DON'T CALL ME UGLY

EDITOR: I was both insulted and disgusted by much of your so-called "Queer Issue" ["Marching Orders," June 23], starting with its militaristic theme. At a time when this country is going to war with the entire planet, military jokes are just not funny.

Most offensive of all was Amy Jenniges's article about lesbians and style. Ooh, lesbians are ugly and frumpy and should emulate gay male fashion sensibility—what a new idea, how cutting edge. When I came out in the early 1970s, we used to call it internalized homophobia.

This business of demeaning women because they do not spend hours making themselves into someone else's idea of what girls ought to look like is very old, very boring, and very patriarchal. Hard times are here and harder ones are coming; to use your military analogy, we need to be allies for each other, not snipers looking for easy targets.

Tina Gianoulis
A fat, frumpy, braless, hairy dyke, just trying to survive

HOT GIRL ON GIRL ACTION

EDITOR: Amen to Amy Jenniges' "Marching Orders for Lesbians" [June 23]. It's as if many lesbians are working to perpetuate the stereotypical image of "dyke." Is there a manual somewhere? An instructional guide on fashion—or lack thereof? I went to a Storm game with a straight friend a few weeks ago, and she is still talking about the abundance of '80s jeans, flannel, and hiking boots. I can't argue with her, but I also don't subscribe to the stereotype. I've learned being "passable" can be a curse—particularly in this town.

Angela Klipsch

There are many, many more letters about Marching Orders, the Monorail, and even the pastry wars to be found online at www.thestranger.com.

CORRECTIONS AND CLARIFICATIONS

In last week's In the Hall, Erica C. Barnett wrote that King County Council Democrat Bob Ferguson said he "would not run as a Democrat" if he failed to win his party's nomination. Ferguson's statement was made in the context of an upcoming ruling on Washington State's new "top-two" primary system, which places the top two vote-getters on the general election ballot, regardless of party. If the parties win the ruling, they will be able to choose their own nominees for the primary ballot; those who aren't chosen could attempt to run under their party names, but would likely be subject to litigation by their party. Ferguson said that he would not run as a Democrat if the judge rules in favor of the parties.

In last week's CounterIntel, Josh Feit reported that "50 percent of the bus hours that Metro is adding to Seattle's total service hours would be redirected to the [South Lake Union] streetcar." That was incorrect. While it's true that the 9,300 hours Mayor Nickels wants to redirect to the South Lake Union trolley amount to about 50 percent of the 18,000 new hours Seattle received in Metro service for the 2002–2007 cycle, the total number of new hours that Seattle will receive in the future is not known. The mayor's office says only 12 percent of new hours will be earmarked for the trolley. To get that lower percentage, the mayor's office assumes 76,000 new Metro hours in the next planning cycle: another set of 18,000 new hours, plus 58,000 additional hours resulting from freed-up bus hours, thanks to light rail and monorail ridership. That assumption is debatable. Light rail and monorail ridership depends on feeder bus lines. If bus hours are cut, it's unclear whether light rail or monorail will meet their ridership numbers and thereby free up 58,000 hours. Nickels is pre-committing hours that don't exist.

FROM THE FORUMS AT WWW.THESTRANGER.COM

The following exchange in the Music Forum started after Fuzed announced the lineup for this year's Capitol Hill Block Party in the Forum.

Posted by tempertantrum, June 21, 8:44 am

Piss off. You took a cool, free, neighborhood function and turned it to shit. I live two blocks from the "Block Party" and believe me, it is just not welcome. Especially awful are the bouncers that harass people in the PUBLIC PARK. One year a security person threatened me for standing in the park and told me that if I did not move I "would be very sorry." Fucking great, guys. Awesome. You guys rule.

Posted by Fuzed, June 22, 4:04 pm

Hey Tempertantrum, don't know who you are but I figure you are a local in a band that has not played the Block Party. Maybe your band sucks, maybe it is killer. Block Party security does not patrol the park next to the event, except for the backstop, which the City has demanded we keep people off of. So if you just hanging out, I doubt if you were harassed. But, I'll give you the benefit of the doubt and apologize for them. And to doubly make it up to you, how about I give your band a slot at the festival?

Posted by spacerawk, June 23, 02:52 am

Our band would be happy to play if there were more slots open, but we're not one of The Stranger's "flavor of the month" bands, so we'll just play a show a block away while everyone else sits through another predicable Built to Spill set.

