Letters to the editor.

[Juanita Doyon <Jedoyon@AOL.COM>]

These are two letters from friends in the WASL war.  They were in one of the
big Seattle papers.  Since the Democrats are the power that be here, they're
the insanity we fight.  The Republican legislators are the ones fighting the
WASL with me.  Most of those I work with also understand that we don't want
any high stakes testing, not just that the WASL is awful.

STUDENT ACHIEVEMENT

So-called equity program says some races are inferior

In the Friday opinion piece "Close gap in student achievement," Gov. Gary
Locke writes, "If we can predict the academic success of a child based solely
on his or her family's income, race or ethnicity, our society is failing its
people."

Those are chilling words. We are witnessing the establishment of a remedial
track based upon genetic characteristics and class distinction. Behind the
appealing advertising for this so-called equity program lies the message that
certain races are inherently inferior.Throughout history, movements to
predict intelligence and behavior by skin color, ethinic origin and income
have resulted in great harm to selected people. This nation's obsession with
racial profiling should raise concern with not only parents, but all of us.

Terry Olive
Federal Way

STATE BUDGET

Maybe Democrats, Locke have a sinister motive The state constitution makes
deficit spending illegal in our state. But in spite of written warnings to
the governor and Legislature from the state treasurer as early as August
2001, more employees have been hired and more spending bills have been
passed.

What game are Gary Locke and his Democrats playing? Scuttlebutt has it that
they would welcome a budget impasse. Then the courts would force a state
income tax or other new and bigger taxes and the Democratic bureaucracy in
Olympia and statewide would flourish.

Would anyone be surprised?

Lloyd Gardner
Auburn