Opinion Pages
Commentary got it wrong
In Mike Ivaska’s latest column (“Giving Each Other Room to Think”), he states “the zero-sum game being fought between the LGBTQ community and religious conservatives holds me taught between compassion for my neighbors and fear of being treated as a bigot for my faith.”
It is not a zero-sum game, or a game at all, if one side stands to lose their health care, their right to marriage, and their right to adopt and raise children. Those are catastrophic consequences of conservative policies, whereas being called a bigot is not a big deal in comparison.
He says he wants to hear all sides, and I understand that desire. Many political and economic issues are complex. However, when the issue is that one group of people wants to exist and another group wants to deny them their rights, then only one side is valid, and giving space to people who want to deny others of their rights is harmful.
— Anna Shomsky
Fire District
No need to increase staffing
Regretfully, the VIFR Board is proposing to address a short-staffing issue by hiring firefighters who will drain the VIFR budget for decades to come. The district is “dangerously” understaffed because VIFR needs 12 positions filled and it currently only has nine. The West Seattle Bridge, two-boat schedule and local hospital issues will be addressed in the next few years. The ambulance issue can be addressed by independent contracts at a cost much less than increasing the current staff by 33%. It is ridiculous to suggest the solution is to permanently increase the staff to 16.
The numbers do not support the increase. The current model works. Part-time firefighters and volunteers address short-term needs.
The only person who is showing leadership on the subject is the Chief, Charlie Krimmert, who opposes the increase as unnecessary. Charlie is on record as being “greedy” in asking for the maximum levy and everything needed to protect the island. Since he ultimately is responsible if there is a failure in service, especially if a firefighter is injured, it would be easy for him to “go along.” His opposition is a red flag that the Board’s solution does not recognize the current situation. We all will be worse off if the unnecessary hires occur.
— Scott Harvey