Want a slot at the Capitol Hill Block Party? Log onto forums.thestranger.com and start bitchin'. You never know who may be reading.

[Editor’s Note: In an effort to be more thorough, The Stranger now prints all the correspondence that comes to our letters editor. Because of the sheer volume of mail, we can’t always be bothered to edit, or even read it all. So blame the writers for mistakes of spelling, grammar, punctuation, or logic, because they’re there, if you’re looking.]

P.S. IS YOUR GIRLFRIEND HOME?

AMY JENNIGES: Thanks for the article & no matter what negative feedback you get from, probably "stereotypical" lesbians, remember that there are just as many of us out there that share your views & are thankful you spoke up. Thank you, thank you thank you… I hope your article lights some fires under some boxer shorted, chain walleted asses. Who knows, maybe someday this town can even have TWO lesbian bars. I know I believe in miracles.

Joyce Bonvillain

CHILLAX AND LOVE ‘THE L WORD’

EDITOR: Trisha Ready complains that The L Word should mirror her view of lesbian life [“Marching Orders for The L Word Writing Staff,” June 23]. Has it occured to her that the artists who created the show are wealthy, Hollywood-glamourous gals? I like to remember that even tv shows are art for the creators; art does not have an obligation to portray the worldview of potential viewers. Art can only portray the view-of-the-moment of the artists/creators.

I get a little frustrated, too, when a fabulously groundbreaking vehicle gets criticized for not being more. Gosh, Trisha, can you remember that a couple years ago, there was nothing like The L Word and now here you are griping that it isn't more. Chillax. Write your own shows, get them prodoced and distributed. I also wonder if Ms. Ready's “real” lesbian world, um, reflects her? Like her age, her financial status, her career status, etc? Remember, the women behind 'L' are highly successful, peak-career professionals. . . so that's the world they know and write about. I am sorry if I sound like I am putting Ms. Ready down. I'm just a little weary of how quickly we stop honoring people who break barriers.

Tree Fitzpatrick

MORE AND MORE MARCHING ORDERS

EDITOR: I have two more Marching Order for you to add regarding the gay pride day march.

Order #1: Never have a parade last more than 3 hours long.

Order #2: Get some freaking standards people! I am so sick of these "floats" in the parade that are either (a.) nothing more than a flat bed truck someone rented and slapped a HUGE business logo on or (b.) this years car dealer selection (I'm looking at you Honda of Seattle.)

Perhaps we should get—gasp—a theme? And hold people responsible to do at least a minimum job of decorating? Perish the thought. I know the parade has to

cater to some big business to pay the bills, but seriously people, if you held the businesses to a decorating standard, it isn't like they won't want to be in front of the same 100,000+ consumers.

Keith Dussell

MARCHING ORDERS FOR SOLDIERS

EDITOR: The "Marching Orders" section of the June 23, 2005 issue of The Stranger was packed with great information. But, you forgot one very important set of Marching Orders; Marching Orders for Gays and Lesbians serving in the military.

I realize that Seattle isn't the most military-friendly city (except for the bars), but like it or not, the military is a reality and our gay brothers and sisters are serving here in the US, in Europe, in Asia, and of course in the Middle East. Servicemembers Legal Defense Network estimates that there are over 65,000 gays and lesbians actively serving in the military today. I used to be one of them. I served in the US Navy from 1987 to 2002, and was discharged because I am gay. In fact, I liked what I was doing so much, I'm fighting to get back in. With the help of SLDN and a very generous law firm in DC, myself and 11 other former Servicemembers have filed suit to have Don't Ask, Don't Tell repealed and ruled unconstitutional. Why? Because we enjoyed serving our country; because we believe that being gay makes no difference what kind of soldier or sailor we are. I also am surprised at the lack of media attention the lawsuit has garnered, especially since Seattle is such a progressive city.

I'll be there Sunday afternoon, marching with other gay veterans in the parade. Showing my true colors, trying to tell everyone that the 15 years I served for my country meant something, and that I, regardless of my sexual orientation, can serve my country as good if not better than anyone else.

