthrop, and Rick Wheeler, of Wenatchee. All over the country, many more die each year.
More than just remembering them, we should be supporting efforts to give better pay to wildland firefighters. Until a year ago, their base pay was $15 an hour, less than minimum wage for a restaurant server in many places. Joe Biden got them a raise in base pay of 50%, still paltry but the best he could do by presidential order. Even worse, because that raise could only be temporary without congressional legislation, it will run out next month.
Please ask your federal representatives to support the Wildland Firefighter Paycheck Protection Act, now pending in the Senate. It’s not nearly enough to pay our debt to those women and men who risk their lives for us, but it’s a start.
Randy Brook
Twisp
Not responsible
Dear Editor:
In a letter in the Aug. 9 paper, Friends of the Pool members stated that an earlier letter “implies that we are asking the public to foot the bill of building the pool. Not so!” This contradicts FOP’s own study which states “[t]he pool will likely be funded through a range of public, private, and philanthropic funding sources, but it is likely that debt issued by the MPD [Metropolitan Park District] will be a prominent source of capital.”
The upcoming ballot measure would allow tax revenues to be spent “to provide ongoing funding to develop, construct, operate, and maintain the Methow Aquatics Center and related existing and future facilities.” Those last six words are an undefined open door. They would allow this new, permanent taxing district to expand in unknown ways on the same site as the proposed $25-plus million pool complex, or elsewhere, at the discretion of future boards of commissioners without any further public votes. Voters should clearly understand this. All but one of the 23 MPDs in Washington are governed by elected boards. The governing board of commissioners of this proposed MPD will be appointed, not elected. Assurances by current pool advocates mean nothing. We are voting on the ballot language, not assurances printed in the newspaper.
A FOP-commissioned study estimated an outdoor replacement of the Wagner pool would cost less than half, or $10 million to $12 million less than the cost of the proposed indoor aquatic center, with an operational deficit of over $500,000 less per year. For comparison, $10 million to $12 million would pay for the new Winthrop fire station and the Twisp Civic Center with money left over. The difference in the operational deficits alone would pay for a new outdoor pool every 15 years or so.
Likely the permanent taxing demands of this proposed Metropolitan Park District will compete directly with many voters’ willingness to fund existing needs, i.e., the recent hospital special levy, EMS and school levies. I feel this is a fiscally irresponsible approach for replacing the Wagner Pool.
Shane Ruoss
Winthrop
Vote for Zbyszewski
Dear Editor:
I’ve never written a letter to the editor before, but I really think it’s time to speak out about the upcoming school board election. Jennifer Zbyszewski is running in a district-wide election, so we all have a chance to vote for her. We would be very lucky to get such a dedicated, hard-working and intelligent person to help shape our kids’ future.
Jennifer is a very experienced administrator, used to difficult budget decisions, shaping policy, and working to bring together people with different opinions. What we need today is someone who doesn’t bring an agenda to the table and who is willing to listen to all points of view. So I’m asking you all to take the trouble to vote in this off-year election, and vote for Jennifer Zbyszewski! Note: That intimidating last name is pronounced Buh-chev-ski.
Jim Hausman
Twisp
