Letters to the editor for Jan. 14

Pay for schools out of general fund

I believe the Legislature should do something about property taxes. Property owners have been overtaxed for years in Washington state. The taxing method utilized in this state is unreasonable. The 1-percent cap passed by the Legislature is nothing more than a Band-Aid. The real money maker is in the assessed valuation of each property. The assessed valuation of a property is tampered with every year. This valuation, according to the Assessor's Office, is determined by the "true market value" of the property.

There are a lot of problems with this theory. The real estate market is manipulative. New homes drive up the value of old homes. County appraisers do not review each home every year. They look at sales of comparable homes in a general area and apply that value to your home. "Comparable" is nothing more than an assumption. A lending institution will do a complete check of a home, inside and outside, and then make a conclusion on the value of that home.

In addition, the state Legislature developed a levy system for school funding and attached it to property taxes. School levies devour nearly 65 percent of each property tax dollar. The remaining public services (fire, police, etc.) get the remaining 35 percent.

Public services are needed, and we need tax money to support these services. However, I believe the school districts should be funded directly from the state general fund, which would apply funding more fairly to everyone.

Ken Larson, Olympia

Try to be patient in judging Obama

Once again, religion has caused differing opinions leading to protests and division. I refer to President-elect Barack Obama's choice of Rick Warren to give the invocation at his inauguration in January.

Particular objection has come from the GLBT community, feeling that this choice undercuts Obama's said support of working toward equal rights. On the other hand, conservative Christians object because they feel Obama is too progressive with support he has expressed for the GLBT community and right to life issues. They would rather that Rick Warren not participate with someone they deem too liberal.

Although I support rights for GLBT folk, including marriage, I will not sign their petition of protest. I feel that Obama is truly trying to be inclusive by including someone with different views than his own on some issues. I believe he is right in encouraging cooperation in working together though there is not complete agreement on all issues. I believe the problem is now "ours" rather than "his." Are we, in the spirit of true Christianity, willing to trust his judgment and work with him in his hope for inclusivity and justice for all? Are we willing to be patient until we see what results his plans and hopes might bring?

Perhaps this is only one of the "sacrifices" he speaks of which we all will be called upon to make as we work together toward a better America and world. I hope we will respond to the challenge!

Beth Rossing, Olympia

Educate, don't just incarcerate, inmates

As an old adage says, "Pay me now or pay me much more later."

We would be much better off to invest in treatment, education and job training for the incarcerated rather than continuing the construction of more and more prisons to accommodate the recidivists.

Our penal institutions should be places of learning where education, better job skills and positive life goals are the focus. They should be places where the healing begins.

It is much cheaper to educate a person than to incarcerate them. It is a proven fact that the more educated one is, the less inclined they are to resort to violence, crime and anti-social behavior.

We cannot sustain our system as it exists. We must prepare the incarcerated for a successful return to their communities rather than failure and a predestined return to crime.

Kecia Doolittle, Olympia

Bailouts working against Americans

Please, someone help me make sense of this. I cannot grasp what is going on with the bailouts.

I purchased a vehicle in 2004. I pay $450 a month to keep my vehicle. I will be paying $450 until June of 2010.

If I don't my car will be taken away.

Now, I understand there are banks that handle my loan for my car. So here is another scenario.

I own a house, for which we pay $1,500 a month. We have been paying $1,500 a month since 2004. If we don't pay $1,500 a month for our home, we will not be able to stay in our home.

My mother-in-law just moved into our home. She had to foreclose on her home this year. This is a woman who has never had bad credit. But because of the decline in real estate, she could no longer keep up with her car loan and her home loan.

My husband works two jobs to feed his family of five. I work part time as well. My question is this: If the banks and the auto industry are getting bailouts for default loans, where is our bailout?

Here's the clincher. Our hard work, which is turned into tax money, is being used to for these bailouts. So we are paying again for our homes and cars. My mother-in-law still won't have a house, but she'll be paying for the bank bailouts. How are the bailouts benefiting we Americans?

Delfina Bright, Lacey

Physicians swear to do no harm

Professionally and personally, I support the action of Dr. Marc Stern, the Department of Corrections medical director who resigned rather than participate in an execution.

As physicians we are taught and take oaths to promote the health of those who seek our assistance. Additionally, we swear to do no actions to harm those in our care.

Our professional organizations endorse the no harm ethos.

History, recent and remote, clearly shows that when the state contradicts our obligations as in the case in Florida the result is invariably harm to the person and culture. In more remote history, evil governments have used physicians to immorally enforce unethical agendas/culture purges for instance.

The state must promote and allow physicians to practice their ancient art in an ethical and moral fashion consistent with professional and personal values and standards.

Jay Mason, Olympia