Derek Sparks

NO ON MONORAIL

EDITOR: Erica C. Barnett’s piece on the SMP [“Taxing Agency,” June 23] has helped me turn the corner on the Monorail. I was a supporter, voted for it twice. If it were up for a vote today I would vote “NO!” Despite Jonathan Buchter’s comment to the contrary I suspect that it is quite possible that this IS “something Joel dreamed up in his basement on his home computer.” He should have a good one since he’s made a pretty good career of swilling at the public trough on projects that always seem to promise more than they can deliver. Remember the original scheme for South Lake Union, “The Commons”? Joel’s baby all the way. I had my suspicions when the reports came out about Joel Horn’s raise. Then they have the temerity to sell excessive taxes for the next 73 years for something I’m not likely to use, with the line “unlike other taxes, our tax will end.” I’ll be long dead and so will my children. How much you want to bet that they’ll have torn the thing down by then? Remember the Kingdome? Enough, it’s time to kill this outdated overpriced mistake. I’d rather have the sky it’s going to blot out. I’m sure Mr. Horn can find some other public project to buy him his toys.

Randy Webb

MONO-SLOGGING

DEAR ERICA C. BARNETT AND OTHER STAFFERS: I just want to say that your monorail points in today's slog [June 29] are right-on and completely sound. Many thanks for the thoughtful and fair approach to the current situation. I agree: a new vote, back to the people, as said, as promised. Even if-dear god-that means more campaigning. Suppose we could always scrap the whole thing and just relax?? Suppose not...

Cynara

WE’LL PASS IT ALONG

SEATTLE CITY COUNCIL: Please stop the insanity of the Monorail. Since the last vote the facts of the actual program are now available.

Car tab revenues were greatly over estimated. I would assume that a number of cars have been moved out of the city of Seattle to avoid the excessive tax levy. The 1.4% tax is much greater as the vehicles are valued as much as twice the market value. This results in a tax of 2.8%, some cars pay over 3.5%. Richer tax payers may elect to create a primary residence out side the taxing district, i.e. 51% of the time on Bainbridge, 49% in Seattle, therefore cars are taxed in Bainbridge, legally avoiding the tax. I would further surmise that these to be the more expensive vehicles. The problems will probably get more pronounced in the future, despite measures to catch scofflaws. Ironically, reducing parking requirements near transit stations and neighborhood business districts will further reduce auto ownership within the city, further reducing revenue.

To work around the problem of lack of revenue, the Monorail has ventured into third world financing schemes. This is very risky and problematic. If the monorail creative financing becomes a reality, all other Seattle capital projects will become increasing hard to finance. If more taxes need to be levied, tax payers will be reluctant to shoulder the added burden. I can assure you I would vote NO to any additional taxes if I have to pay nearly $600 a year for the monorail. (A car valued at $40,000 = $560 tax, a Toyota Prius is over $25,000 ). The financial issues alone make this tourist attraction a boondoggle that will saddle 2 or 3 generations.

Not what was approved. Originally the monorail was presented as the next generation, with slender, unobtrusive columns. Each station would be a work of art. Frequent stops at easy to access stations. Now we know that the columns are nearly as large as the existing monorail, creating a getto effect on the adjoining sidewalks and businesses. This is well known along the existing, pedestrian unfriendly monorail route. Stations will be standized, industrial in design and missing a few key locations. It is laughable that funds will ever be available to add the missing stations.

Fewer trains and single wide tracts in some locations will further reduce capacity and ridership. This ridership is probably coming from existing bus service, not leaving cars. We need mass transit that will create a wiliness to park cars, not to replace bus service. Lower ridership will be the next problem, further exacerbating the financing problem.

The major changes in the final plan from the voter approved designs are reason enough to withhold city approval to use right of way. Seattle and KING COUNTY need a comprehensive, unified mass transit system. The balkanized way that transit and transportation is handled around the Puget Sound will not improve by adding an overly expensive, separate transit system. The short run and excessively high cost of the monorail need to be put to rest. The funds freed up from this cost prohibitive tourist attraction can be better put to use on other transit projects.

We need fewer disparate systems that cover more areas and locations with frequent stops like real metropolitan areas. Please show the courage and wisdom and stop the monorail, before all we have is the monorail without the comprehensive mass transit we need.

Mark R. Smith

MONORAIL IS FOR STUPIDHEADS

HEY SLACKER STUPIDHEADS: Have any of you come to your senses yet about the monorail? Do you really think it's a good idea to spend eleven and a half billion dollars so a relative handful of bus riders in ballard and west seattle can quit riding the bus and ride the monorail instead? Are you prepared to see the financial, cultural, spiritual and aesthetic qualities of this city be completely and totally ruined for decades to come? Do you realize what positive good 11 billion dollars could do if spent in other areas? Do you really believe the silly, transparent pap that Joel Horn is spoonfeeding you, while his well-vested annual income from this project is in the six-figure range? Do you really think he gives a shit about you, or about this city, or about honesty and integrity? He has a mortgage to pay and he's taking advantage of all the ignorant happy flower children wanna-be's, to keep his big fat paycheck rolling in. We've been lied to by a sleasy scumbag con man, and you're all sucking up his huckster crap like it's morphine nectar. How goddam stupid are you all anyway?

