EDITOR: A sincere thanks to The Stranger for its continued support of Northwest Film Forum. I also thank you for casting a spotlight on the unpleasant realities of nonprofit economics ["Reel Pay?" Annie Wagner, Feb 2]. Of course, no one takes a job at a small nonprofit thinking they've hit pay dirt. Our ranks are made up of deeply dedicated individuals who have made conscious choices about the kind of contribution they want to make to their community.
Nevertheless, every year, as the volunteer board of trustees meets to approve NWFF's annual budget, we sigh with despair at how our professional staff is compensated. While we have managed to increase staff salaries annually, it never feels like enough.
The sad truth is, for NWFF (as well as most nonprofit arts organizations, from the symphony on down), the economies are such that even if we filled every seat, packed every workshop, and squeezed our parties to capacity, we would still come up short.
So I put it to all Stranger readers: If Annie's salary exposé made you angry, and you like what NWFF is doing, it's not enough to just buy tickets to our shows. You must do more. JOIN the organization. BUY THINGS at our auction. Better still, just GIVE US YOUR MONEY, no strings attached. We'll pay our staff more. Nothing would make us happier.
Alan Pruzan, Board President, NWFF
SOMETHING SMELLSANNIE WAGNER: I enjoyed your article ["Dance, Ramtha, Dance" a review of the film What the BLEEP!? Down the Rabbit Hole available online at www.thestranger.com]. It was funny and so true! So many people are so into that movie and really it's a bunch of poo. And I am sorry it might be politically incorrect, but that deaf girl is annoying as hell and her story has absolutely no relation to quantum physics. Same with the kid playing basketball. I'll go one on one with him and let him try to pull that teleportation shit.
Josh
LOCK 'EM UPEDITOR: In his article "Burned" [Feb 2], Thomas Francis apologizes for ecoterrorists, left-wing thugs, arsonists, and assorted punks. He wrote, "The fire caused damage amounting to $12 million, but, again, no one was hurt." When individuals lose their jobs, their homes, their investments, and their livelihoods, that means people were hurt.
If Mr. Francis's home, personal property, and vehicles were destroyed because some punkos decided on their own that he wasn't environmentally pure enough, I doubt very much if Mr. Francis would be as conciliatory. But somebody else's property? Well, it was for a good cause—or at least the cause Mr. Francis believes in.
As a society we should be firm but reasonably flexible dealing with tantrum-throwing children and young adolescents. But when adults act like punks, destroy property, and endanger lives because they are oh-so-sure about how perfect their political perspectives are, lock 'em up and throw the keys away.
J. T. Searcher
FROM THE FORUMSPOSTED BY RAINMONKEY ON FEB 2: Just as Osama bin Laden is the best enemy that Bush could have remaining at large, the "ecoterrorists" are the best enemy that Bush could parade before the voters during the midterm congressional elections.
As a committed environmentalist, I look at these environmental extremists with mixed emotions. (As Jim Hightower said, mixed emotions are what you feel when your 16-year-old daughter comes home from the prom with a Gideon Bible under her arm.)
Political trials have co-opted the justice system. The timing of the coming trials could not be better to revitalize Bush's second term by focusing all environmental discussion on the bad old terrorists shouting their commitment to Mother Earth at trial.
The trials of these stupid young people will serve as the political theater to set the tone for the midterm elections, and the final phase of Bush's master plan.
Discuss: forums.thestranger.com.
