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Item: Kunka claims his bid for mayor will change Coeur d’Alene/Tom Hasslinger, Press
More Info: Joe Kunka says he wants to change Coeur d’Alene. The 49-year-old marketing manager for The Grease Spot feels the Lake City might be too focused on improving its service industry instead of diversifying its job base by recruiting more light industry businesses to the area. “It’s becoming very difficult to live in Coeur d’Alene when everybody is feeding hamburgers to each other,” Kunka said Thursday, referring to a letter to The Press which painted the town as only a tourist destination. “I want to see if I can’t change the focus from private communities — gated communities — to bringing in some living-wage jobs in the area.” Which is why Kunka announced his intention to run for mayor on Friday.
Question: Has Sandi Bloem accomplished enough to return as mayor for a historic third term, if she decides to run again (as she has told Huckleberries that she plans to do)?
D.F. Oliveria is a columnist and blogger for The Spokesman-Review. Huckleberries Online was judged the best 2008 Idaho newspaper blog by the Idaho Press Club. And the best 2007 news blog in the Pacific Northwest by the Society for Professional Journalist. Print Huckleberries is a past winner of the Herb Caen Memorial Column contest by the National Association of Newspaper Columnists. The Readership Institute of Northwestern University cited this blog as a good example of online community journalism.
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redman on July 03 at 9:19 a.m.
Wants to change CDA like he changed the Watson Agency?
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Don Sausser on July 03 at 9:38 a.m.
Redman, that prompts another question. How did he change the Watson Agency?
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spokelooneh on July 03 at 11:05 a.m.
Ummmm, Joe Kunka works for a business that collects used cooking oil and grease from restaurants and recycles it, presumably for a profit.
And he complains about “feeding hamburgers to each other”?
Guess which restaurants produce the most grease, typically? Fast food and hamburger joints, many of such which rely on tourists.
Strange.
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Truly on July 03 at 11:40 a.m.
I don't know this person but I do know this - we have got to do something about creating some jobs around here besides serving coffee and cocktails and food.
I have lived here all my life and have never seen it soo bad for the “professional” or skilled laborer.
You say this man pushes grease? Ok so what - what does Sandi do to create more for us “working class”. (Build another skyscraper?).
No fights or arguments now dammit - it's a holiday weekend - just answer the question so I can sort through:)
Peace!
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idawa on July 03 at 12:38 p.m.
I don't know anything about the candidate, but it is a valid point. Cd'A needs more career employers.
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OrangeTV on July 03 at 1:10 p.m.
As a reminder, here is the bio Mr.Kunka used for the 2007 Voter's Pamphletduring his failed bid for city council:
“My name is Joseph (Joe) Kunka. I was born in Minot, ND, raised in Great Falls, MT, and educated in the United States Marine Corps. My training and experience makes me a problem solver. My philosophy is simple. Before we make more, let's take care of what we have. We have infrastructure challenges, housing challenges, employment challenges, and gang/drug challenges. None of these challenges are unique to CdA, but they are OUR challenges. You can rest assured that these challenges will be addressed during my term on City Council. I have not served on any committees so I cannot claim to have anything to do with our current state of affairs. I am Vice President of CdA Little League Baseball and active with the youth at Christ the King Lutheran Church. A vote for Joe Kunka is a vote for action. A vote for Joe Kunka is a vote for your public safety, a vote for Joe Kunka is a vote for your children, a vote for Joe Kunka is a vote for solutions and a voice for the people. I will absolutely fight for the rights of property owners and the preservation of CdA's lifestyle. Gangs and drug dealers will not be welcome in CdA. Baseball, families in the parks, community participation in government, all things kid friendly, and support for the homeless and hungry will be welcome. It is time to stop focusing on the symptoms and start solving some actual problems. Get out and vote CdA!! Allowing 20% of the population to make decisions for the other 80% is not very smart.”
Sounds a little CAVER-ish to me…
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JIMMYMAC on July 03 at 3:20 p.m.
I thought it was actually pretty good, OTV. On the other hand, I don't see myself voting agains Sandi. I'm a fan.
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Stickman on July 03 at 3:21 p.m.
I like his thoughts on changing this town from purely a tourist destination. But, I like Sandi very much and I like most of her ideas also. It should be interesting. Thanks Orange for the comments on Joe, as I hadn't a clue who he is. Maybe I will get the chance one of these days. As for Sandi, I have met her many times and I think she is doing a very good job. We'll see.
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Bent on July 03 at 11:36 p.m.
Yeah. Good luck Mr. Kunka. You may be a fine candidate with great ideals, but Bloem will be awfully hard to beat. You need a reason…and I have not seen one.
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spokelooneh on July 03 at 11:49 p.m.
I'd still like to know what this Watson Agency business was all about.
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Sam on July 04 at 5:55 p.m.
Bent is right, it'd be very hard to defeat Bloem. Frankly, though, it feels like Idaho is all about the status quo, and Bloem is in that vein already. I'm sure people like that. Change sucks, right?
Coeur d'Alene is quite a conservative place. I'm not sure that people want anything to change.
Truly above, my mother, has beef only because private, corporate employers are horrible people who don't want to pay anything to other human beings so they go for young people who they can bilk out of their true occupational worth. That's not something that a mayor, generally,. can change.
I hope the mayoral race is taken seriously by local reporters, but I kind of doubt it. I do my best every single election to ignore anything I think will happen (because I'm usually wrong anyway and I try to tell people that all the time) and just cover the race like there's no incumbent and everybody is brand new.
Kunka deserves a shot like any other candidate.
And, reflexively, his credentials should be thoroughly eaten and spit out. What's his private experience like? That is, friends and family? What's his civic experience like? Does he volunteer with Kiwanis, Rotary, Lions or other groups? Has he served on in city, county or state boards or commissions? If not, how can he understand how the governmental process works?
Tough questions should be asked no matter what.
Good luck to all.
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