Taylor S. Koch

MONOFANTASY

EDITOR: Hi, I'll try not to be too smug, but someone should

have done a recall on that boondockle, oh that's right, we did, I think this is the part where we say, “Told ya so.”

If this Monostupidity is actually built, it's nice to know that it will be considered worse than Woops (sorry I don't remember how to spell the acronym).

I live near Joel Horn, he didn't cook this up in a basement, he did it smacking his head into that big tree in his yard. I guess that's what is necessary to have this mono-elleven billion make sense.

Oh and it's tomarrow's elleven billion. [Sic, sic.]

They should just start small, extend it to Safeco Feild and call it good. Connect the sporting event centers, and leave it at that. I never thought I would see someone make Ron "Tax and Waste" Sims look sane.

Paul Richards

P.S. I don't own a car, and I won't ride the monofantasy, even if it were built, so I am glad I won't have to pay for it, I hope.

THE EVER-POPLUAR MONORAIL CON STANCE

EDITOR: Somebody needs to shut the monorail and its highly paid cheerleaders down! How bad a mess does it need to turn into before we pull the plug? It's way too much money over way too long a time for far too little transportation benefit! And worse, it's ugly and will visually degrade the city around it! The stripped-down version they’re now proposing is assured to be nothing like what was promised, as bad as that was. The military has done better urban design in Baghdad! But worst of all are the scary finances: $11 billion till 2053! Where are our civic leaders we thought we’d elected to protect the public interest? Will local officials please step up to the plate and stop the Seattle monorail project in its single-track?

Mike Moedritzer

NO ADS FOR MONORAIL AUTHORITY

EDITOR: For the Seattle Monorail Project to take out a full page ad defending their mismanagement is obscene. The board must resign now, and all work stopped at once. This dubious project has already gone on too long and wasted too much money on inflated salaries, questionable finances, and wasting tax payer dollars on advertising and lobbying.

Gross errors in logic—such as predicating the financial viability of the monorail on the tax income from 500,000 more cars in Seattle is mind boggling. The board has failed its duty of oversight and, instead drank the koolaide of monorail-singlemindedness. The entire board must resign at once.

The reason there have been 4 votes is that there are many Seattleites still have serious doubts on the merit of the system and the team attempting to push it forward. The ponzi scheme financing and failure of the board demonstrates these doubts are well founded.

To finance this project for 50 years and to claim the taxes will eventually end is to state the system will never be expanded—as promised—unless additional taxes are raised. Can we really afford to invest any precious tax dollars on a project with so much uncertainty and so little obvious merit? How high does a person have to be to support that mess? Is there even enough meth in all of Seattle?

Please step up and help shut the SMP down now. Every day of deliberation will be another day this project burns through millions of dollars on inflated salaries, dubious engineering and expensive advertisements and lobbying.

Ralph Heinze

DEVELOP INTERBAY

EDITOR: I live in Interbay and would like to see the development plans go though [“Role Reversal,” Amy Jenniges, June 23]. I think you left out one factor that is against Nickels: Monorail. The monorail line will run through the middle of this proposed development area. I think that Nickels' concerns about transportation restrictions are poorly founded. The monorail will take pedestrians, (customers and employees of the potential businesses) to 15th & Dravus... roughly 1/2 way between Magnolia Village and downtown Queen Anne. I think that the area available for development is larger than the 7 acres you mention. On the west side of the railroad tracks are many empty businesses and run-down buildings. Going vertical with businesses wouldn't block views of anything but railroads and industrial buildings.Nickels seems to have forgotten that the worst landscape makes for the best architecture. The narrow sinews of much of the Interbay industrial area make it ripe for some truly creative and functional architecture (unlike the library, which is creative but seems to be designed by someone who has no love of books or reading). Please write more on this topic as it 'develops' or as Nickels blocks its development.

