Letters call for prison for drivers who flee police, support Workers Bill of Rights, weigh in on Israel
Increase penalties for fleeing police
Police pursuits are a contentious issue because of the threat they pose to innocent people. But if perps know all they have to do is drive away and they won’t be chased, it just incentivizes crime. There needs to be a common ground where cops can do their job while affording maximum protection to the general public.
Using a hi-tech system that can tag a fleeing vehicle that then allows remote tracking is an excellent way to improve safety. But I would also suggest establishing severe penalties for people who try to escape law enforcement to create a strong incentive not to do so.
Current laws allow variable punishment from almost nothing to a maximum of five years. This is the wrong message to send because it tells people that if you flee from cops and get caught, you might just get a slap on the wrist. The message should be that if you ever evade police and cause a high-speed pursuit, you will go to prison for a few years, no matter what. This would deter all but hardened criminals.
Recently in Tumwater an innocent person was killed at an intersection collision caused by someone who ran a red light while fleeing police because they had outstanding traffic tickets. Had this perp known that evading police would certainly land them in prison, they would have never fled in the first place.
Steve Shanewise, Olympia
State employees support the Workers Bill of Rights
My name is Ryan Schmautz, with the Washington Federation of State Employees Local 443 and the Thurston Lewis Mason Central Labor Council, and I support the Worker Bill of Rights.
Everyone has been hit hard by skyrocketing inflation over the past several years. Workers across Washington have seen battles for increases in pay despite public sector budgetary cuts or the protests of corporate employers claiming they have nothing left to give. This fight is a part of a broader trend: Workers are fighting not to enrich themselves, but simply to keep their heads above water as we drown in inflated costs for even the most basic essential goods.
Seattle Mayor Bruce Harrell has gone on record claiming: “Seattle has one of the highest minimum wages in the country – this is a good thing for workers, a good thing for our overall economy, and something we should take pride in.”
This ordinance will make Olympia a city of choice for working people; knowing that not only are workers increasingly paid what they’re worth, but also that they enjoy more protections from the abuses of big business. That is why I, as a former minimum wage worker and proud union member representing hundreds of minimum wage workers across the state, urge you to support the Workers Bill of Rights.
Ryan Schmautz, Olympia
Palestine has a right to resist
In Carl Schroeder’s Nov. 20 letter, he makes astonishing claims and misses the point. He asks, “Why must demands for peace always call for Israel to withdraw?” Here’s why: First, Israel is illegally occupying Palestine. The UN has stated as much, most recently in the ICJ’s opinion in July. Second, Palestine, being illegally occupied, has a right to resist under international law.
Schroeder goes on to perpetuate the lie that Hamas beheaded babies and raped women during the Oct. 7 invasion. There is no evidence that this ever occurred, and it has been repeatedly debunked. ...
Another lie that Schroeder perpetuates is that Hamas promises to kill Jews and destroy Israel. Hamas revised its charter in 2017 to clarify that their struggle is against Zionism, not with Jews themselves.
Israel must withdraw from Gaza because it is violating international law by being there. It matters to us in the US because our tax dollars are paying for it.
Shellee Billings, Olympia
This story was originally published December 11, 2024 at 5:00 AM.