County commissioners
County shouldn’t be in PSRC
The Kitsap County Commissioners are elected to act on behalf of the citizens of this county. They have relegated their responsibilities to an unelected layer of quasi government, the Puget Sound Regional Council (PSRC). Yes, they are elected and have the authority to govern for the people residing in Kitsap County. They should not give their power to PSRC.
They say that they won’t have enough funding; it must come through PSRC. A comparable county, Thurston, has proven that this is not true. Figures have shown that, if done properly by the elected officials and their staff, a smaller county can do very well on its own.
Kitsap County is unique. Why do the commissioners want all of the control which they now have, given to PSRC? Are they not proud of our county? Do they not want us to remain unique? If we remain in PSRC, we will be forced to come under the same rules and regulations as three large counties, King, Pierce, and Snohomish, and by extension, more like them.
I urge you to ask your commissioner to remove Kitsap County from PSRC as soon as possible.
Dorothy Guice,
Poulsbo
Presidential election
McCain’s not up to the task of Prexy
Supporters of John McCain need to ponder the question: Is John McCain up to a world crisis? (“Thirteen Days,” Robert Kennedy’s account of the Cuban Missile Crisis comes to mind.) To me, McCain appears more a doddering old man than a highly capable and vigorous leader prepared for major world crises. I respect his service during the Vietnam War but five and one half years as a POW does not make him a hero. Nor does it qualify him as a military expert — as he suggests it does during campaign speeches — any more than does bombing from 20,000 to 30,000 feet give him an understanding of and hatred for war.
Senator John McCain seems to be a nice old man — when his temper is under control — but can we really afford to elect a nice old man for our next president? Our next president will be challenged as few others have been as we desperately work to fix our broken government, repair our relations with the world community, institute sorely needed domestic programs such as universal health care, bring our troops home from Iraq and reorient our focus toward defeating real threats to our national security such as al Qaeda.
Charles Bickel,
Poulsbo
WASL
Legislators should take the test, too
It’s WASL time again. Last night I tried to console my tearful, frustrated daughter again. You see, my daughter is one of those “statistics” that has yet to pass the math portion of the WASL — today will be her fourth attempt.
I’ve read the comments of those who say our kids aren’t trying hard enough. They accuse the kids of somehow not being as “educated” as other countries. That if they could just pass this test they will somehow be more valuable.
Well, I say these same people need to be made to take the test themselves. Maybe the governor would be willing to take the tests, all three sections, with the threat of losing her job if she fails. How many out there have seen this test?
My daughter is not your typical teenager, I know, because she is my third of four teen daughters. She is hardworking, caring and very mature for her age.
She has always wanted to go to college, and wants to teach history and English at the high school level, her two favorite subjects. She is now a senior and is supposed to graduate in two months, we have a ring and cap/gown on its way. She has been accepted to Olympic College in the fall. Other kids are planning for prom night today, while she wonders if she will receive a diploma in June. Oh yeah, did I mention that she has a GPA of 3.42? That she is an honor student and has been one since ninth grade? That she is in a pre-calculus math class this year, her fourth year of math in high school (even though only two years of math are required)? But she hasn’t passed the math WASL.
She has a “D” in her math class even though she works really hard at it and turns in all her assignments. How many of you out there ever even took this class in high school? She has to pass this class, under state law, to graduate. What are we teaching our kids in this state? Apparently, a constant reminder for four years that you aren’t good enough to receive a diploma unless you plan to be a Boeing or Microsoft engineer.
I challenge the entire Washington State Legislature to take the math WASL themselves and see how they like it.
Dana Spoelstra
Kingston
A grateful family
Thank you for
supporting our family
A big heart-felt thank you to all the relatives, friends, and neighbors who attended my wife Marilyn Birkeland’s memorial on Saturday.
I tried to visit with everyone but that was impossible with such a packed house. To those who couldn’t make it, I know your spirits were there with us. It’s hard to believe a small community can hold so much love for one person.
Please don’t forget to stop and visit when you’re passing through.
David Birkeland
Kim Ketchum
Karla Bynum,
Eglon