Michael McGinnis

URBAN CONSERVATIVE FOR SHARKANSKY

EDITOR: I was born in Seattle and have picked up The Stranger for most of those years. I can not say that I know the history of the various writers or even name them, I can tell you that Stefan Sharkansky’s view differs from them. I applaud you not just for publishing an “alternative” voice but for choosing someone that can string together an idea. What is truly alternative, is when an alternative weekly publishes a conservative writer in a city that has few conservatives.

Eriks "Urban Conservative" Rauda

JOSH HATES LIBERALS?!?

EDITOR: What is with Josh Feit's recent attacks against liberal NPR listeners? Two weeks in a row he made snide comments denigrating NPR listeners in stories that had nothing whatsoever to do with NPR [CounterIntel, June 9 and 16]. I realize he feels like a superior sort of liberal for living in the city and not owning a car, but not everyone can live the same lifestyle as Josh, nor do they wish to. At least "NPR liberals," as he calls them, have good intentions and good politics. In this political climate, it seems terribly counter-productive for one lefty to be denigrating another as not lefty-enough. As the extreme-minority party, we have enough troubles without belittling those on the same side as us. Please focus your attentions on reporting your stories without throwing in the pointless and alienating barbs against a good portion of your readership.

Rochelle

DICKERMAN’S PASTRY PARTISANSHIP

EDITOR: Sara Dickerman is clearly on a personal attack that is not based on her desire to clean up muffin land [“Most Unwanted,” June 2]. Who pissed in Sara's cornflakes? I want to know because she has invited all of her readers into her own little world of pissy. As a devoted reader of the Stranger for at least 10 years I would appreciate better written and more factual articles. Her research is piss poor. How long has she been in Seattle? Does Zoka use Mostly Muffins or not? Who is proof reading this garbage? How dare she put the owners of Cafe Appassionato on the hot seat like that?

Coffee shops have enough trouble in this town with the green giant on every corner. How dare she make it even harder for the couple that owns that shop on Queen Anne? To openly question not only the products that provide them their livelyhood but to put them in position where they didn't show the passion for the product that one of their customers has come to expect. Save your space for something positive. I look forward to reading the Chow section and really don't care for your personal pastry war.

Lee Van Jack

JEFF DEROCHE, CONSIDER YOURSELF FIRED!

EDITOR: How dare you let something be published like this [“Shouting Snakes and Puppy Dog Tails,” Jeff DeRoche, Oct 5, 2000]! How dare you! This article is absolutely horrible. Not only is it a bunch of lies, its a very biased opinion, and horrible rendition of the truth!

Billy Gilman has done so much more than you, or this Idiotic Jeff Deroche has done. Billy Gilman is the best role model that a young person can have, and this part of the article, and I quote, "I lie awake at nights wondering if I haven't heard the voice and seen the face of the very devil himself": Who in their right minds would ever say something about someone else like that? Just reading this article made me wonder what kind of a sick preverted person would think those things about a innocent song like that, obviously a pedifile and creep… mainly JEFF DEROCHE.

You should be very ashamed of trying to bring down someone with a pure heart like Billy's just to gain attention in the way of his man's writting, which, by the way suckes. I hope you all never EVER write anything like this again, you should be ashamed of yourself.

Elizabeth Anderson

CORPORATE CENSORSHIP?

EDITOR: Occasionally here in office a copy of The Stranger will be hanging around the lunch room. The last couple times I've seen it has been the issues with the covers of the pink lady with the lamb and then the roadkill. Except wait, I didn't actually get to see the covers. With the first issue, someone has post-it-ed over the pink lady's boobies, then when that was ripped off, someone just scribbled blue pen all over it, leaving her breastless. And with the second, the front cover has been completely removed, leaving us to look at the content page. The people here who censor these covers... they obviously don't know the wonderfull craziness held on the pages they did leave behind. The few of us here who get why this is amusing have kept it our little secret, so we have something good besides the Avon catalogs to read at lunchtime.

Stefanie O’Dell

GEORGETOWN NEEDS ‘THE STRANGER’

EDITOR: Georgetown, Seattle's true hipster's final frontier, is under seige by the political interests of Ron Sims. We need your help! The proposal to move Southwest Airlines from Sea-Tac to King County Airport has a profound effect on the Stranger's population. Georgetown is home to artists, vespa riding, rockability entusiasts, and edgy business owners.

Home owners down here are not your average Ballard family types. No. We're the ones who used to rent on Capitol Hill, then in our 30s decided we didn't want to pay the "man" anymore and sought refuge in Georgetown. And we're the ones who are starting businesses down here and bringing in the creature comforts of our days on the Hill.

Here's how we need your help.

We need you to take interest in Georgetown. Make sure that these quack politicians understand that people live here and make their living here. Use your salty linguistics and pitbull research skills to bring to light what's really happening down here. Make Georgetown real to those who exist outside of our world. Tell our side of the story. Don't let Ron Sims pimp us out for his own interests.

Holly Krejci

FREE STEM CELLS

STRANGER: Although I am neither a scientist nor a politician, I am very interested in embryonic stem cell research. It is particularly important to me as my mother was diagnosed with Parkinson’s Disease 20 years ago and my step-mother 3 years ago. I am also the Executive Director of the Northwest Parkinson’s Foundation and represent the 70,000 Parkinson’s patients in our region. When President Bush announced his stem cell policy in August 2001, we could not have foreseen that the 78 embryonic stem cell lines available for research at that time would not be sufficient today.

While it originally appeared that 78 lines would be used for research under the federal policy, only 22 are available to researchers today. Today, there‚s a good chance to change the Administration‚s outdated policy on stem cell research. The House of Representatives has already voted YES on HR 810, a bill that expands the cell lines available for federal research. The legislation also establishes federal guidelines to ensure that embryonic stem cell research moves forward in a safe and ethical manner. Now it is the responsibility of the Senate to pass identical legislation, S 471, The Stem Cell Research Enhancement Act of 2005, with strong bi-partisan support.

Polls show solid majorities of conservatives, moderates, and liberals support expanding stem cell research. Congress has the chance to expand this policy and vote in favor of stem cell research. Unfortunately, President Bush has vowed to veto this important legislation. Despite the promise of the research, and despite recent polling data that shows that over 70% of Americans believe that stem cell research should be allowed today, the president seems to be bending to the political will of a minority rather than standing with the millions of Americans who could benefit from this research. As the merits of advancing stem cell research are debated, I would urge the president to reconsider his position and stand together with the bipartisan group of Senators who want to help people like my family and the Parkinson’s community nationwide.

Scientists agree that this research could lead to new treatments or even a cure for my loved ones and constituency with Parkinson’s disease, and millions of people battling other serious diseases and conditions. For me, this is not a political debate or a partisan issue ˆ it is about a hopeful science that could potentially save millions from the loss of their quality of life due to a chronic and degenerative disease. It is my sincere hope that politicians of all political parties will support this important research and vote YES on S 471.

Bill Bell

EWART’S BACK

OH CITY FOLK, CITY FOLK: How the wheel duth [sic] turn: For years politicians, radical environmentalists and you city folk have given it to us rural folk by telling us our rural land is your park and we don't own it, you do. Well, your government, through the U. S. Supreme Court today has now done it to you in a 5 to 4 ruling for government, not property owners (Kelo vs. New London, CT). You don't own your home and land either because a city or county can come along and condemn your house and property by eminent domain so that they can sell it to a private developer in order to gain greater tax revenues. Such a sweet deal for you, isn't it? You thought it was OK for the Government to steal our rural land, now the shoe is on the other foot. How does it feel?

Perhaps the City Folk and the Rural Folk should come together and fight the real enemy, an over-zealous, heavy-handed, out-of-control government that has no allegiance to our Constitutions and even though they swear on oath to preserve, protect and defend those Constitutions, they violate that oath every day they are in office, with few exceptions.

So you see, principle does matter and without principle (the U. S. Constitution) there are no rights for anyone and it has finally come to your door step. The 5th Amendment to the U. S. Constitution was repealed today and it is a day that shall live in infamy. What will you do, fight or capitulate? You were quick to see our rural land taken by government. Will you now be just as quick to defend your own land from that same rogue government? Will see.

Ron Ewart

Fall City

DOWNING STREET ROLLS ON

EDITOR: I cannot understand why coverage of the Downing Street Minutes and related documents are not being given extensive coverage. Those who have protested the invasion of Iraq apparently are right. There is a memo drafted by a constitutional attorney, John Bonifaz, which states: "The recent release of the Downing Street Memo provides new and compelling evidence that the President of the United States has been actively engaged in a conspiracy to deceive and mislead the United States Congress and the American people about the basis for going to war against Iraq."

This, if true, is an outrageous act that undermines our democracy and constitutes impeachable, if not treasonous behavior. We've lost another 5 marines today, bringing the total to well over 1,700. How can we ask any more young men and women to sacrifice their lives for the deceptions this information exposes?

Judith Shattuck